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Running on the beach has always been a great pass time for me. Benefits aside, the scenery and atmosphere of a beach can be so much more fun to run through compared to the likes of a treadmill or busy road. However, the sand on beaches can be somewhat challenging to run across, especially if you are wearing the wrong kind of shoes. But what is the right kind? I experimented to find out.
The Experiment
To figure out what the best kind of thing to have on your feet is, I went to my local beach and attempted to run a mile on the same ground in a pair of trail running shoes, a pair of road running shoes, and completely barefoot. I then compared each method to see which one felt the best.
The Results
Barefoot running is by far the best way to run on sand. Closely followed by trail running shoes and then finally by road running shoes. Running barefoot was able to provide an immense amount of grip and it enabled me to work muscles in my feet that I otherwise wouldn’t have. Although running in trail and road running shoes offered some protection to my feet, they didn’t offer me nearly as much benefit in terms of grip, traction, and overall feeling.
What Other Runners Think
Before we dive into the specifics of my experiment, it’s worth noting that a lot of it was fully based on my opinion. So to get an idea of what other runners think is the best thing to wear when running on the sand I asked a group of 277 runners whether they preferred using road running shoes, trail running shoes, running barefoot or none of the above. The results are in.
| Preference | Votes |
| Road Running Shoes | 33 (11.9%) |
| Trail Running Shoes | 80 (28.9%) |
| Barefoot | 146 (52.7%) |
| None Of The Above | 18 (6.5%) |
I was really happy to see that the runners I interviewed said the same thing as me. With more than 50% of runners voting for barefoot running, it’s obvious that this one wins, followed by trail running and then road running. Some of the runners I quizzed had this to say:
“Road running shoes are awful on sand unless it’s very hard-packed.
Most trail runners are fine on sand, but those designed for dry conditions can be substantially better than ones designed for muddy conditions.
Barefoot can be good, but only if you’re not running for too long as it’s very fatiguing on the feet to run barefoot on such a loose surface. It’s a great exercise to strengthen the feet and lower legs, but not the best option if the goal is to get in a good workout unless you have long-term access to sandy surfaces to run on and can take a few weeks to build-up to the point where you can do longer workouts on sand barefoot.”
FUBARded
“While camping at the beach I will often choose to just run barefoot rather than have my shoes be sandy forever. The biggest minus though is that after a couple of days it really starts to sandblast the bottom of your feet. It almost starts to feel like a sunburn. If I was going to be running daily on sand I would just have a pair of trail runners for that only.”
– _-_happycamper_-_
“Are you running on a sloped beach or a flat stretch of sand like in a desert? Personally, I find beach running to be miserable no matter the footwear, but if forced to, I’d go with a not-too technical trail shoe. Asics Fuji Lite 2?”
fizzywater699
My Experiment Results
Now that we’ve explored what other runners have to say about the best shoes for running on sand, let’s dive into my personal experience of each kind of method I used in the experiment.
Road Running Shoes On Sand
Using road running shoes to run on sand isn’t usually a good idea as you will receive little further benefit from the shoes than if you were running with no shoes at all.
My road running shoes were the Launch 8 edition by Brooks. These shoes are designed to be great for quick transitioning, extra breathability and are complete with lightweight cushioning, which I find is perfect for running on the road. But terrible for running on sand. I noticed that the breathability of the shoe left a lot of it exposed meaning that sand could easily get in.
The shoes were very flexible. I guess that this is for quick transitioning but when running on the sand I was much more focused on not slipping so stability was a must. Furthermore, because these shoes are designed for solid flat surfaces, there wasn’t a lot of grip throughout my run. One thing that I will say was good about the road running shoes was that the lightweight of the shoe meant that I didn’t feel as weighed down as when I ran with the trail running shoe and in that sense, I used a little less effort when taking strides.
Trail Running Shoes On Sand
Using trail running shoes is probably the best option for running on the sand when it comes to shoes. However, runners should bear in mind that the extra weight can be a burden.
The trail running shoes that I used for this running experiment were the Hoka torrent 2. I think the big selling point of using these shoes is that they are equipped with sticky rubber outsoles that are made to give runners as much traction as possible when running out on rough trails. This definitely came in handy when using these shoes to run on the beach as I didn’t slip or stumble once. I think something else that was important was that these trail shoes are designed to offer some breathability. Whilst they didn’t allow a lot of sand to get into my shoe like the road running shoes, they were still breathable enough so that my feet didn’t become overheated.
