Barefoot running is all the rage these days, with many experts citing physiological benefits over running with running shoes.  The basic theory is that today’s advanced running shoes provide lots of cushioning and keep the foot relatively immobile.  This can cause runners to land on their heels instead of on the balls of their feet, resulting in excess shock and stress on ankles, knees, and hips.  Human beings have been running essentially barefoot for thousands of years, our bodies are built to run a certain way — and the high-tech running shoes of the last 30-40 years have changed that for the worse.

Even though I’m in the business of selling shoes, I thought all this was very interesting and had Wasio, my new VP of Marketing, research barefoot running for the ShoesRUs blog.

After learning more about barefoot running, I tried it out.  At the gym, in socks, on the treadmill.  I know, not nearly as hard-core as it sounds.  I only did about 2 miles each time, but it actually feels pretty good.  It forces you to go at a slower pace than you would normally run, and you can really feel more of a workout in your feet, ankles, and calves.  For what it’s worth, it feels more “natural” and is (for me at least) less of a cardio-struggle.

I’ll continue to work barefoot running into the workout rotation.  Something new and different.

Bookmark and Share

Related posts:

  1. Nike Women’s Marathon and the Commercialization of Running Bryn was a champ and completed her first half marathon...
  2. Book Review: Born to Run I really enjoyed Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run: A Hidden...
  3. Go Green By Running Yellow Lights Ever slam on your brakes to stop for a yellow...
  4. Soles4Souls I heard an estimate that Americans have 1.5 million pairs...
  5. Half Marathon #2 I ran my 2nd half marathon this past Sunday.  Same...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.