spread_run_s2It seems almost intuitive that when you head out the door for a jog, one of your most important pieces of “equipment” is a pair of shoes. Not so, according to a growing number of runners who say shoes not only encourage poor running form; they also actually increase the number of injuries a runner will endure over time.

The Denver Post tuned in to the conversation yesterday, talking with various doctors who (surprisingly) offer differing opinions on the merits of shoeless running.

The idea isn’t new; people from all over the world have been running barefoot for generations without many injuries. Christopher McDougall wrote a feature on the subject for 5280 in May, chronicling the ancient methods of Mexico’s Tarahumara Indians, who can run hundreds of miles barefoot, usually into advanced age. McDougall published a book on the subject, “Born to Run,” earlier this summer.