People interested in running barefoot should definitely start out slow and run somewhere safe, like a soccer field or park. If you decide you like it, I also recommend checking out the Vibram Five Fingers. I only just got a pair a few weeks ago, but so far I'm having lots of fun running in them, and they give your feet a bit more protection against debris.
It took me about a month of a few runs per week (20-30 mins) to adjust -- so not long at all. One of the mistakes I made at the start was going too far, too fast: I tried to do my usual 1h+ runs straight away in the Vibrams and was pushing-off from the ground, concentrating on staying on the balls of my feet. Bad idea.
Anyway, here's some tips from someone who has been through it:
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- Relax, relax, relax.
- Don't push off from the ground, rather, concentrate on lifting your thighs.
- Don't aim to balance on the balls of your feet. You're not running on tip-toes, and that's going to put insane strain on your calves. Instead, get the general area of the top half of your foot to land first, almost flat-footed is fine.
- Aim to tap the ground with your feet about 2-3 times a second, as if your feet are going in a circular motion, and passing by the ground. It's like you're incidentally propelling yourself along with gentle touches to the ground.
- Keep hips relatively low, legs relaxed, leaning slightly forward. If your calves start to hurt, then relax more.
- You will get sore calves as your feet and leg muscles get used to the new style of running. Stick with it, and don't overdo it.
Mmm, anecdote.
Holy fuck that was a bad idea. Bear in mind I am a semi-serious runner who has no problem doing a long, slow 13-15 on any given day. I haven't had significant soreness from running since I started, back in high school.
Well. That was before I ran for an hour on my tippy toes. I was partially disabled for a week. Same thing--calves felt like they got hit with a hand grenade, ligaments FUBARed, also some gnarly blisters on the soles of my feet (turns out asphalt is hot in the summer).
In spite of this I definitely could see why it's better for you; heel striking is just not an option and you sort of prance instead of planting. OTOH I am among the lucky 20% who have never had a running injury because I tend to tread pretty lightly anyways. I think it's still possible to have a healthy stride in shoes, but going barefoot forces the issue: everything else hurts like a bitch.
I have yet to try the anti-shoes out again. The buzz continues to crescendo so I probably will, but let this serve as a warning if you're thinking about trying it out: start slow on these, now matter how much of a badass you think you are.
I paid more of a price for my first actual barefoot on a track a few months ago. One thing about that - your feet go a bit numb, so it's hard to tell if you're hurting yourself. I ran 2 miles easy and ended up with some blisters, but nothing too serious. (interesting note: Running with shoes, you tend to get blisters on the ends of your toes and can lose toenails. Running barefoot, you get them on the bottoms of your toes where callouses should be). Following that, I know to be much more careful, and have been slowly working barefoot runs into my weekly running.
My first run in the Five Fingers was just an easy 3mi loop around my neighborhood (my normal runs are 6-10). I still ended up running way faster than I intended to (they are light after all), but luckily no muscle soreness or other problems. Like anything else, I think the key is to make little changes - this week I may do 4, next week 5, and so on. I'm kind of eager to try to race a fall 5k in them.
BTW - Light review and photo comparison of the Vibram and Nike here: http://skylertanner.com/2009/05/17/nike-free-vs-vibram-five-... for anyone interested.
They are much lighter than the average sneaker and every time I put on my dress shoes it feels like I have lead weights attached.
The Vibram "shoes" would get a lot more attention but the Nike will get the job done.
I should have bought more than 1 pair since they are incredibly hard to find now in certain sizes.