For several years now I’ve been running barefoot through the snow, becoming somewhat of a ’snow runner’ when conditions are good. I’ve always wondered when the day would come it’d be captured on film. Two days ago we were working on a barefoot running video with Ray Keller when inclement weather began rolling in. We asked if Ray’d be up for shooting in the snow, and he was.

So yesterday Ray, Jessica, and I headed out in the snow to have some fun. It was a fantastic day, with over 18 inches of snow on the ground and falling! Thank you Ray Keller for filming in such difficult conditions, and Pearl Izumi for the gear. Enjoy this little clip, and enjoy Mother Nature!!!

Michael Sandler running barefoot in Boulder, Colorado at the start of an April 2009 snowstorm.

When you run barefoot in the cold, your muscles are forced to do the work to support your feet that shoes or over-supportive boots used to do. Before, when you ran in the cold, your body shunted blood AWAY from your feet and to warmer parts of the body because the feet didn’t need the bloodflow. But when you’re barefoot, your feet NEED the bloodflow to stay warm…so, instead of shunting blood AWAY from your feet, the body pumps more of the hot stuff TO your feet.

AKA, your feet stay warm in the cold. Yes, warm enough to run in the snow. And while I love running in the snow in my shorts (my legs get beat red and my feet sweat for hours,  keeping a good layer or two on the legs helps the feet stay even warmer. Just watch your stride, it can be thrown way off by the clothes.