I want to start running minimum/barefoot

DiannaMoorer

I walk/jog on my treadmill barefoot. I like that I don't have to wear shoes or socks and that I can clorox wipe the belt any time I see fit. I haven't had any foot problems other than the odd blister if I don't do it for a few days and then try to jump right back in at the speed I left off at. The treadmill belt can get hot at higher speeds, so sometimes I'll reluctantly put on socks if my feet start feeling toasty.

I got a part of minimalist Merrell shoes for outside, but the first two times I wore them it really cut into my heel yet was loose under the ball of my foot... blisters followed. If I try minimalist shoes again, I'd likely go to a store instead of just ordering from online based on the sizing charts. I will likely never bother to try Vibrams. I can't stand stuff between my toes.

For as long as I can remember, I've gone barefoot at every opportunity, so there wasn't really an adjustment for me. When I do wear "shoes" it's usually sandals or flip flops that I kick off as soon as I can (like under my desk at work). However, I did a 10K with my dad and wore a pair of regular sneakers because I didn't have a pair of good minimalist ones for the road, and it completely threw me off. I couldn't help but take bigger steps and heel strike when in "normal" shoes. I enjoyed the 10k but the change in my foot strike drove me a little nuts. It just felt wrong and awkward. I'm seriously considering getting a huarache sandal kit so that I can just cut a sole to my own foot and then lace it up for minimalist outdoor use.

I have read Born to Run. It's a fun read and informative too. It really made me think about human movement differently. My mom now struggles with plantars fasciitis and I wonder if it's because she is always in very supportive, cushioned shoes at work and at home. Her job keeps her on her feet almost all day (nursing) so if heel striking and shoes are an issue, I can see how it would have affected her. I've run the idea past my folks but I don't think they buy the whole barefoot is better notion at this time. They think I'm a little crazy for going barefoot on my treadmill at home too.

Oddly enough, I remember how hard it was to learn to walk heel-to-toe in the first place. You see, when I was a kid, I had a somewhat rare childhood hip disorder and thus had to wear a leg brace for quite some time. The brace caused me to wear out shoes very fast because I would end up walking on the side of them (and would thus wear out the fabric where it connects to the sole). Naturally, my parents would buy me those super cheap, thin sole, white canvas Keds with the blue label on the back of the heel. You know, the kind where you can feel the pebbles under your shoe when standing on a gravel road. If I was going to wear out my shoes supper fast, why spend money on better shoes?

Anyway, when the brace came off (2nd? grade) the doctor and my parents were delighted at my recovery, but insisted that I walked and ran "wrong" because I consistently landed on the balls of my feet instead of on my heels. I have very clear memories of me getting annoyed at my dad chanting "heel, heel..." anytime he noticed my "incorrect" locomotion. It wasn't until they "upgraded" my footwear to "normal" tennis shoes that I finally got the hang of a heel first strike.

While I did get the hang of a heel-strike in cushioned tennis shoes, I went shoeless whenever possible, even if it meant getting fussed at for my dirty calloused bare feet when I'd be spotted fetching the mail or something. These days it's my husband who makes faces at my perpetually dirty feet and at the mani-pedi before my wedding I think the manicurist was a bit amazed by my callouses. Interestingly, my husband consistently walks on the balls of his feet even though he is almost always in shoes. When I read Born to Run and saw Professor Lieberman's videos online, that pretty much confirmed to me that I wasn't crazy. I bought a treadmill so that I could walk and run barefoot at home.

Hm... maybe I need to find another pair of dirt cheep canvas Keds for my next 10k.

I thoroughly enjoyed your story! Thanks for posting. I love going barefoot also but you definitely take the prize. I have some pretty hideous callouses on my feet as well. I asked my husband to get me a pedicure/manicure for an anniversary present. and he laughed ,saying the ladies would probably faint when they saw my feet.
I can't go barefoot as much around the yard at my house though, we have too many ducks and chickens running around poopin. I keep a pair of flip flops for yard use.

BTW.. I love the idea of running in a pair of cheap canvas shoes. :drinker: I actually think I'll look for a pair and see how they feel to run in.

