I find this interesting....it seems people are fairly split when it comes to personal experience on this subject.
Personally, I've made a multi-year transition from running in stability shoes w/ custom orthotics to full time running in flats (with some barefoot running here and there). I've gone up a full shoe size in that time period, despite having arches that appear much higher
I wish people would stop talking about barefoot running "strengthening" feet because that's not really what happens. You're supposed to relax your feet. If your feet are working harder then you're not doing it right. Your feet shouldn't be getting stronger because they shouldn't be doing anything but relaxing. Maybe getting more flexible, if anything. The hard sole of a shoe prevents your foot from articulating with the ground surface, so when you go barefoot your foot definitely bends around things more. But it's relaxed bending, molding with the ground somewhat. It's not grasping or tightening anything.
barefoot runner wrote:
I wish people would stop talking about barefoot running "strengthening" feet because that's not really what happens. You're supposed to relax your feet.
Incorrect. Your feet are relaxed on impact to conform to the terrain, but they then have to harden to provide leverage and grip the ground for pushoff. Your foot muscles have to work with every step.
After starting to wear minimalist shoes, my feet increased from size 12 to size 13, and they got significantly wider. I have always had moderately flat feet, and now they are completely flat, I believe because they have become so muscular.
I respectfully disagree, sir.
There is no push-off. Try running on sand with "push off". You'll go nowhere fast. Try that on wet grass. You will fall on your ass.
on mud you'd be a dud. Shoes with grip are what allow such push-off, to the detriment of many runners IMO. Also raised heels. They give you more to "push off" against. Maybe there is some push-off for a few moments here and there, but for the most part we are not doing calf raises when we run. Those calfs are relaxed and letting your torso hurl forward.
On sharp gravel you'd just have to be a f*cking idiot to run like that.
I've run barefoot quite a long time on tracks, dirt, grass, sand, and sidewalks, but not roads as they can have a lot of little sharp rocks and other things that are hard to see on the asphalt.
I think Alan should have also pointed out that smaller feet slow you down considerably.