I have been training barefoot since I began lifting weights in my parents’ basement 15 years ago. It just felt right. Many people have voiced concern for my little toes around heavy weights, but I have always felt safer without a chunk of rubber, plastic and leather wrapped around my foot. My gut told me that shoes were the cause of the majority of foot, ankle and knee problems in modern society. In my calculations, I was more likely to incur an injury wearing shoes due to misalignment of the foot and a weakening of the musculature, ligaments and tendons than I was to have someone drop a dumbbell on my toes.  It hasn’t happened yet, and if it did I question how much that little bit of cloth would really save me.

Unfortunately, research on training barefoot has been minimal to date.  Michael Warburton of Gateway Physiotherapy has done an excellent job collecting and condensing what research has been done.  Here are Warburton’s findings in a nutshell:

• Where barefoot and shoe-wearing populations co-exist injury rates of the lower extremity are substantially higher in the shoe-wearing population.

• Running-related chronic injuries to bone and connective tissue in the legs are rare in predominantly barefoot populations.

• Footwear increases the risk of sprains by decreasing awareness of foot position and increasing the leverage arm and consequently the twisting torque around the ankle during a stumble.

• Two keys to improved balance during movement are proprioceptive and tactile sensitivity; both of which are always reduced by running shoes.

While studies are still needed to ensure that some of the above data is not due to unmeasured variables such as mileage, wearing bad shoes or not seeking medical attention, the evidence does suggest that Mother Nature and millions of years worth of evolution may beat out Nike after all!

But here’s the catch: the muscles in your feet are probably so deconditioned from being supported by your shoes all the time, that it would be a really bad idea to jump on the treadmill barefoot and try banging out your usual run. (In fact, I don’t like using a treadmill, with or without shoes, but I’ll talk more about that in a later post).  You could injure your feet pretty bad if you don’t build up the strength to support the structure of your feet and ankles first.

Instead, begin with basic, non-impact exercises and build on their complexity. When your feet begin feeling strong, then you can add impact exercises. Remember, you are strengthening muscles, ligaments and tendons; they need time to develop. Of course, there are still the issues of glass, dog poop and gym rules. To negotiate all these pesky impediments, I recommend the Vibram Five Fingers. They offer thin rubber soles for protection without any support, leaving your foot to do its job.

Good luck! And please, watch out for my little toes.

Jamie Dreyer is the President of Further Fitness NYC.