The Benefits of Running Barefoot

1146 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: barefoot running benefits essay

The Benefits of Running Barefoot
The year was 1960 in Rome, Italy, and Abebe Bikila, a complete unknown, had just crossed the Olympic Marathon finish line. That day he became the first black African to ever win a gold medal in the Olympics, breaking the marathon record by a full eight minutes! What was most astonishing about this man? He ran the entire race barefoot, over roads and slick cobblestones in the searing heat. After the race, he was swarmed with questions. What was his background? What was his training plan? And of course, why did he run barefoot? The answers to these questions were quite unexpected. He was an Ethiopian farmer’s son. As a boy, he would help herd the sheep by daily going out to the fields and running with the sheep, barefoot, of course. In fact, even his going to the Olympics was a fluke. Right before, the plane took off, he was told he was coming as a last-minute replacement. When he arrived in Rome, he tried on all the shoes available, but none fit comfortably. So he decided to run as he trained – barefoot, which ended up enabling him to win gold in the Olympics (Wallace 1-2 ). Although it has long been a controversial issue, there are many benefits to running barefoot.
It has only been recently that the big debate has arisen in the health care community on whether or not running barefoot is better than exercising in running shoes. It wasn’t until the mid 1970s that many people even began wearing running shoes. Before, people ran either barefoot or in very minimal shoes, such as sandals or flats (Nearman 5). “If you think barefoot running is a fad, then it is a two million year old fad,” says Dr. Daniel Liberman, PhD (Nearman 5). Many people believe that the soles of the feet are too we...

... middle of paper ...

...ith nature, barefoot running enables the daily run to be that much more enjoyable.

Works Cited
McDougall, Christopher. "Christopher McDougall: Are We Born to Run?" TED: Ideas worth Spreading. TEDxPennQuarter, Feb. 2011. Web. 06 Dec. 2012.
Saremi, Jodai. "BAREFOOT Running." American Fitness 30.2 (2012): 24-28. Health Source - Consumer Edition. Web. 7 Dec. 2012.
Johnston, Leslie. "Barefoot Running." Today's Chiropractic Lifestyle 40.4 (2011): 24-26. Alt HealthWatch. Web. 7 Dec. 2012.
Nearman, Steve. "The Science Of Barefoot Running." AMAA Journal 24.2 (2011): 5-6. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 Dec. 2012.
Wallace, Sandra. "Running Barefoot." Faces (07491387) 25.6 (2009): 22. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 7 Dec. 2012.
Sangani, K. "The Cost Of Running [Footwear Industry]." Engineering & Technology (17509637) 7.3 (2012): 64-67. Academic Search Premier. Web. 15 Dec. 2012.

Show More
Related

  • Horses: Barefoot vs. Shod

    1998 Words  | 4 Pages

    Should you shoe your horses or leave them barefoot? What is better for the horse? What will benefit the horse more? Although it’s a hot topic, it has never really been an issue to me. I have always shod my horses in the summer when I know we will be using them a lot and always leave the shoes off in the winter. I ride with a lot of people that will never use shoes or will sometimes only use a pair on either the front or back. Each person has their own beliefs and reasons behind why they choose to do what they do. For example, when I bought my current horse (around ’08) the person I bought him from only ever shod the front two hooves. I started putting shoes on all four of his hooves and they have been that way just about every summer since I purchased him. Then again, I’m only one person. Everyone has a different viewpoint on what is best for the horses and how to go about doing the best thing for their individual needs. That’s really where this question comes from for me. I want to know why; I want to know why people are so opinionated in one way or the other, as well as find out what is actually in the best interest of the horse.

    Read More

  • Effective Ways to Kick a Soccer Ball

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    Anderson, D. I., & Sidaway, B. (2013) Kicking biomechanics: Importance of balance. Lower Extremity Review Magazine.

    Read More

  • Personal Narrative: Barefoot Week

    639 Words  | 2 Pages

    The weather was mild, but even then my toes and especially heels quickly became sore from the rough cement of the sidewalks. Multiple people stared at me, and one middle aged lady even asked, “Where are your shoes?!” I watched the sidewalks carefully, trying not to step on sharp pebbles or shards of glass. By the first night, my feet were sore, dirty and rough all over. I remedied this by washing them in warm water, which helped with the soreness and rough skin. On Tuesday, I rode my longboard to class, which was a bad decision. My left foot was able to ride, but every time I pushed with my right foot it scraped against the pavement. Later on, the weather was much colder, and it began to rain. At first, splashing through the puddles seemed fun, but as the day went on, my feet were chilled and could not warm up, even if I wrapped them in my dry coat during class. My bare feet also caused my pant legs to soak up water from the sidewalk and puddles. The third day of Barefoot Week was by far the worst. Walking to my early class in forty-four-degree weather on the wet sidewalk made my feet go numb before I had even made it halfway there. At this point, I regretted the decision to be barefoot. I wanted to turn back to my room and cheat by wearing some socks or boots just for the day, but my pride would not let me quit. After my class, I decided to spend the rest of the day in the relative warmth of my room,

    Read More

  • Bigfoot

    1043 Words  | 3 Pages

    The “Bigfoot Biology.” Bigfoot Encounters. 19 May, 2008 -. Gaffron, Norma. Bigfoot: Opposing Viewpoints.

