While Born To Run was a fantastic story and did a good (and convincing) job at answering why its better and even goes into describing good running form, unfortunately McDougall’s chapters on the subject were somewhat limited in detail on how to transition into barefoot running, and do so properly, as barefoot running wasn’t the overall focus of his book. Many runners and non-runners alike were introduced… please visit my blog to read the rest of the review:

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Caleb “El Llama” Wilson

I think even if you still buy the myth of running shoes, you should improve your stride by using this book and translate that new brain learned response back to your traditional running shoe regimen. Although I think you’ll find your old running shoes to feel unnatural and clunky like I did. I can’t go back. The neat thing is that there are plenty of minimalist shoes to choose from for all seasons and conditions.

This book will also serve as a reference. I often flip through the pages to learn more about something like their advice for difference surface types. It is a good companion for people who want to know if their experience of barefoot running is normal since there are not a lot of people out there to share experiences with (yet). I also joined the barefoot running group. It is an easy way to share experiences.

I know there is a lot of interest in barefoot running. I often get stopped and hit with questions about my experience. They have all been positive. It is not necessarily easy to transition and it is more than worth it. It has completely redefined my running game and brought more fun and another dimensions to my runs.

Barefoot Running by Michael Sandler and Jessica Lee was much more than I expected. It covers everything I wanted to know about getting into barefoot running. It’s step by step approach is super-easy to follow, and the pictures make it incredibly easy to get started. They also covered timely topics I never thought much about…such as why kids should be barefoot (there’s a whole section devoted to kids) and why seniors can recover balance and health by going barefoot (I’ve gotta share this with my parents).

However, they’re not barefoot evangelists. They strike a great balance between going barefoot or in a shoe, stating straight out that barefoot running won’t be for everyone, but that it will help strengthen your feet or legs whether you choose to run in our out of a shoe. On that note, they cover transitioning into Vibram Five-Fingers in great detail, shoes I’ve always wanted to try (waiting for my local store to get them in stock!). They cover do’s and don’ts of footwear, overcoming injuries (primarily from running in shoes) how to get into barefoot running when you’ve got plantar fasciitis (as I did), and how to strengthen your feet, legs and core. When they say help you run “light and free” it’s no exaggeration. They share tips on running in all types of terrain, from ice and snow (not that I’ll try that!) to summer’s melting asphalt, along with racing and even ultras.

There’s a healthy dose of science throughout the book, sharing the latest science and backing things up with studies. They even cover the science of getting “grounded” or why it feels so good to get in touch with the earth. Last, they cover the more meditative side of things, or why barefoot running helps quiet your mind (something I could definitely use more of in this hectic world, and a big reason why I run). I wish they included a review of different minimalist shoes in this book. However, they still share a wealth of information about different shoes and categories of shoes.

I’ll be referring to this book for years to come as I progress from a newbie to an experienced barefoot runner.