Based upon research published over the past several years, I’ve come to believe the following about the effects of footwear (or lack thereof) on running form: 1. Barefoot running is different and no shoe perfectly replicates the barefoot condition. Running barefoot, particularly on a hard surface, increases the likelihood that a runner will adapt a […]
Foot Strike Patterns in Barefoot and Minimalist Runners
April 30, 2014 By 4 Comments
Back in 2011 I attended the New York City Barefoot Run. I was in town for a meeting organized by Merrell Footwear (they invited a bunch of folks – scientists, writers, journalists, runners – to talk shoe trends), and the Barefoot Run was included on the list of events for the weekend. Rather than participate […]
Natural Running: What The Heck Does it Mean?
June 13, 2013 By 83 Comments
The phrase “natural running” gets thrown around a lot these days. For example, there’s the Natural Running Center, there are natural running stores, Newton’s Danny Abshire wrote a book called “Natural Running,” and Saucony uses Natural Running as a category for shoes on the more minimal end of its range. But, what exactly does the […]
Barefoot Heel Strikers Rejoice, New Kenyan Barefoot Study Indicates that You Are Not Alone!
January 24, 2013 By 11 Comments
A new study on barefoot running Kenyans has made its rounds through the media over the past few weeks. I first read about it in an article on the Scientific American website. Amby Burfoot then wrote about it over on Runner’s World, and also interviewed the author of the study. Yesterday, Gretchen Reynolds of the […]
Barefoot Running Mechanics are Different than Running in Nike Free, Nike Lunaracer 2, Standard Shoes
January 13, 2013 By 17 Comments
Several interesting studies have come out over the past few weeks that have in one way or another focused on the running foot strike. The first that I’m going to cover is by Jason Bonacci and colleagues and addresses how running mechanics differ between barefoot running and running in a “minimalist” shoe (Nike Free 3.0), […]
Study: Running Economy Improves After a 4 Week Simulated Barefoot Running Program
December 26, 2012 By 12 Comments
English: Vibram FiveFingers Bikila shoes, top view. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) The question of how footwear (or lack thereof) affects running economy has received a great deal of attention over the past year or so. Several studies have come out that have compared oxygen consumption in runners in both shod and unshod states, and most recently […]
The Future of Minimalist Running Shoes and the Value of Variety
December 17, 2012 By 45 Comments
This morning I opened my email to find an alert that the newest edition of SGB Weekly magazine had come out and that it would be featuring a few articles by Thomas Ryan on trends in the running market as gleaned from interviews and discussions at The Running Event. The Running Event is the major […]
Barefoot Shoes: More Than Just an Oxymoron
October 22, 2012 By 21 Comments
Awhile ago I read a great post by Jason Robillard on the relative merits of using the phrase “barefoot shoes” to describe minimalist footwear. Here’s how he opened it up: “I’ve been trying to fight this trend for years now, but the masses have spoken. In a battle that would rival BetaMax v. VHS, the […]
Minimalist Running Results in Fewer Injuries?: Survey Suggests that Traditionally Shod Runners are 3.41 Times More Likely to Get Hurt
October 10, 2012 By 18 Comments
Last week a flurry of articles appeared linking to the abstract of a new survey based study that suggested that traditionally shod runners are 3.41 times more likely to suffer a running-related injury than minimally shod runners. I opted to hold off on posting anything about the study until I had a chance to read […]
Why I Didn’t Include Vibram Fivefingers in My Updated Minimalist Shoe Guide
June 1, 2012 By 63 Comments
I recently updated my minimalist running shoe guide, and rather than trying to list every minimalist shoe out there right now, I opted instead to recommend what I feel are some good options in several different categories. Right after the post went up, several people on Twitter asked me why I had not included any […]
Barefoot Running Carries Risks and Rewards: Should You Stick to Shoes?
May 24, 2012 By 10 Comments
Ultramarathoner Gordy Manuel stands at the starting line of the Wounded Knee 100-Mile Trail Ultra. Above the ankles he looks like any of the others who are milling around, waiting for the race to start, but a look further down reveals a striking difference: Manuel is barefoot. “I’ve run several hundred milers,” says Manuel, “but […]
Barefoot Running Pros and Cons: Some Thoughts from and Interview on examiner.com
May 22, 2012 By 2 Comments
I was recently interviewed about my book, Tread Lightly, by Samantha Chang of examiner.com. One of the topics that she asked about was barefoot running – specifically, she wanted me to discuss some of the pros and cons of running barefoot. I’m admittedly not much of a barefoot runner (pretty tough to do for about […]
