Barefoot shoes are thin foot coverings that proponents say are a healthier alternative to regular shoes. (CBC)

Some Saskatoon runners who enjoy the feeling of going barefoot are ditching their regular shoes and trying something new.

They're part of a new breed who are into "toe covers" and "barefoot shoes" — thin coverings that surround the foot like a glove — because they feel they're more natural and healthier.

Among their proponents is marathon runner James Funk, who says running barefoot, or almost barefoot, helped him recover from sore hips and knees.

He started running in barefoot shoes a month ago and hasn't looked back.

"Why is it we've only had this explosion of running-related injuries since about the 1960s?" he asked. "It's because that's when we started putting huge bits of foam under our feet."

He's not alone in making the switch to toe covers.

The stores in Saskatoon that carry them say they barely keep toe covers in stock.

Brian Michasiw, owner of Saskatoon's Brainsport running store, is another convert.

"I wanted to try them off-road and took them for a short run ... and felt like I wanted to take my clothes off and run through the forest naked," he said. "It was such an exhilarating feeling."

Michasiw says traditional running shoes are packed with cushioning and supports, which sounds like a good idea, but can be bad, too.

"They're so good that they're doing a lot of the work for you," he said. "Which means that you're not using your body, right? And I think we're at such a point with our lives and technology that we need to start using our body or else it's going to atrophy."

Without regular shoes, Michasiw says, there are some adjustments.

He says he's taking more steps and shorter steps and his posture has changed.

Some barefoot shoe users say their feet hurt at first until they build up some calluses and get used to being near-barefoot.

"All these muscles and tendons are going to be woken up for the first time in maybe 25 years," Michasiw said. "So they're just going to start screaming at you."

Asthetics are another issue. Some Saskatoon people CBC News spoke to said they thought barefoot shoes looked "goofy".

Marathoner Funk doesn't totally disagree.

Still, the barefoot look is the way to go if it means healthier feet and fewer injuries, he said.