In the old days, when people wanted to get from this point to that place, they would either ride horses or yak-pulled wagons. Today, we can ride a car, scooter and a bike. If we want to go from one country to another, we can hop on a plane and fly there. But, despite the interesting and awesome evolution of travelling, there is one thing that has not changed and that is our love and need of running.

For those who are into jogging and are now into barefoot running, you might be surprised about the unending debate on the subject. However, barefoot running is not a new trend or something that just happened recently on a whim. Running, throughout human history, has been always done on barefoot or either thin-soled shoes like moccasins. These are still continually used to this day when you go to Kenya and some other parts of the world like northern Mexico.

Barefoot running became popular around 50 years ago. It became quite known when Abebe Bikila from Ethiopia, who could not wear the team-issued shoes because it hurt his feet, won the Olympic marathon held in Rome by running only on bare feet. He has also done quite a lot of training barefoot and since then, British runners like Bruce Tulloh have competed in races during the 1960’s barefooted and won gold medal as well! So it is not surprising why the trend of running sans the bulky trainers is catching up as well.

In the early 21st century until today, barefoot running has gained a significant following outside the larger community of running. Barefoot runner such as Rick Roeber has been running barefoot since 2003 and has done it with 50 marathons and over 17, 000 miles! In 2006, Nico Surings of the Netherlands became the fastest person to run 100 meters on ice while barefoot.

Although these people have greatly experienced the joy of running without shoes, the popularity of this running practice only heightened more during 2009 when Christopher McDougall wrote the book Born to Run which revolves around the promotion of minimalist running. During the same year, the Barefoot Runners Society was founded and became a national club for those who prefer to run unshod. It’s amazing how the organization has 1,345 members which is nearly double the original memberships when it was founded.

Whether some of these popular athletes influenced running barefoot or if McDougall’s book has elevated its popularity, it cannot be denied that running without shoes have taken men to different places and different heights since time immemorial.

In the old days, when people wanted to get from this point to that place, they would either ride horses or yak-pulled wagons. Today, we can ride a car, scooter and a bike. If we want to go from one country to another, we can hop on a plane and fly there. But, despite the interesting and awesome evolution of travelling, there is one thing that has not changed and that is our love and need of running.

For those who are into jogging and are now into barefoot running, you might be surprised about the unending debate on the subject. However, barefoot running is not a new trend or something that just happened recently on a whim. Running, throughout human history, has been always done on barefoot or either thin-soled shoes like moccasins. These are still continually used to this day when you go to Kenya and some other parts of the world like northern Mexico.

Barefoot running became popular around 50 years ago. It became quite known when Abebe Bikila from Ethiopia, who could not wear the team-issued shoes because it hurt his feet, won the Olympic marathon held in Rome by running only on bare feet. He has also done quite a lot of training barefoot and since then, British runners like Bruce Tulloh have competed in races during the 1960’s barefooted and won gold medal as well! So it is not surprising why the trend of running sans the bulky trainers is catching up as well.

In the early 21st century until today, barefoot running has gained a significant following outside the larger community of running. Barefoot runner such as Rick Roeber has been running barefoot since 2003 and has done it with 50 marathons and over 17, 000 miles! In 2006, Nico Surings of the Netherlands became the fastest person to run 100 meters on ice while barefoot.

Although these people have greatly experienced the joy of running without shoes, the popularity of this running practice only heightened more during 2009 when Christopher McDougall wrote the book Born to Run which revolves around the promotion of minimalist running. During the same year, the Barefoot Runners Society was founded and became a national club for those who prefer to run unshod. It’s amazing how the organization has 1,345 members which is nearly double the original memberships when it was founded.

Whether some of these popular athletes influenced running barefoot or if McDougall’s book has elevated its popularity, it cannot be denied that running without shoes have taken men to different places and different heights since time immemorial.

Barefoot running seemed to have started to make its trend nowadays and is returning full force in the 21st century. However, despite the ongoing debate of the benefits of running sans the shoes or at least, by using minimalist barefoot shoes, what most people do not know is that years before, there have already been people who have been dominating the racing world and winning gold medals left and right by running bare foot! It’s not unusual but you might be surprised how some great athletes actually raced their sprints and marathon the “natural” running way!

