Barefoot Running

An interesting article on barefoot running and an increase in injuries from it. It definitely makes me reconsider trying to run in my Five Fingers.

I ran in mine once, about 2 or 3 months after I got them. I hit the treadmill for a short run, and found myself slapping the deck. I couldn’t find a way to get “light on my feet” and that was the last time I ran in them.

I live on gravel roads, and with scrub that has lots of stickers in places. I walked around the yard one day, up the driveway (0.25mi) and decided that the rocks and scrub weren’t suited to barefoot running. There are some trails a short drive away, but after my treadmill experience I gave up on running.

However once the weather gets warm, I find myself wearing the five fingers often. I wear them most days, walk around town, and they seem to make my arches stronger. After getting them last year and wearing them for a month, after 2-3 weeks of short duration break in, I thought my arches were stronger. I noticed that my cleats bothered me less and my feet felt better on Monday after baseball.

It’s hard to test, but I played two games this year and my feet were sore on Mon. The weather warmed up, I wore the Five Fingers for 2 weeks before the next game, and my feet felt fine the Monday after playing. Not scientific, but I noticed it.

I don’t know if I’d recommend running in them or not. I know some friends do, but I haven’t really experimented, and not sure I will. However read the article, and decide for yourself.