Are we going about this "barefoot movement" in the right way?

[saypay45]

I've been thinking about this issue a lot lately. I wrote a post about it that explains my thoughts in more detail, but I wanted to outline the highlights.



So I did a TV interview for my local news yesterday. When I do that stuff, it's kind of like living in a time warp. I am asked, and I answer the same questions that are asked in every other intro article to barefoot running. "Doesn't it hurt?" "What about stepping on glass?" and the like.



One thing that struck me about yesterday's interview is that I answered a question differently than I normally do. Usually when asked about how to start BFR, I say something like "go slow so you don't do TMTS". This time I said something more along the lines of "buy lighter shoes."



We've had a few posts on this forum about how barefoot running probably will always be a fring activity, and minimalist running will grow in popularity. I think that has a lot to do with the way we barefoot runners portray ourselves. Our message is "barefoot is best" and "barefoot first, then shoes".



I think that statement is correct, but it's not realistic. Minimalist shoe companies on the other hand are saying "go barefoot now without any of the risks!" and selling their shoes like Bieber tickets to teenie boppers.



I'm just thinking that shoe companies are outsmarting us, which is why they've found a market for such nonsense as the "transitional shoe". Wouldn't we be better off if we, instead of saying to everyone "barefoot is best", to have two messages



1. To the general public, we say "buy lighter shoes!"



2. To those that do #1, "barefoot is better!"



Full version of my rant:



http://maplegrovebarefootguy.blogspot.com/2011/04/mgbg-on-tv-and-rant-about-barefoot.html

 

[saypay45]

Note, this isn't an oblong

Note, this isn't an oblong way to get you to read my blog. I think this is an important conversation to have for the future of places like BRS.

 

[saypay45]

I totally get where you're

I totally get where you're coming from Abide. I'm not saying we all need to become evangalists about BFR. I'm more thinking about the way that BRS promotes the sport in general, and also the way folks who are more active in spreading information do it. Although, even at a more basic level (like answering a question from a friend), I'm definitely thinking about changing the way I approach their question.

It depends on what your goals are I suppose. If your goal is absolute correct information, I could see why you'd want to steer clear of recommending minimal shoes first. If you want to make the maximum impact and get the attention of the most people, I think you do something more along the lines I suggest.

So I guess my ultimate point is: if BRS exists to promote barefoot running, which option is it? Do we maintain our position that barefoot is best always, and as a result we'll always be a fringe group? Or is our point to help the most people run in as healthy a manner as possible, using barefoot running as the kind of "best case scenario"?

Since I'm a capitalist, I personally would favor a "more is better" message....

But I'm not the BRS President...

 

[Abide]

Yeah I was discussing this

Yeah I was discussing this with my wife as well. She is always surprised when I tell her there are really very few people who run barefoot. I really don't think it will ever catch on.

But then again why do we need to compete with the shoe companies? Who cares if we are a fringe?

Also I am still on the fence with recommending minimalist shoes. It seems like an easy cop out to just concide the point that you can get all the benefits of being barefoot in minimalist shoes. This has not been my experience so I really feel dishonest when I respond this way.

To me it feels like minimalist shoes are the hydroxycut of dieting, sure it works and you see immediate results, but in the long run are they going to be better off? I personally would rather see them excercise and control their diet and have a long term impact on their lifestyle. That is why I'll be sticking with the go barefoot advice if anyone asks.

Now let it be known that spreading our cause and making an impact in the world isn't really that important to me. If someone wants advice and help, I will be there to offer it but I have no desire to evangelize to anyone outside of the internet

 

[Abide]

Saypay I wholeheartedly agree

Saypay I wholeheartedly agree with your point. For example out of the 20 runners I know personally, I have probably convinced 10 of them to run in or use minimalist shoes occasionally, the other 10 are still in trainers and have no deisre to use minimalist shoes. Not one of the 20 has even showed the slightest interest in running barefoot. I convinced my wife to run in minimalist shoes but I couldn't get her to run barefoot. Actually even Ken Bob couldn't convince her.

So yes you are right, as a group the purist stance is a fool's errand and poor for growth.

 

[saypay45]

One point though that was

One point though that was brought up in RW is whether something like this is worth the risk.

So say you can get 20 new members to BRS with this new message, but 10 of them get hurt from TMTS. If you say "barefoot is best" and you only get 1 new member, is that worth it?

On the other hand, usually that one new member gets TMTS despite our warnings. So screw it.

Man...I'm arguing against myself now! Some lawyer I turned out to be...

 

[Second Wind]

Sorry that I don't have time

Sorry that I don't have time right this minute to convey a set of fully developed thoughts on this issue (good call by the way - excellent talking point), but I will say that a lot of it is a culture issue that was best summed up by.... I think Chris McDougall? (Might have been BF Ted... forgive me) when he talked about (in reference to VFF) the fact that he knew 'barefoot' wouldn't take off in America until there was a product to buy for it. Enter minimalist shoes galore.

