Running Barefoot: Home

...and filled with mountains of highly speculative conclusions artfully crafted to avoid all the uncomfortable evidence that contradicts their theories, compiled by people who are funded by a manufacturer who stands to gain a lot for minimalist... more »...and filled with mountains of highly speculative conclusions artfully crafted to avoid all the uncomfortable evidence that contradicts their theories, compiled by people who are funded by a manufacturer who stands to gain a lot for minimalist running. | Maybe the best argument against barefoot running is that humans NEVER lived past 30 while they were barefoot running.  Only in the early upper paleolithic did older humans emerge.  There is not a single human in the fossil record over 30 years of age until then. (Caspari R, Lee SH. Older age becomes common late in human evolution. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004;101(30):10895-10900.) | Maybe barefoot running was the CAUSE of humans dying so young?  Remember that you do not have to be able to run faster than a saber-tooth tiger, you just have to run faster that someone who has a metatarsal stress fracture. | Do not mistake this support of the old cushioned pronation-control running shoes either.  There is no evidence either of these types of shoes is effective.   | You know what they think of us as we spend $2.3 Billion on running shoes each year?  Did you know the word "gullible" is NOT in the dictionary? 11-11-2013 1:13pm

Comment by Michael Orendurff

I think the fact that our lifespans were so short explains much of what ails us in modern life including all of these running injuries.  I also don't think we ran as much as some would like to believe.  We walked a lot though! 11-11-2013 3:15pm

Comment by Tiffany M Reiss, PhD

I personally noticed a huge difference in my whole skeletal comfort when I switched from standard shoes to "barefoot" shoes. However I'm not doing long hauls ever nor do I think humans were evolved to run long distances either. Tons of walking and... more »I personally noticed a huge difference in my whole skeletal comfort when I switched from standard shoes to "barefoot" shoes. However I'm not doing long hauls ever nor do I think humans were evolved to run long distances either. Tons of walking and some sprinting, which consequently is done with a forefoot strike. 01-13-2014 5:05am

Comment by Kiwani Allen

Yes, I think distance will make a difference here.  I also think the evidence is suggesting we do have different strike patterns naturally even with longer distances.  Some are more forefoot, some are mid-foot and some are heel... more »Yes, I think distance will make a difference here.  I also think the evidence is suggesting we do have different strike patterns naturally even with longer distances.  Some are more forefoot, some are mid-foot and some are heel strikers!  Some are naturally built to run long distance, others are not. 01-13-2014 6:06am

Comment by Tiffany M Reiss, PhD

Have you read this?  http://www.chrismcdougall.com/barefoot.html  He's got an engaging story and tips that actually  successfully combated my plantars fasciitis. 01-13-2014 3:15pm

Comment by Darian Hawke

Very nice information Darian.  Thanks for sharing.   I like his final statement, seems to sum up the debate quite succinctly! 01-13-2014 4:16pm

Comment by Tiffany M Reiss, PhD