The Debate Rages On · 1 June 2013
Apparently, there is a debate about whether minimalist and/or barefoot running is good for you. I say apparently, because as far as I am concerned, there is no question that running without heel lift or arch and ankle support is the only way to go.
A friend of mine gave me an article (You Don’t Know How to Run by Andrew Tilin in the April 2013 edition of Outside Magazine) about the debate. It was great to read about who is saying what in the polarized discussion of running shoes, but I find it ironic.
It is ironic because Dean was one of the ones who told me about shoes with no drop from heel to toe and helped me get started on the whole barefoot/minimalist running trail. There were many contributors to get me started down the path, but Dean was the one who told me about the kind of shoes that help my body use the stretch reflex inherent in a strong foot. It is ironic because he helped me learn to run barefoot but he is not a barefoot/minimalist runner. At least not yet.
If you have been reading my blog for long, you know that I have gone as far to being barefoot as I can go without throwing away my shoes. Eventually, I hope every shoe I have will be as minimalist as my daily and athletic shoes are. (I love playing basketball in my minimalist running shoes.) So for me, there is no question that barefoot, or at least minimalist, is the best way to walk and run and play. But apparently, at least for the shoe companies and the vast majority of runners, the debate rages on.
© 2013 Michael T. Miyoshi
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