DiannaMoorer

IMHO, there probably aren't many podiatrists that endorse "barefoot" shoes for running. One of the most recommended is the Brooks Beast because of the support the shoe has.

I can't walk barefoot for long. Even less so in sand. Went for a walk on the beach with my wife on OBX. We did about a mile total and by the time we got back my arthritic toes were in agony.

Barefoot shoes may feel comfortable in the short term, but the price is more damage accumulating over time.
I've had one foot surgery already. Believe me, that is more than enough. At least the screw isn't big enough to set off airport metal detectors.

Barefoot shoes feel comfortable because we are running with out pain for the first time. And at first they aren't comfortable because for many people they aren't used to running on the mid/ball of their feet and it is very awkward.

you don't damage your feet when you run correctly

sorry about the arthritis in your toes.

TrimAnew

I thoroughly enjoyed your story! Thanks for posting. I love going barefoot also but you definitely take the prize. I have some pretty hideous callouses on my feet as well. I asked my husband to get me a pedicure/manicure for an anniversary present. and he laughed ,saying the ladies would probably faint when they saw my feet.
I can't go barefoot as much around the yard at my house though, we have too many ducks and chickens running around poopin. I keep a pair of flip flops for yard use.

BTW.. I love the idea of running in a pair of cheap canvas shoes. :drinker: I actually think I'll look for a pair and see how they feel to run in.

Thank you! I know it was long, but I do think it's cool that I remember re-learning to walk. I don't think most people have any memories of that. When I have kids, they're getting thin cheap shoes. It'll save my wallet and their feet.

Smuterella

I went to get a gait analysis done recently and was told i needed (and subsequently bought) some super supportive shoes. Is there any hope that I could ever go barefoot / minimalist i wonder.

DiannaMoorer

I also have the trail gloves that I absolutely love. I have an extremely high arch. I have never found a pair of shoes that fit quite right even when I paid for the tests to find ones that best fit you. Since getting the Merrills I haven't had an issue with my arches hurting while I run. They form to my feet which makes the support perfect! Please keep in mind that the form of running is different so it is suggested you train into these type of shoes. Happy Shoe Hunting!!!

BUMP... my arch is high too, and I was curious about these types of shoes.

I also have a very high arch. I'm not experiencing any arch problems since switching to minimalist shoes.

Hey johnny, I saw you are getting ready for a half. When is yours? I'm going to do one in Jan. It will be my second. I am about 22 pounds less since then and will run it in my minimus shoes. I got a stress fracture during my first half and I blame it on my shoes and the slope of the road. The fracture was on the side of my right foot. I was not landing firmly on my mid foot but kind of on the side. I think the damage happened during the last 3 miles was I was getting pretty tired.

unkeptwalnut83

Started wearing them probably about 2 years ago, but only running in the past 4 months. Chronic ankle instability in both ankles, plantar fascitis, shin splits, achilles tendonitis, IT band syndrome, chronic low back pain. While, I do take better care of my body (moving more, stretching more) than I was before I was wearing them, my ankle strength has drastically improved. I've only had one minor sprain in the past 2 years. Plus, I was primarily wearing them for work, and after a few months I noticed that I had significantly less foot pain (retail sales, on my feet 6-8 hours).
As far as running, do start slow. I was a very hard heel striker and changing my stride has a lot to do with how well my body is taking the running. I wear the VVF Bikila running outside and Kimono for my indoor work outs. Love love love love them.

TrimAnew

Oh, and here is a cool barefoot fact:


Did you know kids are born with flat feet? They have more bones in their feet than adults do too. The bones fuse together as the kids grow, so that over time the feet become arched. The muscles that develop as kids learn to walk help to pull the foot into the arched shape as the bones fuse together. That's why most modern pediatricians recommend kids wear soft soled shoes until they learn to walk. That's also why about 10% of the population (including me) have more bones in our feet than the rest of society. Apparently some of our feet don't get completely fused together before we stop growing. Most people with extra foot bones have no clue they have extras.

