Running naked & barefoot!

October 15, 2009 | Johan | running, training, triathlon | comment »

The sports shoe industry has spent over 40 years and massive R&D dollars in developing the modern running shoe. It should provide us with the support, padding, shock absorption and anatomical alignment that is critical to running without injury. There is one problem, however…

Injured and sore
Most runners suffer from common injuries such as Achilles tendonitis, Runner’s Knee, Plantar Fasciitis or Shinsplints. Not just occasionally, but frequently and repeatedly. It is estimated that 8 out of every 10 runners is injured at least once EVERY single year. Of course you can get injured by running with poor form, training incorrectly or taking on high mileage to quickly. But those statistics are awful, 8 out of 10! Could there be something wrong with our shoes, rather than our bodies?

Weak feet are the root of all evil
There is a growing body of research that suggests our legs and feet are perfectly designed to endure the stresses of running without the artificial support of a running shoe. Additionally, modern running shoes actually make the muscles in the foot lazy and weak, which is the root cause for many of the running injuries listed above. The running shoe industry essentially created a problem that in truth never existed. Our feet never needed any help in running long distances effectively and injury free.

Welcome to the age of natural running!
There is also a growing body of runners who believe that we were designed to run without shoes. These barefoot runners train and compete in every distance from 5-k’s to marathons and triathlons. Many of them switched to barefoot running after suffering many years of chronic injury. There are also new movements in the running world that promote a more natural state of running, such as the Pose Method and Chi Running.

Ecco Biom

A whole new age of running shoes is taking shape, as the shoe manufacturers are starting to pick up on this trend. One of the most exciting and publicized introductions on the running shoe market is the Ecco Biom, a totally new concept shoe which allows the foot to move naturally, without excessive cushioning or movement control.

Nike Free

Nike owes it to its reputation to follow suit, and it developed the Nike Free: “the Free 5.0 is designed for the runner who wants the strengthening and natural gait benefits associated with barefoot training…”. True to the Nike brand, they created a wickedly funny commercial to introduce the concept of naked running (see below).

Vibram Five Finger

Last but not least, Vibram was caught by surprise when its freaky-looking Five Finger shoe became an instant hit with barefoot runners all over the world. It was not targeted at runners, but its probably the closest you can get to barefoot running while still having good grip and protection from the surface.

Natural running in motion
Here are three videos to introduce these new running shoes. Enjoy!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m474JNTLKnQ[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDCMR3tneDM[/youtube]