5 ms·

Check out the book “Born to Run”

BeetleB 3y ago
Be a bit wary of that book. While I can't speak to its main thesis, people have found serious faults with claims about various cultures/groups having great health outcomes due to their walking. Apparently some of them have very poor health outcomes (perhaps unrelated to walking, but you get my point).
mvdtnz 3y ago
The book is widely discredited and thankfully the barefoot running trend is behind us.
- nytesky 3y ago
  Is it having a resurgence or just never died? https://time.com/6284245/walking-barefoot-health-risks/ https://time.com/6284245/walking-barefoot-health-risks/
  - emseetech 3y ago
    That article seems entirely centered around the dangerous around cuts and bacteria, with no indication it's bad for muscle or bone. While some fundamentalists might go completely barefoot, I've always heard people talk about that book in terms of using light sole shoes instead of heavy shoes, not ditching protective footwear entirely. Even the subject of that book often wear thin moccasins during long distance runs.
    - ghaff 3y ago
      Not really about thin soles, but from what I can tell, there's been a general shift among a lot of even hardcore hikers to trail shoes from boots. I have a delightful pair of custom-made leather boots that I basically don't wear any longer because they're so heavy.
    - cam_l 3y ago
      I used to always go barefoot when bush walking as a kid in qld. Looking out for snakes and spiders (literally) keeps you on your toes. I remember once bushwalking with a group and there was a sudden torrential rainstorm, and you could see all the little leeches sticking their heads up from the mud. By the time we got back to the van, I was the only one without a single leech on me. I only ever had issues with cuts etc in town on the bitumen or gravel (but I suppose it could be quite dangerous in some parts of the world).
  - ildjarn 3y ago
    If the podiatrist in the article is to be believed, humanity never would have made it out of the Stone Age.
- ildjarn 3y ago
  Born To Run is an adventure/travel book. I don’t know why people read it as pop sci.
- voisin 3y ago
  The barefoot running trend is decidedly not behind us. There are more barefoot shoes (zero drop, wide toe box) from major shoe makers than ever, and you see them way more at races than in the past. What’s behind us, maybe, is the vibram 5 finger (each toe in its own slot) which seems to have waned in popularity significantly.
  - fsloth 3y ago
    The vibram ”5 finger” watersport model is brilliant shoe for swimming in natural lakes summer & winter (works even for ice swimming) but running in such a shoe is not something I would consider.
    - malfist 3y ago
      For what its worth, I ran many many many miles in my fivefingers and loved them. But I was a lot younger then, I prefer more cushioning on the balls of my feet, and I mostly walk anymore. My cardio of choice has moved to biking, it's just more fun (for me, YMMV)
  - coldtea 3y ago
    >There are more barefoot shoes Now that's an oxymoron if I ever saw one! Though, in a certain way, shoes can be said to be barefoot from the start: they aren't wearing any shoes themselves.
    - voisin 3y ago
      Barefoot Shoes is a common reference to shoes that have zero drop (flat between heel and forefoot), a wide toe box (there are a variety of benefits here) and relatively thin soles to enhance proprioception. So yes, while it sounds like an oxymoron, it is actually just an industry term of art (you’ll see major companies advertise certain of their shoes as barefoot - Merrell comes to mind with their VaporGlove and Trail Glove, both of which are fantastic shoes). The other nice thing about barefoot shoes (since I find myself in full on sales mode) is that due to the lack of padding, they last significantly longer than traditional mass market shoes. My trail runners (the Merrell’s) are in season 5 now, when my old trail shoes by Saucony lasted one season Max, and my mileage has increased substantially from when I used to wear the Saucony’s.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
npalli 3y ago
A good rule of thumb is anything in social sciences that was very popular 15 years ago has been debunked (as others are claiming here). Is there a definitive takedown somewhere that someone can link please? Curious which portions don't hold up.
- pitherpather 3y ago
  Given the current style, if the book were published today would it be titled BAREFOOT?

