Ugh…I really don’t want to turn this into a barefoot running debate, but I want to address some of your points. I have 12 years of running barefoot and what you posted or were told is simply not true in my experience. The old “people can’t run barefoot unless on grass or sand” line is the biggest and one of the more dangerous lies told about barefoot running. In 12 years of injury-free barefoot running, I can say the most dangerous surfaces to run on are: grass and sand. You can’t see what you’re stepping on. Funny thing about concrete and pavement, you can actually see where you’re stepping. All those hypodermic needles everyone is so concerned about stepping on? Yeah, never saw those in the wild. And if I ever did, I could just…not step on it. Additionally, soft surfaces prevent the runner from getting consistent feedback from the ground, which inhibits their ability to correct their form. Concrete was my favorite surface because it was hard and unforgiving. I got immediate, consistent feedback and my stride and form corrected itself very quickly to a midfoot strike, allowing me to transition faster in the end. The human foot isn’t designed to heel strike at speed. That’s why some running shoes have massive (Hokas) amounts of padding in the heels and large heel drops - to facilitate a heel strike that won’t break your heel bone.
There’s a saying “let your skin be your guide” in transitioning to barefoot running. The sole’s skin will tell you immediately if you’re heel striking, pushing off the toes, landing unevenly, twisting, etc and to correct it. Hot spots (precursor to blisters) develop and can be felt. And starting out, the skin will only let you go that hundred or so feet at a time on concrete for the first few weeks and will require the runner to build up slowly. The skin actually protects the internal structure and development of the foot because it keeps the runner extremely honest. And no, the skin doesn’t get calloused, thick, or leathery…it actually got softer for me. It is great exfoliation.
I run softer and lighter barefoot than I do in shoes (I wear racing flats when I do have to run in shoes for work). The lack of ground feedback while wearing shoes causes me to land slightly harder and get sore over longer distances in shoes. Not a problem barefoot.
Those runners your doctor saw in his office are the ones I described in my first post. Just because someone didn’t take the time to educate themselves and strip their program down to nothing and start over doesn’t mean barefoot running isn’t safe and viable for those who do it correctly. Most “serious” runners never did bother to transition correctly because they didn’t want to lose their weekly mileage, and got hurt as a result. Most then turned around and blamed minimalist running.
I don’t have the running pedigree you have. I’m no marathoner, I had to start a jogging hobby for my military career (knock out that timed 1.5 mile run once a year…). I was an athlete (riding and ice hockey since i was little), but not a runner. Before barefoot, I always struggled to get fit enough to run 5ks without getting hurt (shin splints so severe they caused stress fractures). After transitioning, I was running four days a week, between 3-8 miles per run depending on the schedule, all on concrete. No injuries. All weather, including winter in Nebraska. Not a marathon, but for me, the accomplishment of being in a regular (if humble) running program injury-free is as big as finishing Boston.
It’s been my experience that the people that laugh off barefoot running are the ones who have never, and will never try it. People think it’s dirty, too extreme, completely unnecessary, etc, etc. Most barefoot runners took it up because everything else failed. It was my last desperation move, and it worked. I owe my highly successful military career to ditching my shoes and trusting the process.
