The Trap of Technology

The beauty of barefoot and minimalist shoes is simplicity.  Something that barefooters are intimately familiar with, and what only a handful of minimalist shoe manufacturers actually understand.

http://www.skechers.com/info/go-run

Above is a link to the Skechers Go Run, the company's entry into the minimalist shoe horse race.  The video at the top of the page is mostly good information, regarding foot strikes and biomechanics, the necessity of full flexibility of the foot and the need for a shoe to be able to twist as well as flex, and the need to for the industry to get back to natural running.  But what bugs me about this ad is the assumption that runners need protection ("ZOMG RUNNING IS GOING TO HURT!"), and that the "sensors" on the shoe are going to tell your body how to move.

Hint: you get better feedback from the ground by having less material between your foot and the running surface.  Hence, some of the best minimalist shoes out there are the simplest ones: they just have less crap between you and the ground.

The sensor pods on the Go Run are complete and utter bullshit.  I say that because if you listen carefully to the video, there is not one single piece of hard scientific evidence actually justifying their existence on the shoe.  The guy states: "These sensors are obviously completely decoupled, they're allowed to move so that no matter how you land on the shoe... there is is always going to be data transferred through the shoe through these sensors.  It really is one of the key components of these shoes; you can offer more cushioning but still get a dynamic sense of what is going on with the ground..."

...But HOW, exactly?  I strongly feel that those sensors are nothing but a false aesthetic designed to give buyers a sense of technology being on their side, keeping them safe.  There is no hard proof in that testimony of how the sensors actually function.  We as a running culture have become so accustomed to gadgets on shoes to improve our runs and reduce injuries, that I believe runners come to expect some sort of ground-breaking technology included on even the simplest-at-heart shoe.  It's a little silly, because again, the best minimalist shoes are the ones without the bells and whistles. 

The Nike Free has its own issues, but that shoe's success derives from its fresh simplicity.  The design of the sole is just a bunch of deep-cut grooves along with lighter materials to make the shoe not only lighter, but more flexible than the average running shoe on several planes.

At the end of the day I applaud Skechers for their entry into the minimalist market, and providing potential minimalist runners with another option for them.  Not every shoe works for everyone, so hopefully the Go Run will help some people get back to slightly more natural running and enjoying the sport.  I think it's a mostly honest effort on behalf of the design team, but once again (like the Reebok RealFlex), the Go Run is just one more example of an overly-engineered shoe that doesn't need the bogus gadgets to do what is actually intended.  Clearly the shoe designers think way too hard on these things.

Flat.  Light.  Flexible.  Those are the only things that a good minimalist shoe needs to be worried about.  Leave the sensor pods on the design table.

Don't Be That Awkward Runner

This is just too funny not to share!

Winter Wonderland - or not

When I started barefoot running, I didn't exactly know how I was going to handle the winter weather.  Spending last winter down south and away from the constant snow and cold certainly hasn't helped.  But thankfully, runners (both shod and barefoot) in my area have been blessed with a pretty mild winter thus far, and I've managed to squeeze several BF runs in the middle of winter.

Back in January, we had a short deep freeze followed by some 30 degree weather.  I hate running on treadmills and inside on the track (in shoes), so I jumped at the mini-heat wave and left the shoes home.  It was AWESOME to get out there again!  Feet felt great, and unlike the track (in shoes), my run was effortless and I didn't have to focus on keeping my good form.  It was easy, it was natural, it was perfect.  It also emphasized that I really can't have anything between my foot and the ground, because I rely heavily on that feedback to maintain effective form. 

Later in the month it warmed up to a very unseasonable 50-something degrees on its way to 65.  I got to run a couple times that week, and it was so fun being out there in shorts, a t-shirt, and barefoot at the end of January!  Today it was mid-40's with some wind, but even with that, the ground was warm enough and the run felt great.  I found it interesting on my way back in that my hands were freezing (so I put my gloves back on), but my bare feet were happily floating along down there, nice and toasty.  The small wonders of barefoot running are what keep me interested on EVERY run.

People's reactions are always interesting.  I've had a lot of looks as usual, some nods of approval, some cyclists thinking that they're clever for yelling "BAREFOOT!" when they pass, and of course some positive and negative comments from other runners.  I also had a couple of ladies on different occasions stop and ask me about barefoot running and why I do it.  Very pleasant conversations.  That's always nice.