 

[Abide]

Makes sense to me you only

Makes sense to me you only have a 50% attrition rate with your first scenario, that's not too bad

I think the important thing is like you said, start with small changes and over time they will be ready for larger transformations.

 

[Smelph]

I've talked about this with a

I've talked about this with a couple runners at work, and while they are sold on the biomechanical benefits (meaning healthier joints and muscles) of barefoot running (or at least barefoot-like, anyway), they just have no desire to tear up the soles of their feet. One opted for a very low profile adidas running flat and the other decided on some minimus trails, as opposed to their old super cushioned trainers.

 

[miker]

I agree that getting people

I agree that getting people to go "minimal" is way, way easier than convincing them to go bf. My main talking point now is that going "minimal" is NOT like getting a new pair of running shoes. It is like starting to run from scratch. Btw, I don't have a long list of success stories with getting people converting. (note to self: examine bfr elevator speech).

Quite honestly, the ONLY way I have found to control my TMTS tendencies is to go bf. Whenever I strap on my VFFs, I go too far, too fast. But dammit!, I want to run farther!!! I plan on doing a couple of half marathons this spring, and a bf marathon this fall. Unless multiple stress fractures occur before then. ;-)

Now I run bf because I can. Once you get where you can run bf, why wouldn't you run this way as your primary form, then putting on minimal footwear when you have to.

This reminds me of my favorite conversation I used to have with people when running marathons. I'd be running beside someone who was running their first marathon. They would say that their initial goal was "just to finish". I ask if they are going to do any more? They almost always answer, probably not, just trying to finish this one. I then remind them that they are "right now" in the best shape of their adult life, and they're going to quit? They usually mull this over and agree that I have a point, and that they may well, in fact, continue running marathons as they are able.

This is how I view my current bf running. I have been minimal since April 2010, and moving bf since late summer 2010. I can now run 6-8 miles bf without too many issues. Granted, if I had some kind of footwear on, I would probably run faster, or farther, but I think those things will come. But I "can" run barefoot. And it is kind of cool to run with 4000 people and be the only person without shoes.

So I do...and I am. ;-)

 

[ajb422]

I totally agree with your

I totally agree with your message here. Especially since there are alot of runners who can easily switch to VFFs or similar without problems. Sure we hear about alot of problems with minimal shoes here, but I think its probably overinflated. Afterall if you aren't having any problems with these cool new shoes you have why bother going and searching around on the internet about them. I also see quite a few people who switch back and forth between minimal and lower profile shoes, such as bombed out, nearly dead, shoes or something like racing flats, frees ect..... Sure some people have problems doing this, but again I think we hear from alot more of the ones who have issues than the ones that are out there doing it without any problems. Everyone needs to figure out what works best for them, and by only preaching about bf, bf, bf people may get turned off by it before they give it a real shot.

So sure barefoot is best for starting out and learning form, but if you already have semi-decent biomechanics and are just looking to make them a bit better and maybe get more than a couple hundred miles out of a pair of shoes why not toss on a security blanket that allows you to somehow look more "normal" at the same time. VFFers don't get stares around here, I still very much do and I think thats a bigger turnoff to alot of people than the perceived ickyness of the ground.

That being said I still think I've converted more people to at least trying bf once by being caught running around singing in the dark with a smile on my face than I ever have by talking about it. Pretty much ever time I embarrass myself doing this I see another bf out that week. I don't think its a coincidence.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

The Barefoot Runners Society

The Barefoot Runners Society was born out of a need to find others who have the same interest in running barefoot/natural. As you know, it's comforting when you find others who share the same passion for running barefoot or minimal that you do. It is what binds us to one another and helps us to feel that we are not alone in this otherwise solitary experience.

Our vision is that there will be BRS chapters throughout the world which will offer support and resources to the barefoot and minimalist running community.

Our mission is:

• To offer resources that unite barefoot and minimalist runners from around the world;To promote barefoot running and minimalist running around the world and at race events as a competitive sport;To educate the running public on the health benefits of barefoot and minimalist running;To dispel the myths associated with barefoot running that negatively impact the sport.

We invite you to take advantage of the many resources we have to offer, and we thank you for being a part of our barefoot running community.



Our stance on footwear

We are a barefoot AND minimalist running club. We support both the barefoot AND minimalist runner. We prefer people to FIRST LEARN (or relearn) TO RUN BAREFOOT before donning any footwear and only doing so after they have learned to run with proper form first. This is why we chose the name Barefoot Runners Society... ..

