The Benefits of bare-foot training, by Simon White

08.02.2011

I have recently been training barefoot on a regular basis during my running and resistance workouts and the results have been interesting. I have purchased a pair of Vibram five finger shoes and although they look a little strange and feel odd on your feet at first I have noticed a real change in my running technique since wearing them. When running barefoot it is uncomfortable for your heel to strike the floor first so instead you should strike with the ball of your foot. You will also find that instead of your foot strike being in front of your body it should be directly under your pelvis, using your calf muscles as a shock absorbing mechanism instead of the heel of your foot. When landing on the heel whilst running you are essentially putting on the brakes with every step as the foot will be moving forward while the ground is moving backward beneath us (assuming you are running forward!)

 

When running using a Chi or Pose based method we take away the heel strike and replace it with a foot strike using the ball of our feet. This decreases the amount of stress put on the Achilles tendon and forces the calf muscles to act as a spring. The body is then propelled forwards from the ground and a flatter running technique is used rather than the usual heel toe action.

 

I have researched, read and watched many papers, articles and videos showing the pro’s and cons of conventional, Chi and Pose running techniques and after trying it myself I find that running on the balls of your feet is definitely a different experience than the heel toe method. When I first started barefoot running I did experience a bit of discomfort, although I think the muscles in my feet were just adjusting to being used in a different way. I also feel that now I have got used to it I am much more efficient when running this way. The best video I have seen of someone using this method is the ex Olympic sprint champion Carl Lewis, when running the 100m his heel doesn’t touch the floor once and the mechanics of his stride are very gracious and fluid.

 

When resistance training I think that training barefoot makes a lot of difference to your technique when performing Dead lifts, Squats and lunges, especially when you start to feel the floor with your toes more during the movement and become more efficient pushing your joints into extension.

 

The pros and cons to wearing barefoot shoes are as follows:

 

PROS CONS

 

Promote natural foot strike Feet can get cold

Energy saving movement Minimal toe protection

Improve running gate Take time getting used to

 

Although I found it useful, I am not sure the barefoot running will not be for everyone, I recently completed a marathon and for someone who is used to running long distances in conventional shoes the transfer to running barefoot would not be a natural one. I would definitely recommend trying it for your resistance training though, especially when performing full and lower body compound movements.

 

So in my opinion I think we should train and use the body as it was designed to be used. Give barefoot training a try, you may even like it.

---

---

---