Well i just got a pair of the Nike Free (ahh i know nike is evil) shoes, which are supposed to build foot strength or something, by simulating barefoot running. I then realized, why use those all the time, when i can run barefoot! So lately I have been doing lots of my speed work on the track without shoes, and i am trying to build up to being able to run on trails without my shoes. Does anyone do this? Its amazing, it feels so good and light when you are running.
I've looked into those for the cold part of the year. I'm basically a wuss and run on sand. Not a lot of great places, but check out Boulder res and see if the beaches are unrocky enough for real speed or sprinting. i have a stretch near the Platte. Web search barefoot running. I remember seeing a lot of great stuff.
I do my fair share of barefoot running. And I do it out here on the streets and sidewalks It's definitely great. I can't stand to use any kind of footwear when running because of the weight it adds and the stress that it puts on certain joints - almost all running shoes I encounter distort foot position for it to land on the heel - which causes me a lot of pain. Barefoot for me is a lot faster, too.
Throw the Nike Free away. They are bullshit. The more you run barefoot, the stronger your feet will become. You'll be amazed a year from now. Wear shoes ONLY when you have to.
Athletic shoes are a manufactured need. Footwear is only useful when it's cold, and then a pair of moccasins do just fine.
[font="]Well, no offence but, duh! I think wearing shoes to run is really dumb. I run at a high school track nearby and I am always barefoot there. When I first started doing it I felt a little sore (muscles and feet), but now it just feels great. I can actually run longer without the stupid shoes weighing me down. Don’t understand why more people don’t run barefoot. [/font]