If you have been following the latest running revolution, then you have already heard of the barefoot movement.  The New York Times jumped on the bandwagon this week, with a three page article on running barefoot.

Proponents of barefoot running point to the fact that foot related running injuries have not decreased since the 1970s, when running shoes were first introduced on the market.  In fact, some kinds of injuries have actually increased - not that anyone can directly blame the shoes for this, of course.

I find the "purist" argument least compelling, although for some people it's the deciding factor.  This is the argument that humans have been running without shoes for millions of years without any problem.  We ran down antelopes on the prehistoric savannah without the aid of Nike's latest spring form technology, right?  (I like to point out that people pooped without the aid of toilet paper for millions of years, too, but that doesn't make it a better or healthier practice.)

In fact, some of the world's most renowned long distance running cultures all historically run barefoot (and continue to run barefoot today).  The Tarahumara of Mexico are one of these - their name for themselves translates to "runners on foot" in their language.  Christopher McDougall brought the Tarahumara to national attention in his recent bestseller, "Born to Run" as well as his article The Men Who Live Forever for Men's Health Magazine.

The major shoe manufacturers have taken notice, of course.  Nike has come out with the Nike Free, which is a shoe that mimics what it's like to run barefoot.  Which sounds kinda silly until you think about urban runners, running barefoot on the sidewalks and through the streets - yeah, I'll take a pass on that, thanks!  Chewing gum would be the least of your worries in that situation.