Explainer | What is barefoot running – were we born to run without shoes?
- Running without shoes is popularised by the 2009 book Born To Run, which argues modern trainers are the source of injuries
- There are shoes that cater to minimalism like, but not quite, running without shoes
If humans’ needed a large cushion on the sole of their feet to run, they would have evolved with a large cushion on their soles. Or so the logic of barefoot runners goes.
Barefoot running is exactly what it says on the tin – running without shoes. It is a choice that has been popularised by the 2009 book Born To Run, by Christopher McDougall. The book has been one of the bestselling running books every year since its publication, further spreading the craze of running barefoot.
Barefoot runners and McDougall argue that the human body is the perfect long-distance running machine, the best in the animal kingdom. As the distances get further and further, humans can outrun literally any animal. Running until other prey drop dead is how we used to hunt for food (and in some cases, such as the Khalari tribes, still do) and is called persistence hunting.
“What?! So you think a human can outrun a deer?” Yes, in theory.
Compared to a deer, a human has many advantages. A human foot has large tendons and many toes that absorb the shock of each stride – a deer has a solid hoof. A human’s knee also has large tendons for the same purpose and is very flexible compared to a dear. Human glutes are relatively massive compared to a human’s size, so can propel us forward efficiently and absorb each step.