But you’re still smacking your foot directly on the ground, without any padding. Wouldn’t this lead to more foot injuries? Possibly. And, of course, it takes time to develop calluses on your feet thick enough to make barefoot running comfortable. And I suppose running in cold weather could be a problem. So like most things in science, there’s more than one side to this story. Running barefoot may have certain advantages, but there are some pitfalls, too.