    Read More

  • Nike’s Growing Global Footprint

    1621 Words  | 4 Pages

    The life of a Nike shoe begins with its conception – what it will look like, who will buy it, and how it will be used. Every single detail must be planned and attended to in order to ensure the performance product that Nike so ...

    Read More

  • Coaching Track

    1131 Words  | 3 Pages

    Of the more than twenty million Americans who are running today, most who start do so for the wrong reasons, with the wrong attitude, and tend to lose interest after a few weeks or months. Many quit. This is usually because they become concerned with superficial goals such as time and distance and never discover the more profound mental benefits that running offers. (Lilliefors 15)

    Read More

  • Nike Fixed Costs Essay

    794 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are numerous costs of production for Nike Company which can be placed into two categories: fixed costs and variable. Fixed costs are those that remain the same for all production and variable costs change with each project. The organization’s manufacturing process, machinery, research and development costs make up the fixed costs. On the other hand, administration, distribution, labor and raw material are the variable costs. All of these are required in the organizations operation to ensure that it remains profitable. Production cost for each shoe is between $30 and $100 and they are sold at $100 to $300. Therefore, the organization stands a good chance of making a profit (Nike, Inc., 2012).

    Read More

  • Conquering Endurance Running: Minimizing Risk and Running Injury Free

    1194 Words  | 3 Pages

    O'Brien, Carl. "Eight Steps to Injury-Free Running." Irish Times:13. 25 June 2012. ProQuest. Web. 6 May 2014 .

    Read More

  • The Physics of Efficient Running

    1990 Words  | 4 Pages

    Inman, Verne T., Henry J. Ralston, and Frank Todd. Human Walking. Williams & Wilkins. Baltimore, MD. 1981

    Read More

  • Running: An Integral Part of American Culture

    1495 Words  | 3 Pages

    Running shoes that are on your feet or in your closet probably were not created to lounge around in or to wear to school. Today the majority of running shoes are used for that. The running shoes that we know and appreciate today are a response to the numbers of people that have begun to pick up running. The market is flooded with different brands of athletic shoes, and running shoes are a large portion of that. A few decades ago there was a generic athletic shoe used for all sporting activities. Through the growing popularity of running, shoes have become much more specialized in an effort to cater to the specific needs of different runners.

    Read More

  • Shoe Industry

    1706 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Shoe Industry consists of a multitude of footwear categories, varying in utility, style and occasion. When overseeing the market for the shoe industry, we must look at the influence of all shoe trades universally to comprehensively understand how the disparities in sales relate to the needs of specific regions. The global retail market within the shoe industry currently represents $185 billion, driven primarily by Asian and Latin American economies and is expected to reach $211.5 billion by 2018. The growth rate globally was 6% between 2004 and 2008, contrasting to the 2% compound annual growth from 2008 to 2012. The United States holds over 24% of the overall industry size it projected over $48 billion in annual revenue in 2012. Domestically, the growth rate has been flat at 0.3%. On a unit volume basis, global footwear consumption for 2012 is approximately 11,421.3 million (in pairs), where the United States makes up roughly 2,741.1 million (in pairs). By 2018 the U.S. Census Bureau has forecasted a steady decline within demand domestically of 3% and an increase of 1% globally.

    Read More

  • Informative Speech: How to Buy a Running Shoe

    928 Words  | 2 Pages

    Has anybody here ever walked into a shoe store looking for a running shoe? You were probably dazed and confused because there were just so many different brands and styles to choose from. Now a days, shoe stores stock their running sections with different brands and styles. If you are one of those people who has not been shoe shopping in years, then prepared to be shocked. Technology and designs of running shoes have changed drastically. Running shoes are better than ever now, due to these changes. Also, with all the different name brands such as Asics, Brooks, New Balance, Nike and others, you can assure yourself your are paying for a quality product.

    Read More

  • Chinese Footbinding

    3513 Words  | 8 Pages

    Mackie, Gerry. "Ending Footbinding and Infibulation: A Convention Account". American Sociological Review. December 1996, Vol.61, Issue 6.

    Read More

  • A Helpful Beginner's Guide To Yoga Essay

    1319 Words  | 3 Pages

    1. Shoes – The practice is done barefoot, so leave your footwear outside the door.

    Read More

  • Essay On Types Of Shoes

    876 Words  | 2 Pages

    Most people in the world gratefully have the chance to make their own choices and decisions every day. One of those choices and decisions that they make is what they are going to put on their feet for the day. Unknowingly the decision of what type of shoe a person wears for a specific day will affect their entire day. There are also many factors that contribute to what type or style of shoes a person buys or wears such as economic status, design, usefulness, and popularity. As of today, there are various types of shoes which are sandals, heels, boots and athletic and casual shoes.

    Read More

More about The Benefits of Running Barefoot

Open Document