I was recently featured in an article of the September 2013 Edition of Men’s Health discussing barefoot running. The article discussed the dangers that can occur when runners think they can immediately switch to a minimalist shoe and continue to run their current mileage. A specific example was given of someone rupturing their achilles tendon at mile 26 of a marathon and falling short of a four hour finish. He had read the book Born to Run and switched to a minimalist shoe to train for the marathon. It wasn’t the shoe that created his injury, it was his immediate switch to the shoe without adapting. Mark Cucuzzella was also quoted in this article and his comment really hits home – “Running causes running injuries. Not shoes, not barefoot. If you don’t want a running injury, don’t run.” I believe this is 100% correct. Now, shoes can have an impact on the WAY that your are running and indirectly create an injury, but no one should be relying on shoes to correct form or fix a running injury. That is where barefoot running becomes a tool to help fix form.

I think the article discusses some of the dangers that can occur in transitioning too quickly to a minimalist shoe. My comments were displayed in a sidebar to help guide those who are transitioning.

If you have an injury and are considering transitioning to a minimalist shoe or running barefoot, the focus should be learning how to run, not simply switching shoes.

You can read the full article in PDF format by clicking the link below.

Mens Health Barefoot Running Article