Barefoot Shoe Injuries

Here at Lose The Shoes I am all about barefoot running and barefoot running shoes, and when talking about switching to barefoot shoes I caution about taking it slow. Recently there has been alot of press about the injuries casued by barefoot shoes.

So when people see these new titles saying "Barefoot Craze causes injuries" or "Barefoot Shoes harmful to runners" people automatic say, see I told you and write off barefoot running.

But if people took the time to read the data and the studies they would see that barefoot running done right is still great for you.

So to sum up the study that is in the news this week if you haven't look into it, Researchers at Brigham Young University in the U.S found that runners who make the switch from normal trainers to barefoot shoes too quickly suffered an increased risk of injury to bones in the foot, including possible stress fractures.

So the key to this is two words that get skipped over by most people, those two words are "too quickly" and this is just common sense, if you started to ski this winter you didn't skip the bunny hill and go stright for the black diamond hills did you? No...

So the key to Barefoot running and Barefoot shoes is to take it easy, you are using muscles that aren't used to being worked out, your adapting a new form and it takes time to get it right.

So don't burn all your vibram five fingers and throw out your Merrells, just becareful and ease yourself into it, but if you are throwing out those shoes you can send them my way..

Kennyo

Barefoot Running The Movie Review

This week I sat down and watched a movie called Barefoot Running by Michael Sandler and Jessica Lee, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Over the last year Barefoot Running has taken off and a lot of people have attempted to make a quick dollar off it by producing books, videos and sites about it.  Barefoot Running The Movie is more then a slapped together video in an attempt to make a quick dollar, The Movie is well done and very informative and should be watched by all runners.

Here at Losetheshoes.net I give it two Bare Toes Up!

Here's what the makers of this Film say about it at RunBare.com :

Barefoot Running - The Movie:

We had a blast working our tails off last winter, filming the ultimate barefoot running DVD in Maui, Hawaii. You’ll find everything you need to know about safely easing into barefoot running, from foot strengthening to proper posture, running form and recovery, all with a greater sense of awareness of your body and the world around you. Be inspired to go out and play like a kid again!

This is not your everyday how-to running video!  We've jampacked this DVD with as much heart, passion and goodies as we could.

• First off, for all non-US residents, we've made this DVD REGION-FREE!
• And for those of you who don't have DVD players that play NTSC, we'll be shipping you PAL versions! to make life a little easier.  
• You'll find awesome tunes by talented muscians such as Barefoot Truth, Zachary Bergen and two-timeGrammy Award winning Robert Mirabal aka Johnny Whitehorse. 
• You asked for SUBTITLES for the hearing impaired, we got you subtitles! (English only so far)
• You asked for OUTTAKES, we sucked it up and put our embarrassing moments on film. 
• And for those of you familiar with Michael's stunning PHOTOGRAPHY work, we've even included a beautiful photo show. 
• Since we filmed on Maui, we thought we'd give you a taste of ALOHA spirit from a very special Kapuna known as Auntie Puanani Mahoe.  We're extremely honored to include her interview.

Review:

Barefoot Running The Movie consists of 17 Chapters that walk the viewer through everything they need to know about beginning barefoot running or improving on their form.

Chapter 1: Why Run Bare - This chapter looks at the reasons to start running barefoot and the health benefits behind barefoot running. I like the quote is this chapter where Jessica  talks about " Looking at the world like a kid again" through the joys of running.

Chapters 2,3 and 4 provides brief backgrounds on Michael and Jessica and how they started running barefoot, as well as the Anatomy of Running. Michael's story is truly remarkable and I'll leave you to discover it yourselves.

Chapter 5: This chapter is the Meat and potatoes of this Movie, this chapter addresses proper running form and can be helpful for the runner that is just starting barefoot running or a runner that has logged hundreds of miles on their bare feet. This section hits on all the keys like Running upright, erect, arms high and back, pelvis level and landing on your forefoot, this section is very well done.

Chapter 6-10: These chapters hit on topics like, Syncing with nature, Warming up, First 200 yards (Very important to start off slow), Benefits for women and Form Drills.

Chapter 11: This chapter addresses the topic of nature play, and bringing fun back into your running routine. Through this Chapter you can see how Jessica went from hating running to truly loving it.

Chapters 12,13: These two chapters hit on Balance Drills and Blindfolded drills to improve your running experience.

