BAREFOOT/MINIMAL FOOTWEAR RUNNING COACH

If you are looking for an answer to the question, "how can I run better, more efficiently, more joyfully?", I have a potential answer for you...and it is not what you might expect. My suggestion is that you learn how to run barefoot. Learn how to enjoy running again by learning how to run like your ancestors...very successfully. I can show you how.

VOLUNTEER PARK BAREFOOT TRAINING GROUNDS

Weekly gatherings and daily individual coaching sessions held at historical Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill in Seattle, an ideal place in the heart of the city to move outdoors surrounded by awe inspiring natural beauty and 20 of the largest trees in Washington state.

I can teach you how to run barefoot.

Research suggests that you should avoid cushion and support. Your foot needs freedom. Rely on good form, quick cadence and gentle landings rather than the whims of footwear marketers. I want you to strengthen your body and your feet for greater overall health.

My goal is to share secrets about running and living that have worked for me. I want to encourage you to find your own path by gaining insight from my experiences and from your own experiments in barefooting.

Let Christopher McDougall's best selling book Born to Run be your introduction to who I am and why I think the way I do. He does a fantastic job of outlining why I run barefoot and offers some compelling reasons why you might want to give barefooting a try too.

RECENT REVIEWS

James
Barefoot in the Park
Ted reminds me of the teacher who always had a gleem in his eye as he brought a new experience to the class each day. He was full of energy for the entire session and you can tell that he was just itching to share more information with you. Honestly, I would have liked to have spent much more time with Ted. That said, the single session was just perfect because he boiled things down to three key concepts. Now I have a place to start over.

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Mark
All the tools you need to get started
Ted gave me the perfect introductory lesson in barefoot running. Although he had a lot of information to share -- all of it interesting and worthwhile -- he was very careful to leave me with concrete takeaways that I can apply to assess and improve my running going forward. And he didn't push at all for a follow-up or more lessons. Excellent, highly recommended for anyone who walks or runs.

Ideal Footwear: a barefooters perspective

Hermes (Lysippos c. 350 BCE)

So, what is the ideal shoe from the perspective of a barefooter? Firstly, let me make it perfectly clear...nothing comes close to the perfection of the foot as-it-is. With that in mind, here's what you should look for in footwear:

1. Lightweight - we don't need any extra weight.

2. Extremely flexible - don't control my foot thank you.

3. No support - none, we want to get stronger through good form.

4. No cushioning - none, it's not needed (see above).

5. Wide - freedom for feet to be whatever they are...always.

6. Thin-soled - we need to FEEL the ground.

7. Puncture proof - as rarely needed insurance.

8. Durable - long lasting, wear well.

9. Easy on-and-off - please.

10. Portable and easy to stow - so we can travel together.

11. Fairtrade made - thinking about the future.

12. Green - earth safe materials, recyclable, duh.

13. Breathable - so as not to suffocate.

14. Good grip - let us stay upright when things get slippery.

15. Toe articulation - I have toes for a reason.

16. Beautiful - because we never tire of beauty's inspiration.

17. No Stink - a shoe should not smell bad...ever. What do you think?

Barefoot Ted ...aka El Mono