The little lie of barefoot running

As the barefoot running boom continues to explode, it’s important that we debunk the mythology that’s sprung up and face some facts. And perhaps the most obvious fact is this: If you run with anything between your skin and the ground, you are not barefoot runner. Let me say that again. If you wear Vibram […]

5 Common Stride Missteps

Let us guess, you ditched the cushioned clodhoppers only to find a new host of issues to deal with. Blisters on the bottom of your feet? Sore hips? Calves aching so much you can’t walk? Soak in some Epsom Salt and give yourself a break. No one said changing a lifetime of running habits overnight […]

How NOT to start barefoot running

I was on a panel discussion about barefoot running a while back. At one point, someone in the audience asked, So how do I transition to barefoot running? NOTE — even if you’re not a runner, this story is still relevant and important for you… okay, back to the story… Before I could respond, a […]

find YOUR run

Do you know how many runners there are in the US? Take a guess. No…a little higher. There are approximately 49.4 million runners. That is roughly 1 out of 6 people. Runners of all kinds: casual runners, committed runners, weekend warriors, sprinters, 5k runners, marathoners, ultra runners and everything in between. If you haven’t noticed, […]

More research on barefoot running

Ross Tucker has a great post about barefoot running at Science of Sport. I think if he had more experience being barefoot, he’d have a slightly different perspective, but Ross is a good researcher and I’m glad he’s following this topic!

Barefoot Running Shoes in the Bush

Ancient hunters once chased their prey until it dropped. David Fleming explains why our love of long-distance running is just us getting back to our roots in this ESPN.com article: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=6110087 Says Fleming: In fact, the current barefoot and minimalist-shoe running craze was inspired by research into the way our hominid forebears once moved while […]

Orthotics vs. Barefoot Running

The only time I’ve worn anything other than my huaraches or my sprinting spikes in the last 16 months has been the 3 times I put on my old running shoes… so I could shovel snow. Those shoes have my $200 orthotics in them. And each time I’ve put them on, I have the same […]

Can you really run in huaraches?

When you’re used to hanging out with barefoot runners or, at least, with people who’ve read Born To Run, you forget how “normal people” think. One of the questions I’m most asked by non-barefoot people is: “Can you really run in those?” What amazes me about this question is not how people have forgotten that, […]

Barefoot running isn’t just running barefoot!

Back in 2010, I had the pleasure of attending the “Naked Foot 5k” barefoot race. Actually, it was a series of races including a kids race and a 1mile race and the 5k. It was a beautiful Colorado day, the course was wonderful, the organizers did a great job… but the runners scared the crap […]

Barefoot Jason does it again (but in style, this time)

Barefoot Jason Robillard has done it again, running 2/3 of a 100 mile race in his Xero Shoes. But this time, he’s got some extra fashion sense added: Now, some of you may know that I’m a sprinter. In fact, I ran “long-distance” at a meet last week when I did my first 200m race (and, […]