Why You Should Occasionally Ditch Your Running Shoes

Barefoot TJ

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Runner's World has always been anti-barefoot running, so I am pleased to see this article, although of course, they have a long way to go still. I believe their negativity towards BFR stems from the income generated by their advertising name brand running shoes, a direct conflict with natural running. After all, we all know it's hard to make money off of bare feet. We BRFs were treated like crap in their regular forums (when they used to have forums before they were spammed so heavily they had to shut them down), and so when I wrote to Mark Remy, Executive Editor, to ask that Runner's World create a Barefoot Running Forum about 10 years ago, he said, "It was about time!" which surprised me. Yay for him! After it was created, we didn't get much peace over there. We were attacked quite a lot in our own forum from the shoddie "trolls" who liked to call us "hobbits," etc. Sometimes, it was funny though. :hilarious: Since then, very few times have they published an article that was positive about running barefoot. (That's what inspired the BRS's creation. :barefoot:)

So, let's take a look at this article...and pick it apart :D:

RW_BarefootRunner.jpg


Why You Should Occasionally Ditch Your Running Shoes
Runner's World
Let's get this out of the way right off the bat: We're not talking about long-distance barefoot running or even running in minimal shoes. We're not even ...
 
I don't run in shoes too often unless absolutely necessary, but when I do I have never been able to duplicate my barefoot technique, simply because I lose all of my sensory feedback.With the amount of barefoot running this article advocates, it seems to me that it is wishful thinking to propose that the small barefoot experience advocated could translate to an identical experience in shoes.
 
I don't run in shoes too often unless absolutely necessary, but when I do I have never been able to duplicate my barefoot technique, simply because I lose all of my sensory feedback.With the amount of barefoot running this article advocates, it seems to me that it is wishful thinking to propose that the small barefoot experience advocated could translate to an identical experience in shoes.
Exactly! Very good point! Any footwear, even a pair of socks in winter, caused me to change my gait. I don't even think longer runs, more often, over a great period of time (in any weather with anything minimal on my feet) would have helped.
 
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That's a good description KD!
I get the impression that maybe they've sat around and decided "...well we need to write something to address the subject of barefoot running, but make sure we don't put anything in print that might be misinterpreted as a recommendation to ditch the shoes..."
I reckon if was regularly running in shoes and followed their suggested approach my poor little brain would just end up very confused! Obviously I could be wrong, but I prefer to think it's easier and generally more enjoyable to run if you can just relax, without having to concentrate on what technique I was using the other day for 2 minutes, etc...:confused:
 
This is like running around with a blindfold on.
Every 2 minutes, you take the blindfold off for 10 seconds to try to memorize the path ahead, and then put the blindfold back on and run down the street.
Let me know how that works for you
:hilarious:
 
That's a good description KD!
I get the impression that maybe they've sat around and decided "...well we need to write something to address the subject of barefoot running, but make sure we don't put anything in print that might be misinterpreted as a recommendation to ditch the shoes..."
I reckon if was regularly running in shoes and followed their suggested approach my poor little brain would just end up very confused! Obviously I could be wrong, but I prefer to think it's easier and generally more enjoyable to run if you can just relax, without having to concentrate on what technique I was using the other day for 2 minutes, etc...:confused:
I prefer to think for myself. Enough with the brainwashing! That's exactly what the shoe companies have done. They want everyone to think we can't run without them. But we all know we can. Disconnect from the Matrix!
 
I fear that the Matrix is all around us and only those few of us can see what is happening from the outside. Neil

Tell me about it! ;)
 
Runner's World has always been anti-barefoot running, so I am pleased to see this article, although of course, they have a long way to go still. I believe their negativity towards BFR stems from the income generated by their advertising name brand running shoes, a direct conflict with natural running. After all, we all know it's hard to make money off of bare feet. We BRFs were treated like crap in their regular forums (when they used to have forums before they were spammed so heavily they had to shut them down), and so when I wrote to Mark Remy, Executive Editor, to ask that Runner's World create a Barefoot Running Forum about 10 years ago, he said, "It was about time!" which surprised me. Yay for him! After it was created, we didn't get much peace over there. We were attacked quite a lot in our own forum from the shoddie "trolls" who liked to call us "hobbits," etc. Sometimes, it was funny though. :hilarious: Since then, very few times have they published an article that was positive about running barefoot. (That's what inspired the BRS's creation. :barefoot:)

So, let's take a look at this article...and pick it apart :D:



Why You Should Occasionally Ditch Your Running Shoes
Runner's World
Let's get this out of the way right off the bat: We're not talking about long-distance barefoot running or even running in minimal shoes. We're not even ...
It's a step in the right direction
 
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