The Barefoot Running Book - Jason Robillard [17]
• Newton® (www.newtonrunning.com)—Newton does not produce minimalist shoes. Rather, they produce shoes with little or no heel-to-toe differential, but still maintain the qualities of a traditional running shoe. The major advantage to Newton shoes is they allow you to run with excellent form while still maintaining great protection and cushioning.
There are a few other small companies such as Sanuk® that produce true minimalist shoes. Also, some of the major shoe manufacturers are beginning to produce more pseudo-minimalist shoes.
Among the “traditional” shoe manufacturers, Nike leads the way with their “Free” line. While I would classify the Free as a “reduced running shoe,” Nike is beginning to incorporate better technology that allows the foot to move independently within the shoe.
Other companies like GoLite, Saucony, Adidas, and Inov-8 are actively producing either reduced-running shoes or even true minimalist shoes.
Within the next couple years I predict the market will become flooded with a plethora of minimalist shoe options from all major shoe manufacturers. This competition for the minimalist shoe market should produce some excellent shoes that compliment the current offerings.
Minimalist shoes can be purchased at many local running stores. Most minimalist shoe manufacturers have a “store locator” function on their website and many are also available online. Among my favorite stores are Zombie Runner in Palo Alto, California (http://www.zombierunner.com), Gazelle Sports in West Michigan (http://gazellesports.com), and Two Rivers Treads in Shepardstown, West Virginia (http://www.trtreads.org.)
My Guiding Principles
The following are the principles that guide my philosophy regarding barefoot running. These principles have been developed over time based on my personal experiences, studying the available research, observing other runners, and discussing barefoot running with peers.
Principle One: There is no single right answer.
Barefoot running is inherently a very individualistic activity. Each of us will develop our own style and form—there is no single “correct” way to run barefoot. Some pre-packaged techniques, such as ChiRunning, Good Form Running, Evolution Running, and the POSE method can be very effective methods to learn minimalist shoe or barefoot running. However, all methods take an “our way is the right way” approach which simply is not the case when running barefoot. None of them are the single best method for all runners. Therefore, my job as a teacher of barefoot running is to help you find your own style.
Principle Two: You must experiment and learn from your successes and failures.
George Sheehan famously said, “Each of us is an experiment of one-observer and subject-making choices, living with them, recording the effects.” In order to master the art of running barefoot, you must be willing to try new things—adopting the successes and discarding the failures. I’ve used this concept to develop some truly unorthodox running habits such as eating hot dogs, Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, and alcohol-based iskiate as race fuel, wearing cotton hoodies instead of the latest moisture-wicking fabrics, and actively seeking out rugged terrain to practice barefoot trail running skills.
Principle Three: Your body is your best teacher.
When following principle two, your best feedback will be your own body. Your brain has the amazing ability to receive feedback from your body, interpret that information, and adjust accordingly. Our own thought processes often create roadblocks for this process. We must learn to trust what our own body is telling us. Feel, don’t think. If we feel a shock with each step, we have to modify our form until the shock disappears. Your body is the most efficient running coach you can employ.
Principle Four: Patience is mandatory.
Learning to run barefoot takes time. Allowing your body to adapt to this new running style