Since starting this blog I’ve seen how satisfying it is to be part of the online community of runners. Very friendly people, lot of things that can be learned from each other, and a place to go where people understand what you’re going through with training, aches and pains, victories and disappointments.
It is with that in mind that the Downtown Runner feels a deep responsibility to my fellow runners. When I feel strongly about something or learn something I simply have to get it out there so that others can benefit as well. So, as a public service, I am bringing you 7 Reasons Why You Should NEVER go Running Barefoot:
1) Act Your Age
We runners, at least those over the age of 3, really should be mature enough and secure enough that we don’t need to attempt to re-live our childhood. We all know that going without shoes is for cribs and playpens. Once you’re old enough to go to school, there really is no reason to ever expose your feet again. To do so reveals a part of you that obviously needs serious attention.
2) Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
Where do you think the shoe brand “Hush Puppies” comes from? Those feet of yours are not meant to be seen or heard. Clearly social evolution was going in the correct direction when our recent ancestors decided that shoes should move from thin animal skins that often didn’t cover the whole foot but did allow the whole foot to move freely, to thick synthetic materials that immobilize key structures.
After all, just because there are dozens of muscles and joints in the feet doesn’t mean they are all important.
3) People Won’t Understand
The last thing you want to do is confuse people that are important to you, or even those that aren’t. Just imagine the reaction that you’ll get as you go running down the road unshod. People will laugh, do double takes, yell that you’re crazy or worse. And those that don’t say anything, what will they be thinking? We (your running family) don’t want the general public to think that runners are crazy or something. We have our collective image to think about. Please, tow the line.
4) You Might Like It
Think of how horrible that might be! You might actually think it feels good to have your whole foot involved in your running. You might enjoy the immediate tactile feedback. You might feel a certain spring in your step and less strain on your knees and back. You might want to do it…. again! At all cost, you can’t let this happen.
5) You’re Not A Hippy
(Well, maybe this doesn’t apply to all of you. Maybe some of you are hippies. You real hippies can ignore the following. )
It’s one thing to be a runner. Healthy lifestyle and all. Running long distances, training for races, buying cold and hot weather running gear, talking about recovery methods and ice baths. But don’t you think stripping your shoes and socks in public is a little akin to tie-dying your clothes, sitting in the grass cross-legged, and singing kum-ba-yah? I mean really.
6) Bad for the Economy
I’m sure you’ve noticed that the world is struggling financially. Some countries are doing better than others but we ALL have to do our part. Our economies HAVE to be stimulated. We have to do our part as consumers. NOT buying expensive running shoes will mean that some poor person will have less to do, which will mean they will be laid off, which means they will go on unemployment, which means your taxes will go up….. you get the idea. Come on, go buy a pair of $180 shoes. No, get two! Your feet will thank you and the workers will thank you.
7) Rocks and Glass and Twigs, Oh My!
This one is really important. And up until recently this has been a BIG secret. No one knew this. But it has become SO important that you NOT run barefoot that some shoe manufacturers and retailers have spilled the beans. Its shocking when you really let it sink in. You’d best sit down before reading any further. Wait for it……..
You can step on stuff when you aren’t wearing shoes! YES, who knew? (well some government agency probably did but we probably didn’t want the terrorists to find out)
Some have even suggested that little rocks are just waiting there, perhaps in hiding, ready to take a nasty “bite” out of your bare foot. Wow! I was up all night thinking about this. They’ll probably make horror movies about this now that its out. I’m afraid to ask what else we don’t know about this activity that we engage in. Maybe we should start a petition drive or file a Freedom of Information Act request. Runners Unite!!!
So please, whatever you do, don’t go out without those shoes!!!!
Downtown Runner
Your mileage may vary
{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
I wish you had kept quiet about these rocks and sticks. I might have to start paying attention to the ground now when I run…
Thank you, downtown runner! Now watch out for all those hypos I’m sure you’re in great danger, being from NYC and all. I bet they’re ALLLLL over the sidewalks in the dirty city.
