Kuya Kim tries running barefoot for 1 km

It’s no secret that Kuya Kim is a running enthusiast, but can he do it barefoot?

On Tuesday’s “24 Oras,” he tried running for 1 km without shoes as he was inspired by 75-year-old Manuel Vismanos, the “Barefoot Runner ng Davao.”

“Napakaganda talaga ng barefoot running pero dapat gagawin mo rito, maiksing distance muna dahil ’pag mahaba at sinagad mo agad, paltos ang paa,” said Kuya Kim.

“Mag-ingat ’pag nag-barefoot running. Siguruhing nakatingin sa daan dahil ’pag nabubog, masusugat ka,” he added. “Bago ang feel pero feeling mo talaga raw and primitive.”

Manuel, meanwhile, has been running barefoot since the 1970s. He has been to 100 competitions and is planning to run 5 kilometers this coming December.

“Flexible iyong nakapaa kaysa may sapatos,” he said. “Noong umpisa, may sapatos pero mahirap. Para sa ’kin, ang pagtakbo ko, exercise ng katawan ko.”

According to sports doctor Dr. Wesson Espiritu, barefoot running is advantageous for the foot’s middle part, the one that hits the ground.

“Nando’n yung mga small bones, joints natin, and they are made to absorb impact,” he said.

The most popular barefoot runner is an Ethiopian named Abebe Bikila, the first Black African Olympic gold medalist and the first to run without shoes at the 1960 Olympics. – Franchesca Viernes/RC, GMA News