Okay, you asked for it. This
Okay, you asked for it. This is my opinion. This is something I wrote a long time ago to a friend on this very subject:
It's a shame that some shod runners may feel, as you call it, "alienated," because we are very inclusive to everyone when it comes to getting involved with running barefoot. It does require them to shed their shoes first though. We also recognize the importance of promoting our sport. In fact, one of the missions of the Barefoot Runners Society is to promote the sport of barefoot running around the country as a competitive sport. Our mission statement can be found on our site's home page. Our mission statement was agreed upon by the founding board members, Cameron, Jason, Preston, Victor, Haley, and me. We say "competitive" as in one barefoot runner competing against another barefoot runner to see who can reach the finish line first. It's not a barefoot runner thing against a shod runner thing. It's about one barefoot runner competing against another barefoot runner. There are Barefoot Runner Divisions popping up all around the country, and they will continue to do so. In just these past few days, we were contacted by the New York Times and the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric looking for barefoot runners to feature in their news stories/segments about the upcoming NYC Marathon. They weren't asking for a shod runner. They were asking for a barefoot runner, so apparently, there is something "different" about it. It's very possible that the shod runner is the one who is at the disadvantage here; the jury is still out. Running on pavement/concrete/asphalt/Earth and running on cushioning are two different terrains. A barefoot runner doesn't have someone throwing cotton and padding under every step they take. So, not only is the sporting equipment different, but the surfaces are different as well. But there are certain disadvantages a barefoot runner faces that a shod runner does not, and at the same time, there are disadvantages that a shod runner faces that a barefoot runner does not. I tend to think of shod running and barefoot running as two different sports, just like roller skating and ice skating are two different sports. I would not expect a roller skater to skate on hardwoods as fast as an ice skater could skate on ice, or for that matter, expect an ice skater to skate on hardwoods or a roller skater to skate on ice. No one is saying one is better than the other, just different. Trail running and road running are different sports (because the terrain is different), which bring different challenges to the runner. Marketing to trail runners is a lot different than marketing to road runners, the shoes are different, the venue is different, the ability of the athlete is different. Not one is better than the other, again, just different. It's the same for motorcycle sports; some ride on dirt with dirt bikes, some ride on asphalt with road bikes. They are different sports. Water skiiing on skis and barefoot water skiing (which is really growing lately) are two different sports and are judged separately. Technical gymnastics and rhythmic gymnastics are two different sports and are judged differently. I could go on and on. Not one is better than the other, just different. I would also like to point out that there are Clydesdale and Athena divisions for a reason. These are the heavier set runners, and historically, they don't place well when put in competition with the leaner runners. We have age divisions. Again, historically, the older we get, the slower we get. We have gender divisions. Everyone knows that most men are faster than most women. We have elite divisions. Yes, reputable events allow the elites to go ahead of the rest of us. I don't hear anyone complaining about these divisions. Mention a barefoot runners division, and boy, do people start jumping out of the woodwork. Now of course if you are a barefoot runner, and you don't want to register for a barefoot runner divisioned race, you don't have to. You can still stay in the weight, age, gender, and elite divisions. I can totally respect your viewpoint, although it is not of my own. This is the way I see it. Again, one's not better than the other, just different.
