My barefoot "running" experience

aippolito1

So I was referred to an article on RunnersWorld.com about how to ease into barefoot running. They suggest 2 weeks of doing as much walking around barefoot... I thought, "hey, easy enough! I have to take a walk tonight! I'll do it barefoot!" so I finished up my strength routine, slipped off my sneakers and headed outside in my socks (I figured I'd better wear SOME type of protection so my feet didn't get too beat up). Boyyyy did I get looks. :bigsmile: One woman (the spunky woman of the neighborhood. Short platinum blonde hair with chunks of hot pink, lavendar, and dark blue in it - my kinda lady!) asked me where my shoes were so I stopped and told her it's supposed to be better for you and I'm easing my way into barefoot running! She said, "Ya know! I was JUST reading about that the other day! I don't do any running so it's not for me but... it makes sense... just think about all those African athletes! And gymnasts. They do all their work outs barefoot." I was like, "And look at their legs!" She was like "Well I look forward to watching your progress!" (I've passed her house at least 3x when she was outside so I figure that's why she said that). One man driving by gave me this look like "Are you alright in the head?" as he pulled into his driveway. 2 little girls giggled at me as I walked by.

All in all, it was a pleasant experience. My left food took it up right away... my right food, however, had a rougher time of it. My left foot seemed to have a more natural stride - I made sure to try to walk mainly on the balls of my feet. This took a lot of extra effort since I'm one of those heel walkers. *cringe* - while my right foot almost instantly started forming blisters on the bottoms of my toes and the very top of the ball of my foot. It looks ready to pop but I'm not sure what to do with it...

Do I keep going? Does this seem normal? Is my stride off? Should I just keep working at it until I don't have feet pain? And honestly, are my feet going to be super frickin' ugly?

PS - This could be totally unrelated...but until about minute 20, I was burning almost 10 calories per minute! AND... since I was focusing on my form, I wasn't thinking about my breathing and I had NO side cramps. Usually when I'm not actively deep breathing, I get a sde stitch. Crazy stuff!

riveraphx

I think you should keep doing it. I've ran several races and always see barefoot running, including the SD rock in roll marathon. I don't necessarily know if your feet would look that bad, they would definitely be stronger and I feel like most of the hard spots on my toes are from wearing shoes. My biggest concern would be stepping on something sharp.

questionablemethods

I find it much more difficult to walk with correct "barefoot form" than run with it. I come down on my heels pretty hard when I walk normally. Since switching to barefoot running, I've been trying to be more conscious of my form when I walk too, but it is definitely not as easy of a switch for me. Funny none of the doctors I've ever seen for my foot problems ever suggested that I alter the way I walk! Only that I get better shoes, orthotics, pain meds....

Phera

Vibram makes "barefoot" shoes for some foot protection. My coworker just bought some last week and he's working up to playing tennis with them on. He's doing it because he has serious knee problems but I don't want to be the rude one to tell him that losing 150 lbs might help him more than the shoes. Anyways good luck with barefoot running. I do all my home video workouts without shoes and my feet aren't any uglier than they were before.

questionablemethods

Vibram makes "barefoot" shoes for some foot protection. My coworker just bought some last week and he's working up to playing tennis with them on. He's doing it because he has serious knee problems but I don't want to be the rude one to tell him that losing 150 lbs might help him more than the shoes. Anyways good luck with barefoot running. I do all my home video workouts without shoes and my feet aren't any uglier than they were before.

Supposedly (at least according to some long-time barefoot runners and barefoot running coaches) the problem with starting out with the Vibram shoes (or other minimalist shoe) is that it still allows for bad form because it still greatly dulls the pounding feeling. In bare feet, you just don't have any choice but to correct your form. If you are doing it wrong, you will know pretty immediately. At least that's what I've read in my research.

disneyfetishboy

Supposedly (at least according to some long-time barefoot runners and barefoot running coaches) the problem with starting out with the Vibram shoes (or other minimalist shoe) is that it still allows for bad form because it still greatly dulls the pounding feeling. In bare feet, you just don't have any choice but to correct your form. If you are doing it wrong, you will know pretty immediately. At least that's what I've read in my research.

The Vibrams I wear (the KSO model) offer *no* support or padding at all. The protection is simply a 3mm thick piece of puncture resistant rubber that is meant to protect you from sharp and prickly objects. There are other minimalist shoes that do have padding, like the Nike Frees and the Brooks Green Silence, which I do not recommend for the reasons that Kaitlin highlighted, but most of the Vibrams (or those made by Terra Plana, for that matter) don't fall in that camp.

Arielle, glad you have decided to try barefooting out. To support what KaitlinJ said, I think walking is a good way to build up some overall strength, but if you are still heel striking, I suggest experiment with a little barefoot jogging just so that you get the sensation and feel (i.e. biofeeback) that will correct your form. The moment you start to run and feel the pain from leading with your heel, you'll figure out what all of the fuss is about.

