Deadly Broken Glass Dilemma (2012 April) Ken Bob Saxton

[Bare Lee]

I get hurt by glass almost once every week, in a certain area (on the way to my work) (not in other areas, though).

I think you need to avoid that certain area.

I've been barefooting for 30 years, off and on, and have never got cut on glass (I did slice off a good chunk of one of my big toes on some bamboo once though, but I wasn't running on it). I doubt glass is a real concern for most people in most circumstances. Blisters, knee pain, plantar fasciitis, etc., from shoes pose a far greater danger for injury for most people, I would contend. But only a poorly conducted study with a small sample size could prove it.

 

[NickW]

Wow Joohneschuh, I would probably have quit bfr if I get glass in my feet as often as you do. I just got my first piece of glass a week or two. It was definitely of the too small to see variety though. I do run on glass just about every run though. There is an intersection where there must be lots of auto accidents because there is always broken glass covering the walkway. So far I've never gotten glass in my foot in that spot. I wonder if it depends on the type of glass and the size?

 

[Bare Lee]

I wonder if it depends on the type of glass and the size?

I think it does Nick. Broken bottle glass is dangerous, especially the shards that Joohnesschuh is describing, but auto glass is usually OK. Last week I ran through several patches of it on a new route through an industrial area, no problem.

 

[joohneschuh]

Auto glass breaks into cubes, not slivers, right?

Wow

You know, it´s not something I´m proud of or think of as an achievement. I simply long for the barefoot ground-feel and it is sad that this comes at a risk.

 

[Zetti]

You know, it´s not something I´m proud of or think of as an achievement. I simply long for the barefoot ground-feel and it is sad that this comes at a risk.

...everyone runs a risk no matter what you are doing, but i would say that your example of running consistently in areas with that much nasty glass is just as extreme as comments that suggest that glass is never a concern.

 

[Bare Lee]

Auto glass breaks into cubes, not slivers, right?

That's my understanding. I don't purposely step on auto glass, but I don't worry about stepping on it either. Other kinds of glass could be much more dangerous, and if it's the tinted glass of a beer bottle, it'll be hard to see unless there's some light reflecting off it. A big enough shard could potentially cut in deep enough to damage a nerve or tendon, but I think that size you would normally be able to see unless you run in the dark.

I would never say you should always be able to run barefoot wherever you want, but I think for most people broken glass is easily avoided. If there's only one area on your way to work that is dodgy, you could consider throwing on some Luna sandals, or SoftStar Moc3s, or whatever is available in your neck of the woods for that part of the run.

I agree with Zetti though, that no matter what you do, there's going to be some risks. If you're cooking, you could cut your finger, but does that mean you're going to wear gloves? You can even fall out of bed.

Also, as the folks over at Society for Barefoot Living have pointed out, if more people ran/walked barefoot, there'd probably be a drastic reduction in man-made debris!

 

[ajb422]

If its one particular place and not an overly large area could you just bring a broom and clean it up? Or is it like teenagers keep busting new ones there constantly? I think I'd just carry shoes for that one section if that was the case. Slip them on then take them off. I do this anyway because the running paths eat my feet up sometimes.

 

[Zetti]

If its one particular place and not an overly large area could you just bring a broom and clean it up? Or is it like teenagers keep busting new ones there constantly? I think I'd just carry shoes for that one section if that was the case. Slip them on then take them off. I do this anyway because the running paths eat my feet up sometimes.

Or you could buy a backpack leaf blower and run with that!!

If it works on small children I'm sure it would work on glass!!

 

[ajb422]

lol well I meant just drive to wherever, sweep it off to the side and then leave. I wasn't so much implying carrying a broom with you.

But a leaf blower is a good idea, those are sort of heavy, its like weight training and a run.

 

[ElyDave]

Aberdeen, as a university town (read drunken students) seems to have a lot of glass on the streets adn I tend to run there a lot in winter when it's dark from about 3pm to 10am. I wear shoes or huaraches.

