In the past few years, no aspect of running has been discussed more than what type of shoe and how much of it is best. Barefoot running has gone mainstream, and “minimalism,” or running in something other than conventional training shoes, has spread from a small segment of competitive runners to millions of regular runners. On a typical day on the Runner’s World message boards, you can read incredibly detailed and passionate debates about whether going barefoot is the route to running nirvana or the express lane to the doctor’s office. You’ll hear vigorous defenses of modern running shoes, which have thick cushioning and a large drop from heel to toe, as well as some old-timers trying to provide a little perspective to what, to be frank, isn’t a new topic.
This book isn’t designed to end the debate about how much shoe is too much or too little. By now, the topic has sparked enough emotion that diehards on all sides have staked their ground and stopped listening to fellow runners who disagree. Instead, this book is for the vast majority of runners who’ve become intrigued by barefoot running and minimalism. These runners want to know a few simple things: What’s all the fuss about? Why do some people say less shoe is better? How do I know if it’s for me? And if I decide to try to run in less shoe, how do I go about doing so safely, so that I can reap the rewards while avoiding potential risks?
To help you answer those questions, this book is divided into three main parts. First, to help you put the issues in perspective, we provide some background on barefoot running and minimalism. The goal here is to remind runners that topics that seemed to come out of nowhere the past couple of years have actually been investigated by other runners decades ago in the ultimate lab of human performance. Second, the rationale for barefoot running and minimalism. Why do proponents say it’s worth ditching your conventional running shoes? Third, the technique. How can you tell if your body is ready to run in less shoe, and how can you intelligently progress toward doing so?
After those three main parts, we provide some concluding thoughts on the barefoot/minimalist movement and, for the running parents out there, a look at what type of shoes the next generation of runners should be in during their crucial formative years.
We hope you find this book, based on the expertise of Runner’s World and Running Times editors and contributors, a rational, reasoned resource in your quest for a lifetime of enjoyable running.