Alright, so there is a raging argument between which is better: barefoot running or running in super-technical running shoes with microchips and stuff. (Seriously, Adidas came out with one a few years ago that would adjust cushioning for different runners.)
A couple of years ago, I was running in a pair of Five Fingers, and I was told by a non-runner who had read a few articles on the matter, that barefoot running would destroy my arches. When the book Born to Run came out, running barefoot became such a big deal that you'd have thought it would cure cancer. It seems like there are a lot of people that feel very strongly on this matter either one way or the other. It's not hard to find comments online where people are dropping F-bombs back and forth at each other over their certainty that one form of footwear is superior to the other.
Let me shoot for the middle here. I have tried barefoot running and I have also spent considerable time running in techy, very cushioned shoes. Here is what I have found.
Barefoot running makes you feel like either an indigenous man in a loin cloth or a varmint running the streets and trails. Either way, it is smooth, quiet, and a lot of fun, but...
Barefoot running can be painful, especially at first. Your lower calves will scream at you and the bottom of your feet will get worked-over pretty well. You'll also run a bit slower and need to shorten and quicken your stride, as hitting your heel with those big, long strides from high school track will really smart. But within a month (even a couple of weeks), it isn't too bad at all, especially over shorter distances (<7 miles for me).
If you dive into barefoot running too quickly, you will likely get injured... duh. This idea seems to allude many people, especially those who swear by their cushy shoes. I would expect that a break-in of several years would be necessary to become injury resistant at distances that one used to do in their cushy, supportive shoes.
I have a feeling that some people may just have an anatomy that will never allow them to barefoot run for very long. It stinks, but it is true. Being raised with your feet living basically in the casts (fancy, supportive shoes) may make switching very difficult.
Barefoot running teaches you to run in such a way that your knees, hips, lower back, and shins will thank you. This means your feet don't strike out in front of you and you strike mid foot. You will have to shorten and quicken your stride to do this, but it is actually way more efficient anyway. Here is the truly novel thing... you don't actually need to have barefoot running shoes on to run this way. Especially if you can find a shoe that doesn't have too big of a heel rise in it.
So, which is better? BOTH!!! They are each good for different reasons, and both have their issues. Personally, I use bigger shoes when I am pushing my distances, running in the winter, and running rocky trails. I use my more minimalist shoes when I'm running for fun on warmer days and sometimes just for the heck of it other times as well. I would like to be running exclusively in minimalist shoes in the next five or ten years, though, as I just really like the idea of it.
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