Beautiful video. Very fine
Beautiful video. Very fine advice. It almost shows the shoe store the video advertises at the end isn't necessary!
A few details in the video and on the web site suggest that to run barefoot like that, you have to grow up without shoes. For example, on their "About" page: [font="Lucida Sans Unicode, Lucida Grande, sans-serif"]"Both old and new research and the experiences of injured runners give layers of evidence that the human foot must develop naturally during youth and continue into adulthood to function and behave like a foot."[/font]
The evidence of many BRS members would seem to contradict this. While obviously, yes, it does take time to adapt to running barefoot, it's obviously not true that people who grew up in shoes have to throw up their hands and wear shoes. Many of the accomplished runners on this site grew up wearing shoes!
I think this video is another example of the emerging consensus and yet division in the running world. Almost everybody can agree that running should be easier, less painful, and more fun. And barefoot-style running (whether you wear shoes or not) can take you a long way to those things. But beyond that point the advice seems to diverge. Authors who are mostly concerned with race performance (or who have a business are selling shoes) tend to suggest that it is necessary or desirable to wear shoes. Authors who are most concerned with the running experience tend to see shoes as more optional.
Dr. Mark, are you here to respond? I'm guessing that you're in the first group.
