Fitness enthusiasts Milind Soman and wife Ankita Konwar run barefoot in Delhi

If you know the road, go "barefoot"; if you don't, wear "slippers", but run you must is the mantra of model-actor turned fitness crusader Milind Soman. And since Soman and wife Ankita Konwar couldn't celebrate the barefoot marathon this year, they did their bit in Delhi.

"Since we couldn’t celebrate barefoot marathon this year with all the barefoot runners from across the country, decided to celebrate it by running barefoot where we were, in Delhi. Missing Coorg, it’s spirit and the amazing food there though. Hope to be able to celebrate it with you all soon enough," Ankita wrote on Instagram.

"Barefoot running is the natural way to run, that is how our body is evolved to run well. Running is a natural movement and shoes are not a necessity, hence everyone can run," Soman told PTI in 2019.

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If there is one person who would prove that you don’t need a gym or fancy shoes to stay fit, then it’s #MilindSoman.

From running barefoot and doing pull ups from a tree, this model-turned-actor-turned-fitness god has wowed everyone with his workout routines! pic.twitter.com/b8zFQuFC5z

— Yahoo India (@YahooIndia)

Running without shoes comes with various benefits, explains the Limca Record Holder. "It is a lot less tiring and more efficient, in fact; my recovery was also fast. Running barefoot is refreshing," he said, adding that his posture and technique too got better with time.

That said, running barefoot was a definite no-no for roads less taken, he cautioned. "If I don't know the road, I wear slippers. Also, if it's too hot or cold, I wear slippers. Besides, I don't run in the dark. I wear minimal footwear if required because sometimes you need a protective layering," he added.

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(with PTI inputs)