One of the famous people who raced barefoot is Bruce Tulloh who is known as the barefoot champion during the 1962 Europeans. Although he did not take running seriously until he was an adult, he gradually improved and in July 1959, he won his first British AAA title over 3 miles under 13mins! Despite the fact that he won most of his races like the 1962 UK 2 mile run, Tulloh reasoned that his decision on whether to wear shoes or not usually depended on the type of track he was running on.

Another prominent runner is Herbert “Herb” James Elliot. He is a former Australian athlete who is known as one of the world’s greatest middle distance runners. The difference between Elliot and most of the runners he competed with was that he trained barefoot. He never lost a race over 15000 meters or a mile in his career. During the 1958 Commonwealth Games held at Wales he won a gold in the 880 yards. The following 2 years he set a new world record when he won the gold medal in the 1500 meters at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.

Finally, Zola Pieterse or better known by her maiden name Zola Budd is one of the former Olympic track and field racer who broke the world record in the women’s 5000 meters in less than three years. She has built her career in the most unusual way as she mainly trained and actually ran the race barefoot! Her career has influenced quite a trend in society. In South Africa, taxis are nicknamed “Zola Budd” because of their speed. Even singer like Breanda Fassie, had a hit single in the 80’s with a track entitled Zola Budd.

Surely, if these top athletes have benefitted from running barefoot, we might too! Fortunately for us, today’s innovation provide shoes that allow us to get the benefits of running barefoot without worrying about debris or stubbing our feet! Let’s just say, if these people were on top of their game during this century, they’d be encouraging a lot of people to run barefoot!

Barefoot enthusiasts have more to rejoice about! We’re giving you everything that’s absolutely positive about minimalist running! If you want something to smile about, read on!

ScarJo, Minimalist Runner? You Bet!

Scarlett Johansson is a Hollywood superstar in her own right. So, it’s not at all surprising why we find this news quite exciting! A photo of the movie star jogging with actor Sean Penn piques the interest of most runners whether barefoot or not. Incidentally, the actress was spotted wearing a Vibram Fivefinger Bikila shoes.

Although most people were speculating on her pregnancy, all eyes were on the actress feet as she shows herself as an advocate of barefoot running! Check out the photo: The Scarlett Shoes: Johansson jogs into the barefoot running craze!

Research Is Starting To Give Minimalist Running A Boost!

More and more people discover or read about barefoot or minimalist running online and in newspapers. However, it is the ever present blogs of newly-turned barefoot runner that give the population information about the benefits of running barefoot.

This is a good article to share for those who want to get more people into their barefoot running club or if you have need for more confirmation on how barefoot running benefits you or somebody you know who used to run before an injury and is looking to resume this passion.

Sports Science Update Cements Barefoot Running Efficiency

The reason why barefoot running is catching fire and spreading around the world is that it eliminates the bulky weight of the regular running shoe. This gives runners a new way of feeling and benefitting from running. Runners are reported to “run more economically” without the bulky trainers.

Read about a new study at the University of Nebraska and how it demonstrates the truth.

The “energy drink for your feet” of Reebok ZigTech versus the Action/Reaction Technology of Newton Running Shoes – which one’s for you?

It is so easy to get lost in all the hype we get from the barefoot running niche as shoe manufacturers dash in and present their innovative shoes to an eager market. Given the rising popularity of Newton Running Shoes and Reebok ZigTech, it is high time for us to put these barefoot running shoes on the spotlight and compare them side by side.

Unique Characteristic

Both brands feature an innovative technology that aspires to help runners run better with less. Newton Running Shoes owes their satisfactory performance to the patented Action/Reaction Technology which simply means the shoes absorb the impact from the forefoot or midfoot strike and then return energy back to you.

This dynamic is a product of the shoes’ actuator lugs. As your foot lands on the ground, the actuator lugs are pushed into the hollow chambers of the shoe’s midsole which effectively absorb the impact. The stored energy from the lugs are released as you lever your foot inside the shoe which then sends a burst of energetic reaction that propels you forward. This means lesser stress on your feet and legs giving you more energy to go further. The idea is coined from Newton’s Third Law of Motion which generally says that for every action there is an equivalent reaction.

On the other hand, the unique characteristic of Reebok Zigtech can obviously be seen at the bottom of the shoes which features an innovative and considerably light foam that is structured into a zig-zag shape. The sole not only shaves off some of the shoes’ supposed weight, but it is also designed as such to help spread the impact from heel strikes to the winding lines propelling you forward. This results to a powerful reduction of the work being performed by your leg muscles when running allowing you to run more. In fact, Reebok ZigTech prides itself as being an energizer that gives athletes a bounce.

