Advantages of Running Barefoot
Advantages of Running Barefoot
When you think about running barefoot, you probably conjure up images of tribal people running through vast areas to bring news from one group to another. But running without shoes maybe just what the doctor ordered. In fact, competitive runners around the world are shelving their shoes, preferring to run on the soles of their feet.
Ouch, you say. What about sticks and stones, not to mention pieces of glass.
Ah, when we talk about barefoot running, we don’t mean that you don’t wear anything at all. That would open your tender soles to injury. What these competitive runners are wearing are “barefoot style shoes.”
Although running without the support of running shoes, seems like a bad idea (especially when we’ve been taught that protecting our feet is all about support), going for a run in barefoot shoes actually reduces injuries and allows the runner to reclaim his or her natural style, whether that means landing on the heal or ball of their foot. In this way, barefoot runners avoid the damage that is caused when running in shoes that do not support your natural stride. This repeated heal-strike experience can pound your body with force equivalent to 3x your body weight.
For those who have issues with balance, wearing barefoot shoes also creates a greater sense of stability. Other advantages of running barefoot include:
- Avoid heel-striking.
- Run barefoot without hurting your feet.
- Run the way nature intended.
- Most runners suffer with foot problems, like plantar fasciitis which resolve themselves when you run barefoot. (If you won’t give up your running shoes, here is a terrific guide on getting rid of plantar fasciitis
- Increase running speed
- Fewer injuries
- Develop fast reaction time because your feet are more in tune with the terrain that you’re running on
So where does one buy these barefoot shoes?
You can purchase barefoot shoes online. There are excellent shoes for women called Vibram Five Fingers Flow – Women’s
barefoot shoes for women and a barefoot shoes for men called FiveFingers KSO – Men’s Black/Black 45 by Vibram USA
Those who have quit wearing running shoes absolutely swear by them. Professional runners and sprinters like them much better than shoes and feel that they make them faster.
Have any experience running with barefoot shoes? Leave a comment on the Advantages of Running Barefoot
