The art of barefoot running

Kick off your shoes and go for a run

By BRYAN GARCIA

April 19, 2011, 11:54am

Thumbie Remigio, winner of Pilipinas Skyrunning Association's Akyathlon in Benguet expounds on the benefits of barefoot running.

MANILA, Philippines -- From the moment we learned how to walk, we were told to protect our feet. We lace up every time we go out for work or for play and put on fashion flip flops while moving around the house. Logically speaking, this is not such a bad practice since it keeps our feet clean and safe from any untoward incident that may occur.

However, the practice of choosing the proper footwear has gone under the microscope recently due to the rising number of people who turn to running to keep fit. The wear and tear of the activity is undeniable since majority of runners has either experienced an injury or will likely experience one in the near future.

This certainty has led researchers and manufacturers from the industry to formulate ways in reducing the risk of the sport by applying the most advanced technologies in today’s running shoes. However, despite extensive studies and tedious calibrations, injuries still occur. This has led experts and runners alike to look at different ways to make amends with the issue, one of them is to abandon the whole concept of shoes in general and go run barefoot.

What is barefoot running?

As the name implies, barefoot running is simply running without the use of any protective gear on the feet. Being natural born runners, the dynamics of the human anatomy has evolved to facilitate this activity and running barefoot reconnects and compels the body to adapt the proper form while running.

“The way to figure out your body’s natural running form is to run barefoot,” says David Drilon of Barefoot Running Philippines.

Although idealists and hardcore enthusiasts believe that the way to go is to run completely without shoes, the ideology behind the practice does not limit itself and focuses on the entire style of barefoot running. “When you run barefoot, there’s a change with the way you run, that’s barefoot style running. Instead of landing the traditional heel strike, you land mid-foot. When you run without shoes, you really have to land that way,” Drilon shares.

Barefoot running vs. protected running

The first question that comes to mind given the idea of running barefoot is: “Doesn’t that hurt?” or “What about stepping on debris on the road?” These are valid concerns considering the lack of protection on the body’s contact point to the ground. However, the barefoot running community argues that the body and the brain’s reflex is to adjust and compensate. “The thing about barefoot running is you automatically become conscious. You become more aware. Because when you run, the tendency is to look at the ground and you tend to navigate more carefully,” Drilon quotes Michael Sandler, author of the book Barefoot Running.

Another change which the barefoot running  concept introduces is the complete confidence a person must put one’s foot. “Barefoot gurus say the toughest part of the body is the foot,” Drilon says. However, modern societies have adapted the notion of taking care of these appendages. “As kids, we baby our feet, and as grown-ups, we still baby our feet, so it weakens our foot muscles,” Drilon adds.

In this light, pampering the foot with comfortable footwear becomes counterproductive because it fails to utilize the body’s potential. “The foot is the ultimate running device because it is connected to the brain,” Drilon shares. “If you run without shoes, the brain is actively monitoring your form, your steps, and your surroundings. You become very conscious,” he adds.

Benefits of running barefoot

Just like anything new, barefoot running certainly comes without adjustment pains. Conditioned by support and protection, the foot undergoes changes in both movement and orientation when running barefoot resulting to strains in places which are not used to pressure.

However, with proper practice and patience, these initial soreness would give way to improved sensory experience, running gait and strength.  This is  because of the way the discipline trains the body to follow the correct form, from the feet to the core and eventually all the way to the rest of the body as well. “Once you go barefoot, yun talaga yung natural running form ng tao,” shares adventure athlete and Team Merrell member Thumbie Remigio. “Malaki yung difference. Yung acceleration ko mas mabilis, yung talon ko mas mataas and even my form is unconsciously corrected,” Remigio says about the improvements in his performance since applying the barefoot style of running. “Hindi ko sinasadya yun, automatic na sa katawan ko yun,” he adds.

The key to these improvements can be credited to enhanced ground feel which is a result of minimal or complete lack of cushioning. “The importance of ground feel is it allows you to calibrate when you run. Because when you feel the ground it allows you to calibrate your movement,” Drilon points out. And since proper form is achieved through its practice, running barefoot also results into faster recovery time after runs.

Before going hardcore

Although natural instincts, as well as countless testimonials would attest to the efficiency of running barefoot, it is still difficult to embrace the practice whole-heartedly. Perhaps due to popular norm or fear of ridicule, runners are still hesitant to accept barefoot running as a discipline. There are, however, ways to enjoy the benefits of running barefoot without getting odd stares from passersby and fellow runners.

Transition shoes like those in the Merrell Barefoot Collection, which incorporates Vibram’s advanced barefoot sole design, provide the same sensation as running barefoot and helps ease the shift from protected running to going completely barefoot. These types of footwear use the concept of minimal cushioning similar to that of huaraches, a type of hand-woven leather sandal traditionally used by the legendary running people of Mexico called the Tarahumara.

The features of these transition footwear lessen the actual impact of barefoot running and provides protection for all sorts of debris along the road and along the trail.

“Mas may protection yung paa ko especially when I run trails. With the Merrell Trail Glove (one of the shoes included in Merrell’s Barefoot Collection) kahit papano covered pa yung paa ko and binibigay parin nya yung protection   sole ng paa ko,” Remigio shares.

Running is a completely personal experience and there is a growing number of communities who gather and share the same passion. The practice of barefoot running has, likewise, built a following recently because of books like "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall. Although the movement may seem like a fad for some, history serves as evidence that its claims are legitimate. The only thing left to do is to free your feet and let the road take you on this natural ride. “Once you grasp the concept and feel the benefits of running with this style, you’ll definitely enjoy barefoot running,” Remigio shares.

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