Advantage

Many people have reacted to the unique yet glaring look of Reebok Zigtech shoes. Depending on one’s taste, these shoes would work just fine for you if you like modern looking shoes. Aside from its ultra lightweight features, these shoes are also soft and provide a lot of cushioning as well as excellent propulsion.

Newton Running Shoes resemble your typical running shoes except that some of their models sport loud colors. These shoes have often been described as comfortable with good traction. Plus the Newtons have helped a countless number of people overcome foot pain. However, if you have bunions, you might find the Newtons a little too tight in the forefoot area.

Cost

Most buyers get stuck in this aspect as they try to weigh the advantages of each brand to get the most out of their hard earned money. Reebok ZigTech is sold at a regular price of $100 while Newton Running Shoes are much more expensive with a price range of $155 to $180. Both brands offer a 30-day money back guarantee.

If you love to run then you have to pamper your feet with the perfect pair of shoes that can greatly help you optimize your running performance as well as protect your feet from injuries and other possible harmful materials. Choose the best pair that fits your preferences in terms of comfort, style, and cost while giving you the best performance.

It’s all about the perfect fit. We all hope that one pair or one brand of barefoot running shoes has all the features we would like our running shoes to have, if we are lucky enough. Sometimes, you really can’t have it all, so we try to patronize certain shoe brands depending on its main purpose.

This article does not intend to compare which is the better between Sockwa Shoes and Kigo Shoes. Rather, we aim to highlight the best features of each brand.

Sockwa shoes claim to have the thinnest sole in the market, thus its slogan “allows you to actually feel the ground”. Sockwa shoes make use of its ultra-thin sole technology and the stretchable and form fitting uppers that give the user more connection to the ground.

On the other hand, Kigo banks on its durable, stylish and minimalist footwears that will appeal to users who want their shoes to be multi-purpose – meaning good for athletics and everyday use.

Comfort
Sockwa shoes are really comfortable provided that the user gets into the right size. The sole and the upper are made of stretchable materials that allow freedom of toe movements. It is elastic, so it does not restrict your toes to be just boxed in, which of course also contributes to better blood circulation. The seams are neatly sewn together that you sometimes forget they exist.
Kigo has basically two models, Star and Shel. Star is specifically designed for women while Shel is intended for unisex use. The concern about Shel is its slimness which might tend to get uncomfortable especially if you were a man with wide feet. Women should have no problem with this as they are more than likely to have narrower feet. It’s a good thing that the upper of Shel stretches over time, thus decreasing the discomfort. However, you might still feel the narrowness if you had wider feet.

The Barefoot Feel
In terms of feeling the surface you walk in, Sockwa socks are the closest that you can get to walking barefoot.
With Sockwa shoes, the user can actually feel every little humps and bumps, with the benefit of having yourself protected from the really hard and sharp objects.
Although Kigos are not as thin as Sockwa shoes, they too can give you enough feel of the ground so as to be considered a good barefoot and minimalist shoe. It is also light enough for everyday use.

Durability
The kind of materials that Sockwa shoes are made of may restrict it from lasting that long especially if the shoes are used for extremely rough surfaces over long periods of time. These shoes are not really for hardcore outdoor adventures. Sockwa shoes are basically beach shoes thus they are ideal for sandy surfaces.
In contrast, durability is one of the strengths of Kigo Shoes. The shoes are made to endure strenuous activities such as skiing, hiking and similar activities. Rest assured that the shoes will take its user to the long haul.

Price
Price according to the Sockwa website is pegged at US$20, which is a real value for your money, as long as you know the limitations of the shoes and use them accordingly.
Kigo Shoes are sold at US$50. It may be more than twice the cost of Sockwa but given that it is expected to outlast many difficult climbs and treks, it sure is well worth the extra cost.
There you go. Remember, that getting the maximum benefit out of your minimalist shoes is knowing how it’s going to be used and getting the one that would best respond to your needs. May you have many more hours of barefoot walking, running and adventuring with your choice of barefoot shoes!

Runners who dream to establish a name in history need important tools to achieve their goal. These tools are considered their most valuable assets during special events that highly demand its absolute performance. The extent of success which a runner can attain greatly depends on the quality and reliability that his running shoes can give. You need to identify the right pair of shoes that can promise to meet your expectations. Read on to see the highlights of the two most popular shoe brands and discover significant reasons why they have become the choice of athletes worldwide.

