Barefoot Running Training Technique Videos from Merrell

See the Training Videos released by Merrell to accompany the release of the Merrel Barefoot Trail Glove.  These video will not tell you all you need to know, but they should get you started so you can hit the ground running, so to say. Ground Work[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DND6uZ_RZLE?width=853&height=510&rel=0]

Good Form[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=787hU5R79JY?width=853&height=510&rel=0]

Performance[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpPKPBi7mzw?width=853&height=510&rel=0]

Multi-Sport[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yVyXlIvuUs?width=853&height=510&rel=0]

Barefoot Running Article in Outside Magazine

As barefoot running starts to gain traction, major media sources are taking note. Read the article

Merrell Trail Glove Release Sets Standard for Shoe Makers

With its February 1st 2011 release of its Merrell Trail Glove, Merrell has become the first major shoe brand to release a zero drop running shoe that looks like a running shoe. I applaud merrell for their bravery in actually following through with a true Zero-Drop barefoot running shoe, and I reward them by buying a pair today. I have been anticipating these shoe for months I am so excited they are finally here. Also check out the barefoot training section Merrell has added to their site. Barefoot Connection.

Read an in depth review of the Merrell Trail Glove from Jason Robillard Author of The Barefoot Running Book. Read the Full Review

Update: Our Merrel Trail Glove Review is now ready.

Chi Running Defined:

We move like people who grew up barefoot

In a recent Article for the Huffington Post, Columnist Micheal Boblet, defines Chi Running. "We move like people who grew up barefoot," says Boblet describing the Chi Running technique. "

"And there's a funny thing about going barefoot: It changes everything. The feet open up. The toes start to do their job. The knees relax. The hips rock correctly. The spine becomes more pliant. The head lifts up. Even the arms start to swing the way they're supposed to.

It's not just about the feet. Everything moves in a smooth, easy flow. Every part of the body works as a team.... [Read The Article]

Why I Choose no Shoes

I first started running when I was in high school. I decided to join the track team because I had a crush on a girl that ran track. What can I say, girls that run track are hot. I only ran my senior year before getting recruited at the college level. All through out college I was plagued every season with injury after injury. Plantar fasciitis, stress fractures, tendinitis, my joints creaked and popped with every step. In those days I never considered form. I thought injury was just a natural part of running, and I was running 70 to 90 miles per week. Despite injury I managed to perform well enough to make it on the national team 4 times and eventually become All-American my senior year. It wasn't until after college that I began to discover the cause of my injuries. It was 2001 while I was attempting to run through a sever case of plantar fasciitis while training for my first full marathon. In college I always just went to the trainer and he would say "Well, ice it and stay off it for a while." This always managed to deal with the immediate problem, but it never confronted the cause.

With no trainer to turn to, and myself studying to become a personal trainer, I did the research on my own. come to find out I, like 75% of shod runners was a heel striker, (a common flaw in shod running populations.) Come to find out, landing on your heels with each stride creates an enormous impact with each stride, (estimated about 3x body weight.) The answer then is to decrease the impact. to decrease the impact I needed to change to a forefoot stride. The process I used to do this is simply running barefoot.

I don't know why I had never considered this before, after all this is how humans ran for about 6 million years. Come to find out, nearly all shod runners that transition to barefoot, not just myself, will naturally transition to a forefoot stride, because when barefoot it is uncomfortable to run on your heels.

Barefoot runners have also noticed it is uncomfortable to run on your heels. Shoe companies have noticed this also and have attempted to fix this by padding the heel. this did make it more comfortable, but it is not the appropriate solution. If it is uncomfortable to run on your heels, don't run on your heels. After I discovered this it just seemed like common sense. If it hurts every time you punch yourself in the face, is it better to put on a boxing glove, or simply to not punch yourself in the face. Perhaps not the best analogy, but I think you get the point.

Transitioning to barefoot was not easy. I started out just a mile at a time, and after each run my calves were sore like I had never used them before, (really I hadn't.) It took months to condition my calves to barefoot running, in the mean time I put in most my miles shod, but focusing on the fore foot strike.

