Running barefoot

Among the daily activities, more and more people are running: long distance, short, fast, slow, in the mountains, on the street, with shoes and/or barefoot. The ways of running are of all kinds, but this last option, running barefoot, raises the attention and concern of many of us: is it beneficial or harmful to our body? The San Sebastián runner Kontxi Garmendia started running barefoot 5 years ago and it’s going great. Among other things, the more appropriate technique has resulted in fewer injuries and is able to make much longer distances. Although some studies applaud this technique, there are also those who say the opposite. With Jordan Santos, a professor and researcher at the UPV/EHU, we have discussed the differences between the two. We can anticipate that each runner must find his own way of running.