I have logged about 30 miles barefoot and I’m loving every minute of it. I do it 3 miles at a time. My running, in my Brooks shoes, both trail and road, is improving greatly because of my barefoot running. My Plantar Fasciitis is improving because of my barefoot running.
I love Brooks shoes. I love barefoot running. I am going to move more and more to minimalist shoes, Vibrams, and barefoot as my weight goes down and my feet get stronger.
I started out 1/4 mile at a time. My feet are stronger and my ankles are more fit for the trails because of my barefoot running.
I would like everyone just to leave the BF community alone and respect their wish to not be shod!

The sometimes shod Lisa Gunnoe

I too have been re-conditioned thanks to running barefoot. After a severe IT band injury 9 years ago I began barefoot running which has kept me healthy and injury-free. Over-cushioned and ‘supportive’ shoes act as a brace that weaken the muscles and tendons in your feet while distort the natural alignment of hips and knees. Go barefoot whenever possible and find minimal shoes for walking or running. Find out more at http://barefootrunner.com. Happy trails.

I think this whole barefoot/minimalist thing has a lot of merit, PROVIDED one starts slowly to give the muscles and other tissues a chance to adapt to the new demands placed on them after being used to supportive shoes. I’ll share my experience. At the end of the summer of 2008, I developed IT band problems from running and hiking (the 15- and 17-mile day hikes I had just done on consecutive weekends, after not having done any strenuous hiking in a while, were probably what precipitated it). I was wearing Brooks Adrenaline shoes at the time, which I had been fitted for in a running shop and had been using for about a year and a half without major issues. However, once the ITB problem started I just couldn’t seem to kick it–PT helped but I was still having some flare-ups. I had heard about barefoot running (this was before “Born to Run etc. but I had read some articles elsewhere) and was intrigued but had been afraid to try it. Finally, in January of 2009, in my frustration at not being able to get rid of my knee pain, I decided to experiment. I was at the YMCA and had run about 15 minutes on the treadmill before the knee started to twinge; I then decided to go run on the indoor track upstairs–barefoot. I only did so for about 5 minutes that day, but it felt much better than the treadmill run in shoes (and in fairness, I’m sure the treadmill part had something to do with it too). After that I was convinced and gradually increased my time running barefoot on the track. I did then get a pair of Vibram Five Fingers, as one YMCA kicked me out for running barefoot on their track, and when I started running outside again I mostly used these (and still do–I run a lot of trails, and New England trails tend to be pretty rough–though sometimes I do run barefoot outside in warm enough weather). Since the switch, I have only had occasional very minor incidents of lateral knee pain, and they have been at times where I felt my form was a bit off (and gone away once I adjusted it). I have now gone to minimal footwear whenever possible for all my activities in my everyday life (not easy when you’re a female who sometimes has to look professional, let me tell you! it’s almost impossible to find shoes without any kind of an elevated heel!). I even hike in my VFFs when it is warm enough (if it’s a little cool for these but not cold enough for winter boots, I wear Teva Proton water shoes with thick wool socks–these are also good for cold-weather running). Humans have only had “supportive”, thickly padded shoes for a short time–footwear before was things like simple sandals and moccasins which serve only to protect against rough ground and hot/cold temperatures, and people often didn’t wear any at all when conditions permitted. Doesn’t it make sense that this is still adequate for the vast majority of people, given time to properly strengthen the feet and legs and develop proper form? I think Brooks should come out with a truly minimalist shoe for those times when runners want/need a bit of protection but still want to feel the ground and allow their feet to function naturally.

Glad to see you tackle the issue head on. I’m pretty indifferent toward the issue, but I’m glad to see the discussion being brought up. I hope it’s only a start.

As someone who has been including some barefoot running into my training long before most people had heard of the Tarahumara or Chris McDougall, I can certainly attest to the benefits of going sans shoes. However, I also think that some who have embraced this trend do come across as having an ax to grind. Of course companies like Brooks have an interest in selling you shoes, but I don’t think this is prima facie evidence that they are trying to force an unnecessary product on an ignorant public. I applaud their willingness to have this open discussion directly with the running public. I have recently been trying their new shoe, the Green Silence, and while its not barefoot or even the Vibram Fivefingers, it does provide many of the benefits of these while still allowing me to run long distances.

Also, I want to say that Brooks is not Nike. They do not make expensive, functionless “fashion” athletic apparel. They are the ONLY company dedicated solely to producing shoes and other gear for the sport of running. Whether you agree with their designs or not, all of their gear is built with the goal of enhancing people’s enjoyment of the sport of running. Finally, since some people seem to believe that financial interest automatically puts one’s opinions under suspicion, I will say that I do receive a discount on Brooks gear as part of their ID program. However, I applied for that program BECAUSE I already was such a huge fan, not the other way around.

Jim is being responsible in addressing the barefoot issue. He wouldn’t be a CEO if he wasn’t a smart business shark that can make a business successful, but his open letter shows that he really does care, not about Brooks, but about runners. I like how Jim reminds us this is about running (Brooks love and our love), and speaks to the reality that runners need running shoes (except for a few decimal points away from the 1% of us that chose barefoot running).
I just want to add that I think this issue is also about running injury. I would like to see medical research conducted that will help us understand a holistic approach (not just looking at our feet) to address running injury. This isn’t curing cancer, but often an area of research benefits the public in unforeseen ways. Sports medicine experts that have an evidence based practice are few and far between. Instead, injury is all too often treated with long held assumptions that are not preventing injury, and are not healing runners.
As a result, runners have looked to the advice of their running shoe store- Much like a guy looks to his neighborhood barber shop for support during stressful times. The running shoe store is stuck in the middle. They too care for runners, and when asked to help, they try their best and have gotten quite good. Unfortunately, they are not health care providers and the runner’s answer to injury is rarely simple enough to be found in a shoe. But let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water. It’s late January in upstate New York, and someone had better be ready for a fight before they can get my Brooks Adrenaline ASRs off me.

I’m a convert to barefooting and think it may be right for many people. However, I will buy products (like VFFs) to protect my feet and take me into the mountains.

