GoSt Knowledge Base
Knowledge base with articles on Barefoot Running & the Paleos®
The Knowledge Base offers a wealth of know-how and personal experiences collected from customers and testers and include topics such as running shoes, minimalist running, heel and forefoot striking, general barefoot tips, therapies, health and much more. By providing this information we very much hope to support your personal efforts in barefoot running. If you liked the content, or you even have suggestions or criticisms, we also would love to find your entry in our Guestbook
About the PaleoBarefoots®Most read articles
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Page Content
Preface & Introduction
How healthy are our 'civilized' feet?
History: hunting and finding food!
Proprioception and Coordination.
Soil + shoe: the combination that counts!
Our "barefoot" experiences in nature
Likely effects you can count on.
What have we learned since the beginning of 2011.Switching to Barefoot and Minimalist
Assessing your personal running situation.
Changing from running shoes to minimalist/barefoot shoes
The switch to pure barefoot running
Videos, links and further articles
Preface & Introduction
The following information should help to awaken your desire to walk and run barefoot and to facilitate you in getting there. For most of us that is not as easy as it sounds! This is supported by the official figures: 98% of children are born into this world with healthy feet, but more than 60% of adults suffer with some form of foot damage. Since the event of padded running shoes in the last 50 years, 80% of runners will have experienced an injury. In light of this, it's high time to think about a more natural barefoot running style and / or the PaleoBarefoots®!
To better understand why this is, it helps to have a look back over the millions of years of human evolution. More than 300,000 years ago our StoneAge ancestors inhabited the earth. Unlike today's athletes who might say they "live to run", these Paleo-athletes ran to live! Their daily life was survival, hunting and searching for food over long distances. They needed strength, speed, agility and endurance. With hindsight, their activities would be called extreme sports! And - they ran essentially barefoot! Since they would encounter many differing substrates and challenges for the feet, the human foot structure is therefore correspondingly complex, and needs to be precisely controlled.
The proprioceptive system that controls our balance and movement ensures our foot position will be well-coordinated and controlled! For this system to function precisely, the brain relies on clear signals from our immediate surroundings. Temperature, muscle stretch and pressure receptors, joints and skin constantly transmit impulses to the brain telling it about current physical conditions. These are all evaluated by our proprioceptive system that triggers and turns on signals regulating reactions throughout the body.
About 70% of this feedback comes through receptors that are found in our feet. The more openly the sensors are exposed to the substrate, the more precise the triggered pulses. If these receptors were not so important, it's hardly likely that so many would be in the foot area! The signals between foot and brain control heart-rate, muscles and organs to ensure safe and energy-efficient locomotion.
Soil + shoe: the combination that counts!
We can assume that the people have always lived in the valleys, prairies, forests, rivers and lakes, and along the coasts. Typically they lived close to good hunting grounds and sufficient plant food. Certainly, our feet are also suitable for the crossing of rocks or hard baked plains, but for the most part, people moved on rather soft natural surfaces. Everyone will be able to confirm that it is more comfortable to walk barefoot on sand, grass and leaves than on hard surfaces. Our walking system has been moulded by evolution to match the natural cushioning of the surfaces to which it has adapted.
Did you know that, when running, at every step during our feet must absorb the shock of approximately three times our body weight? We therefore find the current trend of "soles a few millimeters to cover long distances on hard asphalt" somewhat distressing.
For our feet, it's like a treadmill - very poor in variations (no variation in hardness, slope, etc.), but even worse - without any dampening effect.
Conversely, strongly damped running shoes with rigid soles are not great for soft, uneven natural surfaces. They remove the foot from the surface and consequently you feel things like hidden stones, holes etc. imprecisely; therefore the proprioceptive system generates correspondingly inaccurate responses. Statistics show that the majority of running injuries occur on soft surfaces. Additionally, with this combination of shoe and soil, far more energy is needed to counteract the double damping (shoe and foot) that occurs here.
Ultimately, depending on the distance and the combination of ground and shoes (or barefoot), it is not possible to forgo some support of supportive cushioning. This padding must come either from the ground, or from the shoe, or a combination of both. Normal running shoes should be used for hard surfaces (at least at long distance) while on natural surfaces, it's far better to resort to bare feet or thin-soled minimalist shoes.
Our thesis is hardly disputed by the leading initiators of the current barefoot trend (such as Daniel E. Lieberman and Christopher McDougall). Rather, they state that eventually, barefoot runners will also enjoy running on asphalt roads as these are predictable and well tolerated (see Video). However, they do not comment on the resulting rather unilateral exercise of the feet that this affords, and the undemanding receptor stimulation (same hardness, same surface, roughly same incline) that this provides.
Here is an example of how one-sided loads for a long time let suffer your feet! A great article and the author is humble enough to admit that he shouldn't have done this. Running on roads is still a good start (in minimalist or barefoot if it's not a race). Long term, however, one should run more on natural, more varied surfaces in order to train the feet and the proprioceptive system more comprehensive and in the sense of "natural running".
Our "barefoot" experiences in nature
In addition to our personal personal experiences, the following lists include the experiences of the Paleo® testers since the beginning of 2011. It is primarily thanks to them that this page exists. Many thanks to them for this!
Likely effects you can count on
► Your legs and feet will feel stronger.
► Your feet and ankles are more supple.
► Your sense of balance improves with training.
► Your posture gets naturally realigned.
► Back and knee problems disappear.
► Foot problems slowly recede.
► Running injuries heal faster.
► You gain a better awareness of your movements.
► Endurance and energy efficiency improve.
► Overall movement is smoother.
► The feet get wider, the toes spread apart.
► Your running style alters ...
► ► You'll switch to a "gliding, groping" style.
► ► You'll find barefoot considerably quieter (and will be running more lightly!)
► ► You reduce the pressure going through your knees.
► ► You lean your upper body further forward.
► ► You make more, but shorter steps.
► ► Fore-and mid foot strike the ground first.
► ► You run under your center of gravity.
► Your immune system is strengthened and you are sick less often.
► Mentally you'll feel better and experience lifted mood generally.
► Correctly regulated, barefoot running is great fun!
What have we learned since the beginning of 2011
► The right attitude matters!
► ► especially if the weather is bad or cold,
► ► if you haven't been running for a few days.
► ► Once you overcome yourself you realize again how nice it feels.
► ► Barefoot running requires inner peace and relaxation.
► ► If one is distracted mentally, this increases the risk of injury.
► As a beginner, you should be well prepared ...
► ► plan and explore your barefoot path prior to running it,
► ► frequently switch the running surface,
► ► always bring some spare shoes with you,
► ► For the cases make sure to have spare shoes,
► ► Wear a hat (the head loses a lot of heat and energy),
► ► Ensure you have access to water for rough cleaning
► ► or better yet, just start at a water source!
► Regularity is important! Develop a regular barefoot habit.
► ► Try to get out into nature at least every two to three days
► ► In the beginning, however, less is more, don't run before you can walk!
► ► Note!! Particularly after winter you actually begin from scratch!
► ► A few minutes are enough initially. You can slowly increase over time.
► ► Longer breaks between excursions should be avoided if possible.
► Be prepared for minor injuries (important even if you aren't barefoot!).
► ► (This is especially important during longer trips where you'll be remote.)
► ► for example, you can stub your toes
► ► you might incur a bruise or small cut,
► ► you can twist something, or maybe even fall.
► ► Carrying a small first aid kit makes sense, it should at least contain:
► ► ► a small bandage (6 cm wide)
► ► ► a roll of plaster/micropore tape (2.5 cm wide),
► ► ► an elastic adhesive bandage (8 inches wide)
► ► ► a vial of rubbing alcohol,
► ► You should also ensure you have a current tetanus shot (once in 10 years).
► ► If you are a diabetic, you should avoid unnecessary risks to your feet.
► Where incidents might occur on the road, you should ...
► ► (Again, this is especially to be considered during long trips.)
► ► ensure you can cut things short if in doubt, or always be able to turn back,
► ► know where there is a safe place where you can rest.
► ► It's advisable to check the route before you set out.
► ► Tell someone where you are going and your likely route.
► One should develop body-awareness and observe it well.
► ► (Applies in general and is not only important for walking barefoot.)
► ► It's better to not follow any trends blindly, but first listen to your body!
► ► Read our article ""Forefoot running only" - does it make sense?"
► ► Note any changes to the legs and feet and take care of them!.
► ► Particularly, intensity and duration of any reactions are important.
► Barefoot running in cold weather and at low temperatures..
► ► one should first start running with normal shoes,
► ► and change to barefoot running only when the feet are warmed up.
► ► Caution, if the feet are too cold, they get insensitive to pain,
► ► the risk of injury increases enormously because one no longer feels clearly.
► ► The feeling for the ground is lost and timely response lacks or comes too late.
► ► (You then pounce too hard without taking back load when landing on eg stones.).
