Ok there is a bit of confusion here.

There’s actual barefoot running, without shoes, and there’s barefoot STYLE running which is what most of us are talking about, where you choose a shoe that simply protects the sole of your foot and maybe adds a little padding, but is mostly flat – as opposed to a traditional running shoe which has bags of padding, and an inch or so of heel. The minimal design allows you to run as if you had no shoes on, but the chunky kind can actually stop you landing forefoot first due to the heel.

How many top athletes go without shoes? None that I’ve seen.

How many wear minimal shoes without a heel? All of them, it seems!

you won’t go running injury free unless you do additional strength / technique training regardless of what you have on your feet.

I have not actually injured myself running despite not doing any strength training. Bits of me do get temporarily sore though, worst thing was ITB pain which was remedied with a single roller session.

Don’t get hung up on the marketing stuff mind. There is a clear difference between flat shoes and heeled ones, obviously, and they let you run in different ways. It’s definitely real.

My guess is that the majority of people who bang on about barefoot are probably not really runners.

I’m not really a runner, but the reason I bang on about it is that it turned running from something I utterly hated to something I can do and enjoy working on. There are a lot of people on here who feel the same way about running as I used to, and what I learned could well help them enjoy something that could be important to them. So it’s worth sharing.

as opposed to a traditional running shoe which has bags of padding, and an inch or so of heel

Straw man as I have said on lots of occasions

where you choose a shoe that simply protects the sole of your foot and maybe adds a little padding,

Define little

Molgrips, you missed out an important bit –

I still believe that unless you are very lucky or have the right genes,

😉

If this constitutes “heated” you must live a sheltered life!

Not particularly… To be fair I’d only heard the term “barefoot running” a couple of weeks ago and am just genuinely surprised that this is the subject of such a big debate in the running community.

I think I’ve come to the conclusion that like Molgrips, I’ve got a natural midfoot strike and that the jarring I’ve been experienced previously could be to do with the heel being forced down in the shoes I’m using currently.

I’ve managed to pick up a pair of NB Minimus for £40 so will gen up on the technique, give them a go (taking it easy of course) and see how I get on.

Genuine thanks to everyone for the advice – it’s been enlightening!

I still believe that unless you are very lucky or have the right genes,

I struggle to consider myself as having the right genes for anything to do with distance running 🙂 I suspect it has to do with the fact that I’m so bad at it I rarely run more than 5km!

Just read the article above about stomping – fairly common sense really, if you hit the ground hard you’re more likely to hurt yourself. There’s a lot of stress going through everything. My feeling is that the tendons and muscles should act like suspension, which is how I arrived at the forefoot strike idea. Having watched nature programmes talking about how animals run efficiently using stored energy, I thought it silly not to use the biggest spring and shock in my own legs.

Lots of people will tell you that you need to walk in minimalist shoes for several weeks before you attempt to walk in them. That is mostly a load of rubbish. I just fired the shoes on and went for several fairly lengthy runs and have had no problems a few months later.

I’m working on a theory that the cause of injuries in runners is due to constraints that shoes put on ankle movement – which leads to muscle imbalances and muscles not firing when they should. My sample size of two people is proving interesting.

Lots of people will tell you that you need to walk in minimalist shoes for several weeks before you attempt to walk in them. That is mostly a load of rubbish

I concur, although I do love walking around in them. Walking is a totally different activity biomechanically.

I’m working on a theory that the cause of injuries in runners is due to constraints that shoes put on ankle movement – which leads to muscle imbalances and muscles not firing when they should.

I’ve heard that a few times too – interesting.

http://www.sportsscientists.com/2008/01/running-technique.html

I’m working on a theory that the cause of injuries in runners is due to constraints that shoes put on ankle movement – which leads to muscle imbalances and muscles not firing when they should. My sample size of two people is proving interesting.

I’m reading Anatomy for runners at the mo, which also seems to think many problems are caused by muscles not firing at the right time.

Some people think running totally barefoot helps form, but I struggle to find any tarmac nearby that does not have glass etc on it.

No idea if it makes me a better runner, I’m not really a regular runner, but I quite like to go for a quick barefoot run every so often. I hate doing it on tarmac – I’d always do it on grass or mud/dirt paths. The squelching of mud under your toes is quite enjoyable in a Peppa Pig / Pig Pen from Snoopy way. I don’t like tarmac or gravel paths because I don’t do it often, so it hurts my baby soft feet.

Higher mileage runners do tend to get he injuries. Running 10k everyday then 20 on the weekend does need additional stuff to strenghten legs to avoid injury, unless you’re lucky and have good genes / biomechanics

I’ve taken my shoes off at the end of runs on the smooth tarmac down my road and on the path, few hundred yards. It feels great but hurts my feet like joemarshall, even on really smooth clean tarmac.

New Balance Minimus MT10 Trail are excellent. I have them for training on a track (as opposed to spikes) and gym work. The lack of cushioning but still with support makes them superb for deadlifts and squats.

Lower back pain is more likely to be a problem with posterior chain / hip mobility. I’d start there. Do you sit down a lot.

I have the NB MT10s. Started running back in September, and thought I may as well just start in them rather than starting running and then have to learn a different technique. Had no injuries so far, very few blisters and am running extremely well.
Highly recommend them, without getting into all the barefoot running arguments.

MT10s are what I’ve bought – seem to be a good compromise between a normal and “barefoot” shoe.

Lower back pain is more likely to be a problem with posterior chain / hip mobility. I’d start there. Do you sit down a lot.

Yes and no – my day job is office based a lot of which is desk work, but I’m also a retained firefighter and I’m pretty active outside of work.