I think this discussion is terrific. Brooks, if you’re listening, let’s see some more minimal footwear! This is a growing market, and while it may not be for everyone as you claim, there are certainly many who will buy from you if they see products they like.

I believe the evidence (granted, much of it anecdotal at this point) in support of barefooting is growing. I’d love to see more competition in the budding “barefoot market.”

@Camille H : Check out Skora at http://www.skorarunning.com – minimal running shoes coming soon.

You contradict yourself. On the one hand you say that we are all broken and we need to buy your product to fix our bio-mechanical problems. But then you were quoted in Parade saying that you have been working on a barefoot like shoe for four years. Vibram proved that there is demand for minimal shoes since they can not keep then in stock.

There are many things that nature still does better than us. We can not make a plane as maneuverable as a bird. Spider silk is stronger than any rope we build. Wouldn’t it stand to reason that evolution also got the design of our feet right too?

I’m not in a tribe. I don’t live or run in the jungle. I live and run in towns, cities, on hills and trails in the Western world where dodgy terrain and broken glass are the norm. Barefoot running ain’t for me but running is. It’s running not rocket science. Whatever you put on your feet, or not, get out there and enjoy!

Good for you for addressing the issue.

And good for you for leaving the comments open!

But please start developing some minimalist shoe options for us and our children. A lot of us are realizing that the sneaker emperors have no clothes, and are looking for viable options. I’ve been taking sneakers to cobblers to have the heel and cushioning cut off, but it would be easier to buy well-designed minimalist shoes from companies like Brooks.

For myself, I won’t ever be wearing a traditional sneaker again. They’re bad for you, pure and simple.

I’m one of those that was told I needed Brooks Beast. I wore them religiously for over a year, but continued to have injury after injury. Whether it was IT Band or knee problems, the Beasts didn’t do anything to help. Once I went barefoot (even before the whole Born to Run thing), all those pains went away. Before going minimal, I couldn’t go more than 30 miles a week without pain. Now I can do more than 50 miles a week without any issues. My feet that started out flat as pancakes are now starting to develop arches and getting strong. Nothing can be developed to work better than your already existing foot.

I generally like Brooks’ products (most of my shoes have been Brooks), but clearly Jim Weber is doing his best to limit the potential damage to his bread and butter that the slowly growing barefoot running and (to a lesser degree) minimalist running trend poses.

1. Claims that “the majority of runners” are not able to do BFR safely … and provides zero evidence to back up this claim, of course.

2. Notes that there are no scientific studies PROVING that BFR reduces injuries…but at least has the decency to admit that there are also no scientific studies PROVING that *RUNNING SHOES* reduce injuries.

3. Presents 9 supposedly “expert” opinions, of which maybe 2 offer qualified support of BFR and 2-3 offer hysterical and unqualified warnings *against* BFR, with the rest falling somewhere in the middle. (These are rough numbers, I haven’t sat down and done a careful analysis of all 9 “expert” opinions yet.)

In other words, it’s a very clever PR piece. Cast doubt on something that could potentially threaten your current business model, subtly hint at hidden dangers, and swear that you only have the customer’s best interests in mind, as if you were NOT running a business. Right.

In the PDF, Brooks admits that not all runners are heel-strikers … but why then does the company not offer ANY shoes DESIGNED for midfoot and forefoot strikers? Virtually ALL of their shoes are designed for heel-strikers, which is obvious in the 12mm midsole drop and the repeated references (in their sales materials for their trainers) to a “heel-to-toe transition.”

Sure sounds like talking the talk, and not walking the walk.

So this is about running. If that is the case, then shouldn’t the focus be on how best to get people running injury-free?

Therein lies the rub and the evidence may soon be mounting (slowly) towards barefoot running. Like the recent study showing that torsional stress on hips and knees is higher running in shoes than running barefoot ( http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100104122310.htm )

Anecdotally, there are many, many cases whereby individuals report going from being biomechanically cursed running in shoes (and getting injured) to running min-shod or barefoot and reducing/eliminating injury and becoming biomechanically blessed.

Since wearing shoes is the default position, the directional flow here is typically from being a shod runner first and then later becoming a barefoot runner. Anyone out there gone the other direction? Anyone out there given a concerted effort towards barefoot running only to fail and have to get some biomechanics correcting shoes?

You note:

“We are all unique. The focus should be on how you run and train, and then finding the right shoe that addresses your unique biomechanical needs.”

This is problematic for shoes for a couple reasons — but no problem for going barefoot.

1) how do you focus on how you run and train (or how to run properly) if your shoes affect *how you run and train*? This chicken/egg problem isn’t trivial when the design of shoes directly affect how you run.

2) a quick count of the men’s shoes offerings at Brooks brings up 31 styles. That’s 31 styles to for every unique runner out there. Even if we grant that all the unique variations in runners can be categorized to find the one correct shoe style out of 31 that will be the best, how is a runner to go about testing them each out to find the magic style that works — a problem compounded by 1) above, which is that the shoes affect the way you run.

Contrast this against the automatically customized shoe — one built only for you, one that has built-in AI with a few thousand input receptors to provide instantaneous feedback, and a “shoe” that will rejuvenate *forever*. This shoe is so advanced that it has has an internal frame of almost 30 parts. Even still, this shoe is hardwired into the rest of the body because it’s built-in.

Of course, I’m talking about our feet — unique to each of us and massively adaptable. Feet are our living shoes.

Now sure, if you’ve been clunking around in dead-shoes (pardon the terminology), then your live-shoes may be a bit weak and need to be rehabilitated. We expect as much whenever we cast a bodypart for months, so we should expect the same for anyone who has been sticking their feet in “foot casts.”

I don’t mean to come off so pejoratively towards dead-shoes, but they’re just so simple compared to our feet, and if you’re going to talk about uniqueness, then I think the default position should side with the innately unique solution — bare feet.

