You can run anywhere barefoot, anywhere.

Barefoot Gentile

Barefooters
Apr 5, 2010
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Fairfield, CT
Interesting conversation with my neighborhood tonight. I was setting up a basketball hoop, and my neighbor who I never really formally meet came out and asked if I needed help, he had a Budweiser as well for him and me, awesome. He grew up in Costa Rica, and he was saying how he likes to see me running barefoot.

To get to the gist of the story, when growing up in Costa Rica he was extremely poor and his family couldn't afford shoes. So from when he was born to about 13 years old he went barefoot, everywhere. He said the streets were never paved but all rocks, like golf ball size, and he ran on those streets everyday to school. I said he how did you do that? He said easy, my feet adapted and I knew where to step and how to step. He would run/hike in the mountains in Costa Rica all day and come home at sunset. He said nothing would pierce his feet, such as burs, or anything sharp.
 
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Hey Gentile, when I was in Afghanistan I saw the locals walk and run on stuff that most of us would consider uncrossable barefoot. I believe you are right, you just might have to grow up doing it or do it long enough. I wish I had pictures of the locals feet. Maybe then Jason would believe that there are people who can traverse nearly any surface barefoot. ;)
 
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True. My mind is always set on barefoot transportation first, that I would avoid the stuff you run on. I am totally missing out and depriving myself. I just can't do shoes anymore.
That's the way I feel too. Running-wise, I would prioritize barefoot-ability over trail-ability. If a trail is so gnarly that you can't run it barefoot, I would prefer just to hike it. Which is not to say, of course, that Jason is wrong, just that we have different tastes or preferences. And I don't doubt Nick's point that it's possible to adapt to just about any condition, it's just a question of whether it's worth it or not, and that's highly individual. Even though I'm just now adapting to easy gravel, I really am enamored with idea of trying different surfaces. Kind of where Jason was several years ago.
 
@Lee, I am 100% positive, that somewhere in this grand world, there are people who can tackle any surface being barefoot.
I have seen a good deal of the world (90 countries), and I agree, the ability of humans to adapt to different environments and physical activities far exceeds anything any other species is capable of, except maybe rats. While hiking the Annapurna circuit in Nepal, the Sherpa porters would run barefoot past us hikers with four to six cases of soda pop strapped to their backs, to give an example that comes immediately to mind. And Eskimo babies play naked in igloos, et cetera.
 
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It was really amazing to see Gentile. It was a huge shock to my shoddie ass back then to see them walking around during all seasons barefoot and over earth that looks like god churned up all the rocks out of the soil.
 
I'll concede some people may be able to tackle extraordinarily gnarly terrain barefoot. However, some foot protection would result in better performance if that was the goal.

I will stand by the statement that there are races that cannot be completed barefoot by anyone. ;)
 
That's a cool story about your neighbor, Barefoot Gentile!

But I have to agree with Jason on the "necessities" of footwear. In addition to the trail running, I hike a lot with the family. Often, when I'm hiking, I will take off my shoes for a couple of miles. So, yeah, barefoot hiking is way more of a reality than many people would ever guess. I'm glad I broke free of the "necessity of stiff, heavy hiking shoes" dogma. But on several occasions, I've come across places where, if I wanted to pass without injuring myself, I would need to put on some sort of footwear.

I am sliced to shreds all up my legs and my arms right now from raspberry bushes and wild roses from Sunday's run - it's so bad that I've been wearing pants and a long-sleeved shirt in 90 degree weather. I was stomping these down to get them out of my face. I shouldn't have gone through there in the first place, but I couldn't have passed through that section of trail had I not been able to stomp down the pricker bushes to get my body through.
 
I will agree Jason that footwear would result in better performance.
this could be blasphemous if taken out of context :D
...just saying...lol
 
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That shoes can improve performance should be obvious. That most surfaces can be tackled barefoot I think is evident. That some surfaces are impossible barefoot is almost undeniably true. That anyone who didn't have to would tackle those very-difficult-but-not-impossible surfaces barefoot seems absurd.

I just ran five miles on chipseal. I only did it because I like the challenge, it was recreational. It would've been a lot easier with shoes on, and I would've been able to run faster too, no doubt. People who locomote out of necessity would almost always chose some kind of footwear that improved performance/comfort if it were available/affordable. These speculative discussions are kind of silly, but fun.