► ► Thereby caused bruises and sprains you realize much later when you are back home.
► ► So better to switch back to your spare shoes early!
► Sore muscles, a little pulling and discomfort are not a bad sign!
► ► (Anyone who has worked out in a gym knows this)
► ► These are an indication that your body is adjusting.
► ► New barefoot runners often find that their calves hurt more initially - it's normal.
► ► However, it should NOT seriously hurt, that means it was too much!
► ► If you get pain, try to be more gentle on yourself, take additional rest and observe.
► ► Reduce the duration and intensity of runs, and be more careful.
► ► It's better to take the cautious old rhythm again than try to push too hard.
► Do not forget to take care of your feet.
► ► As a barefoot runner, you should wash your feet daily.
► ► You might find it helpful to apply some moisturizer, but not too often.
► ► For this purpose it is best to use a light, non-greasy moisturizer,
► ► on dry or cracked skin you might try some Bag Balm (don't use if allergic to lanolin).
Switching to Barefoot and Minimalist
Assessing your personal running situation.
► Are you a casual or serious runner?
► On which surfaces are you used to running?
► Are you used to choosing suitable surfaces for your shoes
► Or trying to match your shoes to other surfaces?
► You understand that barefoot/minimalist is not just a different pair of shoes?
► What is your personal training situation?
► Do you have patience and endurance to handle changes?
► Wet, cold and dirty feet no problem?
Regardless of your current situation, you should not change immediately and radically, this is a process that takes time. You should be aware that any change of shoes, surfaces, and especially the combination of the two has great impact on your tendons, ligaments, muscles and your running style (the stride & strike). You should understand that it could be months until your feet, legs and body adjust to the new conditions, and the ideal shoe-surface combination is found. Your personal running style will develop and become more fluent in the long run, but you will need to be patient. (Please read our article "Forefoot running only" - does it make sense?)
Changing from running shoes to minimalist/barefoot shoes
► Your feet were previously supported and cushioned.
► The shoe 'drop' (gradient heel-toe) is now close to "0".
► The foot has space and can move freely.
► Each toe can now help individually.
► You no longer have any support for the arch of the foot.
► You can feel the ground beneath much better than before.
► The receptors of your soles feel more.
Barefoot shoes provide completely different conditions that are a change from what your feet are used to now. Without your old running shoes, your foot muscles and all the ligaments and tendons need to be strengthened and brought into the correct form. Initially, the missing heel cushioning alone can lead to significant problems with the calf muscles and Achilles tendons, because they might be simply too short to cope. You literally need to 'grow into' barefoot running! This takes time, and tendons and ligaments respond especially slowly!
Added to this is the chosen surface. If you have just decided on running in the future on natural surfaces (grass, sand, forest soil, etc.), there are further requirements. For example on soft surfaces, your feet will sink deeper into the ground and thus hyperextend the joints. Uneven surfaces result in the foot experiencing different angles and inclinations. Also, your foot receptors need to be trained - you will tend to 'overreact' to stimulation such as rocks, branches that 'tickle' your receptors.
Therefore, once again we counsel you to begin with a few minutes and increase very slowly. If you're already a trained runner, begin with minimalists for only a few minutes. See how your body reacts, and gradually (but continuously) increase usage time. We also recommend not to try to train a certain running style, but give your body the chance to develop it independently. Everyone runs differently. (Again, refer to our article "Forefoot running only" - does it make sense?).
The switch to pure barefoot running
The switch to pure barefoot running.
► In addition to the previous items ...
► The soles of your receptors are now completely free.
► You will immediately feel cold, heat, moisture, etc.
► You are no longer protected from hazards on the ground.
► You'll get dirty feet! ;)
At the beginning, running on rough surfaces will be quite challenging. Conversely, there's no more authentic foot feeling for relaxing into! Even mud and puddles become a real treat! Minimalists can indeed adjust your feet to barefoot running, but don't truly afford a full barefoot feeling - namely the direct perception of all environmental factors at each step.
For years, your feet have probably been well protected, packed aways in shoes, and now they are beginning to be highly sensitive. This particularly applies to the receptors that 'listen' through the soles of your feet - so far they had to listen very carefully to 'hear' anything, but barefoot, they face the full brunt of the environmental conditions to which they have been newly exposed. Therefore, you will find that you might only be able to go a few hundred meters on the forest floor - your receptors still interpret every little bump as an alleged danger.
Afterwards, back home, your feet will be literally 'buzzing' - similarly to how your face might feel after a long, cold winter walk. Adapting to this direct stimulation occurs surprisingly fast and after a fairly short while, you'll feel more comfortable. Your brain will filter out the noise from the real dangers when things are working properly.
Speaking of danger, of course, there remains a degree of risk of injury, as with any activity. Especially on unfamiliar natural surfaces such as soil there can be sharp stones, glass, pieces of metal and other hazards lurking to ruin your joyful barefoot run. It's only really possible to be truly relaxed when you can see clearly and know the area well. For everything else, there's PaleoBarefoots® - they allow the same feel and fun, but without the risk of injury.
Everyone should find his or her own tolerance level. A good tip is to start by running barefoot for maximum 15 minutes, once a day and then observe your feet well - they will tell you if you have tolerated it, or if it was too much too soon.
Videos, links and further articles
Video: Christopher McDougall: Are we born to run?
Video: Daniel Lieberman: How To Run: DOs & DON'Ts
Wikipedia · Barefoot Running
SPORTSCIENCE · Barefoot Running
Runners World November 2012
Changes to Stride, Surface and Form to Avoid Injury
New York Times October 2012
Myths of Running: Forefoot, Barefoot and OtherwiseStudie der Universität Savonia Februar 2010
Leichtschuhe bei Schmerzen am unteren Rücken
Schweizer Sonntagszeitung April 2010
Auf dem Weg zum natural running
Süddeutsche Zeitung Mai 2010
Gelenke schonen beim Joggen - Hornhaut statt Turnschuh
Süddeutsche Zeitung März 2010
weiche Sohle: verpönt
Süddeutsche Zeitung Mai 2010
Laufschuhe belasten Gelenke Schlimmer als barfuß
Harvard Universität, Januar 2010, Studie:
Running barefoot or in Minimal Footwear
Universität von Virginia, Januar 2010, Studie:
The Effect of Running Shoes on Lower Extremity Joint Torques
BBC, Januar 2010
Shoes may have changed how we run
Der Standard (AT), Januar 2010
Wer geübt barfuß läuft, schützt automatisch ...
Berliner Morgenpost, Januar 2010, US Studie:
Forscher empfehlen, barfuß zu joggen
Welt, Januar 2010, Sportmedizin:
Joggingschuhe belasten mehr als Barfußlaufen
SPIEGEL, Januar 2010, Jogging Studie:
Laufschuhe belasten Gelenke stärker als Barfußlaufen
ETH Zürich, 2009 Studie Kinderfüße:
Barfuss schneller als in Turnschuhen
The experiences and tips provided here are primarily used as a guidance and are intended for those who want to find back on the path to walk barefoot again. This information are of course no substitute for the advice of a doctor, trainer or coach. Before carrying out exercises and / or changes of your training you should ask them if necessary. We can not accept any liability for this information purely based on our personal experience. We refer to the Terms and Conditions (GTC) of this website.
More information: Your Rating: Rating: 111 (Ø 6.38) Views: 3524 Keywords: Created: 12.06.2012 Updated: 04.05.2013 -
Why are the PaleoBarefoots ® so different?
Usually, after wearing new shoes for some time, they adapt to the feet. The PaleoBarefoots®, as naked feet, do not follow this logic. Both exposes the feet unfiltered and immediate to the environmental conditions. The feet have to get used to it first. If you just stroll the load is low, if you want to cover longer distances, it is much stronger. The time of getting used can easily take several weeks or months. Gradually, muscles and ligaments in the legs and feet must adapt to new conditions. The very personal (barefoot) form here determined rhythm and speed.
Anyone who was wearing shoes (including barefoot shoes) the major part of his life, will not be able to change to barefoot immediately and for more than minutes. Asphalt, gravel roads and bumpy dirt roads are too hard to walk on in the beginning. Untrained and shielded feet for years, cannot stand the sudden sensory stimuli and undamped mechanical stress. The feet may not yet be able again to deal with it. Still lacks the structured processing of now undamped, massive stimuli, which your 200.000 nerve endings are taking unfiltered. In addition to the nerves in the soles of the feet, natural protective equipment such as fat, dermis, body tension, etc. may not be plentiful. With PaleoBarefoots® all this is not different. They do offer perfect protection against purely mechanical hazards, but not against the natural effects of barefoot running. Conscious barefoot and continuous barefoot training (even at home) is very important.
