
If you go trudging through ankle-deep sand, you’ll probably feel some grains grinding against your toes. These shoes do a good job at it, but they aren’t perfect. KSO is Vibram’s acronym for Keep Stuff Out. If you’re too sand-averse for the Xeros, the fabric on Vibram’s KSO EVOs are stitched up tight in an effort to keep out sand or other unwanted bits.


The funky design of these digit-dividing kicks are polarizing, but if you can tolerate the weirdness, these barefoot-style oddities are uniquely suited for beach running. But when you’re ready to sprint across the sand like you’re a Baywatch regular, we’ve got some suggestions.Īh, toe shoes. If you’re worried about getting your shoes covered with sand and assorted ocean gunk, Baker suggests feeling things out with a spare pair of shoes you don’t care about as much. You’ll want a pair of good socks, ideally light wool or some other material that’s breathable and soft, and that provides a tight fit. Lots of running shoes have little holes that are great for breathability, but those don’t work as well on the beach, where sand can creep in. So you’ll want a shoe that keeps the sand out as much as possible. If you hate sand, you’re going to like it even less when it’s wormed its way into your shoes during a run. “When you have softer ground, your shoes don't need so much structure, because your body is doing more work, but it's less supported by the ground,” Baker says. You’ll want something lightweight that affords you maximum maneuverability. Luckily, the ideal beach shoe is the next best thing to going barefoot.
Ocean waves by joe baker plus#
Plus you run the risk of stomping onto a sharp piece of shell or not-yet-ocean-smoothed glass. As freeing and romantic as it may feel, many beaches are just plain dirty. You’re better off not running barefoot on the sand. And if you only see one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you. So if you run one way up the beach, plan to make it a round trip. Baker advises retracing your steps on a beach run to even out the experience. That means your gait will be a little off kilter, with each foot on slightly different elevation. “You have to go a lot slower and just be nicer to yourself, because it’s not going to be the same.”Īlso, while it might be more apparent on some beaches than others, your running surface is bound to be slanted slightly toward the water.

“If you just go balls-to-the-wall on loose sand, it's not going to be comfortable,” Baker says. Try to start close to the water where the sand is firmer, then work your way up to looser sand. Take it slow and steady when you first start running on the beach, Baker says. The older you get, it turns out, your body doesn't like that as much.” “There's more opportunity for injury because your muscles are getting lengthened quicker. “You have complete range of motion in the sand,” Baker says. The immediate impact of slapping your feet against a hard slab is lessened, but then you’re pushing off from a shifting, unstable surface. Running in sand is easier on the body in some ways and tougher in others. On surfaces softer than that, it gets tricky.

Running on hard-packed dirt is ideal, since it’s got just enough give to lessen the blows against your poor knees. Beth Baker, a running coach in Seattle, Washington, ranks surfaces hierarchically: Concrete is the worst, followed by asphalt.
