The online resource, Competitor, has an interesting interview with Christopher McDougal, the author of the popular book about barefoot running: Born to Run.
During the interview McDougall emphasises the part shoes play for barefoot runners. It might sound strange but he does recommend certain shoes for certain circumstances, but reaffirms the important role running barefoot has for runners who care about the way they run. He says that form comes first and that is what keeps us running as injury free as possible. Get the form right, then consider the products later as necessary. As we all know by now, there seems to be little evidence that cushioned, supportive shoes protect us from injury.
Also, McDougall says that the value of barefoot running comes from running in bare feet, i.e. not protected by Fivefingers or other minimalist shoes: ‘Find out what your foot feels like. Remove any interference between you and the ground’, he says.
He acknowledges that his book, ‘Born to Run’, did not start the barefoot trend, it was merely timed perfectly for the already growing interest in the subject.
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