Naked Running!

Now that I have your attention (admit it: you want to know more about this naked running), I would like to draw your attention to the "barefoot running" debate.

Before we proceed to the discussion of "barefoot running" and "nakedness of the foot", however, it may be prudent to warn you that we will be discussing bare-naked feet below. If you are like Sam the Eagle, you may want to take a moment to compose yourself.



We're closing in on spring and spring means the introduction of new shoes, shoe reviews, and (if you are me) a deep-seated desire to buy one pair of the new Asics, Brooks, New Balance, Saucony, Nike, and Mizuno moderate stability models. How to choose my new kicks? According to some experts, maybe I shouldn't wear kicks at all.

Runners World recently profiled the two sides of the "barefoot running" debate. Some experts argue that our ancestors did not wear shoes and neither should we. Our feet are well-suited to running. What causes injuries is all the help we receive from well-meaning shoes. If we could just run au naturel, our highly evolved feet would protect us from injury and carry us where we need to go.


Feet: the original "green" vehicles.
















Others argue that feet running in today's urban environments generally need to be shod. Running on pavement that could be littered with broken glass and other sharp items, cigarette butts (some of which still smoldering), and the general garbage that builds up on our streets, not to mention running on all that hard concrete, is dangerous. Plus, as at least one expert, Kirby, points out, there is not a single study that supports the argument that running shoes do nothing to prevent injuries. Kirby comments that, "it's ridiculous to claim that running shoes are the cause of injuries." Instead, a more likely culprit is the act of running itself. Running on hard surfaces, hitting the ground with a force of two or three times your body weight, again and again will take a toll on your body.

Still, as Saxton points out, the shoe companies may be over-selling the ability of running shoes to protect our bodies from injuries: "Shoes might not be causing the injuries, but they're not preventing them the way the companies represent themselves through their marketing."

Some shoe companies have attempted to cash in on the barefoot running trend by creating minimalist shoes: shoes that have very little support, a flexible sole, asymmetrical lacing, and that therefore simulate as much as possible running barefoot. The curious thing (at least from my Dutch perspective) is that you still pay a lot of money for these "minimalist" shoes. You pay for a shoe that does nothing for you. Hey, if you are interested in that style of shoe and are willing to pay $100 for them, I have two paper bags for you to put over your feet. My paper bags ("natural feet running covers") will give you all the benefits of barefoot running, but with an attractive brown paper bag cover for your feet so that you will not actually have to touch the pavement.

As for me, I will stick with my Brooks, Asics, and New Balance moderate stability shoes. My feet are happiest when bundled into socks and tucked into shoes that keep out the snow, glass, and cigarette butts. Besides, when I wear my "Killer Kitty" socks, I feel Bad-Ass, ready to tackle anything!


The infamous "Killer Kitty" socks....they look more fierce in person.