To start with, let us check out the technological breakthroughs implemented in the manufacture of Newton Running Shoes and Inov-8 Shoes. Newton Running Shoes point the Action/Reaction Technology to be the secret ingredient behind the continuous demand of their products. This idea explains at least 40% return of energy keeping the runner active for a longer period. It originally came from Newton’s Third Law of Motion which states that for every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction. On the other hand, Inov-8 claims its biomechanics to be the central concept in all their running shoe designs. It is expressed in the concept of how they try to create products that will exactly fit with the natural foot functions particularly when doing outdoor activities.

Although Newton and Inov-8 shoes may differ in some way, they both work to provide only the best for everyone. While Newton running shoes emphasize a reduction in heel lift, Inov-8 speaks of clearly studying the natural movements of the feet as how they normally react in mountains or other terrains. But the two actually means the same thing. They want to ensure safety and maximum prevention from common injuries. Another interesting fact about the two brands is that they share a social responsibility which confirms their desire to uplift the status of the community.

In terms of marketing strategies, the Newton Running Shoes offer a 30-day guarantee policy which allows customers to experience the features of their shoes and return or exchange them after the trial period in case of failure to bring a satisfactory performance. Despite the risk of loss due to returns, the company strongly trusts the quality of products they give the market. Inov-8 Shoes on the other hand provides a one year warranty period for material or manufacturing fault and promises to either replace or mend the shoes. This claim however is not applicable to the shoes with damages that resulted from normal wear and tear or an accident.

In a recent post on Huffington Post Dr. Robert A. Kornfeld, a practicing podiatrist and founder of the Institute for Integrative Podiatric Medicine, states that barefoot running shoes is just a fad.

Fads come and go. In my practice, one of the most frequent questions asked is about the effectiveness of barefoot running shoes. My answer? We are in the midst of another passing fad of products, this time designed to mimic or support “nature.”

There you have it.  Dr. Kornfeld has declared that these barefoot shoes really have no merit and it’s just a craze that people will get over in due time.   At the end of the article he concludes:

So let’s get real. If you are a serious runner, you need to see a podiatrist who is also trained in functional foot typing, as developed by Dr. Dennis Shavelson to find out if barefoot running shoes are for you.

Hmmm, so according to him I need to see podiatrist first to determine if barefoot running shoes are right for me? But I’ve never seen a podiatrist before so who would I turn to?  How about Dr. Robert A. Kornfeld!! Or maybe Dr. Dennis Shavelson (what’s up with the name dropping?)  They are podiatrists. There’s no way he would have any interest in promoting their own occupations where if I did go see them they could make more money!

All kidding aside.  It’s hard for me to take the good doctor seriously.  In the beginning of this article he says that the whole barefoot running shoes movement is just a passing fad.  Fair enough.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion.  But what confuses me is that he says if you want to see if “barefoot running shoes are for you” that you need to see a podiatrist first.  Wait.  If this is just a fad, shouldn’t he be saying that you should just all together skip this fad since there is no actual benefit to it?  It seems fishy to me.

It doesn’t help that most of his article is too scientific for me to understand.  That doesn’t discredit him, but if you are trying to explain your case you have to know who your audience is. Maybe you guys are smarter than me, but here’s an example of what I mean:

Since the majority of body weight passes through the first metatarsal bone and big toe — the first ray — during the process of forefoot propulsion, it becomes obvious that any abnormalities in this part of the foot spell disaster.

Uhhh…It is not “obvious” to me why this is a disaster at all (but I do know how to spell “disaster”).  This might make more sense to a room full of podiatrists, but to me (and I’m assuming the majority of Huffington Post readers) it’s all Greek.

In the end I feel like he’s making a case for barefoot running shoes.  He tries to discredit barefoot shoes by saying it’s a fad, but then he’s saying that if you are serious you should see a foot doctor to help you decide if barefoot shoes are right for you. He also doesn’t address why so many people are interested in barefoot shoes in the first place.  The main reason being because people who run in traditional shoes are having issues with plantar fasciitis, shin splints, knee problems, back pain, etc… and their current shoes aren’t helping. So wouldn’t any sane person want to try something else?

Also, here’s my question to the Dr. Kornfeld’s of the world.  If seeing podiatrists actually cured people of the running troubles they have wouldn’t everyone be lining out the door to see podiatrists?   Something isn’t working and that’s why people are willing to try things like barefoot running shoes.