Don't your feet get cold?
Sure they do, but not for long.  The more I run in cold weather, the better tolerance I've had.  Anything below 55 used to be terrible.  Then it was 40's.  Now anything below 30 is rough for me.  Today with the air temp in the 40s (not including windchill), the ground felt cool when I was standing still, but warm as soon as I got moving.  When it's in the 30s, my feet get numb for a couple minutes at the beginning, then warm up and regain all their feeling (which is vital).  So really, the cold part only lasts a couple of minutes at most, then it's business as usual, amazingly enough.

Toe Shoe/"Barefoot Running Shoe" Asshattery

Dear manufacturers:

Just because you put separate toe pockets on a shoe, that does not make it "barefoot" or even "minimalist" or even useful.  (&#(&%ING STOP IT.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Fila Skele-toes (LOL) "Voltage."  A shoe which is trying to be both a Vibram FiveFinger AND a Nike Free at the same time!
http://www.finishline.com/store/product/fila-skele-toes-voltage-mens-running-shoes/_/A-72114?productId=prod685370

Useless and stupid.  The whole point of having separate toe pockets is so the toes can actually move.  Thus enable natural function of the foot.  Put a lot of rubber underneath there and any sort of cushioning at all, and suddenly your toe pockets don't bend well or flex at all.  Thus completely negating having the toes separated.  And at that point, you just look like a jackass.

And don't think that I'm on the Vibram FiveFinger bandwagon, either.  Their recent trend of footwear is not unlike what you see above.  The Bikila, TrekSport, Komodo, etc, are all "performance" shoes, but also are far less flexible and less minimalist that the earlier models like the Sprint.  I bought my Sprints because they're just about as minimalist as you can get - a layer of rubber and a strip of fabric.  I had almost full range of motion with my toes and had a lot of flexibility in my feet.  I had a pair of Bikilas for a short time, and the toes barely moved at all.  The whole shoe was stiffer.  Needless to say the Bikilas went away and I have zero interest in any of Vibram's recent attempts at "barefoot running shoes."

Which leads me on to another rant:

BAREFOOT RUNNING SHOES DO NOT EXIST.  IF YOU WEAR MINIMALIST SHOES AND SAY YOU'RE A BAREFOOT RUNNER...YOU ARE WRONG.

I won't even say sorry here.  If you wear Vibrams, or Merrells, or racing flats, or whatever else kind of minimalist shoe - awesome! :)    I love you, I do!  I know it probably doesn't sound like it in this post, but I truly do.  However, you are NOT running barefoot.  You are wearing shoes.  Ergo you are not barefoot.

I realize this sounds like semantics to some, but to me there is a world of difference between running truly barefoot and running with any sort of foot covering/shoe, even the most minimalist.  Only those who have run barefoot long enough will understand and appreciate the point I'm trying to make here.  Everyone else will probably just get pissed off.

It angers me because the people that go out and buy Vibrams or other minimalist shoes to join the movement and call themselves "barefoot runners" are hurting the actual barefoot running community.  Because when those so-called "barefoot" (but actually very much shod) runners get injured from doing too much, too soon, and not properly training and educating themselves, then they often blame "barefoot running," which gets construed that all barefoot running is bad.  When in all reality, most REAL barefoot runners know that truly barefoot is the safer way to go in most instances, and especially when first starting out.

That, and I REALLY HATE when I explain to someone that I run barefoot, and they ask me how much I like my Vibrams/Merrells/whatever shoe.

*headdesk*

"Natural running" best describes both minimalist and barefoot running, in my opinion.  But for Pete's sake, if you run in minimalist shoes, please don't say you're a barefoot runner.  There's no dishonor in saying you run naturally or run minimalist.  But saying you're a barefoot runner when you're clearly wearing shoes is NOT a turf battle or glory struggle between barefoot and minimalist runners.  This is simple English.  It just honestly looks stupid because you are clearly wearing something on your feet. 

That is all.

Treadmills

My last couple of runs have been inside due to heat and humidty.  I don't normally run on treadmills - I avoid them at all costs, actually - but in this case it's been handy.  Convenient air conditioning = awesome!  Consistent and very comfortable running surface = spectacular!  Monotony of a 40+ minute run, looking at the exact same thing the whole time = shoooooooooooooot meeeeeeee.