This is the reason also, why the PaleoBarefoots® cannot be assigned to any known class of shoes. Moreover, they define a whole new Barefoot Technology. Its character is very close to "pure barefoot running" and still very far from the so-called barefoot shoes (e.g. Vibram and others). We as the sales point and manufacturer could not have a better unique selling point. On the other hand, the "minimalist" user properties are easily underestimated. Paleo®Running is the same like walking barefoot - as cold, as wet, as soft, as hard, etc.. It makes an enormous pleasure to get the impressions of all this. But maybe it needs some time for your feet, to deal with it (again).
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Created: 19.05.2012 Updated: 21.01.2013 -
What's the science behind barefoot shoes?
As early as 1995, Christoph Reinschmidt, a bio-mechanic from Calgary University in Canada, was concerned about the heel height (the height of the heel compared to the forefoot), which would amplify the pronation of the foot during the support phase of the running motion. The pronation of the foot is a natural damping motion that moves inwards, the important thing here being the force that pushed the foot into this rotational movement. Depending on the construction of the heel, it can cause a multiple of the normal load (Grau, 2003). Then shoe manufacturers “invented” so called “pronation supports” (harder materials on the inside of the in-between sole), which would cushion the strong forces that drive through the sole. American bio-mechanic Dr. D. Casey Kerrigan and her colleagues only recently found out that ironically, these damped shoes with higher heels and pronation support cause more strain to hip and knee joints than than simply walking barefoot. These scientists measured 37 percent more internal torque at the knees and 54 percent more torque at the hip joints when running with shoes.
In another study from an american team of scientists lead by Geoffrey Keenan, experts from the University of Virginia observed 68 healthy athletes with shoes and barefoot on a treadmill. The athletes wore reflectors and were filmed with a high speed camera, in order to mathematically determine the strain on the joints during running. The results were again staggering: Hip, knee and foot joints suffered much higher forces when joggers wore shoes. The burden of running shoes on the hip was calculated to be 54 percent higher on average than running barefoot. Knee joints showed 36 to 38 higher loads. Through these measurements it was concluded that the higher strain was caused largely from the higher heels and the suspension material under the foot arch. This study was a compelling confirmation that the higher strain on the three lower joints is a result of the construction (heel/pronation) of modern running shoes.
Scientists around evolutionary biologist Prof. Dr. Daniel Lieberman at the University of Harvard (Nature, issue 463, page 531, 2010) also came to the conclusion: People who run barefoot go easier on their joints. The authors correctly asserted that runners with regular running shoes touch the ground with the heel first. This leads to a load on the knees and other joints equivalent of three times their body weight. Runners who run barefoot touch the ground with the forefoot or the middle of the foot. This leverages a natural suspension mechanism that strongly minimizes the subsequent impact on the heel. The hit on the heel when touching the ground is therefore significantly reduced, when it is transmitted to the joint. Prof. Lieberman: “Most people think that it is dangerous and painful to tun barefoot”. But the opposite is true. Even on hard surfaces, it is more comfortable to run without shoes. When offered unhindered freedom of movement, they are better trained and become stronger, which can lead to less injury.Conclusion and basic principle:
Even acknowledged physicians, physiotherapists, orthopedists and podiatrists agree that the bio-mechanic and sensorial functions of the human foot are degenerated through modern footwear. Avoid shoes with heels, even shoes that look flat, but still have some sort of higher heel. Even shoes that are marketed as "barefoot shoes" or having "zero heel" tend to be different in the heel than in the front. Regularly walk barefoot or in shoes that are as close to walking barefoot as possible.
Meanwhile, this topic is discussed in the media more and more. The increasing “minimalist” movement that uses “barefoots” or “barefoot shoes” in sports and leisure is unbreakable. Here's a small overview of such products that other manufacturers have brought to market.Just Minimalist shoes are enough?
No, everybody can do more, of course. We are convinced that the use of barefoot shoes is only the beginning of this development and there's still a lot to be discovered. Positioning feet correctly is not the only important thing for well-being, mindfulness and stimulation of the body's own vital functions! There are many more equally important factors that even modern barefoot shoes can only address in an incomplete way. We're talking about direct and richt influences of the environment on the feet and therefore on the whole body.
Why else would people inevitably smile when stepping barefoot into a puddle? And why is it nearly impossible as an adult to keep children from mud, dirt and sludge, where they enjoy jumping around so much? Primal instincts?
In order to better understand this, one should keep an eye on human history. How long does mankind walk on leveled, flat, even polished surfaces? Our feet have evolved through millions of years into what they are today. They are bio-mechanic masterpieces of evolution – genetically optimized for constantly changing differences in ground hardness, composition, temperature, humidity and moisture, slope and so on. In the last 10,000 years, we have instead perfected the isolation of out feet from these primal impulses … and taken away these enormously important stimulations from them.
The construction of the walking apparatus is the bio-mechanic result of an extremely long time of development. It's optimized for all surfaces that are present in nature – and conversely, not optimized for anything that didn't exist 10,000 years ago. Evolution is unfortunately too slow for that. Being exposed to always the same load, on an tarmac street, for hours, is a constant lack of challenge that must lead to degeneration. Feet need variety in order to be completely healthy and strong: Warm, cold, wet, dry, hard, soft, bumpy, uphill, downhill, sloped, etc.Barefoot and the PaleoBarefoots®:
The somewhat misleading term barefoot shoe, in contrary to what you might expect, does not describe the barefoot feeling, but barefoot-like conditions (minimal drop, no / a minimal insole, thin sole, sufficient toe space and an overall very flexible construction). Our less positive experiences with available barefoot products (the so-called "minimalist shoes" or "barefoot shoes") in respect to barefoot feeling finally led to a simple idea, the foundation of GoSt-Barefoot and this completely new barefoot feeling concept.
Walking and running, including as much barefoot feeling as possible, preferably on naturally grown ground. Ideal prerequisites for our feet and for the PaleoBarefoots®. These barefoots have been developed especially for walking “barefoot” absolutely safely even on unknown and unclear grounds while still feeling “close to nature”. On meadows and lawns, in forests, at coasts, streams and rivers – yes, even in and under water.
The PaleoBarefoots® have these distinctive advantages over other products:
► They are entirely made out of a stainless steel ring-mesh and they last for a whole life.
► The material has proven itself in the industry (meat processing) and is hygienically harmless.
► These PaleoBarefoots® protect against injury more reliably.
► The open ring grid reveals environmental influences directly to your senses and experience.
► The flexible fabric allows for natural movement of the feet and increases mobility.
► Changes in temperature (the so called “Kneipp” effect) stimulate the body.
► The individuality of the ground leads to invigorating massages (reflexology).
► Using them strengthens the immune system and activates vital functions.
► The PaleoBarefoots® convey a pure and therefore real barefoot feeling.
This list only gives a short insight and is not detailed enough, therefore you'll find a few links to relevant information pages in our online presence. Don't hesitate to let us know should you need more information.Links to further information on our platform:
► Information on PaleoBarefoots® manufacturing.
► Health aspects of Paleos®- and barefoot walking.
► A summary of features.
► Testimonies from customers and testers.
► Reviews from the online shop.
► Image gallery PaleoBarefoots®.
► Video archive PaleoBarefoots®.
► PaleoBarefoots® YouTube channel.
More information: Your Rating: Rating: 59 (Ø 6.25) Views: 1525 Keywords: Created: 31.08.2012 Updated: 12.01.2013 -
A trend moves the masses: run on the forefoot!
Over the last few months we've observed a growing number of discussions around running styles that advocate a front and mid-foot running style, and we can only marvel at how many hundreds of new "Barefoot Coaches" have sprung up, almost daily, to offer their books and (paid) services.
So where does all this sudden knowledge come from, and where has it been hiding all this time? In other words: Is barefoot running really as extraordinary, mysterious, unknown, forgotten and dangerous as some would have us believe?
It often seems that way when 'forgotten' things are redefined in our awareness. Before they can form their own opinions - in this case around trying to find their own personal style of barefoot running - most people will of course trust the majority of a trend's followers. Due to personal distress (statistically the number of running injuries has not decreased much in decades), impatience or lack of time, many people prefer to consult with coaches or other 'experts' to change the way they run. Forefoot running is such a trend, and now many runners are beginning to change the running styles that have suited them for many years - no matter what shoes they've used for years, and incomprehensibly, no matter the sort of surfaces they run on.
In our personal opinion and experience, the combination of running shoe AND the surface you run on will affect your personal running style! And, this is often as individual (not without good reason) as the structure of our feet are!
For example: let's imagine a rough gravel path, and a seasoned marathoner who has run for many years exclusively on roads, wearing his normal padded running shoes.