I might not be podiatrist or founder of a fancy institute, but I think I have a simple prescription for you to find out if barefoot shoes are for you.  Just order a pair of shoes (they are like 60 to 80 bucks) and see if you feel better running.  If you do then keep them.  If not then go back to your normal running shoes.  It’s definitely a lot cheaper and less time consuming than seeing a doctor.

But don’t take my word for it.  Check out Dr. Lieberman’s Research on barefoot running or check out some of the interesting comments that people left on Dr. Kornfeld’s post I’ve included below.  You can judge for yourself if this movement is just a fad or not.

Reactions to Barefoot Running Shoes: How Effective Are They?

Traditional Running Shoes Was His Problem:

I find it funny that people are saying that running barefoot is a fad and will cause a rash of injuries as if people who run in high tech running shoes never get hurt. People act as if the injury rate for runners has diminished as running shoe technology has improved. It hasn’t. Got a stress fracture in my foot with my running shoes. Bought a pair of vibrams because I decided that my running shoes were the problem not the solution. That said, ran my first 50 miler last year in my Vibram five fingers, and I am planning to run my first 100 miler sometime next year.

Plantar Fasciitis Healed with Vibrams FiveFingers:

I would recommend you try them. I’m 45 & pretty athletic, also with high arches. I started wearing them after I realized that my feet hurt at the end of the day, enough to make me go home from whatever I was doing. Caveat – I don’t run in them. Instead I wear them in the woods, on trails, in parks, on natural surfaces. There are lots of folks who have healed their plantar fasciitis with VFFs. Just take it slow & get used to them.

Ran Marathon with No Problems:

Ok, i felt great after running 26.2 miles in the LA Marathon in the Vibrams. Much better than I felt running the NY Marathon in “proper” running shoes the year before. The flaw is in the “proper” shoes, which enable us to run in an improper way, namely heel-strike. Your foot, ankle, calf, knee and thigh are actually designed quite well to absorb the impact of hard surfaces, be they hard-pack dirt, rocks, or concrete/a­sphalt. Do you think our ancestors ran only on soft terrain? nice grass and sand? I run distance 3+ times a week in NYC, exclusively on those hard surfaces and haven’t had even a minor injury, strain, etc, in the past three years that i’ve been wearing the Vibrams. No flaw from my perspective.

Barefoot Running Shoes are Exhilarating:

Before I got VFFs, I was so frustrated – every shoe I tried made my feet absolutely ache and I was frequently injured (knees, feet, hamstrings­). My problems went away as soon as I started wearing the VFFs. They feel so much more natural too, not like you’re trying to run with planks attached to your feet!! You can feel every little muscle in your feet in toes activating as needed, it’s very exhilarati­ng!

No More Traditional Running Shoes:

After the marathon I never ran in my Nimbus’ again. Now I run in the Nike Free line of shoes and the Brooks Green Silence, which is considered a running flat but is super flexible and has a low heel to toe drop ratio. It is more shoe than the Nike but significan­tly less than your typical running trainer. My running has never been better. I am faster, stronger, and run with considerab­ly less pain and strain. More importantl­y, I enjoy the running experience much more — it simply feels better to run more efficientl­y and with proper form, something “barefoot” and/or “minimalis­t” shoes lend themselves to.

For some reason Nike insists on making their shoe names the most complicated and convoluted system on the planet. OK, so it’s not THAT bad, but in my humble opinion it’s pretty darn silly and confusing for consumers looking to buy a pair of their shoes. This is especially the case with the Nike Free line of shoes

A little background on the Nike Free shoes. When they first started the Nike Free line of shoes Nike decided to take an innovative approach to the naming of their shoes. They created a scale from 1.0 to 10.0 (not sure why they have the “.0″ since I’ve yet to see a Nike Free 2.5 shoe) where 1.0 is supposed to represent the feeling of running barefoot while 10.0 is supposed to represent your traditional well-supported and typically not so flexible running shoe. Alongside this scale they started to name their shoes. They had the Nike Free 3.0, Nike Free 5.0, and then the Nike Free 7.0. Once you understood this you had a good idea that if you wanted a more “in-the-middle-of-the-road” barefoot-like running experience you’d probably go for a Nike Free 5.0 versus a Nike Free 3.0.