@Dave C.: I know, I know. Maybe I should have kept it quiet. But unfortunately the cat is getting out of the bag. Had to protect our fellow runners.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
@Summer: You just can’t imagine what you’ll come across here. The other day I almost stepped on a tourist! Thanks for visiting and for signing up!
Hello from Canada’s “Pacific Island”. Enjoyed your “top seven” reasons!
Yup, after 30 years of running in conventional running shoes (and experiencing “conventional” running injuries), I’ve become a “believer” too!
Duncan.
Duncan,
Thanks for stopping by, and commenting. Glad to be of service on the “seven”. You’ve been warned!
I’m going to have to look up your location and learn a little geography!
Bob
Very funny article, especially “…just because there are dozens of muscles and joints in the feet doesn’t mean they are all important.”
What can be important for people considering barefoot running is to learn how to walk before they learn how to run. Click on “Darren” above for link to an article I wrote on barefoot hiking.
You’ve convinced me, Bob! I’m off to buy a pair of the biggest, spongiest, stiffest running shoes I can find. Great list, really enjoyed it.
@Richard: Another
soulsole saved!!@Darren: Thanks for dropping by and for the nice comment. Read your article and enjoyed it. Running, hiking, working out in the gym, you name it, the less we wear anything on our feet the better off we are.
Watch out for those tourists. You need more than a tweezer if one of those gets stuck in your sole.
@Josh: Believe me, I’m careful about tourists. Even my Vibrams are no protection against them.
Re: Rocks and Glass and Twigs, Oh My!
I’m glad you find this to be funny. I’m sure Christopher McDougall was laughing after he broke his toe running on trails in BFFs.
@Matt:
1) I do not want anyone to get hurt while running no matter what they are wearing on their feet.
2) What I found “funny” is that shoe manufacturers feel they have to warn adults that there are actually rocks and glass on the ground. I don’t think you understood the intent of the blog post.
3) I’m sure Mr. McDougall is still enjoying barefoot running regardless of any injury. Like all barefoot runners, he assesses the risk, participates to whatever degree he wishes, and accepts any consequences. Then heals, and gets back on the road. But he points out that all of his former running injuries have essentially disappeared because of barefooting.
4) While I don’t know him, my guess is that Mr. McDougall would have found my post amusing.
Have a good day!
Now I am going to have to try this! I hate when people tell me things not to do
@Noah: Well, ok, but proceed at your own risk. You HAVE been warned!
(thanks for stopping by and for the comment)
Bob,
I get the impression that this entire post has a tongue-in-cheek tone. This is a serious issue, do you know how many people are abandoning the shod to run barefoot or with minimal shoes? This is turning into an epidemic. Do you know how many feet there are in the world? Do you know how many twigs and how much broken glass there is per square foot? Now do the math on the probability of someone stepping on those objects without proper protection. It is a dangerous world out there. You need to take it more seriously. These companies are NOT in it for the money, they are concerned about or safety and well being as runners. We are there number one concern, not revenue. I doubt they even look at their quarterly income. That is how dedicated they are to the runner and not to the money. As for muscles; those things are overrated. And your whole “you might like it” section, c’mon now. Isn’t the horror stories and “The time I almost fell apart during a run…” all apart of being a runner? Buck up. Liking your training is for people that train hard enough; “No pain= no gain.”
Just remember that there are rocks out there… and the shodded community will be prepared for those rocks… even though we may have every other injury known to man, we will be ready for the twigs, glass and rocks.
Howard,
Tongue-in-cheek? What could possibly cause you to think that? I feel a deep responsibility to my fellow runners, just as the shoe companies do, to warn them of what could be the worst thing to happen to running since…… um… since the advent of…. shoes.
So, I’m with you. Let’s hate our running together and let those muscles atrophy beyond recognition! Are you with me???
Now you’re talking!! Getting shirts made that say “I </3 running" (</3 =broken heart)…
hahahahahaha. Enjoyed your blog so much I posted it on FB. Great read.
Thanks Howard. Glad you enjoyed it and for the post on FB (can you give me the link?).
Take care.
http://www.facebook.com/hlittle2
It is on my profile.