► With the shoes he usually wears, he has little reason to change his pronounced heel running style that he uses on the road - due to the attenuation the shoe padding offers he will have little cognition of how the gravel surface feels. Nothing hurts, so why do anything different here? But the gravel presents a real danger to him, despite adequate damping; a danger that he cannot recognize, or may recognize too late. Thick, hard shoed soles can easily result in a slip in a fraction of a second on a jutting stone and lead to serious ankle sprain (twisted ankle) or worse. At full speed, the body exerts enormous force on the feet, and the only part of the foot that would be able to absorb this shock is the ankle. The other parts of the foot can't come into play - despite soft padding, arch supports, protected toes etc. Running injuries during intense runs are often outside of the shoe area (ankles, knees, calves, thighs etc). To put it a little differently: skiing accidents often result in torn ligaments, broken legs, twisted knees, but rarely in broken metatarsal bones or toes. Any sudden force in such cases are, rather than being placed on the foot (our natural walking apparatus), moved to the ankle upwards. Not a good result! It's no surprise then, that most distance runners prefer paved, clean, flat roads.
► Imagine we now take that same runner and give him a minimalist style shoe, with a thin 3-4mm thick sole, and once again let him lose on the gravel path. Perhaps he starts to run as usual, on the heel. But what happens when he hits that first sharp stone, and it punches painfully against his fast descending heel? Fearing injury, he will naturally slow his pace, look where he's going, and instinctively shift his foot to a midfoot/ball strike and resist the urge to push his weight forward through his knees. By doing this, he naturally gives the foot the time it needs to adjust itself and distribute his bodyweight differently if he feels any sharp stone or obstacle underfoot.
► What though, if we simply took his shoes, and sent him out barefoot? We know that since the ground is likely to be extremely uncomfortable that most likely he'd end up gingerly hopping around on the razor sharp stones on tiptoes and getting no running done at all.
► Take a fourth example. Let the same heel striking runner loose - again completely barefoot - in a lush grassy meadow, or on the soft warm sand of a beach. How will he run there?
It's quite normal in that situation for most people to be a back heel runner! Why?
Injury prevention vs. energy consumption!
The nature of the human body is to constantly balance two extremes. Firstly, ensuring survival and protection from injury (which ultimately affects the ability to live and procreate) and secondly, minimizing energy consumption. Priority is always given to injury prevention - protecting the body from damaging itself, and everything else is subordinate to these functions - in fact these functions is beyond our conscious control.
In terms of the above example on the gravel road - this means that the feedback from painful soles alerts the body to take up a posture that most protects it from impending danger. Slower movement and forefoot striking with bent knees is safer, but consumes more energy (especially combined with flailing arms to maintain balance). Once there's little danger (sandy beach or soft grass) the body reverts to a heel - toe transition to save energy and achieve more pleasing gait.
Anyone can run on the forefoot!
Although he may not be aware of it, our marathon runner will tend to run on the forefoot in special circumstances - for instance fast race starts and sprints - where heel running is simply impossible. However, it's likely that barefoot, or in minimalist shoes, he won't be able to run for long (or at least not without painful consequences). The problem is not so much that he needs to learn to run again, but rather that he will be required to exercise his body (in this case the entire foot structure) gradually to achieve the flexibility and stamina needed to respond to the changed conditions.
Primarily, this includes acclimating to the feedback of the substrate on his unaccustomed nerve endings. Shoes really do make our feet blind and deaf! For the feet, it's as if you were constantly required to wear thick mittens on your hands all the time. To retrain the senses, it's important that the new stimuli be as varied as possible. Two things at least should change, one is to either wear no shoes, or true minimalist shoes (that allow full flexibility and feeling for the foot) , and the second to vary the surface that you run on, rather than just sticking to asphalt! Try different surfaces, but walk initially, and then jog or run later. This can take months.
Those who want a natural running style need to train in natural environments!
To develop a natural running style takes time and effort; run in meadows, hills, rivers, mountains and beaches - natural conditions where the surfaces that our feet evolved and optimized to over millions of years can be found. Flat paved roads or gym treadmills are insufficient as they place little demand on the ability to engage the mind, sight, ligaments and muscles of the foot completely. These surfaces train only simple repetitive motions and angle, time and speed are trained in isolation. There may be enough power, but gaining the ability to flow and shift bodyweight efficiently and naturally is important to running smoothly. All runners using stiff and padded shoes on a flat surface are likely to eventually experience injury be it caused by a curb, a lone stone in the road, a wet patch, a sudden slope or any other infrequently encountered obstacle.
Findings: All running variants (forefoot, mid foot and heel striking) are natural movements and all find their ideal conditions, flow into each other, and constantly change with the surface. Those who simply want to measure themselves on treadmills will likely regret the shortsightedness of their mistake. The skills of our feet are as complex as their construction, to strengthen them as a whole and preserve their natural flexibility requires that they experience exercise at maximum bandwidth!
Any other way of dealing with the feet - as the current discussions heard out and about - such as the compulsion to attempt to run only on the front of the foot, will inevitably lead to a completely different set of injury patters. Minimalist shoes or barefoot in combination with natural surfaces should be the real trend! Only this can lead to a natural running style and improve overall health through increased stimuli. However, not every runner can change running style immediately! If you've given yourself years to learn to run on roads with a particular style of shoe, don't expect to be able to switch overnight to other shoes and surfaces!
Through years of unchanging muscle loads, your joints, bones, tendons and ligaments are adapted to your particular running style. In order not to overwhelm the weaker structures that have degenerated over time, most runners will have a longer transition to their own personal combination of surface and shoe. Everyone (including non-runners) should take time to strengthen their feet gradually. You can start to integrate walking barefoot or add some short periods of wearing minimalist shoes into your workouts and build up gradually.
Final Thought: The mainstream audience is still learning what going barefoot means. Currently, general statements and recommendations should be examined critically. A recommendation is not necessarily correct, even if it's proclaimed by many people. It's sometimes hard to distinguish experts from the 'free-riders' who just follow on and regurgitate what they've heard someone else say.
From our personal experience, we have this advice to offer in developing your own running style. Simply listen to your body and pay attention to its reactions. You'll quickly recognize where you feel comfortable - the type of shoes/minimalists and surfaces. If you observe carefully, you'll find your body knows exactly what is wrong, what does or doesn't work, and when something is too much. You just need to be patient, and look a little more carefully at what you do than before.
Rely on your common sense and don't listen to us or anyone else to tell you how you feel!
More information: Your Rating: Rating: 47 (Ø 6.45) Views: 1476 Keywords: Created: 06.11.2012 Updated: 13.03.2013 -
PaleoBarefoots®, more than "just" minimalist shoes!
The PaleoBarefoots® are not a substitute for your regular running shoes for tarmac and concrete - but an ideal tool for everything apart from it! With them, you can expand your radius in nature and there promote your health with important, unfiltered, sensorimotor stimulation.
Our Barefoots are fully made from stainless steel ring mesh and not comparable with the so-called minimalist shoes (which just simulate barefoot physical conditions).
They supplement their important characteristics by benefits you did not have so far! For example the complete stimulus transmission (for soil, water, temperature, air, etc.), and industrially proven body protection. Even in bulletproof vests this material is processed! Only this unique combination makes us relaxed and our feet strong and healthy! No insect, no shards or shellfish, no hidden metal part can harm your feet!Properties and effects using the PaleoBarefoots®:
► Authentic barefoot feeling because of the open ring structure.
► Foot protection - completely safe and industrially proven.
► Unique foot freedom - no drop, no insole, no footbed, etc.
► Room for your toes - each toe can "grab" and "claw" individually.
► Off road capability - suitable for all natural grown surfaces.
► Compared to other shoes, they allow a very silent running.
► Unfiltered soil feedback saves energy and one can run longer.
► Humidity and wet conditions – can be used on soils and in waters.
► Exceptional GRIP properties on land and in the water.
► VValency - quality stainless steel alloy (used in industry).
► Longevity - material since decades industrially proven.
► Consumption - even after years not visible.
► Perception - refined, flexible, comfortable to the touch.
► Cleaning and hygienic - just easy and uncomplicated.Health and therapeutic aspects:
► Foot ventilation - direct, unobstructed airflow.
► Reflexology - massage directly (depending on soil).
► Stimuli - unfiltered feedback leads to precise movement.
► Kneipp temperature effect - direct perception.
► Kneipp moisture effect - instantaneously as with bare feet.
► Biomechanics - challenges the entire foot and traines in a natural way.
► Strengthening the immune system caused by environmental factors.
► Vital functions - stimulating, reviving, training, preservation.
► Perception - direct feedback, more close to nature.
► Comprehensive foot training reduces the risk of injury.
► Paleos®running relaxes and makes happier.
► Reactions - Paleos®running lifts your mood!
► General - it's as healthy as with bare feet!
Also kean to ground yourself and to have a better health?Find out which PaleoBarefoots® type you are!
Or get you a pair of PaleoBarefoots®!
