Barefoot running - Any advice?

I've seen no conclusive evidence either way when it comes to real science.

In general:

You can't trust the people who make the minimalist shoes, because after all they are still selling something.

You can't trust those on here who support barefoot running, because there's no way of verifying anything you're told.

You can't trust the large group (like the two answers that came first) who will categorically say "wear padded shoes", because outside of a lab setting, there are too many other things these people could be doing wrong to cause injuries unrelated to the shoes.

Like you said, it sounds like a sales pitch. I'll keep wearing my shoes and focusing on solid, smooth running form until I see more science at work here.

From what I've read, it is something that you'll have to work up to for a while, since you've been running/walking in shoes for a long time. The muscles and joints in your feet have to get used to being used barefoot again.

I've never done training runs without shoes, but I have done short cool down runs barefoot (on the road in front of my house, where I know is safe from litter that could hurt me). It definitely causes you to tend to land on the pads of your feet more, the bare heel hitting the ground is unpleasant.

I suggest trying it a bit at a time, without special shoes. Run in places you're confident are clear of debris, and see how it feels. Pavement contact won't hurt the skin of your feet unless you step on something sharp, or small pebbles that poke you. Once you've spent a little bit of time experimenting for yourself, then make the decision on buying pricey specialty shoes.

I have run barefoot, but I have not run in the shoes you have described.

While conditioning one's feet to the road surface takes some time, I have not had any injuries when running barefoot. The key is balancing out the impact over the entire foot so that you don't injure your knees or back, but you can go to runningbarefoot.org to learn more about that.

I live in New England, so often it's too cold for barefoot running. I will not run barefoot in temperatures below 32F, and I'm a morning runner, so I often run shod. Comparing the two, it's easier to run downhill in shoes and to run uphill barefoot. I am likely a bit faster in shoes, but the distinction is minimal when extended over long distances. However, I've never run more than five miles barefoot. I've done over eight miles shod.

I do not pretend to know all the science underlying barefoot running. I believe most doctors will tell you not to do it, but I'm not sure if that's a precautionary instruction or if they really know barefoot running is bad for you. I suspect the former, as I have not noticed any problems with barefoot running over the years I've been doing it.

Good luck with your decision.

Some people I know like it, but they have built up mileage VERY gradually (like running a half mile the first few times, building up to 3 miles). It seems to make the most sense if you are running on soft grass or maybe a soft trail, although I imagine roots and rock on a trail would hurt. I've heard people say they've gotten cuts on their feet. Personally, I can't even fathom running barefoot, especially on roads! I know you supposedly change your stride, but I feel like the impact would kill my knees and the soles of my feet. When I was a kid in the summer I'd run around barefoot all day and I often got bad leg aches at night. That's what I think of when I first heard about this. I would try he Nike Free shoe, it seems like a good compromise.

It all depends where you can run. Barefoot certainly is best if you have the possibility to run in an area without too much broken glass or other dangerous debris. Give special attention to running "softly" to let your feet and legs do the dampening, if you were used to soft soled shoes before to do that for you. FiveFingers will protect your feet from sharp objects and also bend like barefoot but of course not breathe as well as bare skin does.

You have to make your own experiences - articles by specialists are contradicting each other. It is important to start slowly and on trails with no "unpleasant surprises". There, pay close attention to the way you run, how you land on your foot. You will build up the muscles that shoe manufacturers try to substitute with cushioned soles. It's possible, especially on uneven trails, that your feet will get exhausted more quickly, but in the end, barefoot running is even less exhausting for the whole body as you have less weight on your legs to move with every step.

Learn to "listen to your body" and find out what is more pleasant to you.

well, all I can say is I wouldn't do it if you paid me to...let alone pay £80 on a pair of running shoes without any proper cushioning.

I used to do a lot of running...in plimsoles or trainers without any padding or cushioning. I now have painful arthritis in my knees, which is due to wear and tear from pounding along with no shock absorption.

I'd think very carefully about this if I were you...you might be leaving yourself open to a whole heap of problems later on in life

One year ago, I came down with planar fasciitis. If you've never heard of it, planar fasciitis is an incredibly painful running career-ending injury (google it). Against the advice of my coach, personal trainer, doctor, and parents, I decided to run through it. I stepped outside. Every stride I took was more painful then the last. I was so frustrated I kicked off my running shoes and walked back home. That was when I noticed... that it didn't hurt anymore. I left my shoes right there on the curb and ran five miles... completely barefoot. While I have since switched to FiveFingers (the blisters were starting to add up) I have been running pain free now for almost a year.

We have babied our feet so much by putting them in these nylon and rubber casts that force us to heel strike instead of running the natural way, in the front or middle of our feet. The human body was not designed to run with shoes? Can you imagine a caveman lacing up Asics with high arch support? In fact, before Nike invented the modern running shoe, Achilles tendon injuries, shin splints, and planar fasciitis were almost unheard of! Kenyan and other East African runners do not run in shoes until they are 18. Many experts agree that the modern athletic shoe has created more problems among runners, even Arthur Lydiard ("We ran in canvas shoes. We didn't get plana fascia, we didn't pronate or supinate... paying several hundred dollars for the latest in high-tech running shoes is no guarantee you'll avoid any of these injuries and can even guarantee you will suffer from them in one form or another")

Fact: Since the introduction of the modern running shoe, with all the extra padding that was supposed to reduce injury rates, plantar fasciitis rates have remained unchanged, and Achilles injuries have increased 10 percent. (American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine)

Fact: Runners wearing top-of-the-line shoes are 123 percent more likely to get injured then runners who wear cheap shoes. This is due to the extra cushioning and rigidness I mentioned earlier. (University of Bern)

One more Arthur Lydiard quote:

"You support an area [your foot] it gets weaker, Use it extensively it gets stronger... Run barefoot and you don't have all those troubles... Shoes that let your foot function like you're barefiit- they're the shoes for me."

barefoot running puts a ton of extra stress on your tendons and muscles, and often creates injuries to the ankles and knees. injuries to the ankles and knees lead to injuries in the back, which lead to injuries in the neck, ect... it's no good.