Would you do true bare foot running with possible risk of elephantiasis?

I live in a beautiful part of the world and the great weather makes it an ideal place to bare foot train for marathons. HOWEVER, a form of elephantiasis was once present in our Islands and was caused by the inflammatory effects of nanoparticles of silica from our volcanic soils passing into the skin of the feet. The presence of elephantiasis left with the use of shoes. I know this can be a problem in Ethiopia too and even bare foot runners from there have campaigned "ironically" to collect shoes for their country.

I could still incorporate beach running on occasion, but it isn't practical to do beach training for all my training kilometers as I train for 5 - 7 marathons a season.

If you lived in a place in the world where elephantiasis was once present due to bare foot living & working, would you consider true bare foot running even on asphalt? ... or just wear running sandals and wash feet well after training? or wear VFFs?

I have contacted different organizations that work with this illness, to get there input, but wanted to get Bare Footers input or thoughts. I would appreciate any ideas you might have.

I will let you know if any elephantiasis organizations reply to my letters as it could be an issue for other training at mild to high altitude volcanic areas. ...seeing a recent post about bare foot running in volcanic areas.
 

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Your question would be best answered by your country's health professionals I think. Elephantiasis is a symptom of a variety of inflammations, parasites, conditions etc. and, in your case, specific particles.
Deeming asphalt safe in this particular case requires local professionals imo.
 
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Look up "podoconiosis". You have to be genetically susceptible to it (and most folks aren't). I don't know if there is a genetic test you can take (but that would sure be a good idea, wouldn't it?).
Do you have any specific links for this, Ahcuah? Sounds like a good read. Have you blogged about it before?
 
Where I live, there are concrete sidewalks. They are fairly clean due to rain and lawn sprinklers. My feet often have just a few smudges of dirt, if any. Still, I'm not sure that I would go without shoes, if there was podoconiosis locally.

My bunions are sensitive to shoes, so I'd seriously consider getting my own treadmill, so I could run barefoot.
 
I would want to understand the risks, and know if there was a way to halt or reverse the process if you start to show early signs. Otherwise I wouldn't be taking too many chances.
 
THANK YOU all for your input! I wanted to get "bare footer" input not just input from a "scientist - medical professional" as I feared "professional" input could be so biased against non-shod sports, that it would be a quick "no" without real serious evaluation.

However, I just got a reply from one of the world's leading experts of podoconiosis. She also could be a great resource for others who have similar questions. .... the quick answer is "no risk, but wash feet afterwards" ... but her complete answer is below.

Hi Matthew,
As a fellow runner I understand your query! Happily, I don't think you are at risk of podoconiosis.
The fact that you can keep your feet clean between runs is key here - most of the farmers who develop disease have difficulty accessing water, and so their feet and lower legs are often be covered in a thin layer of mud through the rainy season (several months). We think this is what leads to ingress of irritant particles, inflammation and blockage of the lymphatics in the lower legs and, eventually, disease.
If you wash your feet regularly then you are avoiding long term contact between irritant particles and skin, so keep training.
I'm afraid I don't know any medical professionals on Tenerife or another of the Canary Islands, but in your situation, you really don't need medical input to stay clear of podoconiosis.
Happy running!
Gail

Prof. Gail Davey
Professor of Global Health Epidemiology
Brighton & Sussex Medical School
 
Wow, that is so cool to have this contact and info. Thanks.
 
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