More information: Your Rating: Rating: 51 (Ø 5.65) Views: 888 Keywords: - minimalists,
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- barefoot training,
- VIBRAM,
- Vivobarefoot,
- Barefoot Feeling,
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- Foot Mobility,
- Off-road Capability,
- Humidity,
- Traction Properties,
- Valency,
- Aging,
- Hygiene,
- Foot Climate,
- Foot Reflexology,
- Kneipp Effect Temperature,
- Kneipp Effect Humidity,
- Biomechanics,
- Vital Functions,
- Reactions ,
- Reactions,
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- foot protection,
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- foot space,
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- properties,
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Created: 16.06.2012 Updated: 29.03.2013
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A trend moves the masses: run on the forefoot!
Over the last few months we've observed a growing number of discussions around running styles that advocate a front and mid-foot running style, and we can only marvel at how many hundreds of new "Barefoot Coaches" have sprung up, almost daily, to offer their books and (paid) services.
So where does all this sudden knowledge come from, and where has it been hiding all this time? In other words: Is barefoot running really as extraordinary, mysterious, unknown, forgotten and dangerous as some would have us believe?
It often seems that way when 'forgotten' things are redefined in our awareness. Before they can form their own opinions - in this case around trying to find their own personal style of barefoot running - most people will of course trust the majority of a trend's followers. Due to personal distress (statistically the number of running injuries has not decreased much in decades), impatience or lack of time, many people prefer to consult with coaches or other 'experts' to change the way they run. Forefoot running is such a trend, and now many runners are beginning to change the running styles that have suited them for many years - no matter what shoes they've used for years, and incomprehensibly, no matter the sort of surfaces they run on.
In our personal opinion and experience, the combination of running shoe AND the surface you run on will affect your personal running style! And, this is often as individual (not without good reason) as the structure of our feet are!
For example: let's imagine a rough gravel path, and a seasoned marathoner who has run for many years exclusively on roads, wearing his normal padded running shoes.
► With the shoes he usually wears, he has little reason to change his pronounced heel running style that he uses on the road - due to the attenuation the shoe padding offers he will have little cognition of how the gravel surface feels. Nothing hurts, so why do anything different here? But the gravel presents a real danger to him, despite adequate damping; a danger that he cannot recognize, or may recognize too late. Thick, hard shoed soles can easily result in a slip in a fraction of a second on a jutting stone and lead to serious ankle sprain (twisted ankle) or worse. At full speed, the body exerts enormous force on the feet, and the only part of the foot that would be able to absorb this shock is the ankle. The other parts of the foot can't come into play - despite soft padding, arch supports, protected toes etc. Running injuries during intense runs are often outside of the shoe area (ankles, knees, calves, thighs etc). To put it a little differently: skiing accidents often result in torn ligaments, broken legs, twisted knees, but rarely in broken metatarsal bones or toes. Any sudden force in such cases are, rather than being placed on the foot (our natural walking apparatus), moved to the ankle upwards. Not a good result! It's no surprise then, that most distance runners prefer paved, clean, flat roads.
► Imagine we now take that same runner and give him a minimalist style shoe, with a thin 3-4mm thick sole, and once again let him lose on the gravel path. Perhaps he starts to run as usual, on the heel. But what happens when he hits that first sharp stone, and it punches painfully against his fast descending heel? Fearing injury, he will naturally slow his pace, look where he's going, and instinctively shift his foot to a midfoot/ball strike and resist the urge to push his weight forward through his knees. By doing this, he naturally gives the foot the time it needs to adjust itself and distribute his bodyweight differently if he feels any sharp stone or obstacle underfoot.
► What though, if we simply took his shoes, and sent him out barefoot? We know that since the ground is likely to be extremely uncomfortable that most likely he'd end up gingerly hopping around on the razor sharp stones on tiptoes and getting no running done at all.
► Take a fourth example. Let the same heel striking runner loose - again completely barefoot - in a lush grassy meadow, or on the soft warm sand of a beach. How will he run there?
It's quite normal in that situation for most people to be a back heel runner! Why?
Injury prevention vs. energy consumption!
The nature of the human body is to constantly balance two extremes. Firstly, ensuring survival and protection from injury (which ultimately affects the ability to live and procreate) and secondly, minimizing energy consumption. Priority is always given to injury prevention - protecting the body from damaging itself, and everything else is subordinate to these functions - in fact these functions is beyond our conscious control.
In terms of the above example on the gravel road - this means that the feedback from painful soles alerts the body to take up a posture that most protects it from impending danger. Slower movement and forefoot striking with bent knees is safer, but consumes more energy (especially combined with flailing arms to maintain balance). Once there's little danger (sandy beach or soft grass) the body reverts to a heel - toe transition to save energy and achieve more pleasing gait.
Anyone can run on the forefoot!
Although he may not be aware of it, our marathon runner will tend to run on the forefoot in special circumstances - for instance fast race starts and sprints - where heel running is simply impossible. However, it's likely that barefoot, or in minimalist shoes, he won't be able to run for long (or at least not without painful consequences). The problem is not so much that he needs to learn to run again, but rather that he will be required to exercise his body (in this case the entire foot structure) gradually to achieve the flexibility and stamina needed to respond to the changed conditions.
Primarily, this includes acclimating to the feedback of the substrate on his unaccustomed nerve endings. Shoes really do make our feet blind and deaf! For the feet, it's as if you were constantly required to wear thick mittens on your hands all the time. To retrain the senses, it's important that the new stimuli be as varied as possible. Two things at least should change, one is to either wear no shoes, or true minimalist shoes (that allow full flexibility and feeling for the foot) , and the second to vary the surface that you run on, rather than just sticking to asphalt! Try different surfaces, but walk initially, and then jog or run later. This can take months.
Those who want a natural running style need to train in natural environments!
To develop a natural running style takes time and effort; run in meadows, hills, rivers, mountains and beaches - natural conditions where the surfaces that our feet evolved and optimized to over millions of years can be found. Flat paved roads or gym treadmills are insufficient as they place little demand on the ability to engage the mind, sight, ligaments and muscles of the foot completely. These surfaces train only simple repetitive motions and angle, time and speed are trained in isolation. There may be enough power, but gaining the ability to flow and shift bodyweight efficiently and naturally is important to running smoothly. All runners using stiff and padded shoes on a flat surface are likely to eventually experience injury be it caused by a curb, a lone stone in the road, a wet patch, a sudden slope or any other infrequently encountered obstacle.
Findings: All running variants (forefoot, mid foot and heel striking) are natural movements and all find their ideal conditions, flow into each other, and constantly change with the surface. Those who simply want to measure themselves on treadmills will likely regret the shortsightedness of their mistake. The skills of our feet are as complex as their construction, to strengthen them as a whole and preserve their natural flexibility requires that they experience exercise at maximum bandwidth!
Any other way of dealing with the feet - as the current discussions heard out and about - such as the compulsion to attempt to run only on the front of the foot, will inevitably lead to a completely different set of injury patters. Minimalist shoes or barefoot in combination with natural surfaces should be the real trend! Only this can lead to a natural running style and improve overall health through increased stimuli. However, not every runner can change running style immediately! If you've given yourself years to learn to run on roads with a particular style of shoe, don't expect to be able to switch overnight to other shoes and surfaces!
Through years of unchanging muscle loads, your joints, bones, tendons and ligaments are adapted to your particular running style. In order not to overwhelm the weaker structures that have degenerated over time, most runners will have a longer transition to their own personal combination of surface and shoe. Everyone (including non-runners) should take time to strengthen their feet gradually. You can start to integrate walking barefoot or add some short periods of wearing minimalist shoes into your workouts and build up gradually.
Final Thought: The mainstream audience is still learning what going barefoot means. Currently, general statements and recommendations should be examined critically. A recommendation is not necessarily correct, even if it's proclaimed by many people. It's sometimes hard to distinguish experts from the 'free-riders' who just follow on and regurgitate what they've heard someone else say.
From our personal experience, we have this advice to offer in developing your own running style. Simply listen to your body and pay attention to its reactions. You'll quickly recognize where you feel comfortable - the type of shoes/minimalists and surfaces. If you observe carefully, you'll find your body knows exactly what is wrong, what does or doesn't work, and when something is too much. You just need to be patient, and look a little more carefully at what you do than before.
Rely on your common sense and don't listen to us or anyone else to tell you how you feel!
More information: Your Rating: Rating: 47 (Ø 6.45) Views: 1476 Keywords: Created: 06.11.2012 Updated: 13.03.2013 -
Page Content
Preface & Introduction
How healthy are our 'civilized' feet?
History: hunting and finding food!
Proprioception and Coordination.
Soil + shoe: the combination that counts!
Our "barefoot" experiences in nature
Likely effects you can count on.
What have we learned since the beginning of 2011.Switching to Barefoot and Minimalist
Assessing your personal running situation.
