What Happened to The Barefoot Running Movement?
Sometimes, boring is better.
I have been a runner for over 10 years, with a personal best marathon time of 2:40. It was good enough to safely allow me to qualify for the Boston Marathon, but throughout my running career, I have always been open to experimenting and trying new things, like tweaking my running form, shortening or lengthening my natural stride, and switching up my diet the day before a big race.
One fad showed me that that experimentation may not always be a good thing.
When I was in middle school to my early stages of high school, I remember what the craze was in the running world: barefoot running. Everyone was touting the benefits of running barefoot, all inspired by journalist, Christopher McDougall, who wrote Born to Run, a book about how he overcame injury by running barefoot with the Tarahumara, a group of indigenous people in Mexico known for barefoot running and their long-distance running capability.
According to Michael Clarke at Active.com, minimalist footwear is defined as: “any footwear that lacks high-cushioned heels, stiff soles, and arch support.” About 10 years ago, it wasn’t uncommon to see people wearing shoes like these, the minimalist Vibram Five Fingers. I myself got somewhat of a bootleg and less expensive copy of them:
