Barefoot Running: Is Less More?

Two years ago, Anthony Pierre was relegated to running only a few miles a day after his injuries were becoming a constant hindrance.

“IT band, Achilles tendinitis, plantar fasciitis were all my enemies. I had pretty much quit running until I read Born to Run. I picked up the book and took off my shoes," the applications support specialist said. "A couple of weeks later, my injuries were evaporating. It was like a religious experience to be able to run pain-free.”

Welcome to a different—sort of—way of running.

If you spot what looks like gorilla tracks in the Carleton Arboretum, or spot folks who at first seem to be walking on their hands, don’t be alarmed. These are just the Northfield imprint of a craze that’s sweeping the nation: barefoot—or nearly barefoot—running.

Those shoes that make you look like Bigfoot with his dogs painted black are Vibram FiveFingers—just one of many “minimalist” shoes flooding the market.

They hope to capitalize on the movement toward a more natural style of running that many experts say can minimize injuries while restoring the joys of running more like a child on the beach and less like a machine prone to frequent break-downs.

Born to Run, the 2009 New York Times best seller that kicked off the craze, tells of the Tarahumara Indians of northern Mexico, who reportedly suffer fewer running injuries than North Americans do, even though they frequently race dozens of miles, over mountainous terrain, at high altitude, and in thin rubber sandals.

The author, ultra-marathoner Chris McDougall, maintains that the modern-day running shoe, with its heavily padded heel and motion-stability insole, has changed our natural running form, whereas the Tarahumara and elite barefoot runners from countries in Africa run the way our pre-fitness-shoe ancestors did: by landing lightly on the balls of their feet.

McDougall’s view is buttressed by researchers such as Daniel Lieberman, a professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University, who has studied the biomechanics of running among Kenyans.

“People who don’t wear shoes when they run have an astonishingly different strike,” Lieberman wrote in a paper that appeared in the journal Nature. “By landing on the middle or front of the foot, barefoot runners have almost no impact collision,” thereby minimizing stress injuries to the heel and knee, Lieberman continued. Also, he said, arch supports and stiffened soles in many running shoes lead to weaker foot muscles, reducing arch strength and putting more strain on calf muscles.

Growing support

While there is still some controversy about the benefits of barefoot—the American Podiatric Medical Association, for example, states there is “not enough research” to take a stand—a small but committed minority of America’s 24 million runners are almost evangelical in their embrace of it.

“I began barefoot running after reading Born to Run, but it’s always been in the back of my mind ever since seeing marathoners running barefoot when I was fairly young,” said Brendon Etter, textbook manager at the .

Etter says he's been a distance runner most of his life and a student of distance running just as long, recalling Abebe Bikila, the Kenyan who won the Olympic marathon in 1960 and 1964—running barefoot in 1960. 

"I think most runners had forgotten about it as a viable option for running. All the hype caused me to do some research about the potential to train oneself as a barefoot runner,” Etter said.

The transition to nude feet must be taken slowly, seasoned milers say.

“I did run completely barefoot at first, starting off on soccer fields, and working up to running on streets and sidewalks,” Etter said, but added that even after he had built up tough skin on his soles, he often ended up with bleeding feet.

“I prefer totally barefoot, but sometimes that’s not feasible," said Pierre. “I have experimented with a lot of foot coverings: tape, beach shoes, chopping the heels off of normal shoes, Barefoot Ted’s sandals.” (Barefoot Ted is a marathoner featured in Born to Run who now offers Tarahumara-style huaraches to runners online).

Both Etter and Pierre now wear the thin-soled, funny-looking FiveFingers to protect their feet during outdoor workouts.

But making the switch involves more than footwear, say those who have.

“It’s a lengthy process to transition over, because foot strength needs to be higher to barefoot-style run, says Amy Etzell, owner of and a personal trainer who is guiding several of her clients through the transition because it’s a freer, more joyful way to run.

“I got into running in college to lose weight, but it rarely felt ‘easy,’” she said. “It felt like I was pulling a sled behind me.” 

After reading Born to Run, “I decided to see how I liked barefoot running, so this year I built up slowly on my treadmill for four months, adding another minute or so each week. I am loving how I no longer feel like I’m pulling a sled—and my clients are loving it, as well,” said Etzell.

Making runners new again

Ken Wood, owner of BodySmith fitness center, said barefoot running has restored him to a way of life he thought was gone forever.

“I’m 60 years old, and I had given up running for 10 years,” said Wood, who has also had surgery on both knees. “Then I read Born to Run, and not only am I able to run again, but now it’s enjoyable again—like it was when I was in my 20s and 30s.” 

Wood said he’s evolved a new, lighter running style, though “it took about a year to get used to it.”

He trained in Barefoot Ted’s huaraches on the grass of Carleton’s soccer field, and on the indoor track in winter. 

“I was a heel-striker before—I was heavy and plodding, and trying too hard. Now, it’s like flying, and this year I made it to the podium of a triathlon for the first time,” said Wood, with a broad smile.

Tom Bisel, owner of athletic store, said the trend has touched off a “minimalist revolution” in shoes within the last year, with FiveFingers and other popular varieties being steady sellers.

“About a third is buying them for the novelty—they start up lot conversations. Another third has heard that they feel good, and wearing them is good for your health, and another third want to get back into serious running,” said Bisel, himself an avid runner who wears the toe-hugging shoes everywhere, “working towards” wearing them during workouts. 

Pierre said he expects to see more and more runners going barefoot or using minimal footwear in the future. 

“The main benefit is more subtle than avoiding injuries,” he said. “I like feeling the ground when my foot lands. I like being able to run through puddles. I like feeling more natural, more connected to the terrain.”