However, as the Nike Free line of shoes started to get more popular Nike naturally got more greedy and want to capitalize on this new barefoot “flexible” phenomenon. So they started getting extra fancy with their naming and features (which we explained in our post on deciphering Nike Free naming conventions). They started to be inconsistent with their naming conventions (putting roman numerals in the names, version numbers, etc…).

What I didn’t realize until this year is rather than keep the same name of a popular shoe like Vibram does with their Five Finger shoes, Nike likes to come up with brand new shoe names which replace older models (example is Nike Free Run+ replacing the Nike Free 5.0 v4 shoe).

Anyway, I’ve ranted on long enough, below I’ve tried to make sense of the 2010 Nike Free line of shoes so you don’t have to suffer like I did trying to figure it out.

2010 Nike Free Shoe Line

Nike Free 3.0 V2

As mentioned before the 3.0 is Nike’s most barefoot-like running shoe. There’s minimal support and padding on the shoe and it’s even more flexible than the Nike Free 5.0 or other Nike Free shoes. The V2 means this is the second version of the shoe.  They make this shoe for both men and women.

Learn more about Nike Free 3.0 V2 Men.

Nike Free Run+

This we believe is the successor to the now discontinued Nike Free 5.0 v4. It features many of the same color combinations and look and feel as a Nike Free 5.0 v4, with some improvements. The biggest improvement is that the Run+ features a sensor in the sole of the shoe to be used with their running monitoring system (which allows you to run and track your runs via your ipod or other supported devices). If you are interested in learning more check out our unboxing the Nike Free Run+ Video. Comes in both men and women sizes.

Learn more about Nike Free Run+ Men or Nike Free Run+ Women.

Nike Free 5.0 ID

So they got rid of the Nike Free 5.0 v4, but they do offer the original Nike Free 5.0 ID shoe. What’s ID mean? It just means you can customize this shoe by deciding what type of design pattern to use. Of course you pay extra for this feature.

Learn more about Nike Free 5.0 ID.

Nike Free N7 5.0

Like I said nike gets increasingly creative with different ways they can add random letters and numbers to their shoe names. Here we have the N7 5.0. After reading Nike’s product description it appears anything with “N7″ in the name just means eco-friendly. Only comes in women’s sizes.

Learn more about Nike Free N7 5.0.

Nike Free 5.0 v4 ID

If the original Nike Free 5.0 ID wasn’t good enough you can opt to get a Nike Free 5.0 v4 ID. A customized version of the 5.0 v4. So if you really still like the Nike Free 5.0 v4, but can’t find it anywhere, then you can order it directly from Nike. Comes in both mens and womens sizes.

Learn more about Nike Free 5.0 v4 ID Men and Nike Free 5.0 V4 ID Women.

Nike Free N7 5.0 v4

Here we have the N7 5.0 v4. In case you forgot N7 means this is an environmentally-friendly Nike shoe. Again this is another option for you if you are really looking for a pair of 5.0 v4 shoes but can’t find them. Only comes in men’s sizes.

Learn more about Nike Free N7 5.0 v4.

Nike Free 7.0 v2

The v2 suggests that this is Nike’s second version of the Free 7.0, but the funny thing is that back when I first learned about Nike Free, I didn’t even know there was a Nike Free 7.0 v1! Apparently, these look like they are replacing the Nike Free Everyday+ 2 (minus the sensors) in terms of where they fit on the barefoot scale. As such these come in both men’s and women’s sizes.

Learn more about Nike Free 7.0 v2 Men or Nike Free 7.0 v2 Women.

Nike Free TR Training Shoe

The name suggests that this is a cross training shoe and from the fact that they have also discontinued the Nike Free SPARQ’09 I’m guessing that the Free TR replaces the SPARQ’09. This is a men’s shoe only.

Learn more about Nike Free TR.

Nike Free Hyper TR Training Shoe

You might think by name alone that TR shoe is just a crazier more extreme version of the TR training shoe (afterall what else are you supposed to infer from the word “Hyper”). But that would only make sense in a logical world, and Nike doesn’t play in that world. Instead the Hyper here seems to mean women as this shoe only comes in womens sizes and designs (where as the TR only comes in mens). Don’t ask me why…

Learn more about Nike Free Hyper TR.

As the barefoot running movement gains more and more steam we are starting to see more and more books about… barefoot running.  Below are 6 different books which relate to barefoot running.  Check them out and let us know what you think of any of these.

