Barefoot Running?

 

The debate between barefoot running and running with footwear has been going back and forth for years. But, could the theory behind running barefoot actually have some merit? For decades, major shoe companies like Nike and Adidas have profited tremendously off their stylish footwear. However, recently, more people have changed to barefoot running for health and safety reasons.

Christopher McDougall’s bestseller, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen tracks the legacy of the legendary Tarahumara, an indigenous Mexican tribe whose people are known for running long distances wearing little to no footwear. McDougall, a long-distance runner himself, has claimed in his book and in several interviews that, prior to running barefoot, he was more prone to injuries and heel pain. This seems counterintuitive, but “Barefoot Ken Saxon,” founder of RunningBarefoot.org, claims that feet are sensitive enough to let you know if you’re doing something stupid, and that wearing shoes actually could make your feet more prone to long-term damage.

Source: Sierra Club