Leading Instructors Say Barefoot Fitness Is Just Getting Started

It's been seven years since Chris McDougall's book Born To Run turned the world on to barefoot running. The barefoot running craze seems to have sputtered a bit since the hype has calmed down, but five famous fitness gurus say barefoot fitness training is in its infancy. 

"To be sure, the fitness industry did not teach foot awareness until recently, despite the numerous claims that fitness starts from the feet up," says instructor Lawrence Biscontini, MA, winner of 19 major fitness awards since 2002.

Biscontini is internationally known for his blending of mindfulness techniques with many excercise methods. The recognition of barefoot fitness, and how icredibly effective it is, is still in its infancy, 
despite seven years of exposure, he says.

"Many readers who worked as fitness professionals in the last century will recall male and female muscle diagrams where the feet were cut off from the illustrations, or were shown with shoes and no labels. Today’s take proves different," 
says Biscontini is an article he wrote for American Fitness Magazine's 2016 summer issue.

Lawrence Biscontini, MA

The article included comments from other well-known instructors, among them, Stacey Lei Krauss, owner and founder of the The willPower & Grace Method®. While Krauss's empire is not as large as Biscontini's, her Denver, CO-based stuio is thriving. Meanwhile, Krauss travels the world teaching and her method is becomming nationally-known as more and more fitness instructors train in her patented program.

“Working with foot fascia is the new black,” says Krauss in Biscontini's recent article.

Far away in Hanoi, Vietnam, AFAA Fitness Instructor Yuri Rockit is also touting the benefits of barefoot fitness. He talks of the benefits of the well-known Vibrahm Fivefingers shoes. Krauss is also a Vessibrahm Advocate and is a direct representative of the product.

Stacey Lei Krauss demos a Couger Lunge in a willPower & Grace fitness class

Baring this in mind, fitness sans shoes doesn't mean getting rid of shoes altogether, and a good program can include a combo, says instructor Peter McCall of Mesa College in San Diego. So does Fabio Comana, Faculty Instructor for the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)