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Important: in the following article I will use the words barefoot, barefoot shoes and minimal shoes as synonyms. When I say barefoot running, I mean running with barefoot shoes.

In 2017 I ran my first marathon, after 6 months I ran the second, and 6 months later I ran the third one, this time with barefoot or minimalist running shoes. I started transitioning to barefoot running during the training for the third marathon because I wanted to improve my running form, reduce injuries, and gain strength and stability.

6 years, 6000 km, 6 marathons, and 3 ultramarathons later here are 6 lessons that I have learned.

Lesson 1. Start slow and be kind to yourself

When transitioning to running with barefoot running shoes the body, muscles and bones need time to gain strength. When I first transitioned I looked into different research papers, books and experiences from professionals, and it became clear that taking it slow is essential.

If you want to do a full transition then plan for at least 6 months to a year. The time varies with each case, so please be kind to yourself and avoid any injuries. Start by doing easy runs, maybe 2-3 km. Listen to your body and do incremental increases. You’ll notice that your soles and feet will become stronger and expand. You’ll also notice more calluses, embrace them 😉

I did the full transition in ~3 months and it was intense, I ran my first barefoot marathon with Leguano Sneakers and I felt confident but I still needed to improve my running form and gain more strength, which is the next lesson.

Conscious & effortless running is composed of 4 principles or 4 A’s. Here’s where A for Apapacho enters: bring loving-kindness and compassion to yourself.

Lesson 2. Running Form will change

Have you recently run without any shoes on grass or a sandy beach? It feels good. If you haven’t tried this recently, I suggest you do. Bring awareness to that moment.

When running without shoes, biomechanics change. When running with cushioned running shoes, landing on the heel is a possibility. However, when you run without shoes on grass or with barefoot shoes you’ll notice that the landing of your foot is different. Foot strike-patterns change and landing moves to the middle or the front of the foot, also called mid-foot and fore-foot strike. 

If you normally run in cushioned shoes, then changing the foot-strike at first might feel weird, but with enough time you’ll notice how easy it is.

Here is an interesting point to notice: when running with cushioned shoes, listen to the sound of your shoe when landing on the floor. Is it loud? Does it feel light or heavy? Cushioned running shoes tend to be heavier than barefoot or minimalist shoes. There is a sense of lightness when using barefoot shoes, and it is not only that the shoe is lighter, it’s that you’ve started to transition to a different running form.

Lesson 3. Fewer falls and stumbles

I remember one salesman at the barefoot shoe store who said to me (I’m paraphrasing) “for me, wearing a regular shoe is like wearing a glove in my hand”. I feel the same. I actually feel I’m wearing a hockey glove.

If you remove your shoe and your socks (in the case that you’re wearing any), you will notice how sensitive the soles of your feet are. When wearing barefoot shoes you’re allowing your feet to receive much more information from the ground.

As a lifelong faller, and since I transitioned, I have noticed an increase in stability, balance and reaction time. I’ve observed that my feet react quicker and I tend to fall less. Yay!

Lesson 4. Stronger feet (and less blisters)

This is straightforward. With barefoot shoes, my feet started to have more space, they became stronger and my feet grew wider. I sometimes refer to barefoot shoes as “expansive shoes” and regular shoes as “restrictive shoes”. The back muscles of my legs and buttocks also grew stronger.

By the way, a wider toe box also helps to reduce damage on the nails and reduce blisters. It was impressive to see no blisters, no swollen feet, and no damaged nails after running 100km.

Lesson 5. Barefoot running spills to other areas of life

An important question to ask oneself is if you want to use barefoot shoes for training only, or also use them in other situations, like walking, going to work, and basically in everyday life.

For me, after some months, my other shoes started to feel restrictive, and in about 2 or 3 years I changed all my shoes to a minimalist and barefoot style. In some cases, I couldn’t understand why I was walking on top of a piece of wood, a wooden sole. 

If you’re in the middle of a transition to barefoot shoes, notice the effect in your body when wearing cushioned or regular shoes.

Lesson 6. There’s no perfect brand, but I have a preference…

Like in any commercial brand you’ll find pros and cons. In 2024, there is a wide availability of brands in the German market such as Vibram, Leguano, Vivobarefoot, Xero Shoes, Wildling Shoes, Joe Nimble, Groundies and many more. My advice, try them in a store before you buy them. 

I can only speak of my experience. For running I have used Vibram V-Run, Vibram V-Trek and Leguano Sneakers. I can highly recommend Vibram for running. For walking I’ve used Leguano, Vivobarefoot, Xero Shoes and Wildling Shoes. All of these brands have positives. I can also recommend all of them. 

Also consider the environment. Barefoot shoes tend to last more kilometers. I can still use my V-Run after 2,200 km, mostly for shorter 6 to 10 km runs, but still usable. 

Here’s where another of the A 4’s come to mind, enter Action: Examine the scientific evidence. Don’t take these words for granted, try it for yourself.

Have a spacious day!