Changing from running shoes to minimalist/barefoot shoes
The switch to pure barefoot running
Videos, links and further articles
Preface & Introduction
The following information should help to awaken your desire to walk and run barefoot and to facilitate you in getting there. For most of us that is not as easy as it sounds! This is supported by the official figures: 98% of children are born into this world with healthy feet, but more than 60% of adults suffer with some form of foot damage. Since the event of padded running shoes in the last 50 years, 80% of runners will have experienced an injury. In light of this, it's high time to think about a more natural barefoot running style and / or the PaleoBarefoots®!
To better understand why this is, it helps to have a look back over the millions of years of human evolution. More than 300,000 years ago our StoneAge ancestors inhabited the earth. Unlike today's athletes who might say they "live to run", these Paleo-athletes ran to live! Their daily life was survival, hunting and searching for food over long distances. They needed strength, speed, agility and endurance. With hindsight, their activities would be called extreme sports! And - they ran essentially barefoot! Since they would encounter many differing substrates and challenges for the feet, the human foot structure is therefore correspondingly complex, and needs to be precisely controlled.
The proprioceptive system that controls our balance and movement ensures our foot position will be well-coordinated and controlled! For this system to function precisely, the brain relies on clear signals from our immediate surroundings. Temperature, muscle stretch and pressure receptors, joints and skin constantly transmit impulses to the brain telling it about current physical conditions. These are all evaluated by our proprioceptive system that triggers and turns on signals regulating reactions throughout the body.
About 70% of this feedback comes through receptors that are found in our feet. The more openly the sensors are exposed to the substrate, the more precise the triggered pulses. If these receptors were not so important, it's hardly likely that so many would be in the foot area! The signals between foot and brain control heart-rate, muscles and organs to ensure safe and energy-efficient locomotion.
Soil + shoe: the combination that counts!
We can assume that the people have always lived in the valleys, prairies, forests, rivers and lakes, and along the coasts. Typically they lived close to good hunting grounds and sufficient plant food. Certainly, our feet are also suitable for the crossing of rocks or hard baked plains, but for the most part, people moved on rather soft natural surfaces. Everyone will be able to confirm that it is more comfortable to walk barefoot on sand, grass and leaves than on hard surfaces. Our walking system has been moulded by evolution to match the natural cushioning of the surfaces to which it has adapted.
Did you know that, when running, at every step during our feet must absorb the shock of approximately three times our body weight? We therefore find the current trend of "soles a few millimeters to cover long distances on hard asphalt" somewhat distressing.For our feet, it's like a treadmill - very poor in variations (no variation in hardness, slope, etc.), but even worse - without any dampening effect.
Conversely, strongly damped running shoes with rigid soles are not great for soft, uneven natural surfaces. They remove the foot from the surface and consequently you feel things like hidden stones, holes etc. imprecisely; therefore the proprioceptive system generates correspondingly inaccurate responses. Statistics show that the majority of running injuries occur on soft surfaces. Additionally, with this combination of shoe and soil, far more energy is needed to counteract the double damping (shoe and foot) that occurs here.
Ultimately, depending on the distance and the combination of ground and shoes (or barefoot), it is not possible to forgo some support of supportive cushioning. This padding must come either from the ground, or from the shoe, or a combination of both. Normal running shoes should be used for hard surfaces (at least at long distance) while on natural surfaces, it's far better to resort to bare feet or thin-soled minimalist shoes.
Our thesis is hardly disputed by the leading initiators of the current barefoot trend (such as Daniel E. Lieberman and Christopher McDougall). Rather, they state that eventually, barefoot runners will also enjoy running on asphalt roads as these are predictable and well tolerated (see Video). However, they do not comment on the resulting rather unilateral exercise of the feet that this affords, and the undemanding receptor stimulation (same hardness, same surface, roughly same incline) that this provides.
Here is an example of how one-sided loads for a long time let suffer your feet! A great article and the author is humble enough to admit that he shouldn't have done this. Running on roads is still a good start (in minimalist or barefoot if it's not a race). Long term, however, one should run more on natural, more varied surfaces in order to train the feet and the proprioceptive system more comprehensive and in the sense of "natural running".
Our "barefoot" experiences in nature
In addition to our personal personal experiences, the following lists include the experiences of the Paleo® testers since the beginning of 2011. It is primarily thanks to them that this page exists. Many thanks to them for this!
Likely effects you can count on
► Your legs and feet will feel stronger.
► Your feet and ankles are more supple.
► Your sense of balance improves with training.
► Your posture gets naturally realigned.
► Back and knee problems disappear.
► Foot problems slowly recede.
► Running injuries heal faster.
► You gain a better awareness of your movements.
► Endurance and energy efficiency improve.
► Overall movement is smoother.
► The feet get wider, the toes spread apart.
► Your running style alters ...
► ► You'll switch to a "gliding, groping" style.
► ► You'll find barefoot considerably quieter (and will be running more lightly!)
► ► You reduce the pressure going through your knees.
► ► You lean your upper body further forward.
► ► You make more, but shorter steps.
► ► Fore-and mid foot strike the ground first.
► ► You run under your center of gravity.
► Your immune system is strengthened and you are sick less often.
► Mentally you'll feel better and experience lifted mood generally.
► Correctly regulated, barefoot running is great fun!
What have we learned since the beginning of 2011
► The right attitude matters!
► ► especially if the weather is bad or cold,
► ► if you haven't been running for a few days.
► ► Once you overcome yourself you realize again how nice it feels.
► ► Barefoot running requires inner peace and relaxation.
► ► If one is distracted mentally, this increases the risk of injury.
► As a beginner, you should be well prepared ...
► ► plan and explore your barefoot path prior to running it,
► ► frequently switch the running surface,
► ► always bring some spare shoes with you,
► ► For the cases make sure to have spare shoes,
► ► Wear a hat (the head loses a lot of heat and energy),
► ► Ensure you have access to water for rough cleaning
► ► or better yet, just start at a water source!
► Regularity is important! Develop a regular barefoot habit.
► ► Try to get out into nature at least every two to three days
► ► In the beginning, however, less is more, don't run before you can walk!
► ► Note!! Particularly after winter you actually begin from scratch!
► ► A few minutes are enough initially. You can slowly increase over time.
► ► Longer breaks between excursions should be avoided if possible.
► Be prepared for minor injuries (important even if you aren't barefoot!).
► ► (This is especially important during longer trips where you'll be remote.)
► ► for example, you can stub your toes
► ► you might incur a bruise or small cut,
► ► you can twist something, or maybe even fall.
► ► Carrying a small first aid kit makes sense, it should at least contain:
► ► ► a small bandage (6 cm wide)
► ► ► a roll of plaster/micropore tape (2.5 cm wide),
► ► ► an elastic adhesive bandage (8 inches wide)
► ► ► a vial of rubbing alcohol,
► ► You should also ensure you have a current tetanus shot (once in 10 years).
► ► If you are a diabetic, you should avoid unnecessary risks to your feet.
► Where incidents might occur on the road, you should ...
► ► (Again, this is especially to be considered during long trips.)
► ► ensure you can cut things short if in doubt, or always be able to turn back,
► ► know where there is a safe place where you can rest.
► ► It's advisable to check the route before you set out.
► ► Tell someone where you are going and your likely route.
► One should develop body-awareness and observe it well.
► ► (Applies in general and is not only important for walking barefoot.)
► ► It's better to not follow any trends blindly, but first listen to your body!
► ► Read our article ""Forefoot running only" - does it make sense?"
► ► Note any changes to the legs and feet and take care of them!.
► ► Particularly, intensity and duration of any reactions are important.
► Barefoot running in cold weather and at low temperatures..
► ► one should first start running with normal shoes,
► ► and change to barefoot running only when the feet are warmed up.
► ► Caution, if the feet are too cold, they get insensitive to pain,
► ► the risk of injury increases enormously because one no longer feels clearly.
► ► The feeling for the ground is lost and timely response lacks or comes too late.
► ► (You then pounce too hard without taking back load when landing on eg stones.).
► ► Thereby caused bruises and sprains you realize much later when you are back home.
► ► So better to switch back to your spare shoes early!
► Sore muscles, a little pulling and discomfort are not a bad sign!
► ► (Anyone who has worked out in a gym knows this)
► ► These are an indication that your body is adjusting.
► ► New barefoot runners often find that their calves hurt more initially - it's normal.
► ► However, it should NOT seriously hurt, that means it was too much!
► ► If you get pain, try to be more gentle on yourself, take additional rest and observe.
► ► Reduce the duration and intensity of runs, and be more careful.
► ► It's better to take the cautious old rhythm again than try to push too hard.
► Do not forget to take care of your feet.
► ► As a barefoot runner, you should wash your feet daily.
► ► You might find it helpful to apply some moisturizer, but not too often.
► ► For this purpose it is best to use a light, non-greasy moisturizer,
► ► on dry or cracked skin you might try some Bag Balm (don't use if allergic to lanolin).