I’ll wrap it up, but to me, your runner categories is off. It seems to me that the only ones whose default position should be to run in shoes (or non-minimalist footwear such as VFFs or otherwise), are those who’ve not sustained injuries — those who are “biomechanically blessed” to run in shoes! If this isn’t you, maybe you can spend an enormous amount of time and effort trying out all the shoe options out there until you find one that doesn’t injure you -OR- you could just go outside and run down the street barefoot.

Disclosure: I’m biased as I run http://birthdayshoes.com, but even as I love VFFs, I still recognize that even they dumb down my feet. Their success is just a testament to how much better they are than your average shoe (And hey, for all I know, Brooks are way above average, so no dig there I swear!).

I’d like to just say thanks for bringing the topic up, and being the first major shoe company to REALLY address the barefoot idea with some objectivity and sincerity.

I’m a Brooks ID member, and a barefoot runner and would love nothing more than for Brooks to come out with a very minimalist shoe so I can brag about it to EVERYONE I know. Above all else, I really hope you guys take barefoot running seriously, because there are a lot of people out there (myself included) who would buy nothing but your minimalist shoes for the rest of my life, if they come to exist.

I do however, like many above me, disagree strongly with some of the ‘experts’ who discussed barefoot running in the linked PDF. One of the professors teaches at my school, and being a biomechanics focus of course he is going to look at just that aspect of things. But he however failed to take into account SO MANY other factors that come into play when running barefoot.

And he goes on to claim that running barefoot is a hygienic problem and will lead to an increase in infections. The human sole can be (if developed properly) is amazingly strong and can even ward off punctures from glass if strong enough. Claiming that being barefoot is a hygienic problem is simply perpetuating a stereo-type that is completely false, because I promise you I wash my feet a whole lot more than anyone washes their shoes.

@Greg,

The old saying goes that there’s more than one way to skin a cat. No doubt people *can* work under a shod paradigm if they find the right shoe and/or have the right match of shoe and biomechanics. The question is: what’s the simplest way to get people running injury free? I think most barefooters or min-shod folk tend to be amazed at the simple solution that is running barefoot.

It’s not that shoes can’t work, it’s that there seems to be an easier way (1). Two, the default position is to assume barefoot is best until proven shoes are better. Since this is the opposite of the existing paradigm, it’s pretty understandable why the barefoot crowd is so vocal — they believe they hold the high ground but are still marginalized.

By the way, regarding the benefits of correcting overpronation, you might find this interesting:

http://stevemagness.blogspot.com/2010/01/why-running-shoes-do-not-work-looking.html

Wow, the old “some people are weak and overpronate” vs “some people are biomechanically blessed” line. Brooks Beast for all you people with weak feet. Amazing.

Years and years I followed this line of thinking – going to the specialty running shoe stores and progressively moving to more and more ‘stable’ shoes because I was overpronating more and more over the years.

Eventually, I too was stuck in the beast after treadmill evaluations showed my pronation getting worse with each passing year.

Along the way, my injuries got worse and my back was killing me. Well Jim, my feet were indeed weak, but sticking a person in these shoe coffins is NOT the answer.

I began running barefoot on grass then progressively wearing more minimal shoes as I got stronger. I could feel the ground and my form adjusted and began to move the way nature had intended it to move. Funny thing. I pronate a whole lot less now and I run without injuries in shoes that way less than 9 ounces and have no stability control and I am not biomechanically blessed. I run now the way my body wants to run. A whole lot of people out there are discovering this approach as well.

Most people do not want to do the work to overcome years of BAD HABITS learned in the running shoes of today and develop the foot strength and form they need to have to run injury free. The truth is, this is your target market. How can a high heeled running shoe like the ones made today help a person to run right? If a person is running against the way their body wants to move – what do you think will happen? These high heeled shoes prevent proprioception and throw a persons center of gravity off by causing them to want to lean forward in an unnatural way. So, in compensation – people do all sorts of things such as pull their shoulders back, lean their torso’s back (causing anterior pelvic tilt) among other things.

Having something under your feet which masks proprioception and changes your center of gravity – this is supposed to be good for us? Over 20 years of doing it your way lead to nothing but injuries and constant soreness for me and for those who I run with.

These over-built shoes are for people who do not know how or care to train their bodies to run right – to move the way which is best for themselves. These shoes with all of their gadgets is supposed to do a better job than a persons own proprioception? I don’t think so.

No thank you.

@Matt,

Laugh away though the marginalization doesn’t happen on the internet over articles that discuss barefoot running. Why would it? Clearly barefoot or min-shod runners are going to come to defend barefoot running on a letter about … barefoot running.

Beyond anecdotes, here’s some research for you — all of which either paints an ugly picture for shoes or supports barefoot over running shoes:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100104122310.htm

http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Abstract/1987/04000/Running_related_injury_prevention_through_barefoot.14.aspx

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19387413

That said, if you are able to run in shoes injury free, then why stop? I’m sure some hardcore barefooters would still “toe” the line that barefoot is better, but if the shoe fits, I say keep on wearing it.

Do you realize that in the same breath that you decry anecdotes you cite anecdotes to support running shoes? You demand proof beyond anecdotes and fail to cite any proof that running shoes are better.

As for the time to rebuild your feet — sure it takes time. It takes time to run faster and farther, too. Why wouldn’t it take time tot undue the effects of being shod all your life? As for simplicity, it’s hard to get simpler than going barefoot and letting your feet tell your body how to adjust biomechanics. Then, just keep at it and be patient.

@Brian,

“Shoe companies would NOT spend millions to make us run the wrong way.”

I can’t tell if this is written tongue in cheek, but I’m going to assume you’re being serious. Companies spend millions of dollars all the time to market their products. Sure shoe companies don’t want injured runners, but they do want to sell shoes. With that as their fundamental premise, you have to assume they’re going to spend lots and lots of money to market and sell ever fancier shoes.

“Track stars have been wearing racing flats for decades.”

Sure – compare racing flats to most of the running shoes out there. Note how different they are. What does this tell you?

“Just a fad that is injuring most people and helping very few.”