I seriously have running ADD.  I get bored so easily.  That's why I love running barefoot outside.  You have to pay attention.  Plus, every step is like a little anatomy lesson.  It's fascinating.  Also, I like actually going somewhere.  It's a feeling of accomplishment.  It's very difficult to get that on a treadmill.  Now I know why people call them dreadmills.  Holy cow.

The fun part, though, is having people in the little gym with me and not saying a word.  It's pretty amusing wondering what they're thinking about the crazy girl on the treadmill with no shoes.  Here's a video:

Barefoot Running:  The Sanitation Debate

This hasn't affected me yet, but I keep waiting for someone to say "Hey!  You can't run barefoot on the treadmills!"  And when asked why, they'd reply with something to do with it being unsanitary.  I'm sure it'll probably happen before my stay here is over.  And it's something I completely DO NOT understand.

I've heard stories about barefoot runners being disallowed from treadmill and indoor track running because it was "unhygienic."  It makes NO sense, folks.  I wash my feet between one and three times a day, depending when I run and how dirty they are.  When was the last time you washed your running shoes?  I can 100% guarantee that a barefoot runner's feet are infinitely cleaner than the bottoms of people's running shoes, and will be washed regularly, especially after exposure to a running surface.  The hygiene argument against barefoot running is completely idiotic. 

Interested in Barefoot/Minimalist running? Watch this. :)

GREAT informative video by Michael Sandler of RunBARE.com.  Worth watching, and full of important tips for the new barefoot and minimalist runners!!  :)

The Disbelievers

It's always amusing and frustrating to speak with shod runners who know nothing about barefoot running.  Some of you guys and girls are genuinely interested, while others are perfectly incapable of hiding your disgust.

Work on that, seriously.  It's obnoxious.

I was having dinner with some other folks awhile ago, and we got on the topic of how I got into barefoot running (we're all runners to some extent).  I went through my story, and everyone seemed to be listening.  But even then, I could tell that there is an inherent disgust for what I do.  And it kills a little part of me.  How do I know?  Because barefoot running used to disgust me too.  People just cannot hide their feelings for the idea of running around with no shoes.  It's a look of disgust, disbelief, and maybe even a little bit of "Ok, you're nuts, I'm not going to listen to you anymore."

It's disappointing.  It's fine if you don't like barefoot running, but honestly, don't knock it until you've tried it.  I'm glad I did, because it changed my running career.  I just don't understand why people feel the need to be so judgmental about what we do and do not wear on our feet.  I was guilty of this, but I changed my tune after I stepped out and had the guts to give it a shot.

The typical questions came up too, such as the old "What about stepping on glass!?"  ...What about glass?  Seriously!  Shod runners:  do you want to know the true secret about running barefoot and avoiding the danger of glass?  It's wisdom painstakingly passed on from barefoot runner to barefoot runner, and is reserved for only those who prove themselves truly worthy of this knowledge.  Here we go:

JUST DON'T STEP ON CRAP YOU DON'T WANT TO STEP ON.  Period.  This is not difficult.  Amazing, I know.

Nevermind the fact that I've seen glass only THREE times now in my year of barefoot running.  Three.  Does that sound like the imminent danger that every single shod runner seems so deathly concerned about?  No.  And even then, you use the highly engineered visual acquisition and guidance system you were born with (your eyes) to see it and step around it.  Glass is the first thing non-barefoot runners always bring up, and it's such a non-issue that I have to outright laugh at them sometimes.

It really seems that some shod runners must be totally out of touch with their surroundings when they run.  Is that the case?  Do you guys totally tune out when you go out for a jog?  Because it's seriously like magic for me to mention to some people that you can simply step around an object.  That you don't have to run through something uncomfortable like pebbles, glass, etc.  Wow.  It's amazing to me how out of touch some people seem.  They must get out there and roll through whatever with the nearly inch of rubber/foam/gel between their feet and the ground.  That's cool.  Enjoy your run.

Then there was the mention of stepping on hypodermic needles.  It's always been a joke for barefoot runners to mention, but someone actually seriously asked me about stepping on needles....all I have to ask is: WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU PEOPLE RUNNING!?  No, I don't make a habit of running in the slums, though apparently some runners do.


What else...I guess that's it.  I had a nice morning run along the beach.  The concrete sidewalk was perfect, and the scenery was new and interesting.  The sand's sort of a jerk when there's a lot of it to run through on the sidewalk, but for the most part the run was great.  The only issue was trying to breathe and relax in high humidity.  YUCK.  Guess I'll get used to it.