Each year there is a new wave of barefoot runners. That is what happens when spring comes. Sometimes the waves are bigger than other thanks to a book or person or some other event. It is like the waves at the ocean. Some are bigger than others, but they are usually always there and in a pattern.
What I have seen over the years is more people talking about running in some sort of minimalist shoe. However, when I first started, there weren't any of these minimalist shoes (at least, none that I knew about). So when I started, I had to run either barefoot or with shoes. I didn't want to run with shoes, so barefoot was the only choice. I survived. Now there are so many minimalist shoes that people are asking more questions about them (which is needed) and there are more choices - shoes, minimalist, or barefoot, or even a mix of them.
For the first few, it might be kind of aggravating to have to learn all of these new words and categories when the person runs barefoot. Five years ago, if I said I ran barefoot, then people knew I didn't wear any type of shoe. Over the years, that has changed and I have to add more words and clarify exactly how I run. Barefoot running is supposed to be simple, but trying to explain it to people has become more complex.