How to Begin Your Journey with Barefoot Shoes
Photograph: Masudnpathan/Getty Images
If you’re unsure about where to begin, consider checking out Graham Tuttle’s YouTube channel, particularly his exercises for strengthening the feet. These will assist you in building the foot and ankle strength that may be lacking due to years of reliance on padded shoes, as well as easing muscle soreness when you embark on barefoot running. Tuttle does provide some paid programs intended to provide more personalized guidance (though I haven’t personally experienced any of these). Another YouTube channel that I’ve found useful is the MovNat channel, which is not strictly barefoot-focused but includes plenty of great barefoot advice within its broader context. If you haven’t yet explored Christopher McDougall’s works, both Born to Run and Natural Born Heroes are engaging reads related to barefoot principles. In fact, Born to Run may have been the single most influential work to promote barefoot running since the era of padded shoes began in the early 1970s.
