A Balanced Approach To Barefoot Training

The typical arguments in favor of barefoot running are far from convincing, in my opinion. The barefoot advocates certainly have a lot to say, but the simple fact is that there is no evidence that shoes are the cause of injuries, or that running barefoot will prevent injuries. The claim that a forefoot strike is most optimal for long-distance running is completely unsubstantiated. Where your foot makes contact in relation to your center of mass is more important than which part of your foot strikes the ground first. Heel-striking is not synonymous with overstriding, and correcting an overstride can easily be accomplished while wearing shoes. Furthermore, all of the elite runners wear shoes, and the available evidence suggests that the far majority of elite distance runners are heel strikers.

Despite all the indications that shoes are here to stay, I believe there is still value in devoting some time to barefoot training. To varying degrees, shoes limit the amount of sensory input our brains receive from our feet. The brain contains corresponding maps for each part of the body, and those maps will change in size and function depending upon how they are used. For example, a piano player will have larger, more efficiently operating brain maps for their hands than the average person who doesn’t regularly use their hands in such a precise manner. In The Brain That Changes Itself, author Norman Doidge comments on the effect of a lifetime of wearing shoes: “This leads us to dedifferentiate the maps for the soles of our feet and limit how touch guides our foot control.” This is the “use it or lose it” principle in action.

Brain maps are not static; they change in response to training or disuse

What’s the result of the dedifferentiation of these brain maps for our feet? Well, if we habitually restrict the sensory input from our feet, we will compensate for that deficiency by learning to depend on other sources of input. An obvious compensation would be a visual one, demonstrated by looking down at our feet as we navigate over an obstacle or maneuver across uneven ground. The next logical regression is to rely on the use of our hands for support when we stand up, sit down, use the stairs, etc. This only reinforces the lack of reliance on feedback from the feet. By walking around or performing simple balancing exercises in our bare feet, we can supply more detailed sensory input to the brain. This will develop and maintain differentiated brain maps for the soles of our feet, including the toes. Since our feet are the connection to the ground, receiving more quality information can allow our brains to fine-tune our levels of balance, mobility and agility. No wonder gymnasts and acrobats perform barefoot or in tights.

Does that mean you have to go barefoot all the time to reap any benefits? No, of course not, and it doesn’t mean you have to run barefoot, either. Wearing shoes while running won’t cancel out your barefoot exercise sessions any more than a pianist will ruin their career by putting on gloves to wash the dishes. How much dexterity does running require compared to playing a piano piece, anyway? And how much balance does running require compared to a gymnastic routine? Remember, too, that gymnasts may practice and perform barefoot, but they aren’t landing on asphalt. Shoes can provide certain benefits, like traction and/or protection, and good judgement and common sense can assist with your decision to wear them or not.

Training on an unstable surface does not carry over to performance on a stable surface because it blurs the connection between ground and foot

It follows that certain shoes will be more or less suitable for any given task. Ironically, one of the supposed benefits of toning shoes is improved balance, however, they can never provide this by smoothing out the input from the ground to our feet. What does this imply about all the various balance toys that are popular in the fitness industry? Do they offer anything of value? If they are interfering with or preventing the feedback we receive from the ground, how can they enhance balance? True, you may become more skilled at balancing on any given device, but you can’t expect any learned skill to transfer to solid ground if you’re not training on solid ground.

In fact, the transfer of skill goes in the opposite direction, as you apply the proficiency acquired in a stable environment to an unstable one. After all, first we crawl, then we stand, then we walk, then we run, then we jump, and then we can learn how to skateboard. It never works the other way around. I will often have my clients remove their shoes for a portion of their workout to focus on balance, especially if they are wearing thickly cushioned running shoes. In that case, I always prefer to have them stand on a firm surface as opposed to a padded mat or even carpeting. The idea is to enhance, rather than blur, the connection between ground and foot.

The primary benefit of barefoot training is not biomechanical, but neurological, providing enhanced sensory input to the brain

Personally, I think the whole barefoot approach that is currently being promoted is totally backward. I’d recommend doing just about any low-intensity exercise or daily activity in bare feet, and then wearing shoes for the considerably more strenuous demands of running, not the other way around! You can perform many tasks comfortably with your bare hands, but if you want to dig some holes in your backyard, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with wearing gloves. Likewise, there’s no need to ditch your shoes, even though there is definitely a benefit to spending some time barefoot. You can do this when walking around the house, in the yard, or at the park, and when performing low-impact exercises that aim to improve balance, then gradually including more vigorous drills and calisthenics once you’re sure that you can handle it.

If you just can’t ignore all the hype about long-distance barefoot running and have to try it out for yourself, then by all means take it slow, starting with low volume and low intensity on a forgiving surface like grass, sand, or soft dirt. Regardless of how you train, always be reasonable, and keep a balanced approach. Providing stimulating input to your brain, via your bare feet, has the potential to improve your balance and mobility, and the positive effects won’t be canceled out if you wear shoes once in a while.