This would make sense except for a few problems. When was the last time you saw a paid-for advertisement by Vibram? VFFs practically sell themselves — they don’t have to pay people to market them. I mean seriously, my own site — a fan site for VFFs — is a testament to this as Vibram hasn’t paid me a dime! Meanwhile, you should surf the pages and pages of user stories — or hop over to the forums. The success stories probably outnumber the injury stories 50:1. If people were getting injured all over the place in VFFs, don’t you think you’d hear about it? Don’t you think existing VFF-wearers would be telling others how VFFs are dangerous? It’s not happening. Why?

Yeah, that fad that’s been around for thousands of years, enabling the human race to hunt, survive, migrate to new food sources, and transport themselves across entire continents… It’ll go away in another 10,000 years or so, for sure.

We were designed from the ground up to use barefoot running as our first and foremost mode of transportation and survival, and have been doing so for thousands of years. Now people think the burden of proof lies on natural movement? I think not. The human foot is one of the best designed pieces of bio-mechanical engineering in all of creation. Now, a little propaganda from shoe salesmen, and runners paid and contracted by shoe salesmen, telling us to box it up in a container made of cheap rubber from China makes doing that a good idea? Right…

I’ve run extensively both barefoot and shod. I can tell you firsthand that the day I started barefoot running was the day I learned to enjoy moving swiftly and naturally over the ground, without injury, pain, or muscle soreness. It has been life-changingly liberating, and I don’t plan to go back to foot coffins any time soon. Feel free to buy into this shoe maker-authored fluff, I sure as heck don’t.

To Brooks’ credit, they’ve established better customer-company dialog that any of their competitors, and the fact that this blog even exists, and that they allow comments from both sides of the fence, goes well in their favor. I just wish they’d open their eyes and admit they’ve been wrong all this time. A Vibram FiveFinger Moc or Bikila type shoe from Brooks would be a nice step in the right direction… Take the hint, guys.

@Justin

a few points

the first study you link to only shows increase of torque. It says nothing about injuries. The 2nd is a study of 17 runners- recreational runners at that. Not nearly adequate. I’m not sure the 3rd is relevant- I don’t make the claim that shoes prevent injuries.

“Do you realize that in the same breath that you decry anecdotes you cite anecdotes to support running shoes?” – Yes that was EXACTLY my point. Anecdotal evidence can be found both ways. In fact, I rejected the idea that my being free from injury “proved” anything about running shoes. Try reading the post instead of assuming.

Again, running with shoes is marginally more complicated than running barefoot. I think you overstate the simplicity. Running is not that complicated to begin with. Exaggeration is not required to make a point.

In the end, if running barefoot makes you feel better than I am all for it. Just don’t act as if it is the only way to achieve joy or success as a runner. It’s not.

* curiously there are some studies which show that the sensory feedback is diminished at higher speeds. I stumbled across them and will post when I find them

I hesitate to get back into the fray of this discussion as some aspects of it are bordering on incivility. However, there is one point I would like to add. I am a trail/ultra runner and there is a saying that one hears often in the ultra community which is that “each of us is an experiment of one.” Basically, this means that, while there may be some general rules, the variety among individuals is such that everyone needs to experiment and figure out the exact formula that works for them. This is especially true in very long races run on trails where the number of variables increases significantly.

It it no surprise, that ultrarunners were among the first to embrace and promote the current barefoot run trend. I would probably loose count if I tried to recall everyone I know who has at least tried running barefoot or in VFFs or other minimalist shoes. Many of them have had great success and have gone on to complete 50 and even 100 milers doing so. Others have integrated it into their training in one way or another. I know of a couple who have ended in injury (one stress fracture, another strained ligament). Most still wear shoes for the vast majority of their running. Personally, I running more than 6-7 miles in VFFs results in overly tight calves for me and I’m not really interested in reducing my training any more than my busy life already does (though I am hopeful about the Green Silence).

My point in all this, is that I think the verdict is very much still out. If running shoes were the great evils that some people portray them to be then we wouldn’t have had the running boom of the 70s or the second running boom of the last decade when marathon finishers numbered in the 100,000s per year in the US. On the other hand it’s also laughably obvious that running barefoot is more natural. However, most of us spend the vast majority of our lives in very unnatural activities (i.e. sitting at a desk for 8-10 hours a day). Basically, I think that the barefoot runners are bringing an important dialog and I have no doubt that we will see more minimalist footwear as a result. I don’t think that Brooks or any of the other shoe company is “worried” at this point since the number of people running barefoot is still a minuscule fraction of the running community.

My message to that small minority is this: even if you completely disagree with what they said, take it as a good sign–a very good sign–that a major footwear company thought this issue was important enough for their CEO to address it.

“biomechanically blessed” and “biomechanical efficiency” are buzzwords you only see used by people in the shoe industry as subliminal way of telling people that not everyone’s feet are not ‘good enough’. That you have to be nothing other than ‘super human’ to do this amazingly inconcievable thing such as running barefoot.

Mechanical efficiency is simply a phrase that means to do a job wth as little energy as possible. To increase efficiency in mechanical systems you reduce friction and utilize so-called “free energy”. The use of counterweights, pullies, lubricants and abstract concepts such as torque ratios all lead to increased mechanical efficiency.

Mechanical efficiency in humans is demonstrated by a middle-aged average run-of-the-mill marathoner being able to outrun a horse. Humans are the only species on the face of this earth that can drive a living breathing animal to the point of exhaustion so far gone that death is inevitable with just the effort of an ‘easy sunday jog’.

You mean to tell me that in only a matter of a handful of generation that the westernized society has REGRESSED in biomechanical “blessed-ness” on the order of millions of years?

@Matt,

Torque adds stress to a system — yes, you have to make the mental leap from added torque to added stress on the system to injury, but I don’t think it’s a much of a stretch. The more you bend stuff, the more it tends to break.

Again, running with shoes is marginally more complicated than running barefoot. I think you overstate the simplicity. Running is not that complicated to begin with. Exaggeration is not required to make a point.

