The Changing of the Guard: A Sociological Analysis of the Barefoot and Minimalist Shoe Movement
Human behavior fascinates me. Human behavior in relation to barefoot and minimalist shoe running fascinates me even more. I have been in a position to observe the progression of this phenomenon for a number of years. The entire movement can be framed within the context of the sociological/anthropological concept of the diffusion of innovations . The concept outlines the progression of any given innovation within a society. It is somewhat odd to consider barefoot (BFR) and minimalist shoe running (MR) as an "innovation", but it does represent a significant change in our society's collective thoughts on running. After all, we ran barefoot or in minimalist shoes for tens of thousands of years. The modern running shoe has been around for thirty. The idea of framing BFR/MR within the context of the diffusion of innovation came from repeated discussions with individuals within the running shoe industry. Over the years, I've had the opportu...