Chapters 14 and 15 talk about building the pads on your feet and how to recover from barefoot running.

Chapter 16 is a lot like my site here at Losetheshoes.net and hits on what to look for in a barefoot shoe if you must wear one.

Chapter 17 bids you Happy Trails and finishes off this great movie.

So I recommend you pick up a copy of this movie and enjoy learning more about barefoot running. There is great advice, scenery and music in the video, what more do you need. If you looking for action with guns and explosives maybe that will be in "Barefoot Running Returns"..Haha... Well here's the trailer to the movie.

Look for the Giveaway tomorrow...

Kennyo

BareFoot Running.. The Movie

This Movie should be out the end of August and it looks like it will teach you to run barefoot properly, This is so important so you'll avoid injuries. This movie looks like the movie is well done.

Barefoot Running Advice

Whenever you read about barefoot running recently people are warning about taking it slow. This point wasn't stressed at the start and alot of new barefoot runners ended up pushing themselves too hard and injured themselves, and that went against why they tried barefoot running, to stay healthy.

If your running barefoot or in minimal shoes start off slow, let your muscle adjust to your new running style. Also make sure your using proper running form, keep your strides short and land on your mid foot.

Harvard evolutionary biologist Daniel Lieberman runs a lab devoted to studying the effects of running form on injury rates. He thinks form matters more than footwear or lack of — don't overstride, have good posture and land gently.

In a 2010 study examining different running gaits, Lieberman and colleagues found that striking the ground heel first sends a shock up through the body while barefoot runners tend to have a more springy step. Even so, more research is needed into whether barefoot running helps avoid injury.

"The long and the short of it is that we know very little about how to help all runners — barefoot and shod — prevent getting injured. Barefoot running is no panacea. Shoes aren't either," said Lieberman, who runs barefoot except during the New England winters.

Kenya Barefoot Running

I was just reading a Question and Answer story in the National Post about runners in Kenya. It's worth a read, you can follow the link in The National Post story here.

One of the possible myths about runners in Kenya is that they all believe in barefoot running, the question is answered below.

Q: Do you believe in the barefoot running technique?
A: No. In fact, after their first races, the ones where they run without shoes because they have no possibility to buy them, whenever they have the possibility of a contract with a shoe company, they immediately start running with shoes.

Happy Running,
Kennyo

Things Barefoot Runners Say

Here's a funny video by Steve Sashen on  "Sh^t Barefoot Runners Say"

Running Injuries

I was poking around online today and came across an article by Lifehacker.com where they talked about avoiding running injuries by using proper form.

I kinda laughed because they mentioned how barefoot runners and minimalist runners are weird and extremists so people don't listen to the message they deliver about injury-free running.

The article states: the injury statistics show that out of all current runners, 79 per cent of them are injured every year. That’s insane. We’re obviously doing something wrong.This New York Times Magazine article has discovered a secret: It’s not really whether or not you run barefoot or with the latest Nikes that prevent injury, it’s the form you use when you run.

This is so true, you can wear your Vibram Five Fingers, Vivobarefoot shoes or Reebox Realflex's but if you run with improper form and heel strike you haven't made things better but worse.

How Walking Is Hurting Our Feet

About 3 years ago before the big "Barefoot" craze Nymag.com wrote an article about the damage we are doing to our feet when walking in modern shoes.

The funny thing about all this is how easy walking in but yet we are able to mess it up. Think about it, we all walk and text, we walk and eat, we can do almost anything while walking.

Well, I’m afraid I have some bad news for you: You walk wrong.

It's easy to blame high heels for damaging feet, but all of our modern shoes damage our feet, not only do they hurt our feet then change the make up of our feet.

In 2008 researchers at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, published a study titled “Shod Versus Unshod: The Emergence of Forefoot Pathology in Modern Humans?” in the podiatry journal The Foot. The study examined 180 modern humans from three different population groups (Sotho, Zulu, and European), comparing their feet to one another’s, as well as to the feet of 2,000-year-old skeletons. The researchers concluded that, prior to the invention of shoes, people had healthier feet. Among the modern subjects, the Zulu population, which often goes barefoot, had the healthiest feet while the Europeans—i.e., the habitual shoe-wearers—had the unhealthiest.

Not only do our feet get damaged from shoes the saddest part is that modern shoes effect our ability to walk with a natural gait.  With raised heels and cramming our feet into narrow shoes we take the amazing bioengineering that is our natural gait and messes with it.

