I don't know whether I'm a naysayer, but I do agree with TJ and others that the notion of "barefoot running shoes" may hurt just as much as it helps. While some minimal shoe companies give lip service to barefooting, they are inherently conflicted when it comes to barefooting. It seems to me the consensus (not complete, of course) among long-time barefoot runners is that the best way to start is go completely bare and do it for a long time (months or years). From this perspective, if runners later decide to run in shoes, it might be possible for some to do so safely. This kind of message, though, would quickly bankrupt any shoe company.
Yes, there are undoubtedly many people who have not gone this route and it turned out o.k. But, on average, it seems to be the least trouble-free approach based on the limited evidence available.
True barefoot running is not a secret anymore. Anyone who wants to learn more can easily do so now. At this point in running culture, people have to make a conscious choice to run barefoot; persuasion and marketing are probably not enough for most people who might consider it. And that's o.k.
If people get injured running in minimal shoes, maybe they will seek more information on barefooting, or maybe they'll return to traditional shoes. Unless the minimal shoe manufacturers start putting warning labels on their shoes, I'm not sure passive references to barefooting will make much difference.
I haven't seen any heckling or "I was right" dances here or really much anywhere online by barefooters. In fact, I've seen the opposite (compassion and support) here at BRS. Like others, I think the overwhelming share of hostility on this topic comes from shod runners and those with vested interests (shoe sellers/manufacturers, podiatrists, etc.). What examples of heckling and "I was right" dances have you found?
But I do know that I've scolded myself for being stupid -- yes, stupid -- for not taking others' experiences seriously when I started to run in minimal shoes. I was not ignorant; I just didn't want to believe it, and thought I could be different. I was a perfect case of someone who _wanted_ to run in minimal shoes (barefoot was too radical in my view then), and a temporary period of barefooting was only for transitioning into minimal shoes.
Becoming a barefoot runner can be like changing religions or personalities. I strongly identified with traditional running shoes, and believed all the hocus pocus about them (never once thinking to check whether there was any evidence behind the talk). New runners don't suffer from such baggage, fortunately. But for many current runners, it's unreasonable to expect much change until they have made a decision to change. And that decision is probably most likely to occur after suffering an injury or injuries.
One could even argue that injuries from minimal shoes might prompt more people to run barefoot (perhaps out of desperation). One could also argue that injuries from minimal shoes might discourage more people from running barefoot than would happen otherwise. But either way, it seems to me that those starting to run in minimal shoes should be warned that their risk of injury may be higher than if they did something else (such as continuing to run in traditional shoes or running barefoot).
