And with the change in weather comes a change in footwear. Very rarely will you see me wearing anything but flip flops from June straight through September. When making the switch, there's always a week to two week period when my feet have to get used to the fact that there's not as much cushion when walking around anymore. I have to develop my "Summer Soles" as I call them.
Surely most of you have heard of or read the book, Born to Run, by Christopher McDougall and his experience with an ancient tribe that is able to run incredible distances with no injuries while running barefoot or with thin-soled sandals. Chris hypothesizes that wearing cushioned running shoes may be a big contributor to running injury, and since then we have seen a surge in marketing from companies like Nike and Reebok for shoes that mimic barefoot running.
But why is it good to run, (or do anything for that matter) barefoot? Well there's a couple of things. But the biggest one, as Harry Clay explains in THIS T-Nation article, is proprioception. For most of us, our feet are the only point of contact with the different surfaces we walk on, so to develop good movement patterns our feet should have a good sense of where they are in space. Wearing cushioned cross trainer's creates a disconnection between your foot and floor, and over time we lose strength in the ligaments and muscles in our feet because of it. Walking, running or lifting barefoot allows your feet to really grip the surface you're on, creating better overall balance and strength.
All that being said, I wouldn't just dump all my sneakers in a trash can, set them on fire and go run a marathon barefoot. You have to take it in stages. Yes the ancient tribe that McDougall describes runs over 100 miles at a time with no shoes and experiences zero injuries; but I'm also fairly confident that the members of those tribes rarely spend 8 hours a day at a desk and enjoy a Big Mac at least once a week.
In my opinion the best way to start going barefoot is at the gym. Now, most gyms won't let you workout barefoot, but if you pick up some thinly soled shoes such as Chuck Taylor's, Vibram's or Reebok's ReelFlex, it should be the next best thing. You will notice a huge difference in doing exercises such as squats, dead lift, and lunges barefoot. Your foot will be able to grip the floor better, and you can really develop the musculature of your posterior chain better by pushing your heals directly into the ground on these exercises, instead of pushing through a cushioned heal lift that your sneakers provide.
You will most likely experience some soreness, just as you would when starting any new exercise program. However, if you are willing and physically able, try lifting barefoot at your gym. It's a more controlled environment than running outside, and I think you will really enjoy the added benefits it can give you.
