The following is my take on barefoot running, a view that has evolved in recent times after a lot of reading, thinking, discussing and experience from some practical application (not mine). There's dozens expert opinions on the internet, many of which are very well considered and balanced (other which aren't!!), with only some general agreement in their conclusions. So my opinion is just another addition to the noise!!
Barefoot running does not necessarily mean running in bare feet!! The term has become synonymous for minimalist running, that is, with minimal support, cushioning and structure on your feet. Very few people run in bare feet because of things like stones, glass, and other abrasive things. Minimalist running is somewhat akin to folks who "live close to nature", but is starting to become served by the very shoe manufacturers who also have - and promote - numerous product lines of super cushioned shoes. Can you see the irony in that??!!
In a perfect world we shouldn't need shoes other than for protection from stones, etc, just as we shouldn't need supplements in our diet. Consider children, who from a young age run around in bare feet or at best, in minimalist foot wear, a pattern which continues for many years into primary school. The amount of running they do with their little bodies is possibly similar to adults who actually undertake "running" as a sport. Yet, you don't see young kids turning up with running injuries. So what happens? What changes?
The human body is an incredible organism which has evolved over millions of years. It's only in very recent times (the last century or two) that our lifestyle has significantly changed to being more sedentary, yet we still bare the traits of our ancestors who evolved to live in the conditions they did, which included minimalist footwear. Remember, the Romans used to walk around in sandals 24x7. During those times they built their musculature to support an minimalist footwear lifestyle, whether they were walking or running. Our feet have evolved wonderfully to support this.
Runners a century ago only had minimalist footwear, right the way through to Ron Clarke and Derek Clayton, and seemed to be OK. I bet all these guys had fantastic strength and durability in the musculature of their feet and lower legs, because they needed to, and besides, there was no supportive footwear like there is today to wear. To that extent, they're a lot like the kids we mentioned before who run around oblivious to their footwear. There would surely have been people back then with over pronation, flat feet, etc, yet their feet and lower legs developed to support their biomechanics. Their bodies adapted.
This is the essence of barefoot / minimalist running, based on the ability of your feet and lower legs to adapt to your natural foot function, and for your musculature to be strong and durable enough to support it. It's letting our bodies perform in the way they evolved.
So what role is there for the 'traditional' running shoes? In taking the purist minimalist footwear approach, there is no role for them other than to protect your soles. However, in reality and practicality, there is certainly a role for running shoes, and here's why.
Far from being a 'crutch' supporting our feet, for a huge majority of us running shoes are crucial because switching to minimalist footwear would almost guarantee an injury, simply because it would take almost as many years as you've been running in shoes, to adapt to running without shoes and their associated support and structure. Also, the cushioning of shoes provides additional comfort beyond what your feet can, not to mention protection.
Nonetheless, for people who are indeed inspired by minimalist running - in fact, for any runner - it's never too late to start working on the strength and durability of your feet and lower legs as a progression to moving away from overly supportive shoes. Just as strong and durable core muscles help resist many hip and knee injuries, strong and durable feet and lower legs help resist injuries in that region.
I think there is room for a small amount minimalist running for most runners, although it needs to be approached is a very, very careful and measured manner. In between times, just doing a little more walking in bare feet - or minimalist footwear (very adequate versions which cost $9 from Big-W) - will go some way to achieving a similar outcome.
Having said all that...some people want to switch to barefoot running to become mid-foot / fore-foot runners based on the fact that people tend to run moreso in this manner in bare feet compared to in shoes. However I have a few problems with this philosophy. First is that there are many runners who run mid-foot / fore-foot in shoes, so it's not shoes that stop people from running this way. Second, aiming to change your running form from the feet up is taking the wrong approach. As I've written before, good running form starts with the hips, which is why some people run mid-foot / fore-foot in shoes. Thirdly, and most importantly, throwing away your shoes and reverting to mid-foot / fore-foot running is a guaranteed fast track to an injury.
In summary, barefoot / minimalist running is based on sound principles and promotes a rounded approach to running and the development and durability of your body / legs. The problems are with the implementation of minimalist running, and the miss-guided motivations people have for wanting to try this approach. An old adage rings true...if it ain't broken, don't fix it.
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