The Privilege of Pavement

A comment I hear regularly from shoe-wearing runners and doctors who are cautious of going barefoot is this: “Feet may be made for going bare on natural terrain but not on modern surfaces.” I have to tell you, this is just another misconception to add to the long list of misconceptions about the human foot and footwear. Let me give three reasons why I think this is so.

Rickshaw runners enjoy a modern surface

First: I don’t think much of the earth is covered with the soft, manicured grasslands that most people must envision when they say “natural terrain.” It seems to me that the ground is generally hard and rocky in most undeveloped places where people live. Plus, I don’t think our ancestors really spent much time walking or running through “natural terrain.” Cities and villages are nearly as old as humanity itself and those villages are connected by roads (or at least well-worn paths) which – again – are hard and rocky. There are plenty of examples of primitive peoples living today much as their ancestors did for thousands of years. In parts of Asia and Africa, for example, rickshaws are still pulled by barefoot workers on cobblestone roads, a tradition that goes back for millennia.

Second: My friend Daniel Lieberman at Harvard (the other barefoot professor) has demonstrated in his research that impact forces on the body are virtually zero when running barefoot, even on the hardest man-made surfaces like steel. Thus, the body’s shock-absorption mechanisms are perfectly capable of handling the hardest of terrains. By the way, impact forces are not zero when running on hard surfaces in shoes.

Third: In my personal experience I find pavement and concrete the most enjoyable surfaces to walk and run on. I began running barefoot in 2006 because I was sustaining twisted ankles from trail running in shoes. I’ve not injured my ankles once since I switched to barefoot, but I find myself doing more road running these days. Why? Because it just feels better and it takes less concentration than navigating rocks and roots on a trail (yes, I am lazy).

Yesterday I walked through a wild field that was littered with thorns and was almost undoable even for my tough soles. Wow, it never felt so good when I reached the edge of that field and stepped onto pavement! Walking through “natural terrain” can be extremely unpleasant and I consider it a privilege to live in a time when smooth, paved roads and sidewalks are available.

Don’t be afraid of pavement. Take off your shoes and go.

Foot Anatomy 101-Windlass Mechanics

In this second installment of the Foot Anatomy 101 series I’d like to discuss what’s known as the windlass mechanism. As discussed in the previous post, the foot arches are the centerpiece of foot function, and the medial longitudinal arch in particular is central to windlass mechanics.

The ‘truss’ of the medial longitudinal arch is formed by the calcaneous (heel bone), the midtarsal joint and the head of the first metatarsal. The plantar aponeurosis forms the ‘tie-rod’ that spans from heel to toes. The attachment of this aponeurosis to the toes beyond the metatarsophalageal (MTP) joints forms the basis of the windlass mechanism.

A windlass is a mechanical device for lifing heavy weights. It usually consists of a spool around which a rope is cranked, the weight being lifted by the rope. A common example is the crank, rope and bucket used to raise water from a well.

In the foot, a windlass is created by the plantar aponeurosis passing beneath the MTP joints, in particular the first MTP joint. When the big toe is dorsiflexed during walking, the aponeurosis winds around the first MTP joint and pulls the heel and toes slightly closer together, raising the medial longitudinal arch and also locking the bones of the foot. It’s an ingenious way of stiffening the foot and converting the supple ‘landing’ foot into a rigid ‘propulsion’ foot.

Unfortunately for shoe-wearing people, none of the above windlass foot mechanics happens in shoes, and this is one reason why shoes are so damaging to feet. Whether you’re wearing a wedge or a sneaker, the foot is immobilized inside the shoe. The toes are kept in a dorsiflexed position by the toe spring (or by virtue of the heel height in a wedge or pumps); the MTP joint does not move at all and windlass mechanics is eliminated. In addition, the constant strain on the plantar aponeurosis likely causes it to weaken (along with associated foot muscles) and this may be a leading cause of shoe-induced flat foot and fallen arches, which is epidemic in shoe-wearing societies.

For proper foot biomechanics… walk barefoot!

The Barefoot Running Book (2e) by Jason Robillard

The second edition of The Barefoot Running Book by Jason Robillard is now available. The greatly expanded seconded edition is sure to be the manual for barefoot running. The first edition, at just 68 pages, seemed a bit rushed, but the 188-page second edition is the complete package. Not only does Jason dive more deeply into the science of barefoot running, he added contributions from numerous experts in the field, including Barefoot Ted McDonald and Barefoot Rick Roeber.

Although Jason touches on the biomechanics and science of running, I think the real strength of his book lies in the practical training plans he provides. From the 5k Cheetah plan to the 26-mile Marathon Hyena plan, he’s got one for every runner. Varied-terrain and debris drills will keep your eye-foot coordination at peak performance while you work your way to barefoot running proficiency. Jason’s diary-style race report of the Hallucination 100 Mile Run seasons the book with a personal touch that will inspire you to keep running.

If you’re at all interested in barefoot running, you owe it to yourself to read The Barefoot Running Book. Jason’s book truly is A Practical Guide to the Art and Science of Barefoot & Minimalist Shoe Running.

Oh yeah, you should also check out Jason's website, Barefoot Running University. I like it, but then I'm a Barefoot Professor!