Have you gone on a barefoot run? Running barefoot will necessarily change the way you run — not only because you’re going to be exceedingly careful not to stomp down the street, not only because heel-striking is not an option, but also because your foot has a much tighter clearance gliding over the ground as compared to when wearing thick-soled shoes.

This is where things get complicated, which is to say that it’s hardly an exaggeration to claim that running barefoot is simpler than running shod (in your typical running shoes). All the variables that get added to the equation when you add shoes drastically complicate how any *unique* individual will run.

It’s not surprising, then, to see the huge variation in running styles in shod runners as compared to barefoot runners.

In the end, if running barefoot makes you feel better than I am all for it. Just don’t act as if it is the only way to achieve joy or success as a runner. It’s not.

I agree completely and haven’t acted that way at all. Though tone is difficult to glean from internet comments, my goal has been to present the other side — somewhat colorfully at times, but not in an angry way. Recall in my last comment my shameless use of the pun “if the shoe fits …”

In the end, it’s not like anyone is calling for the end of shoes. But I’d echo the comments of many others here, which are that it’d be much more refreshing to hear Brooks say, “We believe in our shoes, but we also realize there is a great diversity of runners* — some of whom may benefit from more minimalist designed footwear — so we’re going to produce a line starting in 201X for that very purpose!”

What do they have to lose? I’d love to see that happen — it’d be a step towards better covering the wide diversity of unique runners!

Learning to run barefoot last year was the best thing I’ve ever done. It took me six months before it all clicked and it was worth it. It forced me to change my stride to one that is light and comfortable. It strengthened my feet and lower legs. Although I haven’t heard claims it makes you faster my mile pace has improved by 30 seconds, from 8:10 to 7:40 for five miles.

I can now run comfortably with shoes on and I do when conditions call for it. But I prefer not wearing them.

The main difference for me, though, is that running is now fun. I’m not killing myself with the constant heel strike and my quads aren’t sore from stepping out. I run more efficiently and comfortably.

And I’m having a blast.

After switching from my Brooks Defyance to VFFs four months ago, my feet, ankles and calves are stronger than I ever could have imagined.

Thank you for entering this “conversation”. Brooks seems to be more earnest than many other manufacturers when it comes to genuinely helping runners.

I have to echo comment 51 though – if you know that foot strength is a factor, why not tell people to do some exercises?
Also, what’s going to happen to someone wearing motion control shoes if their muscles and alignment improve over the period that they’re wearing them? Won’t the shoes then become an impediment at best, injurious at worst?

@DB

“Shoes significantly reduce your changes of infection from these organisms”

True statement.
Where we might not see eye to eye however is how likely we are to react to unlikely events.

I personally am not one bit concerned about catching a bug being barefoot, being struck by lightning or killed by a terrorist.
Yes, these examples sound ridiculous, but I imagine they statistically are more or less equally realistic.
I personally will not be governed by fear of a rarity.

Thanks, everyone, for your spirited responses to our perspective on barefoot running. We hope it’s been helpful and thought-provoking, and we value all of your feedback. Be on the lookout for commentary from our Footwear team members, who are eager to respond to some of your questions. Keep the comments coming, and Run Happy!

Finishing my comment…

If you sell shoes, you have to be in the business of promoting shoes, which is fine. But I would argue that barefoot is part of the spectrum just like every podiatrist I have visited has argued that I need orthotics. I run barefoot, minimalist, and in running shoes. Each has their benefits and I think that is where runners are missing out. There is so much propoganda on both sides of the fence that messages which could benefit a runner are lost in the dialog.

Jim

I think you should do your own personal study and run barefoot for the next 6 months and comment back to this forum on your thoughts.

Reply to #61

I totally agree with your comment about wearing (or not wearing) what you want. We’re all an experiment of one and we should do what works.

But I also feel that the barefoot runners have every right to come and defend their barefoot running. I can guarantee you that every barefoot runner that is posting here has run in shoes before. They speak from experience and know what shod running has done to them and what it could potentially do to other runners. What isn’t fair is when someone that hasn’t run barefoot comes out and denounces it with nothing to back it up.

The reason I mind so much is that I’d love for a major shoe company to come out with a minimal shoe so we have other options besides Vibrams and Feelmax. That will ONLY happen if we speak up and evangelize our barefoot running as you say. The squeaky wheel gets the grease…or the dirty foot gets the protection.

Well folks. Debate over. Throw out the experts. From the number one scientific journal in the world, Nature: Running barefoot is better. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v463/n7280/covers/

Shoes resembling the Brooks Beast are the reason I have never purchased shoes from Brooks. I am not bio-mechanically blessed but, with experience I have figured out I get fewer or no injuries if I avoid shoes offering things like; cushioning and “pronation control”.

So after reading your letter, I can sum up this debate up by asking you to cut the crap, and put a little more flat in your flats!

Sincerely,
A “-long haul” runner

Re: Everyone saying Brooks is -just- trying to make money

What do you think Vibram is trying to do? Their shoes were initially made as watersocks. When Born to Run came out they used it to capitalize on barefoot running. How many people at Vibram do you think run actively? It is all but required to be a runner to work at Brooks. I work in a running store, and anytime I talk to a company’s representative they do nothing but stress the importance of finding the right shoe to stay healthy. And that’s the most important thing in the business: keeping your customers healthy. If they’re healthy they come back to buy again; it’s far more important than getting new customers.

What bothers me most is how inaccurate the book that started this all (Born to Run) truly is. He mentions nothing about the bad problems of the Taramahura. He makes up bullshit like “Alan Webb once wore a size 12 stability shoe and is now a size 9.5 neutral shoe.” Even the best runners shouldn’t run barefoot more than 5-6 miles a week, especially in suburban America.

I’ll believe training only barefoot has much more merit when a professional does it and does well with it. And I don’t care about elites in other countries where they aren’t forced to train on pavement all the time. Especially don’t argue that professionals only wear shoes because of sponsorships, cause they don’t make that much money and I’m fairly certain they care more about winning than anything.

