If you run barefoot on concrete, it may actually be more good than bad. According to some research and most barefoot running advocates, running barefoot on concrete activates the foot’s mechanical and pressure sensors more fully in ways that may lead to more immediate improvements in enhancing your forefoot strike placement and stride control, thus averting an over-stride and high impact forces! Equally important, running barefoot on concrete may also help you develop stronger, more tolerant, more energy-efficient feet for when you run in shoes. The truth is, the facts don’t stop about the benefits of running barefoot on hard surfaces! In my post (here), I discuss in detail about how barefoot running on concrete helps you make more efficient use of the elastic power structures in the foot/ankle complex, making your stride more spring-loaded and responsive (i.e. more springy), which may in turn shore up more elastic strain energy for the benefit of improved running economy.
