Wideguy wrote:

 

ExperiencedRunner wrote:

 

I would be very cautious of running barefoot.  You could do some very serious damage to you feet if you were to step on glass, sharp gravel etc.  running shoes do much more than protect you feet from sharp objects, then cushion the foot from the many, many pounds of force that one places on them from motion.  I am concerned for the long term effects on your muscles, joints, and bones of your feet from barefoot running....

Emphasis mine... Actually that statemeent has been proven false many times.  Running shoes , in fact , do NOTHING to reduce the impact forces your body feels while running. Your body still takes that exact same hit, each and every step. In fact much research is showing that  barefoot runners  actually DO begin to run more gently, less actual impact forces.  All those cushy shoes do is block the pain until later when your body cools down.

http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/4BiomechanicsofFootStrike.html

 

That's a link to a study conducted at harvard that shows that heel striking runners actually absorb a double peak of impact  and the impact hits much more suddenly than a barefooter.

That study is more of a comparison of heel to forefoot.  It appears from the graphs that heel striking is the same whether barefoot or shod, and the same is true of forefoot.  But heel striking appears to have a "dual peak" which forefoot does not.  The peak impact seems to be pretty much the same for all four modes.  Interestingly, it does not deal (directly) with midfoot striking, which is the mode many barefoot runners fall into.  I thought that was a big shortcoming of the study.

Len

On a related note... if there are any runners in the southeast Mass. or eastern RI area  interested in learning, explring or expanding their knowledge and techinques on barefoot running,  on August 28th  in Sandwich Mass, the Metro Boston Barefoot Runners Meetup group is sponsoring a clinic.   Assisting and speaking at the clinic will be Dr.Irene Davis. Dr. Davis is a professor of physical therapy and head of the Running  Injury Clinic at the University of Delaware. She is one of the world’s  leading experts on running biomechanics and injury.

You have to register with meetup.com  to RSVP  but open to all as far as I know ..

I too have read "Born to Run" and think it gives great insight into shoes vs barefoot running.  I like to do my barefoot running as crosstaining and still do the bulk of my running in sneakers.  After reading the book I ditched my orthotics and opted for sneakers without all the added stability I had become so dependent on.  I also don't track the miles on my sneaks and wear them until they are dead.  I started my barefoot running with a pair of VFF.  I loved them so much I wore them on a 2 week raft trip and after so much time in the water with bits of grit swimming around in them, the lining got worn and uncomfortable. When I shoppped around for a new pair I was disappointed with how high tech they've become.  I switched from the VFF to a pair of huaraches from invisibleshoe.com.  I like the huaraches way better than the VFF.  They are closer to actually running barefoot (which I do on occasion but needed something for the trails and the summer when the pavement is too hot).  I'd like to do more of my running barefoot, but know that I need to take it slowly and increase gradually.  Its been very helpful for working on my form.  I hadn't run barefoot in a while but started having some wierd pains in my left glute so I took off my shoes and after the first few steps could feel and hear how badly my heels were slapping the ground.  Now that I've been incorporating the barefoot running back into my training plan, no more pain!