Beginning barefoot running will probably create some structural changes in your feet, especially if you have been wearing shoes exclusively for many years.

Prior to barefoot running, I was someone who wore shoes most of my life, and for the past 18 years had been wearing tightly laced running shoes during my intensive running career. This meant that my foot had to go though many (sometimes painful) structural changes as I began training for barefoot running.

I will detail these changes below; however I will first note that my wife did not have to go through many of these structural changes, because she had spent most of her childhood and much of her adult life going barefoot or in minimal footwear, and so her feet were better adapted to barefoot running in the first place. If you go barefoot often, you may not have to deal with the structural changes listed below as you start barefoot running.

1. Barefoot running structural change #1: Spreading of the toes.

My toes were very close together when I began barefoot running, and my outer toes even curled underneath the ones next to them a bit. As I began barefoot running my toes all began to spread out, until today, they are quite separate. I have used "toe spreaders" while not out barefoot running at times, to help this beneficial spreading process.

2. Barefoot running structural change #2: Bones becoming unfused in forefoot.

If you have been wearing shoes for a long time, you may find as I did that your metatarsals (small bones in your forefoot) have actually become bonded or fused together, with cartilage. One way to know if this has happened is to try to wiggle or move your toes independently; if you cannot, then your cartilage may have bonded your bones in your forefoot and you may be in for a painful "loosening" as you begin barefoot running.

My experience as I began barefoot running was that the insides of my feet were in quite a bit of pain as the cartilage broke apart internally. The best way to deal with this is to start barefoot running slowly, so that it doesn't happen too quickly; and also to use ice water foot baths to soak your feet in after running. You can also use Traumeel, a gel with arnica in it, to rub on your feet. However you will also just have to deal with some pain as this happens, I know of no way to completely avoid it. But it will go away as you keep barefoot running and your foot heals.

3. Barefoot running structural change #3: Loosening and flexibility of the toes.

As your toes spread apart, and the bones in your forefoot become unfused, you will notice that your toes are not only further apart and looser, but that you can start to move them independently of one another, in other words barefoot running will help you to wiggle your toes.

4. Barefoot running structural change #4: A wider, more muscular foot.

My foot has not only become a little wider at the front, but also much more muscular. Also, the tendons in my feet used to stand up quite a lot, and now they do not, causing my foot to appear smoother and without the sharp ridges that used to show from my tendons being strained.

5. Barefoot Running structural change #5: Inability to Be Comfortable Wearing (Any) Shoes.

This is not so much a structural change as a result of the structural changes you may experience barefoot running: you may find yourself unable (or unwilling) to wear normal shoes anymore. I have found this to me the case, and now I only go barefoot or wear Vibram Five Fingers (minimalist shoes with separate compartment for your toes).

The last time I attempted to wear shoes was actually when I went to meet President Clinton at a charity dinner (I didn't think they would allow my Vibrams) and chose the most comfortable "dress" shoes I could, some Doc Martens. My feet and back were in pain the entire night. So, you may very well want to invest in a pair of Vibram Five Fingers if you will be barefoot running a lot, and get used to the idea that shoes may be a part of your past!