Yesterday, as I was doing a short 3 mile run, I saw another athlete running barefoot. I've heard of the theories and alleged advantages to barefoot running but I figured that it would only take a small nail or sharp rock to injure the sole of his feet for weeks (regardless of how tough his callouses have developed).
Anyways, the most commonly alleged advantage to barefoot running is that it strengthens the ankles of the runner because it forces the athlete to change his landing patterns. For those who are not aware, endurance runners tend to land on either the heel or the mid-foot between steps. From what I've noticed, barefoot running forces the runner to land on his mid-foot and have the ankle absorb the impact because landing on the heel without some form of cushioning will send the shock straight up his shins (potentially causing shin splints). By utilizing the ankle for this purpose, the ankle gets stronger over time.
Now consider this: a runner who always lands with his heel (ie. heel runner) decides to train barefoot to strengthen his ankles. By doing so, he will land mid-foot and his ankles will grow ever stronger; however, by running barefoot, he risks injury to the soles of his feet which will send him out of commission for a long period of time. Furthermore, when he shifts back to running with his shoes, the strengthened ankles will never be utilized because his running pattern doesn't require ankles!
Now consider the alternative: a runner who always lands with his mid-foot (ie. mid-foot runner) who considers barefoot running. As a mid-foot runner, he is utilizing both the cushion in his shoes AND the impact absorption of his ankles to reduce injury. As a result his ankles are already developed and running barefoot is an unnecessary risk.
In conclusion: I suggest that those people out there who insist on running barefoot or insist on purchasing "barefoot-inspired" shoes to simply change landing patterns. It may take months of training to shift styles but it beats the alternative of a buying new pair of shoes or missing a race because of injury.
PS. The blog was down so I wasn't able to post yesterday's run so here it is:
Mile Square Regional Park
3.0 miles - 0:25:55 - 8:38 pace
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