We believe that the best way to decrease your chance of injury is by starting over, literally from scratch, and allowing your plantar skin to take you only as far as you are physically capable of and safely able to go. (Increasing from there can be learned by listening to your body and all the great advice you will receive from the many resources within this running club.)

There were six of us that started the BRS. Two of us were purists, two of us were minimalists, and two of us were somewhere in between. When we started the BRS, it was important to include all flavors of the barefoot/minimalist movement, not just focus on purism, and this is why...

We understand that not everyone can run barefoot at all times under all conditions. Some people may not be able to run completely barefoot from the get-go. We got that. They may have health conditions (severe osteoporosis, diabetes, neuropathy, ciculatory conditions, etc.) that would prohibit them from doing so; others may live in areas where the terrain is always extreme, and most of us live where we experience extreme weather/temps at some point during the year. We also realize that in the end, most people are not going to choose to run truly barefoot 100% of the time or at all. WewTherefore, we believe it is very important to provide our members with information that will help them to make informed, healthy decisions about what to put on their feet.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Nuff said.

Nuff said.

 

[Barfuß Chelsea]

saypay45 wrote:One point

One point though that was brought up in RW is whether something like this is worth the risk.

So say you can get 20 new members to BRS with this new message, but 10 of them get hurt from TMTS. If you say "barefoot is best" and you only get 1 new member, is that worth it?

On the other hand, usually that one new member gets TMTS despite our warnings. So screw it.

I agree that getting people to go "minimal" is way, way easier than convincing them to go bf. My main talking point now is that going "minimal" is NOT like getting a new pair of running shoes. It is like starting to run from scratch.

To me it feels like minimalist shoes are the hydroxycut of dieting, sure it works and you see immediate results, but in the long run are they going to be better off?

I 100% agree that convincing people to go minimilast is easier. But I don't think that's a good thing. I know I'm grossly overgeneralizing now, but I think that for the most part, only those who convert "all the way" are the ones who are really ready for the change. They're ready to really listen to what their body is telling them. Even if they suffer from TMTS for a while, they're most likely the ones with enough dilligence and patience to cut back for a while and see the transition through. This is not to say that those in minimalist shoes are not capable of making the transition. However, in the beginning, going fully barefoot requires much sacrifice! If someone is willing to go through the initial discomfort (not to mention the incredible frustration of starting all over!!!) as skin and muscles develop, he or she is most likely one who'll be sticking around for the long haul.

I hesitate to promote my VFFs as anything other than around-town (non-running) shoes simply because most people who ask me about them don't currently have any injuries of their own. Why would I push something that will most likely just give them a nice bout of TMTS when I know how amazing barefooting is? And maybe someday, if they get hurt on their own from their normal trainers and start looking around for new options, they'll remember that one girl who had the minimalist shoes but still didn't bother using them all that often for her runs.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

I always say, if it isn't

I always say, if it isn't broken and you're happy running in whatever, then continue to do so, but if you're have trouble, consider barefoot running. But if your running is stagnant and boring, then again, give barefoot running a good try.

 

[Barefoot Gentile]

Smelph wrote: they just have

they just have no desire to tear up the soles of their feet.

Just another misconception of barefoot running. My soles have become more smoother and healthier once I started running barefoot. I remember peeling off my socks during a long run in shoes, and they looked like when you stay to long in water, or the bath tube, wringly, white and dead looking. But I get what you are saying.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

The bottoms of my feet are so

The bottoms of my feet are so smooth. My feet never look all scraped up. That's just not what's happening...to me anyway.

 

[ajb422]

Perhaps they meant

Perhaps they meant "temporarily tear up their feet" or were referring to running on trails that would actually tear up your feet.Some of the feet pictures here with blisters and such do get pretty nasty looking. I did notice the other day my feet were looking icky, so I added an extra bf run to my week. Gotta love that exfoliation .

 

[Smelph]

Maybe "tear" was the wrong

Maybe "tear" was the wrong choice of words while trying to paraphrase.

They don't want to have to deal with the discomfort of stepping on stones/acorns/etc., or the risk of stepping on something sharp or pointy. I can sympathize a bit as a road runner here in Michigan, as our road conditions are terrible, especially this time of year before municipalities clean the winter salt/sand/gravel from the roads and sidewalks.

 

[Matt]

I'm not really a big fan of

I'm not really a big fan of trying to convert anyone to barefoot running. Most of the time I see other runners is during a race. I figure if they are doing well enough to run a race, then it's not my job to try to get them to change anything. However, when people ask me questions, I'm happy to answer them. And a few times I've come across people who looked into barefoot or minimalist running after seeing me at a race.

The hardest thing about becoming a barefoot runner is patience, but we live in a society with very little patience. I think the only reason that I was able to adapt to barefoot running was because I was not much of a runner in shoes.