Barefoot running from zero?

[FingerPointsAtMoon]

I'll be hitting the gym in January.

I got a pair of "barefoot" shoes, mostly because I'll be lifting. It seems the general consensus is to have no padding in your shoes if you're lifting. You'd have better contact with the ground when doing lower-body work (deadlifts, squats, etc.)

The shoes are designed for barefoot running. I'm wondering if I can incorporate running into my routine as well. I have never run for exercise before. But, I am in good shape from cycling. I worry if I start with barefoot shoes, I will be more likely to stress my joints and all that nasty stuff.

Has anyone here done something like a "couch-to-5k" barefoot?

[robby152]

In college, I just ditched shoes for about 6 months just for kicks and giggles. My feet were pretty calloused. Towards the end, I decided to go on a run (not too much into exercising). I think I ran 1.5 to 2 miles, and at the end of the run accidentally ran over broken glass. Didn't feel a thing. Now, shortly after that my parents said if I didn't start wearing shoes I could kiss college goodbye, but it was fun while it lasted. So, I just started really slow by walking and making sure my posture was good to help the gait (you can't slam your heel when you run barefoot). If you do it slowly and correctly, it can really help your body. Running on grass is much better barefoot.

[m741]

I did a bit of 'barefoot' running in preparation for my marathon, but switched to traditional shoes due to time constraints.

I think the general consensus is that barefoot-style running is much healthier than more traditional, heavily padded running, which causes chronic injuries.

I would read up a bit on barefoot running as it is more sensitive to form (the book Born to Run is an entertaining read about this; "Chi Running" is a good, if cheesy, video to watch). As robby mentioned, the key is landing on the ball of your foot rather than your heels - you'll quickly realize that heel strike is simply too painful without padding (which is why it leads to injury even with padding)!

Also, you'll need to start with short distances, in the 1-3 mile range. Simply put, your lower leg muscles need to build strength to support this style of running - I guarantee you'll feel a completely new second-day soreness with barefoot running. It's painful, but in the satisfying muscular exhaustion kind of way.

Good luck!

[FingerPointsAtMoon]

Interesting... Chi Running seems to be similar, at a glance, to the Pose running thing: fall forward, pull your feet up from the ground. I'll have to try running for a while to see what it's about.

[JamesR]

I'd just go barefoot or close to that and go for a short run every 2-3 days sometimes more, pay attention to the achilles tendon and give the feet time to adapt.

My progression looked like 5 minutes, 8 minutes, 11 minutes, 14 minutes, etc. I ran a 11K marathon _really_ slowly about 3 months after I started running.

[jennypenny]

As robby mentioned, the key is landing on the ball of your foot rather than your heels - you'll quickly realize that heel strike is simply too painful without padding (which is why it leads to injury even with padding)!

I think this is why barefoot running usually leads to fewer injuries. It forces people to run with proper form. If more people in regular shoes used proper form, there would be fewer injuries in the general running population.

Having your gait analyzed is helpful too. Everyone is different. You can usually have this done at a running store. I often see booths for this at pre-race expos too.

[BattlaP]

Be careful you don't be pulled in by popular mania hyping the 'latest craze', particularly when they almost entirely consist of appeals to antiquity. Read some critical analyses by actual podiatrists and also keep in mind that everyone is different.

Barefoot running caused me a couple stress fractures before I decided to properly educate myself and learn a bit about my own two feet.
I'm not saying DON'T, but there is a big 'fad' component to it that appeals to imagery of the 'natural state'/hunter-gatherers etc when I assure you that there is a reason why modern tribal people prefer Nike©.

It's an interesting discussion in ERE terms, eg. actual barefeet running compared to 'barefoot' shoes which are a commercially viable transcription of the philosophy.

[JamesR]

Right, you can't just go run around barefooted, that does not work, have to pay a LOT of attention to the feet, legs, etc. And start of slow, start from scratch, rebuild a new gait for barefoot running.