One of my concerns about running barefoot has always been where I would actually be able to do it safely. There are plenty of sidewalks and paved bike paths around here, but that didn’t seem appropriate.
Until I discovered the Running Barefoot site (or rather the Biomechanics of Foot Strikes & Applications to Running Barefoot or in Minimal Footwear site) put together by the Skeletal Biology Lab at Harvard. According to the experts:
What about surface hardness? Our ancestors didn’t run on pavement.
A common perception is that running on hard surfaces causes injuries, but runners typically adjust leg stiffness so they experience the similar impact forces on soft and hard surfaces. Further, forefoot and some midfoot strikers hit the ground in a way that generates almost no collision forces even on hard surfaces like steel. You can run barefoot and heel strike on a soft beach or lawn, but most natural surfaces are much harder and rougher. With proper forefoot or midfoot strike form, running on hard, rough surfaces can be comfortable and safe.
And:
What surfaces should I run on?
Choose a clean smooth paved surface. A common perception is that our feet were not meant to run on hard surfaces and that running on hard surfaces causes injuries. But our ancestors ran on surfaces of various hardness and forefoot striking when barefoot has less impact than even walking. Runners typically adjust leg stiffness so they experience the same impact forces on soft and hard surfaces (Dixon et al., 2000).
I also like the fact that the front page reminds readers that the study in question only deals with how barefoot runners can run on hard surfaces without discomfort or injury. It does not make claims about how people should run, whether shoes cause inujuries, etc.
Once the weather changes, I might have to give barefoot a try. Keeping a few of these tips in mind, of course.