Hi all,

Brooks Director of Footwear Merchandising Andre Kriwet responds to the discussion in a separate blog post here:

http://talk.brooksrunning.com/2010/02/03/andre-kriwet-director-of-brooks-footwear-merchandising-responds/

For the past 10 years, brooks beast has been the only running shoe that works for me. I’m very flat footed. For the past 6 months, I have run barefoot or in five fingers and it works better. My feet are stronger. I am not a “natural gazelle” but just a normal guy. CEO, if you want my business sell me something that is light and cheap and keeps thorns out of my feet. Dont sell me a “performance running shoe”

I must say it is really gratifying to find out (from experts!) that I am a rare genetic anomaly gifted with “perfect biomechanics.” Fact is I’ve always hated to run, with knee pain and numb feet after short distances in running shoes of all sorts. Lets just say I’ve never enjoyed the sport.

Since picking up a pair of Feelmax Niesas last summer, I find myself running for fun and transportation, in all weather. I’m no athlete, but if I can pound out 7 miles on pavement or trails with a minimalist shoe (after a few weeks running much shorter distances), well then it could only be my unique and exceptional genetics Wish the running shoe store clerks could have spotted my talents earlier.

Mr. Weber, I can almost see the grin on your face as you wrote your last post. It is obvious you have something in the works and I’m sure we are all very interested to see what it is. At least one potential customer who would never have taken a second look at a Brooks shoe is curious. (and please, can we have something without the high heels?)

I ran my first marathon in Brooks, Maui 2007. Post-race, the dreaded PF showed up, then achilles problems, then knee problems. My mileage dropped way down. I managed to slowly work up to another marathon in June ’09. But again, pains and injuries were slowing me down. I was ready to stop.

Then I switched to minimal shoes in August ’09, slowly. By November I was 100% minimal/barefoot. I haven’t run in any normal shoe since.

I PR’d a 10k in late November. On 1 week’s notice, ran my 3rd marathon in early December for a new PR. The recovery time from this race blew away the previous 2, and I was back on the road within 48 hours. I ran my 4th marathon in January, and plan on doing 1/month for… I dunno. As long as I can.

Minimalist running transformed me from broken down runner on my way out of the sport into an aspiring ultra runner– visions of 50′s dancing in my head.

More options in the minimalist arena would be a Good Thing(tm). Why are shoe co’s so slow and/or reluctant to see this?

Where do I get my barefoot name assignment!?

The most sensible comment made so far is #61; advice that we should follow in discussing a variety of subjects. You do what you want, I’ll do what I want, and if we don’t do things the same way, it’s ok. However, I have been entertained by some of the things written. My favorite bit of nonsense so far is “I’ll believe training only barefoot has much more merit when a professional does it”. What percentage of the running population is “professional” or “world class”? 1 or 2 or even 5%? So why would you base your choice of footwear on what a “professional” wears? The same person goes on to say “Especially don’t argue that professionals only wear shoes because of sponsorships, cause they don’t make that much money”. That is a poor argument for exactly that reason; they don’t make much money. Many of these “professional” runners barely scrape together enough income to be able to continue to train full time, and would gladly take any sort of sponsorship they can get.
I personally find running shoes way too expensive and horribly uncomfortable.I am able to run 5 days a week with no ill effects with a combination of bare feet and cheap sandals, even though I am flat-footed and weigh 200+ lbs.

I think you all need some NEW and more intellectual “experts” when you have one saying stuff like this:

“I don’t think it benefits any type of runner to run barefoot on hard surfaces. There are so many negatives, like glass, rocks, uneven surfaces, and weather conditions.”

You’ve got to be kidding me, are we too stupid to avoid glass and rocks? Are we to uncoordinated to run on uneven surfaces without shoes? How do shoes even help uneven surfaces? And what the hell does weather conditions have to do with running? Does running in shoes keep you dry when it rains? Again, how long have shoes been around and how long have people been running?

GIVE ME A BREAK. DON’T EXCUSE YOUR HARMFUL PRODUCTS.

You say in your “perspective on barefoot running”

“Currently, there is no conclusive evidence demonstrating barefoot/minimalist running reduces injury or that running in running shoes causes injury in every runner.”

So running in shoes might not cause an injury? Not a massive vote of confidence is it?

Would really like to see some evidence of expensive running shoes reducing the risk of injury, rather than just a letter from the head of a running shoe manufacturer telling us that we should buy running shoes.

Let’s see here: there are millions of people on this planet, over different continents, and from different races, that go barefoot their entire lives. Men, women, & children. Not just the “biomechanically blessed” but every man, woman, and child go barefoot. They also play soccer barefoot, walk barefoot, etc. etc. Saying that only a small proportion of humans can go barefoot when 99% of people from these populations go barefoot as I type this is like saying the Earth is flat when we have satellites orbiting the globe.

Like the South Park song goes: dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb. You could design shoes that have no elevated heal and allows the foot to work naturally, or you could deny common sense and lose me, and many others, as customers. Just plain stupid

I have one question for Brooks: no one has been able to give me a logical or convincing reason for why running shoes have an elevated heel. After learning to run barefoot, I still like shoes, but the elevated heel makes it very hard to transfer my barefoot running form over to shoes. Why oh why can’t you make a shoe that is same height throughout, and what is your reasoning for making shoes with elevated heels??

Thanks for joining the discussion, Jim. I don’t buy your running-community “snapshot” at all, however. The “biomechanically blessed” don’t need shoes, and the rest do? Really? Your assertion for “the vast majority of us” that “cushioned footwear…plays an essential role in delivering a comfortable, injury-free running experience” is highly questionable, given the findings quoted in “Born to Run” for instance. Just because you put such an unsupported belief in bold type doesn’t make it more true. I wonder if you’ve read the book. I find it hard to believe you’d say that if you had. Shouting such things in print doesn’t do much for dialogue.

My best friend had just tried on VFFs at a running store, but his toes felt ‘way tight and there are no toe diameter options with the VFFs.

I came to the Brooks site with him, looking for a barefoot shoe, but was sad to find no viable options–and this article instead, shutting off hope for the foreseeable future from Brooks.

