Over the last few days, my family has shifted our morning runs from the BYU indoor track to public parks. As soon as I started to jog along the grassy turf, I felt as if weights had been shackled to my ankles. While I’d been running up to four miles with ease at the track, suddenly lumbering through just a single mile was a heavy chore. Why did my knees feel so stiff, my feet so clumsy? Was it the uneven ground? The heat of the sun? The fumes in the air?
Then I realized the problem. I was wearing shoes. Duh. As soon as I took them off, I was back to my usual, carefree glides, and life was wonderful again.
Any other barefoot runners out there? I will never go back.
Been running barefoot for four years now. It has bled over to barefoot hiking and only wearing minimalist shoes. There’s no reason to put those heavy things on. Backpacker magazine did a study a few years ago and found that in terms of effort and energy, one pound on the foot equals seven pounds on the back.