Simple (Maybe Radical) Green: Ditch the Running Shoes

When cool air hits, we seem to rediscover running. What better way to get outside and appreciate nature, while getting fit at the same time? We're not installing a bike that will power our blender any time soon, so we might as well green our evening jogs. Here's one way to do it that's gathering a lot of steam lately...

Barefoot running.

Oh, yes, you read that right. Running barefoot in the park. On cement or smooth surfaces (your casual neighborhood jog), preferably, all the while keeping an eye out for obstacles.

Barefoot running isn't a new idea, but it's getting more exposure lately thanks to author Christopher McDougall's book Born to Run. The premise? Humans are born with the ability to run on their bare feet, without the need for expensive high-tech running gear made halfway around the world. McDougall advocates barefoot running to improve form, saying that it prevents injury by naturally correcting one's running stance.

We're thinking of giving it a try. One less commodity to buy, one less item to discard (either by donating or recycling), one proven way to improve our running... What's not to like?

For more on barefoot running, take a cue from these links:

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen available at Amazon

The Roving Runner Goes Barefoot from The New York Times

Born To Run from U.S. News & World Report

Born To Run Fan Site

Minimalist Runner Google Group

(Image: Flickr member cogdogblog, licensed under Creative Commons.)

Comments (13)

It does sound tempting. I guess I'll just tape my nike sport kit sensor to my foot. Not a problem.

I tried it the other day - barefoot stadiums. I could barely walk for a week following - not because my feet hurt (though halfway through my heels did starting feeling bruised), but because it was a killer calf workout!

I can see my dad doing this because he grew up too poor to wear shoes. His feet are all beat up and full of calluses. But what about those of us who have kept our feet in comfy shoes and never got them accustomed to coming in contact with the ground? Will our feet fare well?

On dirt? Sure. But our feet (and knees and backs) didn't evolve to run on concrete and cement.

@Claire T.: yes, tape it on! :)

@ttbj: that's what we've heard--your feet don't hurt, but you use totally different muscles (aka, the correct running muscles)

@graciela: according to what i've read thus far.... your feet adapt rather quickly and as mcdougall says, "i have this special equipment called 'eyeballs'" ....but for the wary, there are other shoes (made with less materials) that mimic running barefoot without the naked foot part. a happy middle ground if you will!

@How Green is My Valley: actually, mcdougall purports that it's even easier to run on smooth, manmade surfaces...something to look into for sure. the barefoot running means your feet plant much softer, naturally lessening the impact on harder surfaces. (i know that when i run, i plant too hard--so anything to encourage a lighter step is something i need to work on!)

@graciella, there are some cool ones that look like gorilla feet (try googling for that, I bet they'll come up) that are basically just enough to keep you from getting stabbed in the foot. There's a guy at my gym that uses them and I want to give them a try, running shoes hurt my feet no matter how carefully I've been fitted. Of course, it's still a product to buy.

I want to try this, but there is NO way I'm running barefoot on my city sidewalks... I suffer from ankle pain when I run, but I find whenever I'm barefoot, I can run faster, easier and with less pain. I hate shoes, and take them off the first opportunity I have.

I sometimes wish I lived near the beach, just so I could run barefoot in the sand...

Vibram Five Fingers. The running shoes for barefoot runners. Please don't run on city pavement in bare feet.

I'm a regular runner of moderate distances (4 miles daily, 8 miles weekends) on asphalt rather than concrete. My worry for barefoot running would not be the cushioning (or lack thereof) from a shoe nor the "support" since I never wear shoes inside the house, but all the dangers of the city streets and sidewalks-- broken glass (yes, I have eyes and can see it, except for those little clear pieces shaded by leaves), dog/cat/wild animal feces (sure, you see piles but not the smears tracked across the path), etc.

And having been a regular Ocean Beach SF runner till I moved, I think I'd be even less likely to run on sand barefoot than pavement since sand hides dangers better.

Running puts a tremendous amount of force on your joints and there's no way you should be running on hard surfaces without good shoes. Just ask my father, who ran for years and (so far) has had both hips and one knee replaced.

Running without shoes probably makes sense if you're running on dirt and will die by age 30, but if you want to live a long life with less joint pain, walking would be a healthier choice, in my opinion.

I second the Vibram Five Fingers. Just like walking barefoot, but with batman-suit-ish molded plastic around each toe and the sole. My husband is a huge fan and wears them everywhere (even on our engagement photo shoot!). Here's a pic of the underside: http://tinyurl.com/ygseo5s

"Humans are born with the ability to run on their bare feet, without the need for expensive high-tech running gear made halfway around the world."

And somehow I don't think running barefoot on sand is the same as running barefoot in the middle of a dirty city. Or are we going green by embracing tetanus as well?

Check out the POSE method of running if you're interested in barefoot or minimal cushioning running and want to make sure your joints won't take a pounding.