Running barefoot is associated with a substantially lower prevalence of acute injuries of the ankle and chronic injuries of the lower leg in developing countries. With this assumption, I would be improving faster in the long run due to minimal or no injuries. Barefoot runners have also been known to run well all the way throughout old age.
It encourages the proper running form by forcing a midfoot landing as opposed to a heel strike and is the way mankind has been running for thousands of years before shoes came about. The running shoe has gotten so strong that it basically prevents any real motion from occurring in your foot, thus using only the calf muscles. As such, the muscles in the feet suffers atrophy over time.
A well trained barefoot long distance runner is in no way disadvantaged in a race against a shod runner. On the lighter side, I am a cheapo and have 1001 excuses not to buy $200 shoes. I am also multi-tasking by having a foot massage while running.
I love the cheap part. At some point I should calculate all the money I'm going to save over the next 57 years while I continue to NOT buy shoes.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's alot of money over the years. Enough to pay for an apartment in full in certain countries for regular runners.
ReplyDelete57yrs? haha....plan to live till 80 huh?
The foot massage is probably the nicest part, and the part shod runners find impossible to believe...
ReplyDeleteHappy running,
Josh