Even though here at Losetheshoes.net we love minimalistic shoes, the problem is shoes are the issue. The best thing for us would be to walk barefoot whenever we can.  But many of us needs to walk in a urban environment where walking barefoot doesn't make sense. So where you must wear shoes please choose a minimalistic shoe.

Try this test: Take off your shoe, and put it on a tabletop. Chances are the toe tip on your shoes will bend slightly upward, so that it doesn’t touch the table’s surface. This is known as “toe spring,” and it’s a design feature built into nearly every shoe. Of course, your bare toes don’t curl upward; in fact, they’re built to grip the earth and help you balance. The purpose of toe spring, then, is to create a subtle rocker effect that allows your foot to roll into the next step.

The article at NyMag.com also says that If you wear high heels for a long time, your tendons shorten—and then it’s only comfortable for you to wear high heels. One saleswoman I spoke to at a running-shoe store described how, each summer, the store is flooded with young women complaining of a painful tingling in the soles of their feet—what she calls “flip-flop-itis,” which is the result of women’s suddenly switching from heeled winter boots to summer flip-flops. This is the shoe paradox: We’ve come to believe that shoes, not bare feet, are natural and comfortable, when in fact wearing shoes simply creates the need for wearing shoes.

So after reading all this your mostlikly sitting there saying well my Nike's or Reebok's won't damage me so I'm good!! If your saying this I would say go read Born To Run, it's an amazing book that will tell you different.

Look at this study published over 10 years ago where it states “Wearers of expensive running shoes that are promoted as having additional features that protect (e.g., more cushioning, ‘pronation correction’) are injured significantly more frequently than runners wearing inexpensive shoes (costing less than $40).” According to another study, people in expensive cushioned running shoes were twice as likely to suffer an injury—31.9 injuries per 1,000 kilometers, as compared with 14.3—than were people who went running in hard-soled shoes.

Admittedly, there’s something counter intuitive about the idea that less padding on your foot equals less shock on your body. But that’s only if we continue to think of our feet as lifeless blocks of flesh that hold us upright. The sole of your foot has over 200,000 nerve endings in it, one of the highest concentrations anywhere in the body. Our feet are designed to act as earthward antennae, helping us balance and transmitting information to us about the ground we’re walking on.

If you want to learn more check out the article at NyMag.com or read Born To Run. But whatever you do invest in a pair of minimalistic shoes.

Enjoy your day

Barefoot Running In The Rain

It was a rainy day here in Halifax today, I was working so I ended up getting alittle wet. During my lunch hour I popped into the gym and did my cardio inside.

With the rain falling outside, and as I drove around the city and passed a lot of dedicated runners out in the pouring rain I figured some of you would be wondering about Barefoot Running In The Rain?

A lot of people are concerned about Running Barefoot In The Rain, really there's no big issue with running in the rain., so don't use it as an excuse!

The only issue with running barefoot in the rain is that your feet get wet, and then you start wearing away the calouses because the skin gets soft when its wet. Think of your "granny" fingers after you get out of soaking in the tub, they can't take alot of abuse.

On a safety side, most surfaces aren't too bad in terms of traction, though I'd avoid things like metal grates and wood planks when it's wet - they can be really slippery.

And if your wearing your Vibram Five Fingers, the rain won't hurt them, again watch the slippery areas and you may have to get used to the feeling every time you step in a puddle, I find it refreshing tho.

Enjoy Yout Run!
Kennyo

Reebok Buys Into Minimalist Running

Reebok International founder Paul Fireman is jumping back into the running-shoe business, with an investment of close to $20 million in a Colorado sneaker maker that aims to capitalize on the industry’s biggest innovation in decades: shoes that mimic barefoot running.



If Fireman has been looking for his next act, perhaps he has found it in Newton Running Co., a Boulder start-up that specializes in $175 sneakers built to emulate a shoeless stride — yet with enough cushioning to protect skin and joints from the realities of pavement pounding. He and his Fireman Capital Partners will take a roughly 30 percent stake in Newton.

“I never thought I’d be involved in anything to do with an athletic or shoe company again,’’ said Fireman, 67, who five years ago sold Reebok to Adidas-Salomon for $3.8 billion and personally reaped $800 million. “But this one intrigued me.’’

