Barefoot Running Shoes?

I haven’t jogged in more than twenty years but I’m ready to put on barefoot running shoes and hit the hills.

Why? What’s got into me? Why am I now “born to run”? And why barefoot??

I’ve been reading the most riveting, stimulating, adventurous, outrageous, mind altering, fun, shocking and simply unbelievable book of 2009. I’m talking about Born to Run by Christoper McDougall.

The thing is, well, hypnotic.

Born to RunIt’s the true story of the Tarahumara, a peace-loving small group of mega-distance running people who live hidden in Mexico’s Copper Canyon. The author heard of them and went on a quest to find them. What a quest it was.

He didn’t just dodge drug dealers and dangerous mountains, but he climbed, walked, ran, and struggled though a maze of twists and turns that make this book the healthiest detective story of the year.

Only it’s all true.

Part of the secret to the Tarahumara’s ability to run forever — literally — is the fact that they don’t wear shoes. No Nikes. No New Balances. No spring-loaded computerized made-only-for-your-feet shoes.

If anything, they wear what some would call Jesus or gladiator sandals: just a slab of thin leather under the sole with a leather thong tied around the foot and ankle. That’s it.

Of course, these running savants love to run. They smile as they run. They are like kids at play — kids who smoke black tobacco and drink corn beer — but kids in spirit, even when they’re senior citizens dashing over mountain tops.

Go figure.

You’ve got to read the book. It’s a masterpiece. Read it for the writing style. Read it for the adventure story. Read it for the amazing characters. Read it for the inspiration. Read it to be shocked. But read it.

Off with the shoes and out the door to freedom I go.

Or not.

I’ve yet to get my head around running virtually barefoot over roads and rough terrain.

I think I’ll finish Born to Run first and then decide.

Ao Akua,

Joe
Dr. Joe Vitale

PS – Here are some resources for you:

Info on Tarahumara
http://www.mexonline.com/raramuri.htm

“White Horse” leads trips into Mexico’s Copper Canyon
http:/www.caballoblanco.com/

Details on Barefoot Running
http://barefootted.com/labels/tarahumara.html

Book site for Born to Run
http://www.borntorun.org/

Vibram Five Fingers are “shoes” that look like slippers a frog would wear. Yet people run in these “barefoot running shoes.”
http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/

Note: Remember to read Joe Vitale’s new book Attract Money Now FREE by clicking right here.

Attract Money Now

21 Comments

  1. Carrie-Reply
    August 26, 2009 at 7:49 am

    Joe,
    I found out about the Vibram Five Finger shoes about a month ago, and they are absolutely amazing! By allowing the toes to spread out and stabilize my body like they’re supposed to, I’ve found that many small adjustment problems in my hips and back have gone *poof*. Absolutely amazing. The interesting thing is that since I’ve started wearing them, I have also found that my thoughts are more positive, and I’ve only been attracting positive statements about those “freaky/funky shoes”. (And this is coming from someone who would usually be too scared to do something “like this” because of the “ridicule”- what changed? My perspective! I love the shoes, so I believe I’m only attracting those who also like the shoes.)

    • August 26, 2009 at 8:09 am

      Carrie, thank you. I’m going to buy a pair thanks to your recommendation.
      Joe

  2. Rem (Dave Remy)-Reply
    August 26, 2009 at 9:08 pm

    Hello Doc! I read Born To Run a few months ago and happen to find out that Barefoot Ted (as well as Scott Jurek) live in Seattle very near me. I scheduled a barefoot running appointment with Ted and since then have been running barefoot, in VFFs, and sometimes in my minimal shoes the New Balance 790s. The big deal is that I have been running pain free after being diagnosed with a miniscus tear in my left knee and arthritis in both knees. Every week my knees seem to be getting stronger. Ted turns out to be a really great guy. The book portrays him as a bit eccentric but he is a remarkably insightful and just a stream of fun, interesting, provoking and insightful ideas. I ended up crewing the Leadville 100 Trail Run for Ted last weekend and even had the chance to meet Caballo Blanco multiple times. It was an amazing experience, it definitely bends ones perception of what is possible. Born to Run has changed my life (as steverunner puts it I am a born again runner) as it has many others that I have come in contact with. Hopefully you will find the same.

    Best of Luck!
    Rem

  3. August 26, 2009 at 10:31 pm

    Isn’t a fun and mind blowing read?! It changed my life. I like how it is really more about living than running, as I used to hate running (now realize I was doing a lot wrong). I have a pair of the Vibram Five Fingers as well and am walking in them at the moment (important to take it slowly, and I just had back surgery as well). There are a few more minimal/barefoot shoes out there (I’ve started a list of them here: http://bit.ly/HPlxg) that you might want to check out. Enjoy the rest of the book, it just keeps getting better!

    Oh, and here’s a fantastic short video from a guy who just discovered the joys of barefoot running after many years – he does a good job of talking about and introducing the idea: http://bit.ly/VUhwB

  4. Lopson-Kay-Reply
    August 26, 2009 at 10:38 pm

    Nothing much Joe, just to thank you for the book- attract money now! I know its going to work for other most important things of my life.

    All the best to you 🙂

  5. garry-Reply
    August 27, 2009 at 2:01 am

    you must be talking to TELLMAN, he knows about barefoot running and for a great cause too , thanks

  6. garry-Reply
    August 27, 2009 at 2:09 am

    thanks for the free book mate

  7. August 27, 2009 at 9:48 am

    Well…now I have homework. I thought that I would sneak in and read your latest post and now I will be doing searches about a shoe that uses the word “finger” in it’s name. Interesting! I’m excited to find this book though. Hubby needs some new reading material, I’m trying to convince him we don’t need the television anymore. Maybe with this book and a few more stockpiled for the winter months, he will see I’m right. *as usual*
    Your description makes me want to go find it today and cuddle up with a good story…must work though. As for “wrapping your mind around running barefoot” I’m having trouble wrapping my mind around running! Although it wouldn’t hurt me in the least.
    Thanks for the recommendation.

