The barefooted runner and the barefoot shoe are concepts based on the same idea, that going bare footed for any activity returns us to optimum performance of our body as it has evolved. Bare footedness is said to improve stride, maintain strength in the foot’s tendon and muscle structure, reduce muscle injuries (exceptions are the thorns or lacerations), and prevents chronic problems with certain joints. The bare foot craze acts against what is considered our competitive nature in that it encourages return of a centered stride, that keeps the organs of the body centered and balanced as it moves.
In the case of converting from shod running to barefoot, several sources[1] cite the following benefits:
- More muscles in the foot are used and flexibility increases
- Joints are forced to bend and absorb ground strike changes
- Stimulation builds strength
- The stride is shortened, improving centering of mass over the hips
- Better upright balance makes the back is less susceptible to stress
The impulse to force speed into the motion of human beings can be developed and other achievement factors that make us want to put ourselves to tests.
Dr. Jeffrey Kleis DPM, Inc is a state-of-the-art podiatry and foot injury specialty center in Costa Mesa’s South Coast Plaza. Dr. Kleis and his staff appreciate the health-conscious athlete who is considering evaluation for a change in their performance. With more than 25 years of treatment knowledge toward the goal of total wellness of movement and being, you can reach out for a foot evaluation. Call 714-760-4944 for an appointment to address your concerns about your body’s primary locomotion.
In modern history, Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia was the owner of three prestigious firsts. He was first to represent the African continent and Ethiopia by winning the Gold in the Olympic Marathon (1960, Rome) and the first to successfully defend his title in the next Olympic Games. In Rome, he went from start to finish in bare feet and wore shoes in Tokyo (1964) but that time wearing can help just about any situation with reasonable answers and clear guidance.
Zola Budd is also one of the highly regarded distance runners who competed regularly in bare feet. She a South African born runner who competed for Great Britain in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, California. At 17, she ran a 5000-meter race in better than world record time but it was not recorded as the IAAF had suspended South Africa due to their practice of apartheid.
Her Olympic notoriety in Los Angeles would surround the Women’s 3000 meter race at the Los Angeles games of 1984. She had opted to compete as part of Great Britain’s team due to South Africa’s practice of apartheid. Amidst all of the political and team competition conditions, there was the added fact that she had run bare foot all her young life. Zola had trained, competed, and was set to run the 3000 meter race in bare feet. It was unfortunate that she and USA favorite Mary Decker had a bump and fall mishap in the fourth lap of the race. While foul was claimed, the incident was ruled just that … an accident.
Zola Budd suffered in athletic standings because of the politics during her time for world class running. She was, in fact, naïve of the world’s view of her country’s policies, and treated poorly by the people national politics as a platform to target her performance and allegiance as a runner. She has varied her posture on being barefoot or in shoes depends on the course terrain, but in a 2010 article with Michael Sandrock of Runner’s World, she claimed shoes were like weights.[2] Zola never did win an Olympic medal, but she has maintained an enviable position in the world’s running stage.
Flexibility Measurements
Enjoy the sensation of your toes curling in soft sand or cushiony short grass? Try a careful walk somewhere you’re comfortable and for a distance and pace you normally go. Compare your feet and leg reaction with a post analysis of hours and-or the next day. It’s surprising what a different sensation there can be between bare feet and shod feet. You may feel the results of stimulating a completely new set of related muscles that have been stirred by the difference in step – your closest-to-natural step.
With exploration into any new style or investing in the funny looking toe gloves (minimalist shoes), it is a good idea to generate a baseline for comparison. Toes and the arch of your foot should have a stretch and flex capability that’s noticeable when you are off your feet. While some toes seem not to flex independently of each other like fingers, you can manually determine pain in toe movement and or the co-dependency of a toe’s movement upon one another. If you don’t like the results or reactions of your feet to stretching or certain motion, consult a podiatrist (DPM) and discuss your concerns.
Dr. Jeffrey Kleis DPM, Inc is a state-of-the-art podiatry and foot specialty treatment center offering laser and other non-invasive technologies. They are conveniently located in Costa Mesa’s South Coast Plaza. Check the website www.drkleis.com for conditions of the feet and treatment information. Always accepting new patients and specializing in improving your activity and mobility, call 714-760-4944 for an appointment.
Movement Mechanics
The movement to return to barefoot or minimalist footwear is hoping to capture the people searching for their natural gait and rhythm for long-term body performance. Evidence suggests that there are as many hazards as positives. The modern roads are unforgiving and injuries to the bones in the feet can affect progress as any fall or joint problem. It’s important to transition slowly to avoid being injured or damaged by over-aggressive practice. The advantages to adapting are simply restoring the body’s natural centering and making the limbs and feet work as a pure engine of propulsion.
The individual toe protection protects from obvious imperfections in the ground. They also make each digit operate with their own unimpeded grip assisting balance and lift of the foot and leg itself. The ball of the foot absorbs impact and the heel and calf propel the forward momentum drive.
Follow Up
Abebe Bikila died at 41 from a cerebral haemorrhage that was blamed on a car accident he was involved with four years earlier. His legacy of the barefoot Olympic championship is maintained by Vibram’s Bikila minimalist running shoe. He remains a hero in Ethiopian and world sports for two Gold Medals in the marathon in back-to-back Olympic competitions.
Zola Pieterse (former Budd) is now 56 years old and runs in shoes with a 5-day per week running regimen of about 8 to 15km per day. She has lived and worked in the United States as a coach and competitor on the senior marathon circuit. Zola and her family moved back to South Africa in 2021.[3]
She is the mother of three (one set of twins) and switched to running and marathons (if running in any races) since the year 2002. She has won three marathons, with the most recent win being over 40 years old. There is no recent mention of any conditions preventing her continuing pursuit of enjoying her running on trails with her dogs in South Africa.
For both Abebe Bikila and Zola Budd Pieterse, on the world stage, barefoot was the way their running talent developed. For most modern runners, experimenting with the barefoot style of running AFTER having worn shoes requires patience and time to rebuild the muscles that have long been unused. The gait, motion, timing, and length of steps may change which might frustrate the competing athlete but might inspire and provide comfort to those entering a different phase of their activity.
For a baseline check on your feet or running condition before you challenge the boardwalk or the sands of the Pacific shoreline, consult Dr. Jeffrey Kleis DPM. Call 714-760-4944 and make an appointment for examination or treatment.
[1] Wired Magazine, July 2022 “The Best Barefoot Shoes for Walking or Running” Scott Gilbertson
https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-barefoot-shoes
Running Shoes Guru, April 2022 “What’s the Deal With Barefoot Running?” Louise Wilkes
https://www.runningshoesguru.com/content/whats-the-deal-with-barefoot-running-the-benefits-risks-and-shoes
[2] “Zola Budd: Still Running Naturally,” Michael Sandrock Runners World 10-2-2010
[3] “Zola Budd is Happy to be Back …” 10-21-2021 Mareleze Grbich, News 24, South Africa