The greatest pleasure in life, is doing the things people say we cannot do.

-Walter Bagehot

The Barefoot Revolution: 10 Reasons You Should Go Barefoot

1- Injury Prevention
2- Strength
3- Run Faster, Run Longer
4- Feedback
5- As Nature Intended
6- Wow Factor
7- Going Green
8- Simplicity
9- Cost
10- Fun

To quote a relatively unknown song, “The times they are a changing.” Within the realm of runners, this has never been quite as accurate as more and more people are tossing their running shoes into the trash and opting for something more minimalist or –GASP- nothing at all. That’s right, it is the barefoot revolution, so “please get out of the new one, if you can’t lend a hand.” (more…)

Running totally barefoot is for babies, hippies, and dilettantes.

-Anonymous anti-barefooter

The Barefoot Revolution- Minimalist Options

So you want to run barefoot, but just cant bring yourself to actually hit the city streets with those naked feet of yours?  This is probably the most common reason why there are

shoes marketed for being most “like barefoot”.  There is glass, garbage, gum, and generally nasty water and crap everywhere.  Whomever would want to touch any of that with their barefoot could be crazy.  We have compiled a list of different options for those of you who want to benefits of running barefoot, without all of the risks. (more…)

Running barefoot on rolling fields of grass, vibrant green and soft from a recent rain, is like running on velvet, who doesn’t want to run on velvet? No one, that’s who.

-unnamed notorious barefooter

The Barefoot Revolution: Part 4

With yet another successful week under my belt, there are a few lessons that I feel I should share.  The goal of this post is to group all the advice, lessons, and tips that I have shared and learned since going barefoot, and put it all  in one place. (more…)

Dude, take your shoes off and live a little!

-Barefoot Ted

The Barefoot Revolution: Part 3

These last two weeks, up through today, Sunday October 4, 2009, have finally given me a taste of what it will be like to run for hours on end without shoes.  Imagine being able to leave you house, wearing only a pair of shorts and a shirt, needing no shoes, and being able to run through the rain, through rivers, on trails, and on road without any thought to what shoes I need for today, or what socks would be good for wet weather.  This fantasy is now becoming my reality. (more…)

The Barefoot Revolution: Part 2

All good things come to those who wait.  That should be the motto of barefoot running. On Thursday, Aug. 20th, I started to develop some pain/tightness in my right foot.  I thought nothing of it, after 10 minutes of running it ebbed enough that I finished my hour long run without any other thought about it.  Little did I know that this decision would lead to injury.

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The Barefoot Revolution: Part 1

Well, I know what you are all thinking, “Is he talking about barefoot running? What is he crazy!?”  Well, yes, and that remains to be seen.  There is growing evidence, though much of this subject still remains controversial, that running barefoot is better for you.  If anything, not spending $80-100 on running shoes every 1.5-2 months would sure be nice!

As part of a series of articles, I will be documenting my transition time from running with shoes (shod), to running shoeless (unshod).  I am not going to get into great depth with regards to the research behind this.  There is a lot out there, and as it is such a heated topic, I am just going to leave that section alone.  Should you feel that you would like to do some research on the topic, look for articles that are published in scientific journals and not ones published in newspapers.  Above all, I do personally feel that since we were not born with shoes on our feet, and that we existed fine for 10s and 100s of thousands of years running either barefoot, in sandals, or in shoes with no cushioning, that this is good enough anecdotal evidence for me to at least try it out.

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