Switching to Barefoot Running Shoes

There has been a lot of debate over whether barefoot running is indeed beneficial to runners. Recent researches seem to have proven that running barefoot or even in the minimalist shoes is actual harmful and causes more injury to athletes.

However, there are also many evidence showing people are trying to switch to barefoot running but that is usually the cause of injury if it is not done properly.

The most important thing to look out for, whether you are on to barefoot or minimalist or even traditional cushioned shoes, is to be able to break into your pair of running shoes properly and to have the right methods in running.

There are three important steps to look out for while transiting from the traditional cushioned shoes to barefoot or minimalist shoe and here is a guide to help you understand how you can do it with least injury.

First, you will have to watch your body posture alignment and positioning. The focus is to consciously align your body over your mid foot area as that will encourage a forefoot landing as an important way to run with barefoot shoes, or even the minimalist shoes.

With the correct posture alignment, this helps you to focus and draw inner strength from your core muscles. Thus there are many cases where the correct posture improves your endurance running since the correct muscles are in use and not weighing your whole body down.

The next step to watch for is the foot landing balance. If you are able to get the right posture from step one, your body naturally adheres to a better foot landing, which is to land on the forefoot. Besides, the proper use of the core muscles prevents muscle fatigue and this will help improve the overall running performance.

The last step is shortening of cadence, which is the number of times your feet comes into contact with the ground within a minute. If you have successfully shortened your cadence, you would have achieved about 180 steps per minute or even more. If done correctly, you will also notice a slight leaning forward at the ankle when your feel lands.

A shortened cadence also helps conserve energy and this is also another factor in helping runners improve on their endurance running.

If you have been on the traditional cushioned running shoes and attempting to switch to barefoot shoes, or minimalist shoes, there are many other tips to watch for. Transiting slowly to minimalist shoes is very important as you have to get your body aligned and used to the minimal support offered by the shoes.

It is also important to build up your strength slowly and of course, proper stretching at your calves and Achilles tendon is very important as this bare-form running uses more of the calves muscles. Most importantly, be patient with your transition and let your body adjust and allow time to heal should you encounter pain and sore after trying out the minimalist shoes.

Normally, the usual sore and tired muscles are quite common after your workout. However, if you experience pain in the bone, joint or soft-tissue, it is very likely a signal of injury and you may need to seek medical attention.


Copyright (c) 2013 Bren Shore



Transiting to barefoot requires proper three steps to avoid any possible injury. Posture, foot landing and cadence are the key areas to look for in order for a more injury-free transition.