Switching to Barefoot and Minimalist
Assessing your personal running situation.
► Are you a casual or serious runner?
► On which surfaces are you used to running?
► Are you used to choosing suitable surfaces for your shoes
► Or trying to match your shoes to other surfaces?
► You understand that barefoot/minimalist is not just a different pair of shoes?
► What is your personal training situation?
► Do you have patience and endurance to handle changes?
► Wet, cold and dirty feet no problem?
Regardless of your current situation, you should not change immediately and radically, this is a process that takes time. You should be aware that any change of shoes, surfaces, and especially the combination of the two has great impact on your tendons, ligaments, muscles and your running style (the stride & strike). You should understand that it could be months until your feet, legs and body adjust to the new conditions, and the ideal shoe-surface combination is found. Your personal running style will develop and become more fluent in the long run, but you will need to be patient. (Please read our article "Forefoot running only" - does it make sense?)
Changing from running shoes to minimalist/barefoot shoes
► Your feet were previously supported and cushioned.
► The shoe 'drop' (gradient heel-toe) is now close to "0".
► The foot has space and can move freely.
► Each toe can now help individually.
► You no longer have any support for the arch of the foot.
► You can feel the ground beneath much better than before.
► The receptors of your soles feel more.
Barefoot shoes provide completely different conditions that are a change from what your feet are used to now. Without your old running shoes, your foot muscles and all the ligaments and tendons need to be strengthened and brought into the correct form. Initially, the missing heel cushioning alone can lead to significant problems with the calf muscles and Achilles tendons, because they might be simply too short to cope. You literally need to 'grow into' barefoot running! This takes time, and tendons and ligaments respond especially slowly!
Added to this is the chosen surface. If you have just decided on running in the future on natural surfaces (grass, sand, forest soil, etc.), there are further requirements. For example on soft surfaces, your feet will sink deeper into the ground and thus hyperextend the joints. Uneven surfaces result in the foot experiencing different angles and inclinations. Also, your foot receptors need to be trained - you will tend to 'overreact' to stimulation such as rocks, branches that 'tickle' your receptors.
Therefore, once again we counsel you to begin with a few minutes and increase very slowly. If you're already a trained runner, begin with minimalists for only a few minutes. See how your body reacts, and gradually (but continuously) increase usage time. We also recommend not to try to train a certain running style, but give your body the chance to develop it independently. Everyone runs differently. (Again, refer to our article "Forefoot running only" - does it make sense?).
The switch to pure barefoot running
The switch to pure barefoot running.
► In addition to the previous items ...
► The soles of your receptors are now completely free.
► You will immediately feel cold, heat, moisture, etc.
► You are no longer protected from hazards on the ground.
► You'll get dirty feet! ;)
At the beginning, running on rough surfaces will be quite challenging. Conversely, there's no more authentic foot feeling for relaxing into! Even mud and puddles become a real treat! Minimalists can indeed adjust your feet to barefoot running, but don't truly afford a full barefoot feeling - namely the direct perception of all environmental factors at each step.
For years, your feet have probably been well protected, packed aways in shoes, and now they are beginning to be highly sensitive. This particularly applies to the receptors that 'listen' through the soles of your feet - so far they had to listen very carefully to 'hear' anything, but barefoot, they face the full brunt of the environmental conditions to which they have been newly exposed. Therefore, you will find that you might only be able to go a few hundred meters on the forest floor - your receptors still interpret every little bump as an alleged danger.
Afterwards, back home, your feet will be literally 'buzzing' - similarly to how your face might feel after a long, cold winter walk. Adapting to this direct stimulation occurs surprisingly fast and after a fairly short while, you'll feel more comfortable. Your brain will filter out the noise from the real dangers when things are working properly.
Speaking of danger, of course, there remains a degree of risk of injury, as with any activity. Especially on unfamiliar natural surfaces such as soil there can be sharp stones, glass, pieces of metal and other hazards lurking to ruin your joyful barefoot run. It's only really possible to be truly relaxed when you can see clearly and know the area well. For everything else, there's PaleoBarefoots® - they allow the same feel and fun, but without the risk of injury.
Everyone should find his or her own tolerance level. A good tip is to start by running barefoot for maximum 15 minutes, once a day and then observe your feet well - they will tell you if you have tolerated it, or if it was too much too soon.
Videos, links and further articles
Video: Christopher McDougall: Are we born to run?
Video: Daniel Lieberman: How To Run: DOs & DON'Ts
Wikipedia · Barefoot Running
SPORTSCIENCE · Barefoot Running
Runners World November 2012
Changes to Stride, Surface and Form to Avoid Injury
New York Times October 2012
Myths of Running: Forefoot, Barefoot and OtherwiseStudie der Universität Savonia Februar 2010
Leichtschuhe bei Schmerzen am unteren Rücken
Schweizer Sonntagszeitung April 2010
Auf dem Weg zum natural running
Süddeutsche Zeitung Mai 2010
Gelenke schonen beim Joggen - Hornhaut statt Turnschuh
Süddeutsche Zeitung März 2010
weiche Sohle: verpönt
Süddeutsche Zeitung Mai 2010
Laufschuhe belasten Gelenke Schlimmer als barfuß
Harvard Universität, Januar 2010, Studie:
Running barefoot or in Minimal Footwear
Universität von Virginia, Januar 2010, Studie:
The Effect of Running Shoes on Lower Extremity Joint Torques
BBC, Januar 2010
Shoes may have changed how we run
Der Standard (AT), Januar 2010
Wer geübt barfuß läuft, schützt automatisch ...
Berliner Morgenpost, Januar 2010, US Studie:
Forscher empfehlen, barfuß zu joggen
Welt, Januar 2010, Sportmedizin:
Joggingschuhe belasten mehr als Barfußlaufen
SPIEGEL, Januar 2010, Jogging Studie:
Laufschuhe belasten Gelenke stärker als Barfußlaufen
ETH Zürich, 2009 Studie Kinderfüße:
Barfuss schneller als in Turnschuhen
The experiences and tips provided here are primarily used as a guidance and are intended for those who want to find back on the path to walk barefoot again. This information are of course no substitute for the advice of a doctor, trainer or coach. Before carrying out exercises and / or changes of your training you should ask them if necessary. We can not accept any liability for this information purely based on our personal experience. We refer to the Terms and Conditions (GTC) of this website.
More information: Your Rating: Rating: 111 (Ø 6.38) Views: 3524 Keywords: Created: 12.06.2012 Updated: 04.05.2013 -
What's the science behind barefoot shoes?
As early as 1995, Christoph Reinschmidt, a bio-mechanic from Calgary University in Canada, was concerned about the heel height (the height of the heel compared to the forefoot), which would amplify the pronation of the foot during the support phase of the running motion. The pronation of the foot is a natural damping motion that moves inwards, the important thing here being the force that pushed the foot into this rotational movement. Depending on the construction of the heel, it can cause a multiple of the normal load (Grau, 2003). Then shoe manufacturers “invented” so called “pronation supports” (harder materials on the inside of the in-between sole), which would cushion the strong forces that drive through the sole. American bio-mechanic Dr. D. Casey Kerrigan and her colleagues only recently found out that ironically, these damped shoes with higher heels and pronation support cause more strain to hip and knee joints than than simply walking barefoot. These scientists measured 37 percent more internal torque at the knees and 54 percent more torque at the hip joints when running with shoes.
In another study from an american team of scientists lead by Geoffrey Keenan, experts from the University of Virginia observed 68 healthy athletes with shoes and barefoot on a treadmill. The athletes wore reflectors and were filmed with a high speed camera, in order to mathematically determine the strain on the joints during running. The results were again staggering: Hip, knee and foot joints suffered much higher forces when joggers wore shoes. The burden of running shoes on the hip was calculated to be 54 percent higher on average than running barefoot. Knee joints showed 36 to 38 higher loads. Through these measurements it was concluded that the higher strain was caused largely from the higher heels and the suspension material under the foot arch. This study was a compelling confirmation that the higher strain on the three lower joints is a result of the construction (heel/pronation) of modern running shoes.
Scientists around evolutionary biologist Prof. Dr. Daniel Lieberman at the University of Harvard (Nature, issue 463, page 531, 2010) also came to the conclusion: People who run barefoot go easier on their joints. The authors correctly asserted that runners with regular running shoes touch the ground with the heel first. This leads to a load on the knees and other joints equivalent of three times their body weight. Runners who run barefoot touch the ground with the forefoot or the middle of the foot. This leverages a natural suspension mechanism that strongly minimizes the subsequent impact on the heel. The hit on the heel when touching the ground is therefore significantly reduced, when it is transmitted to the joint. Prof. Lieberman: “Most people think that it is dangerous and painful to tun barefoot”. But the opposite is true. Even on hard surfaces, it is more comfortable to run without shoes. When offered unhindered freedom of movement, they are better trained and become stronger, which can lead to less injury.Conclusion and basic principle:
Even acknowledged physicians, physiotherapists, orthopedists and podiatrists agree that the bio-mechanic and sensorial functions of the human foot are degenerated through modern footwear. Avoid shoes with heels, even shoes that look flat, but still have some sort of higher heel. Even shoes that are marketed as "barefoot shoes" or having "zero heel" tend to be different in the heel than in the front. Regularly walk barefoot or in shoes that are as close to walking barefoot as possible.