Newton’s chief executive and co-founder, Jerry Lee, will retain a majority stake in the company. An avid marathoner who has run Boston three times — though he prefers Boulder’s mountain paths — Lee insists this is not a niche product. Footwear to enable a “midfoot’’ style of running, rather than the more common heel striking, is in high demand, he and other industry specialists said.

“In my view, this is probably the largest single revolution in running footwear since the Nike air bag,’’ said John Fisher, the former chief executive of shoemaker Saucony Inc. who now teaches marketing at Babson College. “The idea of minimalism will continue to grow in geometric leaps and bounds.’’

Fisher said it has been decades since anything truly new has emerged in the running shoe business, and that Fireman could well be seizing on a large opportunity, “where you put one and one together and you don’t get two — you get nine.’’


This new trend in running, marked by brands like Vibram FiveFingers, isn’t for everyone. Critics said some people are getting injured using so-called minimalist shoes, with thinner soles than many Americans have grown accustomed to over the past few decades.

Colin Peddie, owner of Marathon Sports, a specialty running store in the Boston area, carries Newton Running shoes in his shops and runs in them himself. He said he sees them as a training tool to be used several days a week, a shoe that can help runners change up their technique and avoid certain common injuries, like knee problems, from landing hard on the heels mile after mile.

“I’m rooting for the brand. I like it,’’ Peddie said, noting that Newton is not an extreme minimalist shoe, and offers heel cushioning. But, “It takes some education.’’

With all of Reeboks power now in Newton they'll start to grow alot quicker.

Merrell Barefoot Trail Glove Review

Looking to Try The Merrell Barefoot Trail Glove, I didn't have a chance to review this shoe so check out Birthdayshoes.com for the full review.

Preview:
Merrell says "Less is definitely more exploring with our Vibram®-soled Trail Glove natural adventure shoe. All the protection your feet need from rocks and roots, and an ultra-lightweight upper with a synthetic leather foot sling for stability fits like a glove."

The Trail Glove is the trail-specific model in the line. Based on my testing, the Trail Glove is the first minimalist shoe I’ve tried that could be considered as a replacement for Vibram’s Five Fingers line, I only said considered.

When I first tried on the Trail Glove, I was underwhelmed. It has two areas of padding, which immediately felt mild squishiness. Also, the medial side of the sole touched my arch. It wasn’t supportive, but the feel was unfamiliar. I walked around in them a bit and decided to delay judgment until I did some running.

It won't take you long once running to relaize that these shoes are something different, even special. You'll find that these shoes are flawless on trails, and don't feel out of place when running on the road as well, and you'll enjoy them on sand, mud, leaf-covered technical tails, gravel, and everything in between.

The conclusion- no shoe has come closer to minimalist perfection. I’ll go over the technical details shortly, but first I want to share my criteria for a great minimalist shoe. A great minimalist shoe must have the following qualities:

• Zero-drop sole- the heel cannot be higher than the forefoot- the sole is a uniform thickness,
• Wide toe box- this allows the toes to splay,
• Thin, relatively flexible heel- This is not as critical as it will be determined by the terrain. The more rugged the terrain, the thicker the heel (more protection),
• An upper material that does not interfere with foot function,
• A closure system that allows for a degree of customization of fit,
• A liner that eliminates the need to wear socks, and
• Lightweight.

Check out my Full Review of the Merrell Bare Access

Kennyo

Merrell BareFoot Overview

Merrell wants you to free your feet, so they launched the Merrell Barefoot line with Vibram shoes.

Merrell launched 6 different styles, all to be reviewed here. The 6 styles are Men's Barefoot Trail Glove, Men's Barefoot True Glove, Men's Barefoot Tough Glove, Women's Barefoot Pace Glove, Women's Barefoot Pure Glove and The Women's Barefoot Power Glove.

Merrell jumped into the Barefoot market in full force, and they are even up with the times launching a Barefoot app recently.

Like the Barefoot app Merrell is big on teaching runners how to run properly, if you go to the Merrell website they have a huge Barefoot running section with videos and experts.

I  Love to see when a shoe company launches a shoe and throws alot of substance behind it. Some shoe companies have jumped on the Barefoot wagon with a lot of marketing dollars with little substance, Merrell has done it right.

Check back for reviews on all their shoes.

