In 1961 Simon J. Wikler, D.S.C. (Doctor of Surgical Chiropody) published Take Off Your Shoes and Walk, a successful attempt to explain how modern shoes gradually acquired the characteristics that now prevent the foot from functioning naturally. Despite the persuasiveness of his argument, he is realistic about the difficulty of convincing his opponents that being…
Category: Barefoot
Dr. Mark’s “The Principles of Natural Running”
For the past 12 years, I have dissected and modified hundreds of pairs of shoes, taught running form clinics around the country, opened a minimalist store in my home town of Shepherdstown, West Virginia, directed races (from 5K fun runs to marathons), got local children excited about running, and most importantly listened with all my…
The Human Foot…Starting Out
Biomechanics of Barefoot Running and Their Implications for Running Injuries
Review and Summary of the Following Published Study: BioMechanics of Barefoot Running: Biomechanics and Implications for Running Injuries, by Allison R. Altman and Irene S. Davis. Sports Medicine in Current Sports Medicine Reports, American College of Sports Medicine, Volume 11 · Number 5, September/October 2012, pp.244-250. *** by Jim Hixson. Well-known researcher and author Irene…
Happy Confessions of a Barefoot Runner: “My Soles and Feet Had to Catch Up with My Legs and Lungs”
by Douglas R Brandt, PhD. I started running again when I was 47. I had run for fun as a child and young adult, but by the time I was in my mid to late 20’s, I stopped. The pressures of life got in the way I guess. But by age 47, I realized that…
Natural Running Through the Generations: Grandson of a Boston Marathon Champion Continues the Barefoot Running Tradition
We received the following email and photos from Jacob Edwards, a youngish distance runner who definitely has the speed gene and a rekindled love of barefoot running, a passion first nurtured by his legendary grandfather John J Kelley.– NRC Dear Natural Running Center, For the past 13 years I have been a competitive runner…
Learning Good Barefoot Running Style
Mark Cucuzzella, MD, and director of the Natural Running Center regularly runs unshod as a way to strengthen his feet and legs, as well as improve form, cadence, and posture. This short training segment was filmed on location at the Antietam National Park.
Podiatrist Addresses the 10 Myths of Barefoot Running
In the following essay, which appears in the current issue of Podiatry Today, Dr. Nick Campitelli, a health and medical advisor to the Natural Running Center, who is board-certified by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery, addresses a hotly debated topic in professional foot-treatment circles. Tackling The 10 Myths Of Barefoot Running by Nicholas A….
Confessions of a Barefoot Runner: These Are the Times That Try Men’s Soles
A regular reader of Natural Running Center’s website, Patrick sent us the following essay– which in the interest of runners everywhere, we’d like to share. To misquote Thomas Paine, “these are the times that tries men’s soles.”– NRC I am a barefoot runner from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. As I get better at running barefoot, I…
Barefoot Dictionary: From A(sphalt) to Z(ero drop)
In the hand-me-down spirit of Ambrose Bierce’s “Devil’s Dictionary,” Josh Sutcliffe, aka Barefoot Josh, has created a list of barefoot and footwear terms and their definitions. Josh says that he “likes to run, write, and draw.” He works at a Dog Daycare facility, which means he plays with dogs all day. Visit his running blog here: barefootjosh.com where…
Barefoot Running: Reviewing the Medical Literature
Peer-reviewed literature has indirectly supported barefoot running for the past 20 years. In this video, podiatrist and surgeon Dr. Nicholas A. Campitelli discuss why it is safe to run barefoot and explain how we see a reduction in injury by running the way we were designed to run.
Good Barefoot Running Form: “Objectively” Unlearning Past Bad Habits
by Angie Hotz aka Barefoot Angie Bee. When I walked into the VIVOBAREFOOT Training Clinic I thought I would “wow” Lee Saxby. I had been successful so far having ran a barefoot marathon and not in “barefoot shoes” but actually naked foot. All of my previous shod race times were bested barefoot. I had been running for…
The 200-Yard Rule: The Only Way To Start Barefoot Running
by Steven Sashen. I was recently on a panel discussion about barefoot running. At one point, someone in the audience asked “So how do I transition to barefoot running?” Before I could respond, a well-respected physical therapist suggested the following: “First, switch to a slightly lower heeled shoe than what you have. Run in that…
Barefoot Running with the Kids
Two Rivers Treads and Dr. Mark Cucuzzella present a short, high-energy video of barefoot running in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.
Minimalist Shoes, Barefoot Running, and Metatarsal Stress Fractures
by Danny Dreyer. Running barefoot will strengthen the intrinsic muscles of your feet, making them more stable. And, it may give you a feeling of running differently. But, it won’t somehow automatically undo all your worst movement habits or change them for the better. Pete Larson, the Runblogger, has recently posted a comment on the…
The Science of Barefoot Running
The following report by Steve Nearman appeared in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Medical Athletic Association, and is reproduced here with the AMAA‘s permission. Daniel Lieberman, PhD, known in the running community as the “Barefoot Running Professor” has his favorite motto when ad- dressing his favorite topic. “If you think barefoot…
How Barefoot Running Finally Cured a Barefoot-Book Author
by Roy M. Wallack. When a publisher offered me the opportunity to write a book about barefoot running in the spring of 2010 (which was published in May as “Barefoot Running Step by Step,” co-written with barefoot pioneer Ken Bob Saxton) , a happy irony was that it helped me avoid a knee operation and…
Proprioception
Proprioception is defined as the perception or sensing of your limbs in space (orientation) during movement of the body. Specifically in running, proprioception allows your mind to learn, with each step, from the effect of each movement and then adjust your limbs accordingly for future movements. Proprioception comes from the Latin word proprius, meaning “one’s…