Barefoot running - Ausbb

katie · 31-07-2009, 05:30 PM

I know there's a few people on ausbb who do some running, so I thought you'd be interested in this article

Naked truth: skin's in for runners as swimmers go high tech

The basic idea is that running barefoot or with minimal footwear is the way to avoid injury. Most current running shoes support the feet too much and actually cause us to run unnaturally (eg. heel strike) rather than if we ran barefoot.

Been reading up about shoes that mimic the action of barefoot running ie. Nike Frees and Vibram 5 Fingers. Quite interesting stuff.

What do people think about barefoot running?

31-07-2009, 08:55 PM

Mens Health had a great article a few years back about some native tribe that still do it - literally barefoot.The science of it sounds solid but the shoes are very flimsy.I bought a pair of Nike Frees at an outlet mall dirt cheap and they didn't last long at all.The tread wore down quicly and the fabric gave way.
I don`t even jog either.I suppose for the super serious runner who doesn`t mind blowing money on these kinds of things would benefit from them.

breebreerocks · 31-07-2009, 11:43 PM

It all depends on your gait. Most people would end up with really stuffed knees and very flat feet if they ran any sort of distance barefoot, especially if you were overweight. The impact on your knees and ankles would be fairly severe, especially in you strike heavily or over pronate.

A lot of tests are based on elite runners who tend to supernate (quicker strike off compared to over pronators), strike more lightly and weigh less. The type of shoes they run in have very little in terms of support and are more about being as light as possible while offering the foot some protection and the most suitable traction for the surface they are competing on.

R4YL staffers who are quoted in the article don't run barefoot, because I know exactly what shoes they wear.

I work with the wife of one of the people who is interviewed and quoted in the article. He's a podiatrist doing his doctorate on something associated with footwear. She's a physio, both are elite runners- match made in heaven!

31-07-2009, 05:30 PM	#1 (permalink)
katie Active Member Join Date: May 2009 Gender: Posts: 1,130	Barefoot running I know there's a few people on ausbb who do some running, so I thought you'd be interested in this article Naked truth: skin's in for runners as swimmers go high tech The basic idea is that running barefoot or with minimal footwear is the way to avoid injury. Most current running shoes support the feet too much and actually cause us to run unnaturally (eg. heel strike) rather than if we ran barefoot. Been reading up about shoes that mimic the action of barefoot running ie. Nike Frees and Vibram 5 Fingers. Quite interesting stuff. What do people think about barefoot running? __________________ Rock climbing since 2005; running and resistance training since May 2009

31-07-2009, 08:55 PM	#2 (permalink)
Zarkov Guest Posts: n/a	Mens Health had a great article a few years back about some native tribe that still do it - literally barefoot.The science of it sounds solid but the shoes are very flimsy.I bought a pair of Nike Frees at an outlet mall dirt cheap and they didn't last long at all.The tread wore down quicly and the fabric gave way. I don`t even jog either.I suppose for the super serious runner who doesn`t mind blowing money on these kinds of things would benefit from them. Last edited by Zarkov; 31-07-2009 at 08:57 PM.

31-07-2009, 11:43 PM	#3 (permalink)
breebreerocks Elite Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sydney Gender: Posts: 668	It all depends on your gait. Most people would end up with really stuffed knees and very flat feet if they ran any sort of distance barefoot, especially if you were overweight. The impact on your knees and ankles would be fairly severe, especially in you strike heavily or over pronate. A lot of tests are based on elite runners who tend to supernate (quicker strike off compared to over pronators), strike more lightly and weigh less. The type of shoes they run in have very little in terms of support and are more about being as light as possible while offering the foot some protection and the most suitable traction for the surface they are competing on. R4YL staffers who are quoted in the article don't run barefoot, because I know exactly what shoes they wear. I work with the wife of one of the people who is interviewed and quoted in the article. He's a podiatrist doing his doctorate on something associated with footwear. She's a physio, both are elite runners- match made in heaven!