Barefoot running?

Super-interesting article in the New York Times this week, inspired by the book "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall. Here's a link to the book:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307266303/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1/191-4245017-5502047?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_r=1CZHSGFJ2ET93809CWBK&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_i=0739383728

Why are Amazon's links so long and complicated, while others are so nice and simple? Here's a more understandable and substantially shorter link to the article:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/the-roving-runner-goes-barefoot/

I haven't read the book but really want to (my cousin Crazy B bought it a while back and said he'd pass it along; I wish he'd hurry up!). My understanding, in a nutshell, is that it talks about the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico, who became known for running long distances on foot. McDougall posits that running shoes aren't good for us, encourage bad form and can even lead to injury. He thinks we should all be running barefoot instead -- or using "gloves for feet." The people that use those seem to be all about a product called "Vibram Five Fingers." Here's what they look like:

I think they're kind of cute.

The article describes how the author went for a barefoot run through Central Park (on pavement, not grass) with McDougall, who wore the Five Fingers. Thinking he wouldn't be able to go very far in his bare feet, the author carried his shoes with him. But before he knew it, they'd covered 6 miles and he felt great. His feet never started hurting, although he did admit to some soreness the next day -- but it was muscle soreness, not pain. He didn't injure himself at all in the way you might think: cuts, blisters, stuff like that. Amazing.

The comments on the article were really interesting to read, too. Almost all of them came from people who endorse barefoot running. Someone even mentioned that it's helpful to lift weights barefoot. I'd love to give that a shot, but I don't think it would go over well in my gym. Maybe I'll go in really late some night, when no one else is in the weight room, and sneak in a barefoot workout.

All this really has me thinking about giving barefoot running a try. But, as one of the commenters mentioned, doing that while in deep training for something is a mistake. So I'll have to save my experimenting for after the marathon in November. I hope I remember. In the meantime, I'm going to bug Crazy B for that book ...