{"id":2849,"date":"2015-02-01T21:00:55","date_gmt":"2015-02-01T21:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ten.co.uk\/?p=2849"},"modified":"2021-08-05T12:39:19","modified_gmt":"2021-08-05T12:39:19","slug":"barefoot-running-is-not-a-walk-in-the-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ten.co.uk\/barefoot-running-is-not-a-walk-in-the-park","title":{"rendered":"Barefoot running is not a walk in the park"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re interested in running, you will have heard about the latest trend: barefoot running. As a keen runner and Physio<\/a>, I\u2019m often asked my view on this fad.<\/p>\n

The concept of barefoot running came from research based on the model of Kenyan and Native American runners, who did all of their running barefoot and had a significantly lower injury rate than “conventional” runners.<\/p>\n

Some runners have embraced the idea, either going genuinely barefoot or using specially developed shoes \u2013 essentially just a shell that covers your foot to stop cuts and grazes but offers no support.<\/p>\n

Doesn\u2019t that sound fantastic? Shouldn\u2019t we all be doing this? Why aren\u2019t we?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a great idea in theory. But in my view, for Westerners, and particularly Londoners, it\u2019s a terrible one in practice.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s why:<\/h2>\n

1 \u0007London is full of concrete and Tarmac<\/strong>
\nTwo surfaces the Kenyan and Native Americans hardly (if ever) ran on. That\u2019s why conventional running shoes are designed to protect our joints by supporting the natural arch of our feet and cushioning the impact as we run.<\/p>\n

2 \u0007The body is incredibly adaptive<\/strong>
\nYou\u2019ve worn shoes almost all your life, and your feet have changed as a result \u2013 they\u2019ve changed even more significantly if you regularly teeter about in four-inch heels. All of us now stand, walk and run differently because of those changes.<\/p>\n

3 \u0007These adaptations occurred over time<\/strong>
\nThey\u2019re not going to be reversed overnight. Barefoot running doesn\u2019t just require a fundamental change in running technique, it also requires a fundamental change in our feet.<\/p>\n

So if you want to take up barefoot running, here\u2019s my suggestion. Throw away all your shoes, and as of today, go everywhere barefoot. Oh, and avoid concrete and Tarmac.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, accept the changes, invest in some decent running shoes and get out there and enjoy yourself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re interested in running, you will have heard about the latest trend: barefoot running<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":7885,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,117,116],"tags":[58,67],"class_list":["post-2849","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-running","category-sports-performance","tag-injury-prevention","tag-running"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTen - 3 reasons why barefoot running is bad<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Barefoot running is a great idea in theory. But for Westerners, and particularly Londoners, it\u2019s a terrible one in practice. 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