Barefoot shoes help run down weight

Many runners are losing weight without going near a diet: They've freed themselves from clunky running shoes, going barefoot or nearly so thanks to foot-hugging "minimal shoes" that fit like gloves.

Runners say that running with less (or nothing) on the foot allows their feet to develop a closer connection to the ground and gives the feet a better workout. For those leery of rocks, glass and other surface hazards, minimal shoes provide protection not available to people who choose to run fully barefoot.

"It's really a movement toward freedom and nature," said Barbara Gubbins, owner of four area Gubbins Running Ahead stores, in Southampton and East Hampton. It appeals, she said, to "people who want to get that natural motion and the kinesthetic feel of the ground."

Interest in barefoot running, as the trend has been nicknamed, seemed to take off in 2009 after publication of the bestselling book "Born to Run," which touts the benefits of shoeless running, a technique that elite runners say helps them maintain their bodies' best running form.

But running without traditional running shoes -- designed with cushioning, support, heavy treads and more -- isn't for everyone. Minimal shoes can protect a runner from things on the ground, but a Southampton podiatrist says that they also can cause pain and even stress fractures.

"Most people will probably not be able to fully convert to them," said Dr. Karen Langone, who's also president of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine. "You really need to be almost perfect: very strong, very anatomically aligned, biomechanically correct. Most people are not that perfect."

But, she adds, "wearing the least amount of shoe that works for you is the best possible way to go."

For those interested in trying out minimal shoes, the experts suggest that runners:

1. Break them in slowly. "Let's say you run three days a week," Langone said. "What you'd probably want to do is start wearing the shoes in a light part of your warm-up, maybe 10 minutes. Gradually work your way up from there. If you have problems or issues, then bring it back down again."

2. Be prepared for more exertion. "It's like when you run on the sand or the beach; it's a much more difficult workout," Langone said. "You don't have whatever extra support the shoe provides. You're on your own. It's trying to see without your glasses on: It's more of a strain."

3. Shop around. Most major shoemakers either have a super lightweight shoe on the market or expect to soon. "It seems as though the market is just really catching up to the demand out there," Gubbins said. Minimal shoes cost $85 to $100 or more a pair, she said. And the fit and feel vary. She described one popular model as being "like a rubber sock." Some of the shoes, she said, can be tricky to slip around the toes, requiring manipulation of the toes in ways they may not be used to just to get a foot into a shoe.