Running Downhill Barefoot tips

It often takes a lot of practice to run downhill fast without feeling
like you're losing control. It's really all about learning to pick up
your feet quickly and maintaining balance. A few tips:

If you have room, you can slalom down the hill to reduce the effective
incline. This is especially helpful on trails, but good for
practicing on asphalt as well.
Try to completely disengage your hips from your torso. Keeping them
loose will help your upper body remain stable.

Bend your knees a bit more, and try to channel Fred Flintstone.
Seriously.

Practice a bit barefoot if you still can where you live. You won't be
able to brake or take long strides like you can pull off in minimal
footwear due to the lack of abrasion protection. It's the single best
thing I've done to help my downhill form. Interestingly, I've found
that few shod runners practice running downhill, because they can get
away with heel striking and braking like it's their job. This means
they don't make use of the gravity assistance like they could, and it
becomes a competitive advantage for those of us that are forced to do
it right.

Reebok Realfex Review: A Good or Bad Shoe?

To start off I'm not saying the Reebok Realflex is a bad shoe, but is it really a good choice as a minimalistic shoe?

Recently there has been a lot of hype about Reeboks entrance into the Barefoot Running shoe market. They launched their Reebok Realflex with a lot of hype and marketing dollars. If you want to check out their dollars at use, check out this catchy commercial.

When watching Reeboks technology video (shown below) you're off the top saying to yourself maybe they do know what they're talking about. The thing is, they are saying all the right things in the video. Here are a few quotes below:

"barefoot or natural running actually makes a lot of sense from a bio-mechanic standpoint."

" Bio-mechanically speaking it makes sense because when you land on your forefoot you land with your knee bent so all the shock absorption happens in your muscles not your joints. When you land on your heel all that shock is taken up by the joints in your knees and ankles and hips"

So reading those quotes your saying to yourself that Reebok has done their homework and maybe they are buying into the Barefoot running idea.

But quickly you see their true colors, after talking up Barefoot running they say this statement... "But we want to take that and improve it — namely by adding protection" If you truly believe that barefoot running is the best for you, would you say you can improve it, and then would you go above that and say to improve it you'll add protection to make it better??

When Vibram speaks about their Vibram Five Fingers newer models that just added 1mm more to their soles they have to apologize because they know with each mm added it takes away from true barefoot running feeling, so is Reebok missing something? Yes!

Reebok seems like they put alot of padding on the heel of the Realflex, why's this? Reebok tells us its for running down hill. I kinda think its for all those heel strikers that will buy these shoes because of the hype and now they won't complain because their heels will be protected, and they will continue to run improperly.

Reebok made a pretty shoe that looks great and is comfortable, but is it really a barefoot shoe?
They made the sole more flexible which is great, they made the shoe alot lighter which is great but when it comes to the padding there's still too much between your foot and the road.

Reebok say the Realflex is natural running perfected, I say it's marketing dollars perfected.

A great shoes not a great Minimalistic shoe

KO

BareFoot Ted: Denver Post Barefoot Running Debate

This article is from Barefoot Ted:

The Denver Post has been printing some interesting articles on barefoot running...stirring the debate about barefooting...pro and con.

It turns out that the biggest opponent of barefoot running is Mark Plaatjes, the owner of the Boulder Running Company. He makes the argument that running barefoot is not for Americans because "98 percent of the U.S. do not grow up barefoot, walking barefoot" and that "If you do not grow up barefoot, it is a really difficult thing to do."

Granted, Mr. Plaatjes is correct that many if not most Americans did not grow up barefoot..., but making the case that since they did not, they should not, is not the kind of argument one should make without a lot of evidence backing it up. And that evidence is not there.

My experience tells me that you can regain use of your feet, one thoughtful step at a time. For many, the foot has atrophied and become weak from years of wearing shoe casts. Constantly supporting the foot leads to weakness. Strengthening the foot requires patience and care, but the results are so well worth it. Your foot is an amazing and beautiful piece of magical equipment that you've inherited from a long line of successful movement. Self-healing and self-nourishing, your feet get stronger with use...the best shoes you'll ever own.
Michael Sandler of Boulder is the article's main barefoot running proponent. Sandler says that "When you are barefoot, you are forced to run the way ancient man ran, which is a soft dance," and I agree. He further points out that even his upper body is getting stronger from barefooting. I understand this too.

One of the other proponents, Ivo Waerlop, suggests that barefoot running allows muscles to strengthen and work in different ways than they are familiar with while in shoes. Runners experience a more natural stride when they are barefoot, he says, and I agree. Further, he points out that when in training shoes, runners are more likely to land on their heel before rocking through to the toes, and that is not a good thing.