Check the videos out here to see what I mean (from the Harvard website):
http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/4BiomechanicsofFootStrike.html

And let me be very clear, when I suggest a little barefoot running, I mean *very little* - like 20 yards. Then I would continue on your strategy of build foot/ankle/calf strength with walking and then sprinkle in a little running and adding more over time. Just like any other running program.

As far as blisters and the like . . . I've been lucky and not really had this problem, but I do most of my training indoors and wear minimalist shoes on rough surfaces outside. One cheap option for people who want a little protection is to buy some $6 "water shoes" (the ones that people wear in the water to avoid getting cut by rocks or coral) to avoid the friction but still get rid of all the padding in most running shoes. Just be sure to pick the ones with the thinnest rubber and least support! It's counterintuitive, but that's the point!

Cheers and hope it works for you.

Alure

I am soo intrigued by this barefoot running thing. I've never really heard of it, but it sounds amazing (I love not wearing shoes!). I've even hiked several miles barefoot but I never thought about running that way... What are some resources you guys would suggest for a newbie to read up on it?

Tobi1013

Arielle, in all of the research that I have done, the key to starting out is letting your skin be your guide. My suggestion is to ditch the socks, carry shoes with you, and put them on and turn around and walk back home once you get to the point that your feet are telling you to stop - and they will!!

For more info, check out: http://www.runbare.com/446/how-to-transition-into-vibram-five-fingers/ - while this speaks to getting ready to use VFFs specifically, the same principles can be applied whether you intend to use VFFs, some other minimalist shoe, or no shoes at all.

Looking forward to hearing how you progress!! I wanna get through C25K and then I intend to start training down to my VFFs.

questionablemethods

Supposedly (at least according to some long-time barefoot runners and barefoot running coaches) the problem with starting out with the Vibram shoes (or other minimalist shoe) is that it still allows for bad form because it still greatly dulls the pounding feeling. In bare feet, you just don't have any choice but to correct your form. If you are doing it wrong, you will know pretty immediately. At least that's what I've read in my research.

The Vibrams I wear (the KSO model) offer *no* support or padding at all. The protection is simply a 3mm thick piece of puncture resistant rubber that is meant to protect you from sharp and prickly objects. There are other minimalist shoes that do have padding, like the Nike Frees and the Brooks Green Silence, which I do not recommend for the reasons that Kaitlin highlighted, but most of the Vibrams (or those made by Terra Plana, for that matter) don't fall in that camp.

I haven't tried the Vibrams myself. I was just repeating what I've heard/read and some people do lump Vibrams in with even the padded shoes simply because you cannot let your skin be your guide (as another poster just mentioned).

This guy does a little comparison: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv7qqzqSZGI

Barefoot Ken Bob's first major point is to loose the shoes. All shoes. http://therunningbarefoot.com/?page_id=455

But like I've said, I've never tried the Vibrams or any of the minimalist sneakers. I don't have a problem with them, but just repeating what I've heard that they still are not EXACTLY the same as running barefoot (obviously). If I keep this up, though, I will definitely need to get a pair of something once it gets to be below zero in the winter!

disneyfetishboy

I do agree that barefoot (no shoes) is ideal, but it's simply not always an option because of terrain. I live in an area with nice sidewalks but also with trees that tend to drop pricklies. So when running outside or on a treadmill at the gym where shoes are required, I have sought out the shoes that provided protection but preserve as much "groundfeel" as possible.

Weather is another consideration. One of the things I like about the Terra Plana EVOs (despite the price) is that they ventilate really well for hot weather, and you can wear regular socks with them when it's cold. *Some* of the Vibrams do not breathe as well, and the "toe socks" tend to be slightly pricey.

Barefoot is cheaper, that's for sure. (Although some may want to build in the price of pedicures in their cost/benefit analysis).

rybo

OK, my first real test in the vibrams last night. Did a 45 minute trail hike. The biggest thing I noticed is that there are a TON of little pointy rocks on the trail, & I think I stepped on every one.

Other than that, I had no issues at all, they were very comfy and I could have kept walking with no problems.

Next week I will get to do so short runs in them, but I can promise you it won't be on the woods trails. I will keep to the grassier trails & fields and avoid all the rocks.

Rick311

I've recently begun barefoot running and have made excellent progress. I began after searching for a method of training that won't bother my plantar fasciitis. I started by checking out Youtube videos and reading 'ChiRunning' by Danny Dreyer. (Everyone in the Barefoot running community emphasizes proper running form and Dreyer's book is excellent.)

I started with 5 minute runs, for the first week and then increased to 10, 15, and 20 minutes each week. I'm now running 5ks 3 to 5 days a week and feel great. The pain in my heels has disappeared and I feel great. My runs are better than ever. I hope you have the same success that I've found!

hroush

I grew up on a farm and I used to walk around all the time barefoot (my wife thinks I was crazy every time this was brought up ). I don't know if I'd really want to run barefoot in my area though and isn't as nice as it could be. Speaking of running, I am off to do so!