Running Barefoot

As I progress further into the world of running, I hear more and more tips and tidbits.  Some are pretty straight forward, like make sure you take water.  Others are a bit more extreme, such as barefoot running.

Apparently barefoot running is a "new" fad, and comes from the idea that for centuries shoes did not exist, and man was never made to wear shoes.  I might agree with that if it weren't for the fact that man used to only live for 30 years.  Then again, who's to say that's because they didn't have shoes?  This video provides a little more info.  The interviewee is Chris McDougall, auther of Born to Run.


 

Even after watching the video, you'd be hard-pressed to convince me to run barefoot.  I like having soft feet, and I really do NOT want hard, scaly feet.  I'd also be less concerned with pebbles and glass, but more concerned with things like feces and worms.  You're feet could be tough enough to walk over coals, but you can still get worms.  Luckily, there are "barefoot shoes" out there for people like me.  Check out Vibram Five Fingers.

I might not be opposed to giving those a shot.  That being said, I really love my current sneakers (from Saucony).  Maybe once those shoes are dead and gone I'll consider going barefoot.  Lord knows it would save me money on shoes.  Until then, however, I'm going to lace up my sneakers every morning.