They also quote me in the article thus:
"When you take away the feeling of the impact of your feet hitting the ground, you end up putting much more impact into your body than if you felt it and adjusted your stride," said Barefoot Ted, perhaps the most well-known barefoot running enthusiast. He lives in Washington and has spread the gospel of barefoot running for five years.
"The more padded the shoe has become, the more impact people are putting into their body," Barefoot Ted said.

No shoes = bigger smiles
Further in the article, it suggests that we (Sandler and me) are on the extreme side of the barefoot spectrum..., but is that exactly true? We are just showing what is possible and suggesting that barefoot and minimal running be included in the dialogue of mainstream's understanding of running rather than resorting to scare tactics to make people shy away from being barefoot. We are living proof that it can be done...and that it is joyful.
I suggest you give barefooting a try. Start slow and build slow. Be thoughtful, mindful and gentle. The rewards seem very high, and I have been receiving a lot of emails with amazing success reports.
If you live near Boulder and you may be interested in meeting up with the Boulder Barefoot Running Club. It is an enthusiastic group of folks proving that the foot is just fine as it is.
If you are near Seattle, I do coach barefoot running technique in an introduction to barefoot running workshop which I like to do one-on-one or with small groups.

I plan on starting a Seattle (Capitol Hill) Barefoot Running Club in the near future using Volunteer Park and the Arboretum as the club running grounds. Should be fun.

For the original Denver Post article, click here

Barefoot Ted

How to run barefoot tips

How to run barefoot quick tips



• Runners are baring their very soles - via the LA Times on October 5, 2009. from Barefoot Ken Bob Saxton:
  • Never heel-strike. Land on the forefoot, with an erect back on a bent leg.
  • Quickly lower the heel so that the foot is flat on the ground.
  • Strive for a rapid turnover. The less time your foot is on the ground, the faster you are and the less you get injured. Lift the foot straight up off the ground
  • Run quietly. "You know you're a good barefoot runner when you scare people as you pass them -- because they can't hear you coming," says Barefoot Julian (more commonly known as Julian Romero, a Caltech doctoral student). "You're really good when you can scare a dog."
  • Finally, don't have too much fun at first. "Avoid RBES -- the 'Running Barefoot Exuberance Syndrome,' " Saxton says. "People get so excited that they run too much too soon and get hurt, especially calves and Achilles. So build up slowly."
• BFT's Barefoot Running Basics - from BarefootTed's Minimalist Runner tips include:

1. Gentle ball-heel-ball landings - feet and arms moving in same direction...forward.
2. Quick cadence - leg speed
3. Stable upright posture and engaged core...no bending at waist.

• Barefoot Running via Dr. Nicholas Romanov of Posetech (below are Romanov's tips, more at Posetech)
  • start using racing flats in your everyday running
  • do light jumps and hops in place with a jumping rope, do the same on two low boxes, with light weights
  • start running on sand in racing flats
  • do barefoot jumps in place with a jumping rope, then on boxes
  • start doing short barefoot runs on grass
  • do short barefoot runs and jumps on sand
  • increase the length of barefoot running on grass and sand
  • alternate each of the above exercises with normal running

Top 5 Minimalist Shoes

The choices for minimalist runners has just increased.  And looks to continue in a positive direction.  So far, it's been mostly smaller companies leading the charge, but I think the goliaths will come on board soon.

1. Run Barefoot.....Cost = Free  This is the way we were designed to run...
2. Vibram FiveFinger shoes...several choices in their ever-expanding line.  I like the KSO.  Cost = $75-$125 depending on model.
3. Terra Plana shoes, Terra Plana, similar to Feelmax, have several minimalist shoes, but the Evo is their first from them for runners. Cost = $160.
4. Sockwa Shoes.... Are socks that are made for running... Cost = $25
5. Nike Free's......I know they are not a "true" Minimalist shoes, but the closest you'll get from the big shoes companies...Cost = $149

Oh And I have to add Luna Sandals, you can order the sandals that the Tarahumara wear.

Born To Run: Caballo Blanco Interview

If you have read or are reading Born to Run you will know the name Caballo Blanco, you may not know him by his real name Micah True.

This Video will put images to the book you are reading and you will hear Caballo Blanco talk about the race he established in the cooper canyons, that you read about in Born To Run.

