Barefoot Running: How to Run Light and Free by Getting in Touch with the Earth [Paperback]

Michael Sandler (Author), Jessica Lee (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 20, 2011

How could something we have for free—our bare feet—be better for running than $150 shoes? The truth is that running in shoes is high-impact, unstable, and inflexible. Shoes promote a heel-centric ground strike, which weakens your feet, knees, and hips, and leads to common running injuries. In contrast, barefoot running is low-impact, forefoot-centric, stable, and beneficial to your body. It encourages proper form and strengthens your feet in miraculous ways.
 When you run in shoes, you not only risk developing poor form, but you also hinder the natural relationship with the ground that running facilitates. Barefoot running restores the delightful sensory and spiritual connections to the earth that you were meant to experience.
   Barefoot Running offers the only step-by-step direction runners need at any age to overcome injuries, run faster than ever, and rediscover the pure joy of running. Once you tear off your shoes and learn to dance with nature, you’ll tread lightly and freely, hearing only the earth’s symphony and feeling only the dirt beneath your feet. Hit the ground running with revolutionary techniques for starting out slowly, choosing minimalist footwear, navigating rough weather and rugged terrain, and building your feet into living shoes.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Michael Sandler has applied his passion and insights into barefoot running in a way no one else has so far. You are holding in your hands a book as exhaustive and accurate of a description of barefoot running as you could ever hope for.”
—Barefoot Ted of Born to Run
 
“Barefoot Running by Michael Sandler is the best book on the market on how to begin and excel at barefoot running. I highly recommend it.”
—Dr. Michael Nirenb erg, author of America’s Podiatrist blog

“Enjoy the insights this book has to offer. . . . It is about form, joy, and the love of running. Run free!”
—Micah True, Caballo Blanco de la Sierra Madre of Born to Run

About the Author

MICHAEL SANDLER is a barefoot runner athlete, coach professionally for nearly twenty years. After an accident left him with a titanium femur and hip, Sandler was told he could never run again. It was only by going barefoot and feeling the ground that he began to heal. He now runs ten to twenty miles a day, pain free.

JESSICA LEE experienced nagging knee pain and hated running until the day she went barefoot. Now she helps women of all abilities experience the joy of running light and free.
 
 Michael and Jessica are the co-founders of RunBare Company. Together they travel around the world, teaching people how to rediscover the joy of running.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; 3 edition (September 20, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307985938
• ISBN-13: 978-0307985934
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 0.8 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #114,633 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great Technical and inspirational book on Barefoot Running! November 1, 2011

By Olarte

Format:Paperback

I write very few reviews here, but from time to time I feel compelled to share my experience when I find a truly unique and life changing product.

Well Michael Sandler and Jessica Lee's book "Barefoot Running" is truly such a product.

I was lucky enough to discover the joy and benefits of Barefoot or minimalist running after reading Chris McDougall's excellent book "Born to Run".

After buying my Vibram 5 finger shoes, I did a bit of research in order to transition smoothly and found the wonderful book Barefoot Running.

Thanks to Michael's account of how he got into Barefoot running after a debilitating accident, and then following his advice and detailed explanations on why and how to run barefoot in proper form. I learned to run properly and enjoy barefoot running.

In a short 18 months I went from 1 mile to a full 26.2 mile Marathon earlier this week.

While there are several great leaders in this field including Barefoot Ken Bob (who also has an excellent book), Barefoot Ted (great Luna Sandals) etc. that I have been fortunate enough to meet and learn from.

It is Michael Sandler and Jessica Lee's work that did it for me. Not only is it so easy an logical to understand the technique behind BFR, but Michael's story and writing is truly inspirational and motivational.

And so while I recommend all the people and books mentioned above, if there is ONE book that is a must get if you are interested at all in a healthy, natural and enjoyable way to run, I have to say that the book is "Barefoot Running".

I was lucky enough to meet Michael and Jessica last week and the NYC Barefoot run, and if you get a chance I hope you get to do a clinic with Michael as well.

Ivan M. Olarte
[...]

Barefootin' the way we were meant to be...

Instead of anticipating the goal, learn to enjoy the Journey for this is where we spend 99.9% of our time.

The Journey is the reward...

25 of 30 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good resource, but skip the pseudoscience January 19, 2012

By Quintus

Format:Paperback

This is a really comprehensive book which captures a lot of the fun and joy of barefoot running. Michael Sandler is an inspirational figure, and people should certainly listen to his advice about running barefoot.

HOWEVER

He tends to make some embarrassingly pseudoscientific statements, which damages his credibility. The worst has to be the discussion on page 18 about how barefoot running 'grounds' the runner, eliminating the 'buildup of positively charged free-radicals' which are implicated in all sorts of diseases. Um, what?

First of all, free radicals have a complex relationship with health and are not universally bad. They are actually a very important weapon the immune system has to destroy invaders. For example, macrophages use a process called oxidative burst to kill invading bacteria. On the other hand, too much free radical production can damage tissues and presumably lead to some diseases.

But does running barefoot eliminate free radicals? And, more importantly, will running barefoot actually reduce the risk of nasty chronic diseases? The sad reality is that there is no scientific evidence at all to support these statements.

The barefoot running 'community' needs to focus on the fun and relaxing aspects of the sport before making sweeping statements about health. Leave that to the scientists, please - who incidentally are doing some very good work on impact stress and injury rates.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Greatest exercise on earth November 1, 2011

By Sandra Wendel

Format:Paperback

Sounds crazy ... until you try it. Then ripping off your shoes and socks is the most natural state. I'm not a long-distance runner, or even a short-distance runner, but I now exercise barefooted. Love to Zumba sans shoes. And I can't stand having shoes and socks on while at home. My knees don't hurt anymore either after exercising. Why? Michael and Jessica explain the science. Once you read their book, you won't buy shoes with big soles, heels, or padding ever again. Freedom is spelled B-A-R-E-F-E-E-T. Every day is like a day at the beach. Born to Run is the story behind barefoot running. This book tells you HOW to do it.