There’s a lot of conflict, especially among those new to minimalist shoes, as to what surface they should run on. It’s a conversation I’ve had two or three times just in the last week or two with folks interested in FiveFingers. Here’s a few tips to get you off in the right direction.

Grass

This is a natural starting point for someone new to FiveFingers. As a matter of fact, I just heard this the other day: “Man, I bet those would be great running in the grass!” Well, yes and no. Does it feel great to run in the grass? Absolutely. Especially barefoot (unless it’s 110 degrees out and your grass more resembles tiny spears for a tribe of minuscule people hellbent on toppling the giant through the soles of his feet like mine does).

This is a terrible place to start running barefoot or in minimalist shoes. You may as well throw your Airmax’s back on to go run in for all the good it’ll do you. Remember, I’m talking about beginners. The cushion the grass provides doesn’t do much to help you in the way of form. Now don’t go grabbing the pitchforks and torches saying that I said you absolutely cannot run on grass. By all means, if it feels good, do it. If you’re serious about proper form though, find yourself a more firm surface to run on. Your feet will thank you.

Dirt

Dirt is an oddball. It can be hard as rock, or soft and forgiving. Hard, packed dirt can be your friend. Soft, wielding dirt can have the same detrimental effect that grass does. I’m also lumping sand into this category. Beach runs are a phenomenal experience if you happen to live somewhere this is an option, but it still acts as padding for your feet. Stick to the dry packed stuff.

Concrete

Concrete by it’s nature is made to be unyielding. On average it takes 3,000 to 4,000 psi (or more, depending) to break most of the concrete you’ll come across, and that’s without reinforcement. That’s hard, yo. Sounds brutal on your feet, right? It’s really not. Harvard’s Dan Lieberman has conducted studies showing that a forefoot strike such as that in barefoot running produces less impact and greater efficiency than that of shod runners (warning: lots of big words and heavy math on his site, but you’ll get the gist).

A word of caution: rough concrete (i. e. broomed-finish or sanded) can/will wear the soles of your FiveFingers faster than most surfaces. Smooth concrete surfaces can be slick as ice. Use your best judgement.

Asphalt

My favorite. Asphalt is firm, but forgiving. It’s designed to have some spring to it. I love getting on some [relatively] fresh asphalt. New asphalt has a spongy-ness to it you won’t find on anything else and it just feels great. Just make sure it’s not THAT new. Trust me, cleaning hot asphalt isn’t fun (or easy).

Just be careful. Depending on where you live, asphalt can be miserable to run on in the summer. Asphalt concrete can get 90 degrees warmer than ambient temperature in the summer months (again, depending on where you live), and can get hot enough to cause second-degree burns in the southwestern parts of the United States.

Tip: If you’re running on the road in the summer, try to stick to the stripe, especially if it’s the thicker thermoplastic instead of paint. It’ll be a few degrees cooler.

Bottom line – don’t be scared of hard stuff. They (plus your feet and body) are more forgiving than you’d think. Learn proper form and you’ll be able to go anywhere, on just about anything.

What do you run on? City streets? The sidewalk? The beach? Let us know in the comments.