Barefoot Ted on Barefoot Running

There is nobody better to talk about Barefoot running then Barefoot Ted. check out what he has to say….

So, you wanna start running barefoot?

Firstly, before you begin, you want to evaluate what it is that is leading you to even accept the logic behind the concept of barefoot running. We all know that barefoot running has gotten a lot of attention lately. Much of it is valid and deserves your attention.

Yet, one must still ask: is this a viable option for me?

Before you answer that question, let me explain why I think barefoot or minimal footwear running may not be good for you. It is not good if you are thinking it is some sort of cure-all that only requires taking off your shoes and starting to run injury free without radical changes in the way you may have been thinking of running up to now. If your running strategy has been about very specific time or distance goals, and you have been willing to push through pain to injury, then I would caution you: your bare feet will not allow you to continue this way.

Alas, the hallmark of my barefoot running philosophy is regaining connectedness, mindfulness, and presence in your running and in your body.

Barefoot running is not about blocking or pushing through pain, or at least it shouldn’t be. Rather it is about tuning-in to your own body’s highly sophisticated set of integrated awareness systems, systems that communicate through feelings and senses that are being collected in real-time as you move. From my perspective, learning how to run well means learning how to tap into the feeling of running well, which more often than not requires baring the foot to get the full feel of what happens when you move.

However, even if you decide that barefoot is the route for you, take one step backward and realize you are most likely in the process of rehabilitating your feet and legs from years of being differently-abled, shoed, and cast. Atrophy, loss of range of motion, weakness, neglect, the foot has not been treated well lately. All the padding and support and protection has not led to stronger feet…sadly.
So, the first key is to start slowly, incrementally and avoid over-exuberance, avoid being driven by your ego. Think orchard growing, not fast food. Think lifetime of development and growth. Think joy.

So, what are my secrets, what is it I share with clients who take my Introduction to Barefoot Running Clinic?

My goal is to get people to learn how to feel what good running feels like. I want them to develop a feeling for it. One of the primary feelings becomes an awareness of the texture and hardness of terrain and of impact. This awareness is the beginning.

To master this awareness, I have clients learn to move on hard surfaces first. Not focusing on distance or speed, I have my clients first walk and then trot on hard, fairly smooth surfaces. I work with them to focus on and begin to master three goals: quiet, quick, in balance.

The Three Goals

1. Master gentle, quiet, forefoot-centric landings, silent and smooth.

Learn to move with no hard edges, no pounding by learning how to have the impact of landing flow through the entire foot, starting in the forefoot and quickly spreading through the legs smoothly. Notice how silent your movement becomes. Imagine the movement of a big cat. Watch your dogs trot. Let them be models for tuned-in, flowing movement that wastes no energy on pound or sound.

2. Quicken your cadence. Running in barefeet encourages this naturally.

Some shoe runners are plodders. You can hear them coming. Lots of wasted energy on poorly timed impact.

Quicker cadence ends up making sense when you realize that your ability to absorb and recoil energy through elasticity in your body dissipates quickly and is lost if not used. Learning how to get back in touch with the sweet spot of optimal recoil efficiency is easier to find when you can feel your feet, feeling that encourages a landing phase with foot more in line with your center of gravity (thinking about how you land if you jump down onto a hard surface in barefeet, not on your heels!). Overstriding is discouraged, nearly impossible barefooted.

3. Stable upright posture…balanced head, core engaged, belly button pulled into the spine, no waist bending, head upright. The feeling of balance: relaxed, yet strong.

I think that good running can be judged aesthetically. It should look good, not painful. When you see someone moving or running well, it looks smooth and fluid and graceful and efficient. The opposite looks painful, when someone is hunched and stiff, robotic and plodding. Indeed efficient running is tall and stable, the upper body acting as the fulcrum from which the legs and arms can move freely with a serious lack of bouncing or swaying of the head.

Ultimately my coaching goal is to help people perfect what I call a persistent hunt trot…a gait not purely about speed, but about smooth, flowing, efficient, sustainable movement, movement that leaves you ready to hunt or play another day.

Barefooting itself is all about mindfulness and presence. Running like an upright Primate, not like a Robot. Aware of your body and your environment AT ALL TIMES.

Listen to your body…learn to hear what it is telling you. Adjust accordingly. Advance accordingly.
Best Regards, Barefoot Ted