Well Being: Running barefoot has not-so-obvious hazards

Part of the appeal of running is its simplicity. Alas, that very quality seems to foster the urge to complicate. Hence the profusion of overengineered running shoes and sophisticated training schemes.

So the publication last year of Born to Run, Christopher McDougall's rollicking best seller that makes the case for running barefoot and argues that high-tech running shoes may be causing more harm than good, was welcomed by many who believe that less is more.

Across the land, thousands have shed their Nikes and Asics and begun jogging and running unshod. Their hope is that it will cure their arthritic woes and elevate their stamina to that of the Tarahumara, a tribe of Mexican endurance prodigies capable of running 100 miles and more a day with nothing more than pads of leather strapped to their feet.

Jason Kilderry began running in bare feet three years ago, well before it became a fad. A running coach with a deep interest in exercise science, he endorses the practice - in small doses.

"It strengthens the intrinsic muscles of the feet," says Kilderry. "It has long been recommended by physical therapists as rehab exercise - but not as a training tool."

Kilderry, 28, of Roxborough, coaches Fast Tracks, a running club whose members tackle distances ranging from 5K to ultra races. He also tries to improve the performance of runners and triathletes through his business, ETA Coach (ETA = Endurance Training Achievement). He calls barefoot running "a stimulus plan for podiatrists, orthopedists, and physical therapists."

The reason: Barefoot running subjects the bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the lower legs and feet to enormous stress, Kilderry says.

Too many folks are running barefoot without preparing adequately and without giving their bodies time to adapt, Kilderry laments. Worse, they are running shoeless on concrete and macadam instead of surfaces that are natural and forgiving.

The result: inflammation of the Achilles' tendon and the plantar fascia, the cord of connective tissue that runs along the sole; and stress fractures in the metatarsal bones of the feet and the part of the leg where shin splints normally occur.