Ha, oh so funny! I thank you for this. I needed a good laugh. Too many people, runners, shoes companies, and podiatrists are taking this all too seriously.
TJ:
Thanks for the comment. Glad you liked it.
Bob
This blog is a classic. It is refreshing to see someone approach this debate with a sense of humor.
However, I do want to point out a glaring omission: there is no mention of dog poo! No self-respecting barefoot fear monger would ever forget to throw in a scary poo reference.
Thanks Michael.
But no self-respecting barefoot fear monger BLOGGER would put ALL of the fearmongering reasons in ONE blog post! Stay tuned
So, Summer, you are worried about going barefoot in new york? Come on, this is the ‘clean’ ‘sanitized’ ‘Disneyfied’ NYC of today. I remember the NYC of the 1960s, when I was a kid and the 1970s, when I was a teenager. And that really WAS a dangerous, dirty city. Yet , you could see at least some young people walking around barefoot. And the sky did not fall. Want proof? Read the NY Times article from Sept 1, 1970, entitled “Shoelessness on the Rise”. Right when the hippie fad of going barefoot hit the mainstream. It mentions that it was not all that uncommon to see barefoot people waiting in line to get into a Broadway theater, young women shopping barefoot in expensive stores and walking all over the city. I guess the information that this was being done, (and can be done), all over the US back then was not passed on to the younger shoe-obsessed generations, once going barefoot went out of style during the 1980s…..We have to re-learn what we already new in the recent past. (And hypodermic needles do not violate the laws of physics by standing on end, you know.)
Thank you for posting the 7 reasons not to run barefoot. I for one, never take off my shoes. I have a pair for indoors and a pair for outdoors. You might think its extreme but I even sleep and shower in shoes. You are so right, social evolution dictates that people need to wear shoes. Whats the big deal about athletes foot? There is medicine for that. Blisters heal. Bunions and hammer toe can be operated on. So can bad knees. I’ve had a knee operation and eventually healed. I’m looking forward to the next operation. Yeah shoes might cause feet to stink and look hideous. That’s why shoes were invented. To cover up those feet. Thanks for the article. I’m about to go out for a run. Oh barefooters, I can run right through dog poop, glass, rocks and hypodermic needles because I have shoes to protect my feet. Try that barefoot. Ha!
Barefoot4life:
You are an inspiration! Oh how I wish we could get these BF runners to read your story of hope.
LOL love the satire! But on the serious side of things, barefoot running is communism in action. By reducing shoe sales and medical bills you are doing nothing but turning our sport into a communist nightmare. Studies have shown that barefoot running is 90% more likely to make you socialst than buying Nike! Also 84% of all barefoot runners turn vegan after running an average of 6000 miles and 70% are reporting increased hair growth to shoulder length. Projections have shown that if current trends continue shoe, sock, polish and brush sales will collapse leading to a financial crisis not seen since barefoot running was last promoted… during the great depression.
barefootrunningiscommunism:
It’s great to have some statistics to back up the fears that I have expressed in the 13 Reasons. Thanks for sharing!
Bob, you guys rock man!! and am not talking abt those ones that lurk waiting to stab at your poor tender unprotected soles if you’re so foolish as so to scorn them specially designed shoes
wow now that I’ve gone bf its like am part of some cult movement ..flower power n what have u … some of the comments here remind me about something i read like decades ago from pearl buck book about kids in china (girl children?) having their feet tightly wrapped up so that they remain small and delicate and ladylike when they grow up…shod feet are in many parts of the world, a sign of privilege and pelf..u hand down old used shoes to charity so that some bf hobo may finally get some class never mind his poor feet protesting…wow how we’ve been entrapped in all these artifices..cheers n more power to the BFers.
Great post – thanks for alerting people to these clear and present dangers.
Too funny Bob…I can tell you from personal experience that long hair increases the liklihood you will be called a hippy. Thank goodness I’m in Boulder, CO where I blend in with all of the other hippies! I can’t imagine the reactions you get in lower Manhattan. Keep it up, pura vida!
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