subject: 5 Ways To Avoid Barefoot Running Cuts (including Broken Glass) [print this page] One of the things most people are worried about when thinking about barefoot running is, "What if I step on broken glass and get cuts?" While there is certainly the possibility of stepping on broken glass when barefoot running, it happens much less often that you would think.
In fact, I have now covered over 500 miles while running barefoot across America, and during that time (including the months of training I did beforehand) I have stepped on, and cut my foot with broken glass a total of once. That includes running through Central Park in NYC three times!
So, yes you should be carful of broken glass, but don't let it keep you from trying barefoot running. There are other things you should be wary of, and you can also avoid most of those most of the time. here's a list of things to watch out for:
Nails and screws
Broken glass
Beer cans, crushed
Sharp metal shards
Thorns and sharp little sticks
Most nails and screws are lying flat, of course, and so aren't usually a hazard - but watch for the ones that are sticking up out of something like a board. If you step on a nail or screw you will want to clean the wound with disinfectant of course, and get a tetanus shot if you don't have one.
A note about tetanus shots: If you don't have one to start with, be sure to get a tetanus shot before going out barefoot running. Even if you don't step on metal, you can still get tetanus from stepping on anything sharp that has the wrong germs on it. So, get your shot, and then go barefoot running.
Broken glass can be avoided while running barefoot simply by keeping a sharp eye out for it; and there is also a trick with sunglasses I will tell you about. You want to avoid letting yourself fall into a trance or 'haze' while running barefoot and not noticing what's ahead of or under your feet. Fortunately this is easier with barefoot running, since the increased stimulation on the bottoms of your feet keep you more alert than when running with shoes.
Here is my sunglasses trick for broken glass: Get a pair of non-polarized glasses to use while running barefoot, the kind that won't "cut glare" - because you actually want to see glare while you are barefoot running...the glare that comes off broken glass.
If you do get a glass cut while running barefoot, be sure to disinfect it, and be sure to get all the glass out, don't leave any shards behind.
Beer cans, when crushed can be a hazard because there may be sharp pieces of metal sticking out that could cut your feet. Watch out for them while running barefoot and as always, disinfect if you get a " beer cut." The same goes for sharp shards of metal, often rusty and hard to see on the ground when you are out barefoot running.
Thorns and sharp little sticks can get lodged in your foot, especially when barefoot running in the countryside. It is nearly impossible to see these before you step on them, but if you do it is important to get them out before barefoot running any further, to avoid larger problems and possible infection. Pull them out and then disinfect as you always do when the skin has been broken.
A note about tweezers: Some tweezers are better than others for running barefoot. If you are pulling out thorns or sticks, you can use any kind of tweezers, however if you are pulling out glass be sure to use normal tweezers and not diamond tipped tweezers. Diamond tips will break the glass up in your foot.
So there are the top 5 cuts you can get while barefoot running, and how to avoid them. One last note is that I always have a pair of tweezers, some disinfectant and some Band-Aids and/or Moleskin along with me so that if I do get cut running barefoot I can fix it immediately, and I suggest you do the same.
Important! Before you start running barefoot: Besides broken glass, you also need to know about knee injuries and barefoot running as well as how to alter your stride to the correct running form (it's different than shoe stride).
