What do people think about running barefoot/with minimalist footwear? A thematic analysis

[Barefoot TJ]

What do people think about running barefoot/with minimalist footwear? A thematic analysis
Peter D. Walton* and David P. French
School of Psychological sciences, The University of Manchester, UK

This is the first study from a psychological standpoint on the thoughts of barefoot running and minimalist running: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjhp.12180/abstract

If you would like to read the full article, please contact Peter Walton at peter.walton "at" postgrad.manchester.ac.uk or tweet him at www.twitter.com/peterwalton_.

 

[Ahcuah]

Objectives

Barefoot running describes when individuals run without footwear. Minimalist running utilizes shoes aimed to mimic being barefoot. Although these forms of running have become increasingly popular, we still know little about how recreational runners perceive them.
Design

In-depth interviews with eight recreational runners were used to gather information about their running experiences with a focus on barefoot and minimalist running.
Methods

Interviews were analysed using a latent level thematic analysis to identify and interpret themes within the data.
Results

Although participants considered barefoot running to be ‘natural’, they also considered it to be extreme. Minimalist running did not produce such aversive reactions. ‘Support’ reassured against concerns and was seen as central in protecting vulnerable body parts and reducing impact forces, but lacked a common or clear definition. A preference for practical over academic knowledge was found. Anecdotal information was generally trusted, as were running stores with gait assessment, but not health professionals.
Conclusion

People often have inconsistent ideas about barefoot and minimalist running, which are often formed by potentially biased sources, which may lead people to make poor decisions about barefoot and minimalist running. It is important to provide high-quality information to enable better decisions to be made about barefoot and minimalist running.

 

[Tedlet]

Without wishing to do the 18 page study a dis-service in any way, my interpretation of how it reads is broadly:

Working with a sample of eight recreational shod runners, and assuming their views to be representative of the general population, the conclusion is that the running community's views on barefoot running are:-

1. They've heard about barefoot running, but don't really know very much about it.
2. They believe the world's surface to be covered almost entirely by broken glass.
3. They like and trust their trainers because the nice man in the shop let them use a treadmill for a couple of minutes before persuading them that the trainers best suited to their feet happened to be the most expensive pair in the shop.
4. They believe all barefoot runners must be ever so slightly bonkers!

Not sure exactly what I've learned from reading that, but it was an interesting interlude to life...
(I'll go and sit back in the corner now...)

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Supportive shoes a confusing term, runner attitude study finds
Medical Xpress
"Conversely, barefoot running has been used by humans for hundreds of thousands of years, yet running shoes as we know them were only ...