When I travel to other places I tend to run at least once in shoes to get a feel for how BF friendly the area is before deciding.

At home, on roads I know better and where I know glass is less likely, I will run BF. I still have to watch out for those damned sneaker stones though, the farmers seem to drag them all over the roads with their tractors.

 

[SillyC]

I live in a very glassy place, and probably get glass in my feet twice a month or so. I finally figured out why there was so much glass on the streets the other day, after following the recycling truck while out running. Residents put their recycling bins on the sidewalk. Then people pick up the bins and dump the big pieces into the truck. After that, they replace them on the sidewalk upside down!!!! So, all the small pieces of broken glass just get dumped flat out onto the sidewalk!

Anyhow, sometimes, I wear huaraches when I at night.

 

[The Ramzev]

Silly, Can you call the recycling company and make the request that they be more careful? Probably wouldn't work if it's a city hauler, but a private hauler might take it into consideration.

 

[JosephTree]

I was thinking about this on a run the other day as I was going over my "glassy alley" which is actually a bridge. Think what the terrain was like 20 or 30 years ago before plastic bottles became the dominant container material. Also, littering was much less looked down upon. (Like the term "litterbug" hadn't yet been coined.) Glass would have been everywhere!

 

[SillyC]

Silly, Can you call the recycling company and make the request that they be more careful? Probably wouldn't work if it's a city hauler, but a private hauler might take it into consideration.

I wanted to, but I'll need to do some more legwork so I know who to call. Recycling and waste management is semi-privatized here, with the city contracting out different routes to different contractors. I couldn't catch up to the truck to find out what company is doing the route.

 

[macdiver]

I couldn't figure out how to quote using my tablet.

Zetti, you use a leaf blower on small children? The kids I know proabably would like that

 

[Last Place Jason]

I don't think glass would make my list of "top ten most common things that have punctured my feet when running barefoot."

 

[BarefootGburg]

Excellent points.

Guys, I´m sick of reading comments like these:

"But really, glass is pretty noticeable on a sidewalk or road, so it's pretty easy to avoid"
"Glass has never been a problem."
" And yet, the 'broken glass is everywhere' myth is the most common reason people give for not barefooting. Where do these people live"

I get hurt by glass almost once every week, in a certain area (on the way to my work) (not in other areas, though). Believe me, it´s not the kind of glass that´s visible what I step into. It is the kind of glass that also punctures extra-puncture-proof-bicycle-tires. Very small slivers, the size of 1 mm at max. You cannot see them and you cannot avoid them. They do stick and they are very difficult to remove once they are dug into the skin far enough. They are so thin that they break very easily when you try to grab them with tweezers. Sometimes they are so small that I do not notice them immidiately. It´s difficult to feel a difference between a sliver and a tiny, sharp pebble.

Yet they cause an inflammation if not removed which can be painful or at least annoying.

I still run barefoot where I got hurt repeatetly. I really don´t want to miss the feeling of barefoot running. But it comes at a price, I know the risk, take it and get hurt. That´s okay for me. It would be equally okay for somebody else to decide against running barefoot and not to take the risk. But to deny the risk or to make fun of / feel superior to other people who don´t want to take the risk, that is not okay in my opinion.

 

[NickW]

Got a second piece of glass in less than two weeks yesterday. This one was in my heel which I felt right away and was able to stop and get it out real fast. Weird, I go a year without any glass and then bam, twice within a couple weeks. Both were really small slivers that you just can't see when running. Oh well, didn't cause any real damage or anything.

 

[dutchie53]

Picked up my first piece of small glass yesterday. Of course the wife was all over that one with "see that is why you should wear shoes".

 

[NickW]

Picked up my first piece of small glass yesterday. Of course the wife was all over that one with "see that is why you should wear shoes".

See I just don't tell the missus. Saves me an earful.