Running shoes...necessary?

Trevor Thompson · 07-04-2007, 04:26 PM

I have been a runner competetively in XC and Track for 4 years in Highschool and now i run for fitness, but still maintain my times of sub 30min 4 miles and sub 2 min 800m. I have been toying with the idea (i have been utilizing the concept for 2 years tentatively) of becoming a purely barefooted/sandaled runner. The sandals would be nothing more than a thin rubber sole like the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico wear. I enjoy running barefoot and i think that the benefits are tremendous.

Many runners from the past used barefooted training as a base, and many modern winners do too. The Stanford Track team says that their wins can in part be due to warming up and cooling down barefoot as well as drill work in bare feet. The East Africans are famous for running barefooted. The Mexican Indians are famous for running in non-supportive sandals, only there to protect the feet in the scortching desert and from the thistles. Herb Elliot, one of the greatest milers of all time, trained barefooted in Eastern Australia. Maybe there is something to this.

I pose these questions to the Crossfit community: How many of you run barefoot, if ever? What do you think about running barefooted on a consistent bassis? Would you conisider the idea of not wearing running shoes 99 times out of 100?

Joseph Hart · 07-04-2007, 08:33 PM

I am working up to barefoot running all the time. Barefootted.com has some good stuff. The guy does ultra marathons in five finger sprints or barefoot. I thing he runs out of SD or LA. It does not seem unreasonable especially if you live some where that it is nice the majority of the time (no snow).

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07-04-2007, 04:26 PM	#1
Trevor Thompson Departed Profile: Join Date: Jan 1970 Posts: 267	I have been a runner competetively in XC and Track for 4 years in Highschool and now i run for fitness, but still maintain my times of sub 30min 4 miles and sub 2 min 800m. I have been toying with the idea (i have been utilizing the concept for 2 years tentatively) of becoming a purely barefooted/sandaled runner. The sandals would be nothing more than a thin rubber sole like the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico wear. I enjoy running barefoot and i think that the benefits are tremendous. Many runners from the past used barefooted training as a base, and many modern winners do too. The Stanford Track team says that their wins can in part be due to warming up and cooling down barefoot as well as drill work in bare feet. The East Africans are famous for running barefooted. The Mexican Indians are famous for running in non-supportive sandals, only there to protect the feet in the scortching desert and from the thistles. Herb Elliot, one of the greatest milers of all time, trained barefooted in Eastern Australia. Maybe there is something to this. I pose these questions to the Crossfit community: How many of you run barefoot, if ever? What do you think about running barefooted on a consistent bassis? Would you conisider the idea of not wearing running shoes 99 times out of 100?

07-04-2007, 08:33 PM	#2
Joseph Hart Member Profile: Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Lino Lakes MN Posts: 282	I am working up to barefoot running all the time. Barefootted.com has some good stuff. The guy does ultra marathons in five finger sprints or barefoot. I thing he runs out of SD or LA. It does not seem unreasonable especially if you live some where that it is nice the majority of the time (no snow).