Jenny Kincaid Boone

Jenny Kincaid Boone has been running since she was in eighth grade. She competed in cross country and track at Fort Defiance High School (Fort Defiance, Va.) and at Roanoke College, where she was all-ODAC in cross country for four years. When her knees and legs aren't aching from the wear of years of competition, she hits the 19 to low 20-minute range for a 5K.

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Some of Jim Benton’s training runs feel better when he unlaces his shoestrings.

A few days a week when the weather is warm, he goes to the Virginia Tech cross country course and logs about three miles or longer. Barefoot.

“It’s like being a kid again,” said Benton of Riner. “You take your shoes off and go running.”

Some runners from Kenya run marathons or other races barefoot. And Nike is selling a shoe that’s almost not a shoe at all. It’s called the Nike Free, and it’s made with a flexible outsole that mimics running barefoot anywhere you go.

And it is almost summer the season for taking trips to sandy beaches. Running on the beach often is best when you take off your shoes and feel the wet sand between your toes.

While the thought of running without shoes may not be pleasant for some people, some coaches and runners praise its benefits.

James DeMarco owns Runabout Sports, a running store in Blacksburg. He also coaches a summer training program for the Blacksburg Striders.

Twice a week during the training runs, DeMarco takes runners to a grassy area, such as the intramural fields on Virginia Tech’s campus. There, he tells them to take off their shoes.

The runners start out running 7 minutes barefoot, and they work up to 11 or 12 minutes by the summer’s end.

“Running barefoot is more natural for your foot,” DeMarco said. “It causes the lower legs to get much stronger, so it’s really good for your body.”

Shoes often protect the feet so much that certain foot muscles get lazy because they’re not being used, DeMarco said.

In a 2001 research paper, Michael Warburton, a physical therapist in Australia, wrote that running barefoot decreases the likelihood of ankle sprains and chronic injuries, such as plantar fasciitis. Warburton said shoes increase the risk of sprains because they make runners unaware of the foot’s position.

He also states that the extra weight that shoes put on feet increases oxygen consumption, which may impact a competitive runner more than a casual jogger.

But barefoot running isn’t for everyone.

Some runners, such as those who have flat feet or who overpronate, often need the support that shoes provide, DeMarco said.

“It’s critical that you look at who your customer is and what kind of surfaces they’re running on, and what their biomechanics are like,” he said.

If you’re planning to try running barefoot, start by running short distances and work up gradually. Your feet need time to adjust to going without shoes, DeMarco said.

Nike even encourages runners to walk around in the Nike Free shoes at home for a certain length of time before running in them.

“It takes awhile to build up to that tolerance,” DeMarco said.

But once you do, you’ll likely notice that your lower legs are stronger. Benton said his calves sometimes are sore after a running barefoot.

Also, choose soft running surfaces and run in the spring or summertime, not during the winter, DeMarco said.

Benton suggests running in areas where the grass is manicured. Don’t try hayfields or trails.

“Grass in a hayfield is very stiff,” he said. “It’s got to be a soft place.”

That makes the sandy beach an ideal spot to try running barefoot this summer. But be cautious of sand that is hot because it can cause blisters, DeMarco said.

Beach running also burns more calories. You can burn about 1.5 times more calories a minute by running on the beach compared to running on asphalt, DeMarco said.

Benton has incorporated barefoot runs into his routine for the last several years, and he plans to keep doing it.

“I do think our feet and bodies are designed to go without shoes,” he said.

But that doesn’t mean you have to run marathons or any races at all for that matter barefoot. Short runs without shoes are just as beneficial for leg strength, DeMarco said.

Benton says he might put his feet to the racing test this summer.

He’s considering racing sans shoes at the Fab 5K at Greenhill Park in Roanoke County in August. The course is all grass.

For more information about running barefoot, visit Ken Saxton’s Web site about his and other runners’ experiences running barefoot, including in marathons.

Schedule of upcoming races:

June 18: Run for Justice, 2K, 5K, 10K, Danville, 434-797-8468

June 25: Presbyterian Home 5K, Lynchburg, riversiderunners.com

July 4: Independence Day 5K, Charlottesville, raggedmountainrunning.com

July 4: Shawsville 5K, Shawsville, starcitystriders.com