The Benefits of Barefoot Running
By Dr. Barefoot Sidy Diallo
Making Good Use of Our Running 2.0 Heritage
Truly barefoot running, i.e. without any shoes or socks, is running 2.0 because of its awesome features: it’s natural, completely green, healthier, more powerful and more efficient; its capacity is unlimited; it prevents injury, pain and fatigue; it provides permanent and highly efficient natural cushioning, guarantees you a safe and pleasant run, sets your feet and brain free, and makes you increasingly smarter. On top of all that, it’s free.
Humans were highly efficient truly barefoot runners for three million years, which makes us innate barefoot runners. For almost five years, I ran marathons since 2015 the way questionable experts claim that we have to. So I kept buying the newest and most promising models of sneakers, wearing compressing socks, an orthopedic insole, ankle and knee braces and taking multivitamins, chondroitin sulfate, etc., which surely worked well for their finances, but certainly not for my finances, my feet and my knees.
The Best Barefoot Runners Recorded in History
Some of those who nowadays claim or think they have too evolved to be able to walk or run barefoot, will likely be amazed to learn that the best barefoot runners recorded in history are neither the Africans, nor any indigenous people of Northern Mexico, but the “evolved” white men of the cradle of Western civilization, i.e. Ancient Greece, where the barefoot culture was a fundamental component of their lifestyle, and where the word “barbarian” (βάρβαρος) was originated to describe all non-Greek-speaking peoples, thus including all other Europeans.
Nudity was a fundamental part of ancient Greek culture, and the athletes would show off their physiques during parades in the stadium. Men would also work out in the buff, and the word gymnasium actually comes from the Greek word “gymnos,” meaning naked.
The First Marathoner Was a Professional Barefoot Runner
In 490 BC, Pheidippides—a professional courier—ran barefoot 240 km (149 mi) from Athens to Sparta to convey a request for help in the fight against the Persian invaders. The journey took him about two days, only to be told by the Spartans that they could not provide help, because they were celebrating an important religious festival.
Pheidippides ran back to Athens to report the bad news. He then ran the 40 km (24.6 mi) to the battlefield near the city Marathon and ran back to Athens to announce the unexpected Athenian victory over invaders. Legend has it that upon delivering the message he collapsed and died from the exhaustion after running in few days about 560 km (348 mi).
The First Modern Barefoot Marathoner
On the other hand, Ethiopian athlete Abebe Bikila ran barefoot the 1960 Olympic Marathon, won the race and broke the world record. A brand had offered him new shoes, but, as they hurt him, he rightly decided to do without them.
However, he afterwards agreed to wear sneakers and eventually sustained serious injuries that terminated his marathon career in 1968 in Mexico City. There’s a plaque in memory of Abebe Bikila in Rome on a wall at San Gregorio Street. Ironically, while Abebe Bikila, Pheidippides and other long-distance runners in Ancient Greece wore clothes and ran barefoot, most participants in current nudist races run with sneakers while the rest of their body is naked.
Making Good Use of Our Running 2.0 Heritage
Truly barefoot running, i.e. without any shoes or socks, is running 2.0 because of its awesome features: it’s natural, completely green, healthier, more powerful and more efficient; its capacity is unlimited; it prevents injury, pain and fatigue; it provides permanent and highly efficient natural cushioning, guarantees you a safe and pleasant run, sets your feet and brain free, and makes you increasingly smarter. On top of all that, it’s free.
Humans were highly efficient truly barefoot runners for three million years, which makes us innate barefoot runners. For almost five years, I ran marathons since 2015 the way questionable experts claim that we have to. So I kept buying the newest and most promising models of sneakers, wearing compressing socks, an orthopedic insole, ankle and knee braces and taking multivitamins, chondroitin sulfate, etc., which surely worked well for their finances, but certainly not for my finances, my feet and my knees.
The Best Barefoot Runners Recorded in History
Some of those who nowadays claim or think they have too evolved to be able to walk or run barefoot, will likely be amazed to learn that the best barefoot runners recorded in history are neither the Africans, nor any indigenous people of Northern Mexico, but the “evolved” white men of the cradle of Western civilization, i.e. Ancient Greece, where the barefoot culture was a fundamental component of their lifestyle, and where the word “barbarian” (βάρβαρος) was originated to describe all non-Greek-speaking peoples, thus including all other Europeans.
Nudity was a fundamental part of ancient Greek culture, and the athletes would show off their physiques during parades in the stadium. Men would also work out in the buff, and the word gymnasium actually comes from the Greek word “gymnos,” meaning naked.
The First Marathoner Was a Professional Barefoot Runner
In 490 BC, Pheidippides—a professional courier—ran barefoot 240 km (149 mi) from Athens to Sparta to convey a request for help in the fight against the Persian invaders. The journey took him about two days, only to be told by the Spartans that they could not provide help, because they were celebrating an important religious festival.
Pheidippides ran back to Athens to report the bad news. He then ran the 40 km (24.6 mi) to the battlefield near the city Marathon and ran back to Athens to announce the unexpected Athenian victory over invaders. Legend has it that upon delivering the message he collapsed and died from the exhaustion after running in few days about 560 km (348 mi).
The First Modern Barefoot Marathoner
On the other hand, Ethiopian athlete Abebe Bikila ran barefoot the 1960 Olympic Marathon, won the race and broke the world record. A brand had offered him new shoes, but, as they hurt him, he rightly decided to do without them.
However, he afterwards agreed to wear sneakers and eventually sustained serious injuries that terminated his marathon career in 1968 in Mexico City. There’s a plaque in memory of Abebe Bikila in Rome on a wall at San Gregorio Street. Ironically, while Abebe Bikila, Pheidippides and other long-distance runners in Ancient Greece wore clothes and ran barefoot, most participants in current nudist races run with sneakers while the rest of their body is naked.
My book Running Barefoot for Human Survival is available on Amazon in paperback and e-book format (French edition: Courir pieds nus pour sauver les humains).