On one of the forums that I am a member of, someone posted this link about how to do barefoot running all wrong. It contains some really salient advice about understanding your body, the ambient conditions and the way the two interact!
I do like running barefoot on concrete – it’s always nice and warm here in California, but I am not at the point where I would run in the cold, nor would I try to race barefoot.
In a race there’s simply too much else to think about – there, the point isn’t so much to enjoy the sensation, but to achieve some separate goal from that. For me, running barefoot is just one aspect of all of the running that I do. I like to run hard and push myself, but for that I need at least a minimalist shoe. I’ll probably make a new post sometime about all the different types of shoes I’ve tried, including GoSt Barefoots, which I have made a video review of here (I apologize for the sound quality – it was my first time and my head cam was banging against my sunglasses!).
Ultimately, I think my friend Jörg’s advice in this recent article* is the right one – you need to find the correct combination of shoe and surface. Some surfaces are always great barefoot, some surfaces are not. Knowing the difference will keep you running injury free and enjoying it more.
There’s no badge of honour to be had for running across a mountain with bare feet simply to prove how manly you are – particularly if you come back with injury and then can’t run for weeks. Listen ONLY to your own body’s signals, not to what you think you can do, what someone else pressures you to do, or what you think is trendy.
*any fault in this article is entirely due to the fact that I translated it from the German and may well have messed up the meaning!
There is not much more to say. Well said Andi. A conclusive summary of how one should deal with barefoot running. Thanks, Joerg