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O Sole mio: Seven days on Skinners
by Michael Restin
Is less shoe more? Step by step into barefoot life
4.6.2020
Translation: machine translated
In the past, the cushioning couldn't be thick enough for me. Now I mainly run with barefoot shoes, running socks or bare feet. A way that feels right.
As a teenager, nothing was more important to me than having an air cushion in my shoe. As thick as possible, as visible as possible. Preferably "Air", even better with the suffix "Max". At 18, I was a sports shoe salesman at weekends and was presented with honeycombs, gel cushions and other miracle elements in training sessions, all of which promised perfect cushioning. At 21, the biomechanics professor explained in the lecture theatre: "The foot looks for its own impact." So he doesn't really care what technology is in the shoes.
Trends, Marketing and Science. Three factors, the first two of which fuel each other and are omnipresent in the sporting goods industry. Over the past four or five decades, Nike, Adidas & Co. have successfully challenged a principle that had held true for thousands of years: that the foot itself is pretty much perfect. That it needs to be protected, but not permanently supported and padded. That less is not more. Instead, you get more of everything for more money: more comfort, more performance, more lifestyle.
It is clear that an expensive shoe does not make a good runner. Abebe Bikila didn't have three stripes or the Swoosh on his feet when he won the 1960 Olympic marathon. He ran barefoot. Just like future world-class athletes who grow up in Kenya or Ethiopia probably still do today. The shoe comes later. At the top, every millimetre of sole and the limits of permitted footwear are discussed at Formula 1 level.
Barefoot or running shoe, all or nothing
As there is a counter-movement to every movement, barefoot running or running in minimalist shoes is becoming more and more popular in the western world. I never thought I'd be one of them when the first outdoorsmen were plodding around in finger shoes. Two things have happened since then: The selection has become bigger. And I'm older. As a result, my body protests more quickly if I put too much strain on it. My right knee occasionally lets me know, and I'm no longer a stranger to back pain in my lumbar spine.
At some point, I started walking barefoot as much as possible in my free time. Initially without any ulterior motive, but simply because it felt so nice and free. First a walk around the block in the evening, then longer walks. Wherever the rules of etiquette didn't require footwear, I went barefoot in the warmer months.
Mindfulness is not my favourite term, but it is apt in this case. Without shoes, I pay attention to my gait, choose my route more consciously and vary the pressure. I also feel the ground, its warmth and texture. And quickly feel the exhaustion in my feet and calves, which have to work unusually hard. Not to mention the sore skin. The changeover doesn't happen overnight.
In the second step, I bought trail shoes from Vivobarefoot. They offer plenty of toe room and a grippy sole that is thin and flexible right up to the heel. This allows the foot to roll and work naturally. You don't immediately notice that they are "barefoot shoes". But after a day's hike in them, I can clearly feel what I've done. Stone by stone. Afterwards, a day in trainers really does feel like walking on clouds. Nevertheless, I'm happy to do without them again as soon as my feet have recovered. I've been wearing the ultra-thin sock shoes Skinners regularly for two years now. They are the opposite of clouds, so there's no more damping.
Since corona has erased almost all appointments from my diary where "proper" footwear would be appropriate, I wear them on almost every occasion - when I'm not walking barefoot. And I have to revise my original judgement: They are also good as running shoes. Because my feet are now ready for it. After jogging in them for the first time, I had the feeling that my knee reacted very well to them. Instead of rolling over the heel, the lack of cushioning forces me to run on the forefoot or midfoot. I have to consciously sit up and take smaller steps. It's exhausting and I only need 30 to 40 minutes once a week at a relaxed pace. Because this basically feels right, I've started to read up on the topic.
The running shoe is naturally unnatural
In 2010, the Nature publication by a group led by Harvard professor Daniel E. Lieberman caused quite a stir. The evolutionary biologist wanted to find out how people travelled before the invention of the modern running shoe and how they absorbed the forces of foot impact. To do this, he analysed the running style and joint loading of barefoot runners and compared them with shoe runners. Some test subjects grew up as barefoot runners in Kenya and only later became accustomed to shoes, an American group had switched from running shoes to minimal shoes or barefoot running, while others wore normal running shoes as a matter of habit.
Lieberman found that their joint stress was sometimes three times higher than that of the barefoot runners. People in running shoes usually touch down heel first. 75 to 80 per cent of all runners practise heel striking. This is encouraged by cushioning soles, which leads to higher peak loads. Of course, shoe cushioning does what it is supposed to do. When runners used to shoes rolled over their heels barefoot, the load increased sevenfold compared to experienced barefoot runners.
The situation is better when we use our natural shock absorbers. In forefoot and midfoot running, the musculoskeletal system absorbs the forces much more efficiently. While the impact is transferred directly upwards to the joints via the heel, experienced barefoot runners place the foot relatively flat on the ball of the foot, which leads to a rotational movement around the ankle. This absorbs energy. This is work for the arch of the foot, the calf muscles and the Achilles tendon, but in this way they avoid large load peaks even on hard surfaces. Unfortunately, most runners have forgotten the technique because modern running shoes make the unnatural alternative so comfortable. The hypothesis that we originally ran differently and without injury and that the running shoe is part of the problem was grist to the mill of all barefoot enthusiasts.
The group of authors of this meta-analysis, which scrutinises the state of research on long-term effects, also notes that barefoot running and minimal shoes are booming. All findings are only evident to a limited extent. Evidence that barefoot running has a positive long-term effect and leads to fewer injuries is therefore still outstanding. There is even talk of a huge gap in research on this point.
I still don't know whether I'm on the right track. What is certain is that any change in running technique needs a lot of time. Otherwise, overload reactions and injuries are inevitable. When getting used to minimal shoes, for example, the frequent occurrence of bone marrow oedema has been documented. I will continue to do so in the coming months. Make enquiries. Get opinions. Trying things out. Walk barefoot or almost barefoot and report back. If you are interested in my experiences, you can follow me here by clicking on the button and find out what's new, step by step. <p
Michael Restin
Senior Editor
Michael.Restin@digitecgalaxus.chSimple writer and dad of two who likes to be on the move, wading through everyday family life. Juggling several balls, I'll occasionally drop one. It could be a ball, or a remark. Or both.
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