1. Barefoot Running: How to Run Light and Free by Getting in Touch with the Earth

This comprehensive guide to barefoot running is a must have for every person who wants to get into or is just getting into barefoot running. Barefoot Running: How to Run Light and Free by Getting in Touch with the Earth provides essential and grounded information from starting out slow, understanding minimalist footwear, to making your way through rugged environment and rough weather conditions. This book reveals how barefoot running can help you run smoother, lighter and faster while avoiding injuries. Regardless of your choice for footwear or lack thereof, you will get wonderful insights on how you can build your feet into living shoes and be a better runner with a graceful, natural form that will carry you through the miles.

2. The Barefoot Running Book: A Practical Guide to the Art and Science of Barefoot and Minimalist Shoe Running

The Barefoot Running Book is packed with practical advice for both the new and experienced runners who are transitioning to barefoot or minimalist shoe running. Combining personal experience with research and collaboration, the Author wittingly shares the latest and best known methods to having a safe and enjoyable transition. This book also tackles the theories and essential elements of barefoot running, concerns and issues with common injuries, useful exercises and a review of research supporting barefoot running. It also includes frequently asked questions and a helpful listing of barefoot running resources.

3. Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall

Born to Run has received quite a great deal of awesome reviews including The Washington Post. And no wonder! An epic adventure that is wonderfully written with sharp wit and utter excitement, this action packed book is full of fascinating characters, amazing athletic feats, revolutionary science and, to top it all off, pure inspiration.

The quest to learning the secrets of the world’s greatest distance runners started with the simple question “Why does my foot hurt?” From the modern labs at Harvard to the hot valleys and freezing summits across North America, and to the climactic race in the Copper Canyons, Christopher McDougall sets off to uncover age-old running techniques and the secret to excellent health and long life.

A truly rare and winning book, Born to Run will not only engage your mind but also inspire your body as you finally grasp that the key to happiness is right at your feet and that we were indeed born to run.

4. Barefoot Runner: The Life of Marathon Champion Abebe Bikila by Paul Rambali

The Life of Marathon Champion Abebe Bikila is riveting story that combines Ethiopian history and its logical interpretation with the author’s novelistic approach. The book is about Abebe Bikila, the first African athlete to win a gold medal in marathon in the 1960 Rome Olympic Games while running barefoot. He ran four years later in Tokyo and defied the odds and won again.

What additionally makes this book captivating is the goings-on between his two victories. He nearly faced execution after being used as a pawn by leaders of an unsuccessful coup against Selassie. Beautifully written, Rambali brings the characters – athletes, coaches, soldiers and their strange monarch to life in this curious, sad story.

5. Running barefoot cushions impact of forces on foot: too soon to say if shoeless approach reduces injuries.(Humans): An article from: Science News by Laura Sanders

This 677-word article by Science News features the study of people who habitually run barefoot. The new study is elegant and offers a good example of the mechanics of different running gaits. Although the results suggest that barefoot running might have benefits, researchers also say that it is too soon to say whether this style is less likely to cause injuries. However, coauthor Daniel Lieberman of Harvard University puts it this way, “From an evolutionary perspective, barefoot or minimal shoe running is normal and, if done properly, is very fun and comfortable. We evolved to run barefoot.”

6. ChiRunning: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-Free Running by Danny Dreyer and Katherine Dreyer

ChiRunning is a revolutionary program for runners of any age or fitness level. The book reveals how you can run faster and farther using less effort and at the same time avoids, prevents and heals injuries. Moreover, the book provides powerful ideas, principles and techniques to transform running from a high-injury sport to a body-friendly, injury-free fitness wonder. ChiRunning utlizes the chi or the deep power reserves found in the core muscles. This is an approach that is likewise found in disciplines such as yoga, Pilates, and Tai Chi.

BONUS: A Barefoot Doctors Manual: The American Translation of the Official Chinese Paramedical Manual by John E. Fogarty

So technically this books has nothing to do with barefoot running, but we came across this book when looking for barefoot books, but in case you were curious A Barefoot Doctors Manual was first compiled by the Chinese government to help people in villages where there was no doctor to treat any medical condition. It got its name from the mode of mobility back in those days, where the Barefoot Doctors walked barefoot to go from one place to the other. They were not only healers but they were also skilled in the ways of Taoism, acupuncture, herbalism, a form of psychotherapy or counseling and the martial arts.