After allowing my body to learn to run barefoot, I then transitioned into minimalist shoes. Running barefoot is an excellent training technique to find natural running form, but running barefoot does admittedly become uncomfortable after a certain number of miles dependent on the terrain. For this reason, I now do most of my running in minimalist running shoes, but on occasion will still run barefoot to ensure I am not altering my natural running form.

Barefoot Running Shoes???

Hopefully I don’t have to explain the irony of a term such as “barefoot running shoes” or any other kind of “barefoot shoe” for that matter. The term “barefoot running shoe” has become the common term for referring to minimalist shoes. (Minimalist is perhaps not the best term for referring to this style of shoe either, but certainly more accurate than barefoot).  This mixed up terminology is muddling the conversation surrounding barefoot running. I too, have often been guilty of talking about “barefoot running shoes.” As a barefoot/minimalist running columnist I am constantly find myself clarifying whether I am referring to “barefoot running” with shoes, or “barefoot running” without shoes.  

Those that actually run barefoot, no shoes, feel particularly strong about this confusing conundrum. This is understandable, as running barefoot is not the same as running in Vibram Five Fingers, and it is certainly a far cry from running in other shoes, such as Nike Free, that claim “barefoot shoe” status.

So, with the obvious irony in this oxymoron, why do people continue to refer to minimalist running as barefoot running.  I really don’t know how the phrase got started. I assume it has something to do with Christopher MacDougal’s best selling book, Born to Run, in which the character Barefoot Ted runs ultra marathons in his Vibram Five Fingers.

So with all the information on the internet why are people still talking about “Barefoot Shoes?” In part, the internet perpetuates the problem. I myself, recognizing the inaccuracies in the term from the very beginning have been known to use it. Why? Though it is not proper terminology, it is common terminology. This means that a large majority of people interested in information about minimalist footwear will open the Google homepage and search for “barefoot running shoes.” Though they really mean Minimalist footwear, Google does not know the difference. In fact there is a pretty good chance that you stumbled upon this article because you searched for “barefoot running shoes.” In short an article about “barefoot running shoes” will be read much more often than an article about “minimalist running shoes” even if they are the same shoe.

So what is the best terminology? Minimalist shoes are closer to the mark, however, the term is still rather ironic as “minimalist shoes” can cost upward of $160, making it hardly fit within a minimalist lifestyle.  Other ideas include “natural running shoes,” and “forefoot running shoes.”

What do you think about the term “barefoot running shoes?” Leave your comments below.

What are Minimalist Running Shoes?

Put simply, minimalist running is running in as little shoe as possible while still wearing shoes. Though often referred to as barefoot running shoes, I prefer the term minimalist running shoes as to not confuse minimalist runners with those that actually choose to run completely unshod. Runners that choose minimalist shoes are generally, those that are seeking the benefits of barefoot running without the drawbacks of running barefoot, (frostbite for example). There are an abundance of barefoot shoe selections, and more and more are emerging as the benefits of minimalist running become better known. Perhaps the most well known Minimalist or barefoot running shoe is the Vibram Five Fingers. Other less radical varieties include Terra Plana Evo, and the much anticipated New Balance Minimus which, though not released yet, looks to be a very promising minimal shoe.

For those that take the minimalist part of minimalist running seriously and would rather not pay $80 to $200 for a pair of barefoot running shoes, some choose to fashion their own sandals in a style similar to that of the Tarahumara runners of Mexico, popularized by Christopher McDougal’s book, Born to Run.

Aquasocks are another alternative to that is gaining ground amongst thrifty barefoot runners.

I have reviewed many of these shoes to provide the most complete information possible. If there is a review you would like to see, leave me a comment. If have worn a minimalist shoe and would like to review it please submit it. If it fits, and I would love to feature it on runnaturally.wordpress.com.

See the guide on how to select a minimalist running shoe

Barefoot running shoes???