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Ask the Author
Q&A for The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Barefoot Running by Craig Richards
- When did “minimal” running shoes come to market, and why?
- Minimalist distance running shoes were the norm until the 1970s when they began becoming progressively more cushioned and built up. The first true minimalist running shoe to be released since this time was the Vibram Five Fingers in 2007. Older models like the Dunlop Volley never left the market but weren’t sold as distance running shoes.
- What are the benefits of barefoot running?
- For many runners, running barefoot is simply more enjoyable. There are also potential performance benefits and for many runners, myself included, learning to run barefoot has allowed them to escape chronic injury woes.
- Is there new or better scientific data that supports barefoot running vs. the traditional running shoe?
- We already know that wearing shoes deforms our feet, thus altering their function. There are now also laboratory studies suggesting that running barefoot reduces impact forces and improves running efficiency.
- Are there some “don’ts” when considering barefoot running?
- The biggest “don’t” is to rush your transition. It takes your body at least 6 months to re-adapt to running in bare feet after a lifetime running in cushioned running shoes. And don’t forget, you need to learn to walk barefoot before you can learn to run!
- Where do you see this industry going in the next five years?
- I think barefoot and minimalist shoe running will become the norm over the next 5 years. The challenge for the shoe industry will become to convince runners why they should wear shoes at all and to justify why they should pay high prices for shoes which do little more than protect the sole of the foot from cuts and bruises.
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