The Revolution Will Not Be Shock Absorbing

You are a runner so you have heard the questions, too. You have heard them from family members, co-workers, and casual acquaintances who tell you they've read this book -- or heard about it -- that says that modern running shoes are responsible for running-related injuries, and that barefoot running is the cure.

Whatever you think about Chris McDougall and his crusade for barefoot running, he has accomplished something that I didn't think possible; he has written a book about running that non-runners find as fascinating as runners. It has quite literally changed the conversation about running.

"Born to Run," subtitled "A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen," is currently #37 on the Amazon.com best seller list. The Washington Post describes the book as an argument that "...running extremely long distances barefoot is the key to health, happiness and longevity. Brand-name footwear, with its gel-based cushioning and elaborate architecture of super-advanced support, is a common cause of athletic injury... And running steadily for hours at a time is not only therapeutic but also natural."

And here's where I have to admit, I haven't read the book.

At first, I was indifferent. I knew about the Tarahumara, and I didn't think there were any great mysteries there. For that matter, I knew about the 1928 and 1929 runs across America, in which participants ran up to 60 miles a day, every day, for two months. Long, long distance running was interesting, no doubt, but surely not to the larger world.

But McDougall didn't just extol the benefits of running barefoot, he said that those expensive running shoes that we buy and replace every year are actually part of the problem, contributing to countless running injuries. With this claim, he got everyone's attention.

I should read the book, I really should. But my natural dislike of fads and revolutionary new ideas that turn out to recycle old ideas had stopped me so far. This just feels like another bandwagon, and I don't like jumping on bandwagons.

But what to do when freshman on my team are doing barefoot runs on the weekend, following the advice of this book (that I haven't read)? What to do when people ask me whether they should buy the "five fingers," a product designed to help you run (nearly) barefoot without cutting or scraping your feet on abrasive surfaces? Sorry, I just don't know what to tell you.

But McDougall is showing up everywhere. He appeared on "The Daily Show" with John Stewart. He is the subject of a New York Times blog column today:

The Roving Runner Goes Barefoot

I feel like the act of wearing shoes means that I am taking sides in a debate that I wandered into, without understanding the positions. Yes, I am still wearing shoes when I run, and I don't think they have hurt me over the last thirty years of running. On the other hand, for three years I have been having my team do barefoot drills -- so which side am I on?

I wonder what will happen if the barefoot movement gets a spokesperson who is also a world-class runner, someone who can claim to have reached the top while training barefoot.

In the mean time, when forced to respond to the book (have I mentioned that I haven't read the book?) I mumble that the human body can adapt to almost anything, and that I think that shod or barefoot, runners will be ok if they give themselves time to get used to the training stress.

But outside my window, the shouts of the revolutionaries echo against the shoe factory walls... "Runners of the World, Unite. You have nothing to lose but your Nikes!