question for you barefoot running experts: is it possible after wearing shoes your entire life to adapt to running barefoot on all surfaces (road as well) without your feets getting all ripped up? i know it can be done (e.g. africa) i'm just wondering if once your soles get soft from wearing shoes it's still possible to toughen them up. i hate spending money on running shoes and supporting slave labor. thanks.
got to start out walking. you can use sandpaper to gradually scuff them up so the skin calluses over.
WHY????????? WHY???????? WHY???????? WOUlD YOU WANT TO DO THAT?
Back in the '80's, I got to a race, went into my bag for my shoes. Not there. I'd arrived wearing flip-flops, so they were out. Ran the thing barefoot. No barefoot training. Was a 5 miler. Slight blistering, really tight calves afterwards. Nothing serious though. $50 will get me to do a 5K barefoot now.
Wayne
Hard surfaces will cause too much trauma and not give your feet and legs a change to strengthen and build up.
Do as much barefoot running as you can on grass. This WILL work your calves, and feet and legs.
Then when you're used to it you can run on hard surfaces too, no problem.
But still do most of your barefoot running on soft surfaces.
I wanna go barefoot, a guy I know does it and has a website, he always runs barefoot with no real problems.
runningbarefoot.org
I started doing my cooldowns (2miles) in barefeet, but it was on a grass track. I never eased into it, just started doing it. Some of the girls I coach do their workouts on the grass track, I just do my cooldowns but perhaps I'll give it a go next spring/summer. I don't think I would do it on the road moreso because of things that may hurt feet, not the surface, like nails or tacks. To answer the question of why, it feels really cool. It's also apparently good for the lower legs and feet. There was a good thread on this sometime back in the spring if you do a search on it.
No scholarship limits anymore! (NCAA Track and Field inequality is going to get way worse, right?)
2024 College Track & Field Open Coaching Positions Discussion
Matt Fox/SweatElite harasses one of his clients after they called him out
I’m a guy. I see a female psychiatrist. I’m developing feelings for her and confused.