When I first spotted a barefoot runner it was at about mile 14 of the San Francisco marathon. Really bad blisters I thought? Just plain crazy? He was clocking at least a 9-minute mile pace, so something was working in his favor -- and not just the adulation he was getting from the spectators.
But if recent research reported in PM&R (that’s the official scientific journal of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) catches on, we could see a lot more barefoot runners on our streets. The news that’s getting the barefoot running community all abuzz? Studies show that running shoes could actually be the culprit behind runners’ knee injuries, not simply running itself.
To be honest I’m not sure if I’m ready to go sans shoes and hammer my naked feet against the pavement every couple of days. Let’s just say I tried it once when a couple of Guinesses made me think that peeling my shoes and socks off and getting a sneaky extra run home from the pub was a genius why-don’t-I-always-do-this? idea. Well, why don’t I always do that? My shins hurt like hell the next day from all the un-cushioned pounding, not to mention how black they looked. If only I’d known about the nifty glove-like shoes you can now find from Vibram. They may make you look a little amphibian, but I think they could be fun for a beach run.
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