Barefoot running?

I read an article in Parade magazine this past weekend about running barefoot. The idea is you come down on your forefeet with your toes spread, bending your ankles and knees to absorb the shock. Apparently shoes lessen the elasticity of your tendons and may cause a hard landing on your bony heels. According to a study, barefoot runners experiences significantly less impact than runners in shoes. Hmm.

Obviously running barefoot outside is impractical this time of year. And I can't help thinking about running over some glass or other sharp objects if you run on the street or sidewalk. But I would be tempted to try this on a track, particularly a cushioned one. After all, during a brief "hippie" stage in college, I did walk around campus barefoot for a couple of weeks, with no ill effects I can recall..

In the meantime, I have to hope the weather here improves. Running in 20-degree weather, sans sun and on snow-covered roads, is not something I really want to do. But considering I last ran on December 16, I need to get back into the game. Walking 10 minutes here and there is not cutting it.