Leading With Your Feet

Last week, as my dopeness wife CVSW and I were cruising around the city, a runner ran past us and we couldn't help but notice that he was barefoot. While CVSW was somewhat taken aback by how black and dirty the bottom of the fellow's feet were, I told her that barefoot running has actually been gaining in popularity recently. Arguing that the common running form using the heel-to-toe method leads to long-term injury in a runner's knees and joints, the barefoot running movement provides that, as a natural consequence of running barefoot, your forefoot will bear the brunt of the impact and will ultimately allow you to continue running well into the future without suffering injuries of any type. Despite any definitive evidence to support either side, many running shoe manufacturers have taken note of the growing support for barefoot running and have continued to develop shoes that attempt to feel as natural as possible when laced on your foot. Whether or not barefoot running is better for a runner than running with shoes on remains to be seen but, what I have been able to see, is a growing distaste among runners for all of these barefoot runners. At first, I couldn't think of a reason why there should be this much contempt for any of our fellow runners. However, having now met a few shoe-less runners and seen countless others run by me while I too was running (though not barefoot), I have come to understand the root cause of this friction.

A few months ago, T,H,E K,I,D and I were walking home after some race when he began to tell me his feelings about cats. He was telling me how his lady's parents had two cats and how, everytime he went over to their house, he began to feel as though the cats were staring at him and judging him. He mentioned how, after throwing a tennis ball to the cats so as to engage them in a game of fetch, he sensed that the cats were looking at him and saying, "These plebeian humans always wanting to play their base game of fetch with us....". T,H,E K,I,D concluded his feelings by claiming that it was the cat's own self-righteousness that caused most humans to prefer dogs.

It is this logic that likewise can be applied to how people feel in regards to barefoot runners. Whenever I encounter a barefoot runner, they instantly glance down at my sneaker-clad feet and inevitably make some smug facial expression indicating their disapproval of my decision to wear shoes. Clearly thinking they are superior to sneakered runners, these barefoot runners seem to feel that they know more than you about all things running and look scornfully your way should you do anything that runs (no pun intended) contrary to their beliefs. Similarly, their reasoning as to why they prefer the au-natural running style is noticeably condescending. In response to the obvious question, "Why run barefoot?", Running Barefoot's website answers with this abrasive and absurd answer, "Why run with shoes? Were you born with shoes? Did you grow shoes on your feet as a response to running? What makes you believe that shoes are necessary?". With this ridiculous logic, I'm led to wonder why barefoot runners would then find it necessary to wear running clothing. Were they born with shorts on? Did their bodies grow clothes as a response to running? I think not.

To be clear, I have no problem with barefoot running itself. While I don't have any interest in running without shoes, every runner is certainly free to do as they may. Like one's running clothes and running form, the choice to run with or without shoes is a personal choice and, as I have come to know well, each runner has his/her own specific preferences. However, criticism by some of the preferences of others has no place in the running world. You never see the faster runners mocking the slower runners. You never see tall runners making fun of the shorter runners. Barefoot runners need to understand that the running world is one of amiability where superiority cannot be tolerated. If they're not careful, they may find themselves kicked to the curb by the sneaker-wearing feet of others.