DiannaMoorer

I went to get a gait analysis done recently and was told i needed (and subsequently bought) some super supportive shoes. Is there any hope that I could ever go barefoot / minimalist i wonder.

I have heard many horror stories of people getting their gaits analyzed and the shoes they bought from the recommendation made everything worse. Planter Fasciitis,shin splints,knee pain, back pain,etc. Read born to run. And yes, you definitely should consider going minimus/barefoot.

DiannaMoorer

Oh, and here is a cool barefoot fact:


Did you know kids are born with flat feet? They have more bones in their feet than adults do too. The bones fuse together as the kids grow, so that over time the feet become arched. The muscles that develop as kids learn to walk help to pull the foot into the arched shape as the bones fuse together. That's why most modern pediatricians recommend kids wear soft soled shoes until they learn to walk. That's also why about 10% of the population (including me) have more bones in our feet than the rest of society. Apparently some of our feet don't get completely fused together before we stop growing. Most people with extra foot bones have no clue they have extras.

Very cool!

shmiracles

bump to read this later!

i JUST bought the vibram spyridons and haven't even run in them yet though they feel awesome on!!

i also have New Balance Minimus 00 Trails, New Balance Minimus 00 Road, a great pair of Kigos signed by Pat Farmer (a guy who ran from the north to south pole), FiveFingers Classics (with holes in the toes), and FiveFinger Sprints.
fact is i'm addicted to buying the shoes, and often wear minimalist shoes when i'm not running.
but for longer runs over 6-9 miles i run in adidas Hyper Gels and Saucony peregrine 2 for trail races.

sjohnny

I also have the trail gloves that I absolutely love. I have an extremely high arch. I have never found a pair of shoes that fit quite right even when I paid for the tests to find ones that best fit you. Since getting the Merrills I haven't had an issue with my arches hurting while I run. They form to my feet which makes the support perfect! Please keep in mind that the form of running is different so it is suggested you train into these type of shoes. Happy Shoe Hunting!!!

BUMP... my arch is high too, and I was curious about these types of shoes.

I also have a very high arch. I'm not experiencing any arch problems since switching to minimalist shoes.

Hey johnny, I saw you are getting ready for a half. When is yours? I'm going to do one in Jan. It will be my second. I am about 22 pounds less since then and will run it in my minimus shoes. I got a stress fracture during my first half and I blame it on my shoes and the slope of the road. The fracture was on the side of my right foot. I was not landing firmly on my mid foot but kind of on the side. I think the damage happened during the last 3 miles was I was getting pretty tired.

Mine is December 1. It will be my first half - I've done a few 5Ks and a 10K so far. I'm also registered for a half at the end of February. I've got a 10K this month and a 5K next month and the Run for Your Lives zombie obstacle race two weeks after my December half. I'm really jacked about it!

prov31jd

just remember, any shoe that binds your foot and toes is counterproductive to barefoot running, your toes and foot should spread out naturally as a shock absorber and a your arch should begin to work how nature intended. minimalist shoes do not allow for this, they did help me to not heel strike first, and allowed me to "kind of" feel the ground but it was very reminiscent of traditional running shoes with 1/4th of the weight

I've seen comments like this at my Chiropractor's office -- societies that wear shoes less have healthier joints / spines. So what do you recommend instead? Are you saying only barefoot running, or is there a "foot covering" of some sort that you use?

DiannaMoorer

I also have the trail gloves that I absolutely love. I have an extremely high arch. I have never found a pair of shoes that fit quite right even when I paid for the tests to find ones that best fit you. Since getting the Merrills I haven't had an issue with my arches hurting while I run. They form to my feet which makes the support perfect! Please keep in mind that the form of running is different so it is suggested you train into these type of shoes. Happy Shoe Hunting!!!

BUMP... my arch is high too, and I was curious about these types of shoes.

I also have a very high arch. I'm not experiencing any arch problems since switching to minimalist shoes.

