Barefoot Therapy, Is It For You?

If you are an endurance athlete, active in sports centered on running or walking, and you are suffering from nagging chronic foot pain then barefoot therapy may be for you.

Dr. Brown began self-studies of this therapy back in 2006 after suffering chronic foot pain following his first marathon. While this course of treatment isn’t for everyone many Carolina Foot Specialist patients have had great success with the program.

We do not recommend anyone heading out to their first 5k barefoot, but a lot is to be said for letting your body self-adjust flaws in your gait and stride. Being barefoot helps to strengthen your feet preventing many injuries. Our best suggestion is to visit a professional before beginning a barefoot regimen. The doctors at Carolina Foot Specialists can aid you on your journey to injury recovery, stronger feet and a future of barefoot training with proper guidance and support. 

How can you get started safely? “Dr. Brown suggests going barefooted for 15 minutes a day inside your house for a week. If all goes well, double it every consecutive week.”

Read more about his journey to Barefoot Therapy via the Postand Courier.

Going Barefoot at Turkey Day Run 2013

To barefoot or not. That was the question I asked myself this morning when the temperature was sitting at 34 degrees as I left the house for the Turkey Day Run. My wife and 3 boys were joining me in the run for the first time so I figured I could shed my shoes and overcome the elements. My feet were numb on the short walk from our car to Marion Square. I fully expected them to return to normal 10-15 minutes into the run. Not on this day. I figured when the feeling had not returned by the 2 mile marker that it was either a blessing or a curse. I could get through the race without feeling any discomfort from acorns, rocks or the rough road along the Battery which would be great. On the other hand, the bottom of my feet could have been torn to shreds and I would not have a clue until later when the numbness wore off. I relied on my barefoot running technique which I have been working on to carry me through. To my surprise, I have almost no discomfort as I sit here several hours later following a great Thanksgiving dinner with our family. Even my 7 year old ran the kids run without any shoes. He came in 2nd place. Great job Matty. Once again I am amazed at what the body (and feet) can accomplish. Whether it is barefoot running, healing a foot injury or strengthening a weakened part of the lower extremity all you need is a plan. Your body will take care of the rest. 

Adam Brown, DPM Carolina Foot Specialists

Putting Your Feet First in Charleston, SC

Is heel pain ruining your life? Do bunions hinder you from wearing your favorite shoes? Carolina Foot Specialists in Charleston, South Carolina is putting your feet first. Find out how here: 

Barefoot Running

If you are your training for the upcoming Bridge run you may see on race day a few runners without shoes. Barefoot running over the past several years has become more popular. This style of running has been propelled in part by the success of the bestselling book , Born to Run. The theory is that running barefoot may minimize the stress on the body.

Dr. Brown has just recently run barefoot during a local 5K race at Thanksgiving and will be running the bridge run barefoot as well. Dr. Brown and Dr. Saffer highly recommend that the transition to barefoot running should go at a very slowly pace at first and gradually increase mileage in order to avoid potential stress injury in the foot. We also feel that having a solid arch structure is paramount to consider if you are the right candidate to barefoot run.

Barefoot running involves forefoot and midfoot striking, which is supposed to minimize the impact of your body colliding with a surface. Striking the ground with your heel first, on the other hand, falls in line with running in regular shoes.


Previous research has shown that striking on the heels might mean hitting the ground with three times more weight than barefoot running. Daniel Leiberman, a Harvard University professor known for his research on barefoot running, has found that forefoot-striking runners have lower risks of repetitive stress injuries, and that going barefoot is more energy efficient.

The Associated Press, however, reported last spring that doctors have noticed an increase in the  number of associated running injuries including achilles tendonitis and metatarsal stress fractures. It was also noted that those injuries were mainly said to be found in people who took up barefoot running quickly, rather than slowly building their up their mileage over time. Another issue with barefoot running is stepping on foreign objects. I have seen in my practice a greater number of foreign bodies in the foot from stepping on foreign objects while running.

If you are considering barefoot running or have been barefoot running and would like to be evaluated please contact us at our office for an appointment.