Barefoot running, also called "natural running", is the act of running without footwear. Throughout human history, running barefoot was the natural way to run, and cultures such as the Tarahumara people in Mexico still practice it today. Barefoot running became popular in the latter half of the 20th century, as notable Olympic runners such as Abebe Bikila, Bruce Tulloh, and Zola Budd participated barefoot.
Scientific research into the practice of running barefoot has not reached a clear consensus regarding its risks or its benefits. While shoes provide necessary foot protection from cuts, bruises, and the weather, proponents of barefoot running argue that it offers benefits and is healthier for the feet by reducing the risk of chronic injuries (notably repetitive stress injuries) due to the impact of heel striking in padded running shoes.
To provide the benefits of both running barefoot and shod, different varieties of barefoot-inspired footwear are available, including thin-soled and flexible shoes such as traditional moccasins and huaraches, and modern footwear like Vibram FiveFingers and Vivobarefoot. Running almost barefoot in thin-soled shoes may be termed minimalist running.
Read more about Barefoot Running: History, Health and Medical Implications, Barefoot-inspired Footwear
Famous quotes containing the words barefoot and/or running:
“Give me a mystery—just a plain and simple one—a mystery which is diffidence and silence, a slim little, barefoot mystery: give me a mystery—just one!”
—Yevgeny Yevtushenko (b. 1933)
“A young person is a person with nothing to learn
One who already knows that ice does not chill and fire does not burn . . .
It knows it can spend six hours in the sun on its first
day at the beach without ending up a skinless beet,
And it knows it can walk barefoot through the barn
without running a nail in its feet. . . .
Meanwhile psychologists grow rich
Writing that the young are ones’ should not
undermine the self-confidence of which.”
—Ogden Nash (1902–1971)