  8. August 27, 2009 at 10:12 am

    Thanks for the free book! Within the first fifteen minutes of reading I forced myself to sit still and dig for the source of my resistance to wealth. Here it is: My depression-era parents taught me to hoard every penny becuase “something might happen.” Not only do I repel money, I expect and attract bad news!

    I cannot wait to get rid of this deeply rooted belief!

  9. Byron-Reply
    August 27, 2009 at 11:41 am

    Thanks Joe for the article re:barefoot running. Also a thanks goes out to Clynton for your link to

    a list of barefoot running shoes.

  10. Kelly-Reply
    August 27, 2009 at 1:33 pm

    Hi Joe,
    I’ll have to check that book out. When I was 11 years old, my parents took me out of school for 3 weeks to travel with a tour group of 40 motorhomes through part of Mexico. We put our RV’s on flatbed train cars and traveled through the Sierra Madre Mountains (the only way to get there), and one of the destinations was the Copper Canyon area. I got to see the Tarahumara Indians and learn about them then. We went into a couple of caves where they lived, and bought some of the items they made, like baskets they weaved. But the item I still have today (I’m 41 now), is a carved wooden ball, about the size of a baseball. They explained that they gave each of their children one of these balls from the time they could walk, and they had to kick it everywhere they went. This helped their balance, agility, swiftness, and toughened their feet for the terrain. I saw them flash through the trees on a narrow, dirt path on their way to someplace else, and yes they were barefoot.

  11. clara velez-Reply
    August 28, 2009 at 8:07 am

    dear joe,
    i bought zero limits audio on my summer vacations… i had to wait till the kids were back to school! to start….
    the kids are back to school so i am back on my back and forth rut . but i am loving the audio….. therefore i am loving my driving the kids job!.
    while listening i have found myself crying?… without any aparent reason…. i am trying to make the i love you, i am sorry , please forgive me ,thank you one of my mind imprints…. but i am worried for the tears… i question myself for them but no aparent reason still…. do you think i have to be worried?, well i love the audio….. sooo much! thank you!
    as always you are an inspiration….
    thank you thank you!
    clara

  12. August 28, 2009 at 9:24 am

    Hi Joe,

    Thanks for sharing. I’ve pushed my body to certain physical limits when I used to model and bodybuild. Running barefoot involves a higher level of mental discipline. It’s probably because these people view what they do as normal, just as we view running with shoes as normal. Many of the Kenyan distance runners train with their bare feet as well; sometimes up to 50 miles.

    As you know it’s always mind over matter.

    Enjoy your day,

    Ryan

  13. Josh-Reply
    August 31, 2009 at 4:16 pm

    Thats amazing. I once saw a documentary on the Tarahumara. It was riveting. Some of these guys ran in a race and were beating guys half their age. My brother says we have Tarahumara blood in our veins. Thats because he says that our Great Grandmother fed tortillas to Pancho Villa. Guess where he used to hang out? Copper Canyon.

  14. Josh-Reply
    September 5, 2009 at 4:55 pm

    Dear Joe…Thank you for the FREE book ” Attract Money Now.” Its not a book you can just read in one day. You have to run it through your mind with love. I was into doing the action plans, then I got a phone call…My Mother called me. She said that a company that she started her home based business had folded. She was doing well with it too. I was looking for inventory for Ebay. Not desperatley-mind you. She said she had some inventory for me to sell! You see, the thing is they came to visit me and we were camping lakeside where Johnny Cash maybe wrote ring of fire. I unloaded some internet marketing stuff as well as mentioned You, and some LOA.
    A week goes by and good ole Mom and Dad call. Prior to this I sold some stuff and I was on a roll. I had some social proof. I even almost replaced my income and that was fun! I’m even going to attract a laptop as well so I can be like Pat O Bryan and be portable. These are cool small steps towards bigger and better things. I use positive vibrations combined with action and this works better than negative unclear thinking. Thank You Joe!

  15. September 5, 2009 at 10:30 pm

    That is so interesting, thanks for sharing! I was just reviewing Victor Villasenor’s website this week and he is leading a special journey into the Copper Canyon this month.

  16. Amy-Reply
    September 7, 2009 at 8:53 am

    Hi Joe,

    I’ve been waiting anxiously for your new book, Attract Money Now. I received the link to retrieve it, but it comes up as a PDF file and my computer just sits there….and sits…nothing happens. Am I doing something wrong? 😆 Or is it my computer? I really look forward to reading it and want to say Thank You So Much for writing and sharing it so freely (literally) with the world!

    Thanks in advance to anyone who might answer 🙂

    Amy

  17. September 11, 2009 at 2:34 pm

    I’ve been running in the 5 fingers about a month and love them. You’ll need to start off with smaller distances and build up. Once you get the hang of them you’ll never want to put on another pair of shoes.

    Sean

  18. September 13, 2009 at 5:42 pm

    Hoe

    An interesting post, look forward to your updates and will check out your free book.
    Thanks

    Tom

  19. james-Reply
    September 15, 2009 at 11:19 pm

    are you sure they were barefoot?? I heard they used these !!

    http://vibramfivefingersshoes.com/

    :mrgreen:

  20. jogman222-Reply
    September 29, 2009 at 3:06 pm

    wow carrie, I never heard the vibram five fingers shoes described like that. Bug I have heard similar stories on how much people love them. I recently bought these, the kso’s and i love them, which kind do you have and how has it helped you attract more positivity?

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