Hey johnny, I saw you are getting ready for a half. When is yours? I'm going to do one in Jan. It will be my second. I am about 22 pounds less since then and will run it in my minimus shoes. I got a stress fracture during my first half and I blame it on my shoes and the slope of the road. The fracture was on the side of my right foot. I was not landing firmly on my mid foot but kind of on the side. I think the damage happened during the last 3 miles was I was getting pretty tired.

Mine is December 1. It will be my first half - I've done a few 5Ks and a 10K so far. I'm also registered for a half at the end of February. I've got a 10K this month and a 5K next month and the Run for Your Lives zombie obstacle race two weeks after my December half. I'm really jacked about it!

I would LOVE to do a Zombie run! Where is it?

I forgot, I'm also going to do a Biggest Loser sponsored 15k on Nov 3rd. That should be a lot of fun! I'm hoping to see some of the coaches from the BL show there.

yoovie

I cant run in thick soled sneakers anymore, I need a half inch or less of sole, i need to feel the cracks in the sidewalk and the clumps of grass under my feet or I just feel off balance now.

anels449

Love my 5's and plan on getting so many more. I have the Komodosport, but I use it for everything (running, cardio classes, yoga). I went on vacation a couple weeks ago to South Dakota and spent the day hiking in the Badlands in my 5's. I felt more at ease in them than I did in my hiking boots!

***Edit*** My Vibram 5 Fingers, aka my 5's

xTenaciousJx

i just ran with them since i started....love them...i have the merrell barefoot pace gloves....and i'll never go back to regular sneakers.

edit* just wanted to add if anyone wants to add me can...i'd love to have minimalist runners on my friends list.

SlimsLiftingMoreThanLipstick

I tried running and had knee and hip pain all the time. Went to fleet feet, fitted on treadmill, bought the shoes.
STILL hip and knee pain, added shoulder pain (who knows why maybe stance). Gave up running for almost a year. Started slow again. Still pain. Got Vibrams Bikila LS. Started in at about 3 miles a time. NO MORE PAIN! NONE! I started running faster and farther, 2 months after I got them I ran my 1st half marathon in them. I LOVE them. I will NEVER go back to traditional shoes! Heading into my 1st trail run, 15.5 miles and I will be wearing my Vibrams. Also, you get used to the creepy toes. They actually benefited me in a way I didn't expect, my toes used to curl, they are almost straight now!

pstansel74

I am about to go replace my Sauconeys today, so this was a very interesting read. I know my local running store carries everything from full support to minimalist to Vibrams, so it will be an interesting conversation. I was doing ok working my mileage up until a couple weeks ago when I went out REALLY fast on a 5k and the next day I could barely walk. Knees finally feel ok again, but I have to wonder if my stride and shoes (and admittedly weight!) were responsible.

sevsmom

I switched to forefoot this summer in a pair of Brooks PureFlow. They aren't complete barefoot, as they do provide minimal cushioning. Which my doc said is better for running on hard surfaces like concrete and asphalt. If it was all wooded trails or beach complete barefoot like Vibram would be great!

As for the soreness, my doc forwarned me on that one and gave me some targeted calf and achilles tendon stretches to do. When you are in the proper stance for forefoot strike, you stress the calves and achilles WAY more and they need stretched!!! I'd google some good stretches for those 2 areas and see if that helps the soreness. But, the soreness does go away in time! I'm ramping up for a half marathon in 2 weeks and all is good!!! :-)

Good luck!

sevsmom

I went to get a gait analysis done recently and was told i needed (and subsequently bought) some super supportive shoes. Is there any hope that I could ever go barefoot / minimalist i wonder.

I have heard many horror stories of people getting their gaits analyzed and the shoes they bought from the recommendation made everything worse. Planter Fasciitis,shin splints,knee pain, back pain,etc. Read born to run. And yes, you definitely should consider going minimus/barefoot.

Super structured shoes JACKED my legs up. Well intentioned salesperson. My FEET were comfy, but my legs were miserable. I'm happier in the more minimalist shoe I have now, and considering even more of a change. My doc (sports medicine) is actually kicking around the idea of doing a study to test his theory that super structured shoes actually cause problems, not fix them!