Barefoot Running?

I've been reading up on running and injuries of late, and here's what seems to be the most fuss-free remedy for most running ailments: barefoot running.

Interesting. 

The basic premise to why barefoot running is good for you seems to be that all the cushioning and arch support found in running shoes actually do you more harm than good by "encouraging" poor stride. Moreover, there have been some articles that indicate the more expensive the shoes, the worse they may be for you.

So. Barefoot running. Just another fad, or is there actually something to this?

I'm intrigued enough to give this a try. Some runners have recounted how most - if not all - their running-associated problems went away once they switched to barefoot running, including joint pains. Whilst mine have been attributed to early osteoarthritis, which is a result of wear on the cartilage in my knees, which is a result of the impact generated from running, it's been written that barefoot running will force you to run with the correct stride and posture (ie. as the human body was designed to run) which in turn will result in lesser impact to the joints. Supposedly because you're doing things "correctly".

An acquaintance recommended Vibrams when I complained about my toenails hurting post-Energizer. Subsequent reading pretty much made the case for them. Funky-looking; I must mention that toe-socks freak the hell out of me, nevermind toe.. err.. gloves. Still, they seem pretty well-received by some runners, and are especially endorsed by barefoot runners, so why not? Also, some of them come in cute colours. *ahaks!*

Here are a few reviews on ye Vibrams, for those of you who might be interested, or skeptical. Also, a reminder to go slow with the Vibrams in the intial stages. Obviously, our feet have been conditioned to wearing shoes and barefoot running will be something we'll have to ease our muscles back into gradually. 

I'll most likely pop across the glorified longkang for a pair sometime next week, so we'll see how these babies perform. 

In the meanwhile, here's an interesting TED Talk by ultra-marathoner Christopher McDougall, a renowned proponent of barefoot running and author of Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen, a book on, well, a tribe of barefoot runners.