I have a new pair of VFF KSOs, have gone whole-hog forefoot-running since 1 Jan of this year and LOVE it! I’ve been running a few hundred miles a year for 10 years, and am rediscovering running. Definitely takes some time to recondition, but SO worth it.

My Dad has run 45,000 miles since he started keeping track. If anyone’s feet should be strong, it should be his…yet his recent chronic knee pain was diagnosed as weak arches. Why didn’t his high-priced running shoes protect him? Where is the “comfortable, injury-free running experience” for him? Granted, his latest pair of shoes are not Brooks, but I don’t think that’s the answer.

It’s a shame and rather odd that more shoe companies aren’t picking up the slack that Vibram is leaving in the market. There are so many possibilities for models that put your toes on the ground, get the chunk of heel rubber out of the way, AND offer options for width and toe diameter. My impression is that Vibram is churning VFFs out so fast that quality is suffering–another opportunity for competitors. I’ve tried multiple pairs, and each one had significant differences between the right and left shoe (that were not due to my feet).

You should at least propose minimalist shoes, or midfoot strike shoes.

I find it amazing how inflamed this discussion has become. Everyone relax! We’re all runners here! I’m reminded of the fights I got into with people when I first went vegetarian. Vegetarians are naturally defensive of their decisions and those who eat meat are naturally defensive of those who say it is not the right way to go, so it takes very little prodding on either side to get into a full blown argument. Clearly the same thing is happening here.

I’ll defer to barefoot Ted (yes famous due to McDougall’s book) who says that he is not dogmatically barefoot and also admits that if somebody’s shod style is working for them then there is no necessity for them to switch. I began running barefoot as a novice runner because I wanted to run in a more “natural” style. I had not experienced great injury due to shoes, I just wanted to avoid it. That said, when I switched to barefooting my feet hurt because I’d spent my whole life in shoes. Those who say it isn’t the simplest way are right. For most of us it will take some work to get into barefoot running, but that is a GOOD thing. Running is all about work in many ways. Its about setting goals a meeting them. Many are unwilling to backtrack to lower mileage and slower paces in order to learn to run barefoot. If there is anything I learned from being a vegetarian (and I truly do think that barefooting is a sort of running analogue) its that other people DO NOT WANT TO BE TOLD THEY ARE INFERIOR OR WRONG.

So to those out there trying to show the shod world how much gratification you have gotten out of your unshod practices, please be nicer about it! And to those of you in your shoes: if its working stick with it, if you are hurting, there is another way!

As for this blog post and the accompanying PDF file, I think it is quite obvious to anybody who reads it that the shoe companies are worried. I understand their desire to make money, but please treat barefooters/minimalists as an emerging market rather than a hindrance to your bottom line. We’ll be interested in minimalist products if you make them, but much less so if you patronize the runner community by telling us that most of our bodies were made defective.

For all of you that cannot read the evidence on both sides and still see that bare foot running is only a fad and that the shoe companies wouldn’t spend billions of dollars to promote products for us to buy, “if they weren’t bad for us” I would ask one thing.

Do you honestly believe your own dribble? Using your line of reasoning I guess I shall take up smoking because the tobacco companies wouldn’t spend all that money promoting a product that is bad for me or maybe start drinking more because it must be good for me since the companies all spend so much promoting it. Hey, how about I get one of those machines that you put the belt around your waist and it vibrates you into perfect shape, yea. It is all clear now.

I am not saying running shoes are going to kill you, or that the running companies all know that minimalist running might better for you, hey, maybe they don’t know. I do know at some studies I have found show that there were lower injury rates among runners before the advent of the the modern day running shoe, which promotes heel first running, than were after.

I disagree with the notion that a runner with a weak foot needs more support from their shoes. That runner needs to gain foot strength which is not achieved by wearing a cast. The foot has 19 muscles that can and will atrophy just like any other.

Those who wish to become better runners and endure less pain and injury need not run barefoot (though I do enjoy it) nor do they need to spend ridiculous amounts of money on a shoe that has never been shown to prevent injury. They need a shoe that allows their foot to be protected from harsh surfaces and dangerous materials but does not interfere with the highly evolved mechanics of their feet.

Some 3% of the population may benefit from orthotics, but that is not the vast majority.

Still transitioning — I participated many sports – baseball, soccer, track & field, tennis, but most of the wear and tear on my body was from basketball.
I played basketball for 27 years and this past December, had severe pain in my left knee that wouldn’t go away. So I had an MRI and was diagnosed with a torn meniscus (no big deal) and an 8mm hole in the weight bearing portion of my knee (pretty big deal). I had surgery over the next few days and the surgeon performed a bone graft, taking bone from the non-weight bearing portion of my knee and placing in the hole. After six miserable weeks on crutches, I was headed to rehab. I was determined to return to basketball, but it was so slow going that I started looking into alternative sports/running methods. After reading about barefoot running, I ran barefoot in my brother’s back yard for a few hundred meters just to get the feel. Then I hit the treadmill wearing my regular running shoes, but running as if I were barefoot (landing on the ball of my foot and not touching my heel to the ground). I did 2 miles in near record pace. Previously, I had done about 3 miles, but it always followed with intense knee pain. Well after my 2 miles of front foot landing, both my calves were screaming at me and continued to do so for about 5-6 days. I knew I was overdoing it just after the first mile. Oh well. So now I’ve been running on the balls of my feet for about 3 months and have competed in a few triathlons. My run is improving – 8:45 pace to 7:22 pace and the calf soreness only lasts 2 days after a really hard 3 mile run. 2 days of soreness is acceptable to me. When I lift hard, I’m sore for at least 2 days, so why would running be any different? As for footwear, I have 3 different shoes. I started with regular running shoes with very built-up heels (Addidas) and a slightly less build up pair (Saucony). They were both fine, but I wasn’t using the built-up heel and they were kind of heavy. So I bought a couple pairs of cross country racing flats. They are really light and really cheap. You can get them on clearance for less than $30. Every athletic footwear company makes them and they come in some really wild colors – that could be why I got the clearance pairs for $30. I couldn’t be happier.

