Here are some rhetorical questions for the barefoot running community in general to consider:

Why do you try to dismiss what I write about because there are advertisements on this site for running shoes? Are you also dismissing what is written on barefoot running websites because they have advertisements for barefoot running shoes, barefoot running books and barefoot running workshops? You can’t have it both ways.

Why do you dismiss what podiatrists say about barefoot running as they have a vested interest in treating injuries? Are you also going to dismiss the research by Liebermann et al in Nature because he has a vested interest considering he is a barefoot runner and a barefoot running shoe product sponsored his research? Are you going to dismiss everything Chris McDougal says as he has a vested interest in selling a book and getting speaking fees? You can’t have it both ways.

Why do you try and dismiss the apparent epidemic of stress fractures in those using the Vibram Five Fingers as being due to training errors? Why can’t the injuries that runners get in running shoes be due to training errors as well? You can’t have it both ways.

Why are you critical of me for not having comments turned on at this site, when my comments never get approved for publication when I attempt to comment on barefoot running sites? You can’t have it both ways.

Why did you claim that running shoes cause osteoarthritis based on a study that was not even about osteoarthritis? Why did these two barefoot running sites lie about the Kerrigan et al research?

Can you tell me which injuries are actually caused by the high impacts that you claim running shoes are responsible for? Which injury actually has high impact as a risk factor?

Can you show me the research that shows there is an increased epidemic of injuries in runners as you keep claiming there is?

Do you really believe that driving a car barefoot can save gas?

Where is the evidence that running shoes cause any injuries? Why do you ignore the evidence that they might be helpful? You can’t have it both ways. There is less research for the benefits of barefoot running than there are for the benefits of running shoes!

Where is the evidence that running shoes weaken muscles? Foot orthotics have been shown to strengthen muscles, not weaken them, so why would running shoes weaken muscles? You can’t have that one both ways either.

Why do you claim the lack of evidence for the benefits of running shoes as proof that running barefoot is better? It is an illogical 2+2=5 type conclusion.

Why do no elite runners run barefoot? (Try and answer this one without insulting their intelligence)

Why do you claim the achievements of Abebe Bikala in winning an Olympic marathon running barefoot, but not mention that he could run faster and break a world record wearing running shoes?

Why do you claim the achievements of Zola Budd for competing in the Olympic 1500m barefoot, but not mention that she had to resort to wearing running shoes to prevent the injuries that she was getting?

How about explaining why I can’t make up headlines like Barefoot Runners Get More Stress Fractures?

Why did you claim that the Liebermann et al study in Nature supported barefoot running and showed barefoot running was better and showed there are less injuries in barefoot runners? The study showed none of that. Liebermann himself had to publish a disclaimer on his website to distance himself from what was being claimed from the research. You can’t have it both ways.

These are the issues. Why do you always attack the messenger and not the message? Why do you always take pot shots at those critiquing barefoot running and never address the actual issues that they raise? Why are you so irrational? Is it because you can not actually address the issues being raised, so have to resort to these attacks? Stick to the issues.

If barefoot running was so great, then why are there no elite runners doing it? Why have no world records been broken when running barefoot? Don’t you think that every elite runner and their ’staff’ have looked at everything that could possibily give them a competitive edge? Why have they chosen not to run barefoot? Even the elite runners from African nations who grew up barefoot choose to run in running shoes – why is that?

The only elite runners that have run barefoot were Abebe Bakila (and we all know that he could only break the world record when he started wearing running shoes)  and then there was Zola Budd, but thats one out of how many over how many years? And even she has stopped running barefoot and gone back to running shoes, so I guess the barefoot running community can scratch her off their list of barefoot running pin-ups as well (that leaves them with no one!). As she told the Guardian:

“I no longer run barefoot,” she said. “As I got older I had injuries to my hamstring. I found that wearing shoes gives me more support and protection from injuries.”

I do know that a few elite runners do some drills barefoot, but do distance themselves from the exaggerated and nonsensical claims made by the barefoot running community, as well as the intellectual dishonesty.

I did come across this message posted on Podiatry Arena by a barefoot runner trying to explain why elite runners do not run barefoot:

“Why do most non-elite runners wear running shoes? It’s because of (1) multi-million dollar marketing budgets from running shoe companies – they had me for 20 years, and (2) Fear. Fear stoked by podiatrists such as yourself.”

See how deluded these people are? Do you really think that elite runners and their staff are that stupid that that would fall for running shoe company marketing hype and fear stoked by podiatrists? These sorts of statement are insults to the intelligence of elite runners. Who would you rather want to believe: The eilte runners who go to great lengths to find every edge that they can or those nutters who make statements like that? Who do you think is more intelligent? Who do you think has deluded themselves because the ‘want to believe‘? Do you think they also wear tinfoil hats?

If barefoot running is any good, then the elite runners would be doing it. Ever wonder why they are not? Surely this says something?

When you look at many of the websites and blogs that promote barefoot running you cannot help but be left with the impression that running shoes are close to being the source of all evil on this planet. “Global warming can be reversed and world peace achieved if we just stop wearing those damn running shoes“.

Seriously, folks, do you honestly believe that the running shoe industry would deliberately make and sell running shoes that they know will actually cause harm (let alone global warming and wars). That is what many barefoot running commentators would want to have you believe.

Yet, I can find no evidence of running shoes doing any harm. I do see many comments on barefoot running websites, but like a lot on these sites, it not backed up with any evidence. The evidence that they help is also lacking, but the lack of that evidence does not mean that they don’t. However, the illogical rationale of some barefoot runners is that they do cause injury because there is no evidence that they help – I assume you can see the illogical argument they put forward.

If you check out some of the characteristics of what constitutes a conspiracy theory, then the barefoot running community (in general) meet all or almost all of the criteria in their belief of a big conspiracy by the running shoe companies. Seriously, folks, do you honestly believe that the running shoe industry would deliberately make and sell running shoes that they know will actually cause injury.

If you believe that, then I think it’s time you took off your tin foil hat*.

* If you do not know what this means, then check the Wikipedia entry.

Fans and supporters of barefoot running love to point out the achievements of the marathon runner, Abebe Bakila. He won the 1960 Rome  Olympic marathon in a time of 2hr 15min. He did this barefoot. His achievements are hailed and worshiped by the barefoot running community. You often see him touted and talked about on barefoot running websites. What they do not tell you is that he subsequently won the 1964 Tokyo Olympic marathon in a world record time of 2hr 12min wearing shoes! Why do the barefoot runners not talk about that?

According to Wikipedia:

He did enter the marathon, this time wearing Puma shoes. While he had spoken with Kihachiro Onitsuka of the future Asics company, he was pursued actively by Adidas and Puma, ultimately deciding to wear Puma shoes.

He did not break the world record running barefoot; he broke the world record using running shoes!