David Lloyd

Within any sport or discipline we are always seeking ways to make ourselves stronger, faster and better. In the running world the latest craze would appear to be the introduction of barefoot running. People around the world have been running without footwear for years, but, more recently, I and other colleagues have noticed an increase in patients with injuries following a rise in the popularity of barefoot running. This is the first of a two-part blog introducing a few key facts about running barefoot, making the transition and avoiding injury!

Over the past year I have heard of cases or treated patients who thought that a quick run around London in bare feet, in the middle of winter, with no proper training was a good idea, resulting in cuts, blisters, stress fractures and Achilles tendinopathies/rupture! I am not saying that barefoot running is bad and should not be attempted, but I think it’s really important that all factors are considered before attempting a transition and that it is done properly.

Fact 1.

The majority of us run with our heels striking the ground first; in fact the majority of running shoes are designed so that we get extra cushioning around our heel when we land. The transition from wearing shoes to barefoot running will require a change from heel strike to forefoot strike.

Fact 2.

This is not something that you should just go and do! A good training programme will take about three to six months (possibly longer) to fully change from a shoe runner to barefoot runner. In researching for this blog I found a huge variation in training programmes from site to site; I would definitely seek advice from a health professional or personal trainer before making any changes to your training programmes.

Fact 3.

As well as changing strike pattern, it's really important to review stride pattern and form; everyone will be different but it will change with barefoot running. For example, cadence (how many times each foot touches the ground/min) will increase.

Facts 4-8 will be out in two weeks and will focus on why you would want to make the transition and the risk of injury!