As for the next step – going from a 5k to a 10k. I’m sure the only body part holding me back are my calves and that will just take time. I did spend a better part of my life heel smashing when I ran and I’m not sure if one could actually play any court sport without landing on his or her heels. So I’ll be patient and slowly increase my runs from 2-3 times per week to 3-4. I’m getting faster so I’m not as concerned with the miles yet. Feel free to email me at patrickbateman321@yahoo.com.

I have been a minimalist runner for the last three years. And, after being on crutches about 8 times due mostly to injuries that I received because I could not feel the ground under my feet and respond quickly enough to it. There is so much babble floating around about how the shoe companies would not spend billions of dollars promoting something “that is bad for you”. Of course they would because they are making money on it from people who are to skeptical about barefoot running or too brainwashed into thinking that running with shoes is the only “correct, sane, safe, logical, etc…” way to run.

I have seen the benefits of minimalist and barefoot running in myself and many others. I have yet to see someone change from running in standard running shoes to minimalist or barefoot running and sustain an injury of any kind. The only problem is getting the muscles reminded of what they are supposed to be doing and that is supporting the foot, ankle and body instead of relying on a controlling brace (shoe) to do the work.

I love running the way I do now. I am not going to change. If you don’t like it just shut up about it and leave me in peace.

I’m 41 and have been a runner since age age 7, with Little Athletics in Australia. Back then and through till about age 12 we ran mostly barefoot, or in what is now termed minimalist shoes. Around age 10, I began to get consistent achilles problems from distance running. Looking back at photos, I can see that even then I was a pretty heavy pronator as a child.
Then came wedge heeled shoes and no more achilles problems….
Then came the Nike Terra TC age 15(most unsupportive shoe ever invented, but Seb Coe wore them so I had to have them = severe knee tracking problems. Then orthotics= instant no knee pain. Ran to age 37 pain free. Head-on collision car accident. Left knee posterior cruciate and lateral collateral stretched= mildly universal joint. Running really hurts now. I’m getting some Five-Fingers and giving it a last crack, before I start cycling like all the fat bankers I know.

I already encourage all my patients to mid-foot strike, and have been able to reduce the severity and need of orthotics and shoes for many patients. The only problem I can see with Barefoot is that many proponents assume that nature gives us all the tools we need. Things like leg length differences (mine is 13mm), tibial torsion (twisted shin bones, often only one), tibial varum (bowed legs), hypermobility, short and long metatarsals are pretty common, and mess people up when the workload increases. I’ll admit that our patient exposure is skewed, as generally people are already injured by the time they come in.

I’ve already seen a few stress fractured mets come in from VFF wearers. The argument seems to be “You don’t get injured barefoot, so you must be doing it wrong”. I’ve also noticed that the VFF runners I’ve seen seem to be going really, really slowly. Can many of you guys keep up a 3 to 4 min pace on concrete for 10K’s in them ?

But, I don’t have any options left so I’m off to buy some VFF’s and see what happens. If I rupture my achilles, you’ll be hearing about it.

I’d be most interested to hear from Barefooters with moderate to severe hypermobility- has it worked or not worked for you, particularly asian females, as hypermobility (loose ligaments) are the main reason people walk in our door.

I wasn’t shocked to see a company that makes money selling shoes discredit people who don’t want to wear shoes. Hello, this is capitalism. The cologne companies tell you that you will be sexy in their perfume, and the car companies tell you that you will be cool in their car. As a consumer we are able to see through this. Why not admit that running shoes have never been proven to prevent injury? Or that our bodies evolved to run without shoes, or with minimal sole protection? Duh, this would cut into profits. It’s all about $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ to Brooks.

What you have got from this article? No hesitate to express your idea here about this focus, it is a blog that is worth to collect so many different comments.

Blue Lasers are shaped like blue laser pens, or Blue Laser pointers are designed to be portable and hand held.

“injury free experience”? I would like to see a study that shoes prevent injuries.

I do think they provide comfort when standing a long time, but that may be because I haven’t been barefoot enough.

I was thinking the same thing but about new business generation the other day. When I’m short of ideas, often the best solution is just to get away from the desk, take a walk, take bath.

A relaxed state of mind is much more creative.

There are undoubtedly a lot of benefits to running. I’ve been advised by my doctor to slow down to a brisk walk though due to certain complications. Allows me to appreciate the surroundings a little bit more. Won’t do it without the shoes though. Not in the great outdoors.
Joe
http://www.wildplanettours.com/

Question Reference #110705-000069
Summary: Brooks Launch

Hi,

I’m from Singapore. Kindly advise how can I get the latest colour model of Brooks Launch online? I’d like to get a pair for myself (Colour: Men – Olympic/Silver/Lime Green/Black/White) and my wife (Colour: Womens – Alaska Blue/Silver/Deep Royal/Black/White). I’ve tried Amazon.com but they have run out of stock for the Women US size 8 Launch.

Hope you can help me with this, please. Thanks.

Fond regards
Ken Tan
Singapore

I sell running shoes 24/7. I sell Brooks and other brands. I had nagging back pain until I started paying close attention to my running form and striking the ground gently. I transitioned from road to mostly running on trails.
I stretch well after every run and use a foam roller and the stick to create elasticity in my muscles. I keep myself well hydrated at all times. I don’t do well in racing flats and I don’t run barefoot, I wear light neutral shoes even though I mildly, mildly overpronate.
I cringe at the silly Vibrams and the other minimal footwear. It is just re-marketing the racing flat. If you are a heel striker you will not suddenly become an forefoot runner. I see far too may folks coming down hard on their heels in their barefoot running shoes. I have also sold several pairs of “traditional” running shoes to barefoot runners after their stress fractures healed up. Barefoot running is not a magic cure. Balance when running is; getting the proper shoe for your arch type/biomechanics, stretching, hydrating, running with proper form, paying attention to your body, that is the key. It takes more effort. There are no shortcut folks…it is not just about the shoes!