Be a bit wary of that book. While I can't speak to its main thesis, people have found serious faults with claims about various cultures/groups having great health outcomes due to their walking. Apparently some of them have very poor health outcomes (perhaps unrelated to walking, but you get my point).

mvdtnz 3y ago

The book is widely discredited and thankfully the barefoot running trend is behind us.

nytesky 3y ago
Is it having a resurgence or just never died? https://time.com/6284245/walking-barefoot-health-risks/ https://time.com/6284245/walking-barefoot-health-risks/
- emseetech 3y ago
  That article seems entirely centered around the dangerous around cuts and bacteria, with no indication it's bad for muscle or bone. While some fundamentalists might go completely barefoot, I've always heard people talk about that book in terms of using light sole shoes instead of heavy shoes, not ditching protective footwear entirely. Even the subject of that book often wear thin moccasins during long distance runs.
  - ghaff 3y ago
    Not really about thin soles, but from what I can tell, there's been a general shift among a lot of even hardcore hikers to trail shoes from boots. I have a delightful pair of custom-made leather boots that I basically don't wear any longer because they're so heavy.
  - cam_l 3y ago
    I used to always go barefoot when bush walking as a kid in qld. Looking out for snakes and spiders (literally) keeps you on your toes. I remember once bushwalking with a group and there was a sudden torrential rainstorm, and you could see all the little leeches sticking their heads up from the mud. By the time we got back to the van, I was the only one without a single leech on me. I only ever had issues with cuts etc in town on the bitumen or gravel (but I suppose it could be quite dangerous in some parts of the world).
- ildjarn 3y ago
  If the podiatrist in the article is to be believed, humanity never would have made it out of the Stone Age.
ildjarn 3y ago
Born To Run is an adventure/travel book. I don’t know why people read it as pop sci.
voisin 3y ago
The barefoot running trend is decidedly not behind us. There are more barefoot shoes (zero drop, wide toe box) from major shoe makers than ever, and you see them way more at races than in the past. What’s behind us, maybe, is the vibram 5 finger (each toe in its own slot) which seems to have waned in popularity significantly.
- fsloth 3y ago
  The vibram ”5 finger” watersport model is brilliant shoe for swimming in natural lakes summer & winter (works even for ice swimming) but running in such a shoe is not something I would consider.
  - malfist 3y ago
    For what its worth, I ran many many many miles in my fivefingers and loved them. But I was a lot younger then, I prefer more cushioning on the balls of my feet, and I mostly walk anymore. My cardio of choice has moved to biking, it's just more fun (for me, YMMV)
- coldtea 3y ago
  >There are more barefoot shoes Now that's an oxymoron if I ever saw one! Though, in a certain way, shoes can be said to be barefoot from the start: they aren't wearing any shoes themselves.
  - voisin 3y ago
    Barefoot Shoes is a common reference to shoes that have zero drop (flat between heel and forefoot), a wide toe box (there are a variety of benefits here) and relatively thin soles to enhance proprioception. So yes, while it sounds like an oxymoron, it is actually just an industry term of art (you’ll see major companies advertise certain of their shoes as barefoot - Merrell comes to mind with their VaporGlove and Trail Glove, both of which are fantastic shoes). The other nice thing about barefoot shoes (since I find myself in full on sales mode) is that due to the lack of padding, they last significantly longer than traditional mass market shoes. My trail runners (the Merrell’s) are in season 5 now, when my old trail shoes by Saucony lasted one season Max, and my mileage has increased substantially from when I used to wear the Saucony’s.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

npalli 3y ago

A good rule of thumb is anything in social sciences that was very popular 15 years ago has been debunked (as others are claiming here). Is there a definitive takedown somewhere that someone can link please? Curious which portions don't hold up.

pitherpather 3y ago
Given the current style, if the book were published today would it be titled BAREFOOT?