Barefoot Ken Bob's book -- long awaited, and worth itA review by Matt.
[Editor's note – This review is the first installment in the BRS's series of reviews of books about barefoot and naturalistic running. We'll be looking for the best instructional books, as well as ones that shed light on broader questions like why has barefoot running been so controversial in the running community? And is naturalistic running really the same as barefoot running – in every way but the shoes? This week we'll start with the book that barefoot running diehards were waiting for, the one from Ken Bob Saxton. The review is by Matt. The photo above is by kisocci, licensed via Creative Commons. Enjoy -stomper.]
Barefoot Running Step by Step: Barefoot Ken Bob, the Guru of Shoeless Running, Shares His Personal Technique for Running with More Speed, Less Impact, Fewer Injuries and More Fun
by Roy M. Wallack & Barefoot Ken Bob Saxton. Fair Winds Press, ISBN 9781592334650
Back in 2007, like many runners before and many runners since, I was another bad knees, bad form, bad luck runner who just wasn't built for running. Thankfully, just as I was ready to give up on running completely, I stumbled upon the web site of Barefoot Ken Bob. I was positive it wouldn't work but figured I had nothing to lose, so I ditched the shoes and gave barefoot running a try. Despite all my skepticism, it worked!
Given my enjoyment of barefoot running over the years, I owe a ton of personal thanks to Ken Bob for my ability to run, and also to the community he created that guided me on this journey. I think 50% of what I learned about barefoot running came from the discussions on his Yahoo forum. The other 50% came from my two feet running around my neighborhood over the years.
So when he finally came out with Barefoot Running Step by Step this year, I was both hopeful and doubtful about whether it would be a book worthy of his decade and a half of experience and instruction. How could anyone possibly take all that he has written over the years and condense it into a neat book. One of the things that lead to my trepidation was his barefoot running clinic in the Summer of 2010, which I found to be rather underwhelming. It may have been fatigue from all the travel, but I think ultimately, Ken Bob may be more of an idea guy and thinker, rather than a presenter and spokesperson.
When I initially scanned the book, my immediate reaction was disappointment. I could tell by looking that it was not going to live up to my hopes, and that reading it would likely make me cringe. Something about the odd size rubbed me the wrong way, and opening it up, the table of contents was goofy at best. Additionally, there was no index. What were they thinking? If I saw this book at a book store and didn’t know who the author was, I would hardly have given it a second glance.
So, I started reading, and over the course of 240 pages, my impression did a 180. Maybe you can’t judge a barefoot running book by its cover. By the end of the book, I came away with the impression that this is THE book on barefoot running. Not only does it contain a lifetime of knowledge from Ken Bob, but it also displays his wit and humor. And his generosity. This book really is a collaborative effort, much like his web site. He really does a good job of weaving the history of barefoot running, technique, and stories into a seamless whole.
What is the theme of Barefoot Running Step by Step? It comes down to this: barefoot running is the best way to learn good running form. And even more specifically, it's the best way to run, period: injury-free if you do it right and don't rush into it, and faster as well, for those who like to be fast. Ken Bob gives many reasons why this is the case. Personally, I’ve loved how it feels, and have suspected that it’s also making me faster (my fastest races have been barefoot). But in Barefoot Running Step by Step, this argument is well spelled out, and for many people, myself included, is very convincing.
How does he spell out the argument? He does it through a combination of narrative, compelling logic, and recent research (some of which hasn't been published before this book came out). There is a small weakness, though. Without an index and an annotated bibliography, the research he sites doesn't come across as strongly as it could. He also give examples of many elite runners both past and present who have used barefoot running as part of their training to various degrees.
So who is this book geared towards, and who will benefit from it? It’s probably not for everyone, but if you like to run, don’t like to be injured running, and have feet, then this book could very well be for you. I was really impressed with how well Ken Bob explains barefoot running technique, and he repeated cautions about the dangers of trying to progress too fast with barefoot running. Ken Bob doesn’t hold back in expressing his opinion of minimalist shoes. Basically, by blocking the sensory feedback from the feet directly touching the ground, minimalist shoes prevent good running form.
What about the co-author, Roy Wallack? Well, I think he did a brilliant job. He was able to take what Ken Bob has written over the years, condense it, and come out with the essence of barefoot running. The book definitely conveys the voice of Ken Bob, include his wit and wisdom. But I don’t think that it could have ever happened without the work of Roy Wallack. What would this book have been like without the work of Roy Wallack? Well, take a look at Ken Bob’s web site over the years. Despite the fact that there is a ton of good material there, it’s quite a mess. It’s tough to navigate, and sometimes the great material is buried deep within. Other than my initial impressions of the book size, cover, table of contents, and lack of index, I only found one negative in the book. The short section in nude running felt like it detracted from the focus of the book. I don’t have anything against running naked, but people already probably have an image of barefoot runners as peace-loving hippies. Peace-loving hippies running around naked doesn’t help the cause.
And this gets us down to one last question. Is Barefoot Ken Bob a good spokesperson for barefoot running? Does his hippie-ish appearance detract f
rom the fine ideas that he presents in his book? Personally, I think he is. The arguments themselves stand on their own. His logic and thoughts are well reasoned and tested by years of experience, both his own, and thousands of other barefoot runners over the last decade. He brings in the research being done by folks like Professor Daniel Lieberman showing the benefits of barefoot running. And I appreciate his aura. I don’t want someone writing about barefoot running who is half-assed about it, and bending over backwards to appeal to those who still aren’t going to give up their shoes. Ken Bob isn’t trying to sell you a better pair of shoes. He’s trying to convince you that you were born with all the running equipment you will ever need. You just need to re-learn how to use them.
