"Jogging Barefoot Moves From Fad To Accepted Option"

Cool:

"'I have really bad knees,' says Rebecca Ouding.

"'I have an old knee injury that gets aggravated,' says Bud Uyeda.

"'I ran a marathon 20 years ago, and after that my arches collapsed,' says Dave Hafera.

"Not what you typically hear from people enjoying a fun run on a sunny summer Sunday. But there they were in Maryland's Meadowbrook Park at the Naked Foot 5K last weekend, happily joining 450 others despite injuries that usually spell the end of running careers.

"Their secret? After years of frustration trying to cure these ailments, all have switched to running barefoot or in the minimalist shoes that mimic running shoeless...."

And no obligatory ding-bat podiatrist quote.

I don't know that barefoot running's even risen to the level of a fad. Very, very few people actually run barefoot on a regular basis. But lots of people, like me, see old injuries improve or disappear when running barefoot or in minimalist shoes. Strengthening your feet and legs has many benefits.

"Jogging"? <shudder>.