Meanwhile, this topic is discussed in the media more and more. The increasing “minimalist” movement that uses “barefoots” or “barefoot shoes” in sports and leisure is unbreakable. Here's a small overview of such products that other manufacturers have brought to market.Just Minimalist shoes are enough?
No, everybody can do more, of course. We are convinced that the use of barefoot shoes is only the beginning of this development and there's still a lot to be discovered. Positioning feet correctly is not the only important thing for well-being, mindfulness and stimulation of the body's own vital functions! There are many more equally important factors that even modern barefoot shoes can only address in an incomplete way. We're talking about direct and richt influences of the environment on the feet and therefore on the whole body.
Why else would people inevitably smile when stepping barefoot into a puddle? And why is it nearly impossible as an adult to keep children from mud, dirt and sludge, where they enjoy jumping around so much? Primal instincts?
In order to better understand this, one should keep an eye on human history. How long does mankind walk on leveled, flat, even polished surfaces? Our feet have evolved through millions of years into what they are today. They are bio-mechanic masterpieces of evolution – genetically optimized for constantly changing differences in ground hardness, composition, temperature, humidity and moisture, slope and so on. In the last 10,000 years, we have instead perfected the isolation of out feet from these primal impulses … and taken away these enormously important stimulations from them.
The construction of the walking apparatus is the bio-mechanic result of an extremely long time of development. It's optimized for all surfaces that are present in nature – and conversely, not optimized for anything that didn't exist 10,000 years ago. Evolution is unfortunately too slow for that. Being exposed to always the same load, on an tarmac street, for hours, is a constant lack of challenge that must lead to degeneration. Feet need variety in order to be completely healthy and strong: Warm, cold, wet, dry, hard, soft, bumpy, uphill, downhill, sloped, etc.Barefoot and the PaleoBarefoots®:
The somewhat misleading term barefoot shoe, in contrary to what you might expect, does not describe the barefoot feeling, but barefoot-like conditions (minimal drop, no / a minimal insole, thin sole, sufficient toe space and an overall very flexible construction). Our less positive experiences with available barefoot products (the so-called "minimalist shoes" or "barefoot shoes") in respect to barefoot feeling finally led to a simple idea, the foundation of GoSt-Barefoot and this completely new barefoot feeling concept.
Walking and running, including as much barefoot feeling as possible, preferably on naturally grown ground. Ideal prerequisites for our feet and for the PaleoBarefoots®. These barefoots have been developed especially for walking “barefoot” absolutely safely even on unknown and unclear grounds while still feeling “close to nature”. On meadows and lawns, in forests, at coasts, streams and rivers – yes, even in and under water.
The PaleoBarefoots® have these distinctive advantages over other products:
► They are entirely made out of a stainless steel ring-mesh and they last for a whole life.
► The material has proven itself in the industry (meat processing) and is hygienically harmless.
► These PaleoBarefoots® protect against injury more reliably.
► The open ring grid reveals environmental influences directly to your senses and experience.
► The flexible fabric allows for natural movement of the feet and increases mobility.
► Changes in temperature (the so called “Kneipp” effect) stimulate the body.
► The individuality of the ground leads to invigorating massages (reflexology).
► Using them strengthens the immune system and activates vital functions.
► The PaleoBarefoots® convey a pure and therefore real barefoot feeling.
This list only gives a short insight and is not detailed enough, therefore you'll find a few links to relevant information pages in our online presence. Don't hesitate to let us know should you need more information.Links to further information on our platform:
► Information on PaleoBarefoots® manufacturing.
► Health aspects of Paleos®- and barefoot walking.
► A summary of features.
► Testimonies from customers and testers.
► Reviews from the online shop.
► Image gallery PaleoBarefoots®.
► Video archive PaleoBarefoots®.
► PaleoBarefoots® YouTube channel.
More information: Your Rating: Rating: 59 (Ø 6.25) Views: 1525 Keywords: Created: 31.08.2012 Updated: 12.01.2013 -
Trend "Natural Running", the new shoes and what is different!
The trend of so-called minimalist shoes or barefoot should allow again the natural running. Drop (difference in hight from heel to toe), insole, flexibility are the key words. The following video tries to explain the principle of the barefoot shoe and also shows that it's not that simple and an extended transition period can be required.
Actually, Our feet are made for running without shoes. But after decades of cushioning and supporting shoes the modern runner should go back cautiously to "barefoot running", to develop a healthier and more efficient running style. We all should constantly run barefoot, because nature has designed our feet for it. Day by day more orthopedists represent this thesis. In prehistoric times, people have run up to 40 kilometers or more per day. And of course, completely without shoes.
Since the last 10,000 years, our development has not yet been reflected in our genetic code, our feet are the same today as it was then. Healthy people are born with feet made for walking barefoot. Little children for example run exactly as it corresponds to the biomechanics of the foot - until they get their first shoes. Until then, they instinctively do not strike with with the heel, but the middle and forefoot.
Children still have a very direct relationship to the body and know that it can hurt when they strike with the heel first. To learn from children means learning to walk barefoot again. In the course of their lives most modern people in industrialized countries have lost the ability to walk instinctively as it would be ideal for their feet. Highly cushioned sports and running shoes support the foot, natural motion and the direct contact to the environment and substrate stimuli is prevented. Stimuli feedback that is needed to optimize reactions and movements.
Whatever minimalist or barefoot shoes one finally chooses, all real runners is recommended a very metered use with these shoes (as with the PaleoBarefoots®). This exactly until the foot has gradually adapted to the different loads of walking barefoot. Especially careful should be runners who previously ran for many years and miles in traditional, well-damped and the foot supporting running shoes. Although they are usually well trained, but because of that have deficits in the foot muscles. Too early attemps to run in barefoot running shoes large distances and on hard surfaces, therefore threaten overloads.
For beginning runners, however barefoot running shoes are recommended almost without restriction. All of those who not yet do long and enduring running should make the first attempts with minimalist shoes. With beginners feet and remaining body are in the same (untrained) training status. From the start, you train the foot muscles and all other areas equally, and the movements are coordinated harmoniously.
Most probably, for traditional runners the new barefoot shoes will remain alongside to their traditional sports shoes. And for quiet some time they will remain your second or third running shoes.
More information: Your Rating: Rating: 21 (Ø 6.19) Views: 457 Keywords: Created: 28.10.2012 Updated: 21.12.2012 -
Why are the PaleoBarefoots ® so different?
Usually, after wearing new shoes for some time, they adapt to the feet. The PaleoBarefoots®, as naked feet, do not follow this logic. Both exposes the feet unfiltered and immediate to the environmental conditions. The feet have to get used to it first. If you just stroll the load is low, if you want to cover longer distances, it is much stronger. The time of getting used can easily take several weeks or months. Gradually, muscles and ligaments in the legs and feet must adapt to new conditions. The very personal (barefoot) form here determined rhythm and speed.
Anyone who was wearing shoes (including barefoot shoes) the major part of his life, will not be able to change to barefoot immediately and for more than minutes. Asphalt, gravel roads and bumpy dirt roads are too hard to walk on in the beginning. Untrained and shielded feet for years, cannot stand the sudden sensory stimuli and undamped mechanical stress. The feet may not yet be able again to deal with it. Still lacks the structured processing of now undamped, massive stimuli, which your 200.000 nerve endings are taking unfiltered. In addition to the nerves in the soles of the feet, natural protective equipment such as fat, dermis, body tension, etc. may not be plentiful. With PaleoBarefoots® all this is not different. They do offer perfect protection against purely mechanical hazards, but not against the natural effects of barefoot running. Conscious barefoot and continuous barefoot training (even at home) is very important.
This is the reason also, why the PaleoBarefoots® cannot be assigned to any known class of shoes. Moreover, they define a whole new Barefoot Technology. Its character is very close to "pure barefoot running" and still very far from the so-called barefoot shoes (e.g. Vibram and others). We as the sales point and manufacturer could not have a better unique selling point. On the other hand, the "minimalist" user properties are easily underestimated. Paleo®Running is the same like walking barefoot - as cold, as wet, as soft, as hard, etc.. It makes an enormous pleasure to get the impressions of all this. But maybe it needs some time for your feet, to deal with it (again).
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- barefoot-technologie,
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- soil,
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Created: 19.05.2012 Updated: 21.01.2013
