I’ve recently been hearing from multiple sources
that running
shoes are actually counter-productive:
they encourage poor
running form and discourage using the natural shock absorbers the
Lord provided for us, which leads to more injuries. Given that all
three of my brothers have had leg problems in their training, this is an
important concern for me, so I decided to take a leap of faith and get a
pair of Vibram
FiveFingers, a
barefooting shoe
.
The term sounds counter-intuitive, but it actually makes sense: it’s a shoe designed with no or minimal padding when allows the foot to flex freely, as though one were barefoot, but which protects one from glass and parasites which burrow through the feet (hookworm is nasty).
I like the FiveFingers because of the articulated toes. They look strange, but it’s so cool to actually be able to actually use my foot; it’s like the difference between gloves and mittens. Terra Plana make a line of more-traditional looking barefooting shoes which look traditional but have ultra-thin (about 1/8″), flexible soles. I might get a pair for the office.
The only warning I have is this: approach barefooting as though you were starting to run all over again. Your leg and foot muscles are almost certainly not developed enough due to years of under-use so you need to gradually get into the swing of things. I made the mistake of putting the shoes on and running a mile…very stupid.
Instead, use a staged program where you start off walking three times a week for a month, then start run/walk periods, increasing the ratio of running to walking, then eventually start running straight through. I’m doing that now.
It feels great to run like a little kid again!
