Chaiet finds it healthier to run without shoes

SHARON — Carl Chaiet used to have flat feet. Now, he says, his arches are beginning to redevelop.

And this change is only one example of the benefits that Chaiet has experienced since radically changing the way he runs: He’s tossed off his running shoes and is now a believer in the new trend of running barefoot.

This return to primitive footwear, after decades of highly engineered sneakers, is part of a trend inspired largely by a book called “Born To Run,� by Christopher McDougall.

Most modern shoes are built with the heel raised slightly above the toes. The new barefoot runners feel that this design forces the heels to take most of the impact, which can cause an array of physical problems.

McDougall was inspired by a study of the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico, a tribe renowned for its prowess in long-distance running. Most tribe members run barefoot. McDougall theorizes that this type of unshod athleticism forces the impact onto the toes, and protects the body from damage.

Chaiet read McDougall’s book, was inspired by it, and made himself a new pair of shoes. “I took a pair of New Balances and cut the heels off,� he said. “When you’re running, you can’t run on your heel; it’ll kill you.�

Chaiet had been an enthusiastic runner for years, but had stopped when he developed severe knee problems. Thanks to his new shoes, he is able to run again, pain free.

Chaiet isn’t the only one who has taken McDougall’s advice.  Many runners in Sunday’s New York Marathon were barefoot, or had feet that were barely clad. “Barefoot runningâ€� doesn’t always involve actual naked feet. It has also spawned the invention of many new types of lightweight, differently balanced shoes including Vibram’s Five Fingers line.

These odd-looking, lightweight shoes with five toes allow for the free movement of all muscles in the foot, rather than restricting them in the manner of a traditional running shoe.

Chaiet said he prefers Earth Shoes, which are made with a “negative heel� that lowers the heel, rather than raising it up.