Running barefoot combines the joys of being naked (at least on your lowest extremities) and not paying for expensive footwear (although most of the major shoe companies have introduced poorly identified “five-finger” shoes, some of which cost $150 or more). And then there is this other joy: If you read Christopher McDougall’s engaging Born to Run, you might be persuaded that barefoot running is easier on your joints and muscles.
How much more incentive do you need to kick off those pretty, heavily padded, neon-green Asics and let the dewy grass run through your toes?
McDougall’s book (published last March) covers a lot of ground, and appropriately so: it’s a brief history of selected ultramarathon races in the United States, a profile of Mexico’s Tarahumara Indians, and an account of a 50-mile pick-up race between the Indians and some of America’s top ultramarathoners in the overheated depths of the Copper Canyon.
It’s also a passionate call for often-injured runners to take off their shoes and liberate their feet. He explains why cushioned and supportive running shoes (which are a relatively recent invention) encourage an unnatural and damaging stride.
It’s easy to drink this Kool-Aid, and many people who try barefoot (or barely-shod) running wax enthusiastically about the delight and healthfulness it bestows. There is also research that indicates the potential for injuries to the lower extremities from today’s shoes. But what’s good for some isn’t necessarily good for all, especially older runners.
So the first question: is barefoot running good for anyone over, say, age 50? McDougall would say yes. He repeatedly identifies Tarahumara runners who are past that milestone. And there are other anecdotal reports. The latest is an account of 67-year-old Yelappa Virje, a retired government worker from Goa who ran the recent Mumbai Marathon barefoot—for the ninth year in a row. So clearly, ancient feet can handle the pounding.
The second question is more complicated: can olds who have logged years running in modern shoes make the transition to running barefoot? We can’t find much direction here. Search for “barefoot senior” and you’ll find a study that says old folks who putter around the house in their bare feet have a higher risk of falling. And you’ll be pointed to web sites of high school graduation photos of young men and women who aren’t wearing shoes. (We deeply hope this is just a demonstration of the kinds of poses that are acceptable; otherwise, it is yet another dark corner of the internet.)
We’re keeping our ear to the ground on this one. More as we know it.
Photo of friction blisters due to running barefoot, by Andry French, via Wikimedia Commons.