The extra weight of this trail running shoe was a big downside for me and if I was to be running further than a mile in them I think I easily would have gotten tired. Whilst the extra grip by the shoe kept me in place, it certainly made it harder to transition from one foot to another. There’s no denying that trail running shoes make running on sand safer, but they also make it tougher.
Barefoot Running On Sand
Barefoot running is the best way to run on sand. Running barefoot offers your feet a lot of freedom, you can easily maintain balance and positioning, and it’s great for working additional muscles in your body.
The minute that I tried running the same mile barefoot I noticed a huge difference. Although I lost a lot of the grip that I automatically get with trail running shoes, I was able to spread my feet out to keep my balance. Because I had direct contact with the ground, I was encouraged to use my feet more naturally and pay attention to proper form. I’m known for using the very tip of the forefoot whilst running when I should be focusing more on hitting the ground with my mid-foot. Taking running shoes out of the equation made it a lot easier to do this.
Although running barefoot on the beach is generally the best option, it doesn’t come without its cons. My feet were more exposed, meaning that I had to spend a lot of time watching out for what my feet were coming into contact with. As I began to transition from some soft sand to some hard sand, I definitely began to feel my heels and ankles absorb a lot of the force that my shoes would normally manage for me. Whilst this would theoretically be good for increasing strength around the feet, running on the sand like this for too long could result in injury.
Soft Sand Vs Hard Sand For Running
It’s all well and good knowing what kind of shoes are best for running on sand. But what is the best kind of sand for our shoes?
As a general rule, it is better to run on hard sand rather than soft sand. Soft sand comes with a lot less grip and stability and it is far easier for a runner to slip and fall over whereas hard sand is far more compact and similar to that of a road surface.
It’s also worth noting that hard sand can make you run a lot quicker. If you’re spending less time trying to find your grip and transition from foot to foot, you can spend more time focusing on your speed. However, it’s worth noting that soft sand is often wet sand. So if your shoes aren’t waterproof, or you’re worried about potential blisters and chafing around your feet when running barefoot, then soft and dry sand might be a better option for you.
The Best Shoes For Running On Sand
Whilst some types of shoes are better than others for running on sand, each category has a type of shoe that stands out above the rest.
Trail
When choosing a trail running shoe for running on sand, I would recommend going for the Asics Frequent Trail Running Shoe. It’s a very low price for a trail running shoe, which is great if you’re just starting to run on the beach and don’t want to spend a lot of money on gear just yet. The guarded mesh and protected outsole is going to help keep sand out as well as stop your feet from coming into contact with any sharp or dangerous objects.
Road Running
There isn’t a huge amount of benefit to wearing a road running shoe for running on sand. But if I were to give any advice it would be to pick something like these breathable road running shoes. Chances are that they are going to let some sand in. But on the plus side, the breathability of these shoes will stop your feet from becoming overheated in the same way that they will with trail running shoes. There’s also a nice amount of cushioning around the midsole. So you can feel good about this option if you plan on running on hard sand.
Barefoot-
Believe it or not, there is such a thing as barefoot running or minimalist running shoes. For more information, check out this article I wrote. Minimalist running shoes are essentially made to offer you all the benefits of barefoot running with a little bit of extra protection. The minimalist running shoes by Wiweya come with a removable sole, meaning that you can make this shoe even more minimal if you so wish. It is also fitted with a wide set toe box that allows you to spread your feet out as if you were running without any shoes at all, however, your toes will still be protected.
So, Is Running On Sand Good For Your Feet?
Running on sand can be better for your feet in the sense that it will strengthen muscles around the feet and make them better at running in general. This strengthening can also cause a lot of pain and strain around the feet which can lead to some pretty nasty injuries. Whilst running on sand can be good for your feet when it comes to increasing performance, you could forfeit your health if you don’t take the right precautions.
I would still advise that you give running on sand a go, even if you’re worried about injuring your feet. No pain no gain, am I right? As long as you take enough time off to recover, there really doesn’t have to be much of a difference between waking up with sore feet from running on sand vs waking up with sore legs from running on the road.
