For thousands of years, humans have lived barefoot or with a basic level of protection to their soles. Running barefoot was natural to our ancestors. This is the practice of running without footwear. It does not seem to be the same case today with many of us extensively using cushioned soles.
Barefoot could also mean wearing minimalistic footwear, that is, extremely thin soles to protect your feet. Because it is a good idea to provide your feet a basic level of protection, from bruises or cold weather. Running barefoot or running with minimal protection is almost the same, with only one difference: running barefoot gives you a clear communication between the sole and brain, while the minimalistic approach offers a layer of protection. For those who fear barefoot running, going the minimal way is a good option.
The benefits
Running barefoot helps you improve your running form and pace. The other benefits include:
Minimising the possibility of injuries.
Reducing the weight to be carried on the feet. This leads to the natural form and efficiency of running.
Lesser impact to the joints in the ankle, knee, spine, etc; stronger mobility and freedom.
Better balance and proprioception — that is, our overall sense of body position, movement, acceleration and equilibrium improves greatly.
Promotes landing on a forefoot or midfoot strike. This reduces impact-related injuries.
Improves stride length and stride frequency, while reducing the foot
contact time with the ground.
Transitioning
Making a transition to barefoot running takes time and requires a lot of patience. This is primarily because it changes the basic form of running and hence, has an impact on the corresponding muscles and can lead to injuries. Typically, the foot, ankle, calf and gluteus muscles are not used to this intensity.
So, it’s important to take the transition slowly as the initial stages are crucial. You can begin by observing the following guidelines:
Start by including a short barefoot running workout. For the first time, run 2 to 5 km. This will help you evaluate the benefits, rectify your form of running and give you the experience.
Select a known route, which you will be comfortable with. Preferably, choose one in your neighbourhood or a park that is away from the main roads. Let your feet, calves and muscles across the body get used to the new form of running. Avoid running completely barefoot, if there is a possibility of thorns or stones.
To ensure that you do not step onto something painful, eyesight of around 8 to 10 metres ahead is recommended instead of the standard recommendation of 25 metres.
After a couple of weeks, based on your confidence and experiences, you can increase the mileage, but continue with the frequency of maximum of 2 barefoot runs a week. Keep in mind that the frequency of barefoot runs should be increased with caution. Start easy and progress according to your body’s comfort levels.
Once you are comfortable, you can begin training for 5 km distances and then later progress to longer distances such as a 10-km run or even a half marathon.
If you do not transition properly, there are chances of injuries. Some of the
common ones include calf injuries, blisters, blood clots, top of foot pain (TOFP) and Achilles tendinitis. These can be addressed with proper recovery, strengthening workouts and stretches.
Barefoot long runs are based on your endurance as well as your comfort levels. With the assumption that one has the required endurance, it’s the barefoot mileage and experience that will be the criteria to decide on the distance to run barefoot.
Misconceptions
One usually has several fears and misconceptions regarding running barefoot. Here’s busting a few:
During the initial stages, as the soles get exposed, there are possibilities of blisters. Usually, slow transition helps in getting the sole skin stronger, which further protects the feet.
There’s a fear that barefoot running can ‘kill’ the looks of the feet. This is not true. Feet get to experience freedom and fresh air to breathe. Also the shape of the feet is not confined to the shape of the shoes; they are free to be the natural shape.
Barefoot running isn’t only for shorter distances. There have been instances where runners have run over 50 km and more with minimal or no foot protection.
It’s a myth that we need to wear cushioned soles to protect our knees. In fact, our knee gives the natural spring effect and legs are packed with springy tendons, which act as elastic recoil. The natural cushioning is more secure than the ones provided by cushioned shoes.
Many of us think that a transition to barefoot running is not possible. It is more of a mind game, really! Fear of the unknown and of something going wrong could always be on the mind. However, no matter what your experience, do not let it discourage you from running barefoot. To get acclimatised, begin by doing a barefoot walk around a familiar route. Remember to do it when the body feels fresh, not tired.
(The author is a barefoot runner & PUMA’s running expert)