Vibrams and Foot Pain

WillLift4Tats

I've been "running" [read: jogging] pretty consistently in my Vibram Fivefingers for the past 2 months, with longer and more frequent runs in the past 3 weeks. I feel confident that I've broken them in sufficiently so I don't believe that's the problem. However, in the past 2 weeks, I've had some pretty harsh foot pain in the top arch part of my foot (just the left one). Sometimes, it's enough to make me limp the next day. It seems to occur halfway through a step when my weight is focused on the ball of my foot, and feels like a painful muscle stretch right at the top of the arch. If I try running, just the impact of my step is painful enough to make me want to stop. If I try rubbing on this top part of my foot, it feels like a deep bruise. My husband believes it's just sore since I'm using muscles I usually wouldn't in a traditional running shoe. This makes sense to a degree, however, it's just in one foot, and doesn't fully go away during my rest days.

My question is, has anyone else experienced this? Does it sound normal and something I just need to push through? Or does it sound like a [tiny] pulled muscle that I need to be more gentle on until it heals? Any advice, feedback, suggestions are appreciated.

WillLift4Tats

Bump

liftreadphilosophize

It sounds like you might have a stress fracture. I actually broke my second metatarsal running a half marathon in Merrell's, and that's a pretty common problem for people starting out on barefoot shoes. It's easy to get "stompy" and not run with the form necessary to avoid injury to that part of your foot. I would visit a doctor and get an x-ray soon, if you can. I broke mine in November and I was cleared to run two days a week about a month ago, so if you start taking care of it now you won't be set 100% back for too long.

WillLift4Tats

It sounds like you might have a stress fracture. I actually broke my second metatarsal running a half marathon in Merrell's, and that's a pretty common problem for people starting out on barefoot shoes. It's easy to get "stompy" and not run with the form necessary to avoid injury to that part of your foot. I would visit a doctor and get an x-ray soon, if you can. I broke mine in November and I was cleared to run two days a week about a month ago, so if you start taking care of it now you won't be set 100% back for too long.

Thanks! I hope it's not a stress fracture :grumble: I've got a Tough Mudder coming up in April that I realllllly don't want to miss out on! :frown:

WillLift4Tats

So upon further inspection (I hate my feet and rarely pay attention to them), I found the part in pain is slightly swollen as well. Hoping this comment bumps the topic and I can get a few more comments/suggestions?

liz4105

I've done a handful of half marathons in my vibrams but whenever I run five or six days a week in them I get pain on the outside of my foot, on the top across from the arch. I just read online that a study showed minimalist runners have a higher risk of foot bone injury vs traditional shoes. Not sure if I want to switch back though, because I love vibrams. Has your pain gone away at all?

YogaRunner

Sounds to me like the beginning of plantar fasciitis, which is the kind of injury that once it grabs a hold of you....it's very hard to get it to go away. Does it hurt to take the first step in the morning when you get out of bed? I hope you are feeling better, but check into this as a possible "diagnosis" so you can fend it off sooner rather than later.

greenhudler

It sounds like it could be a number of things, my personal advice (not an expert by any means) would be to take a few days off, keep off it as much as you can and maybe do some ice and/or heat.

It seems to occur halfway through a step when my weight is focused on the ball of my foot

This also leads me to believe that you are heel-striking, is that correct (running where heel strikes first, then you move to the ball of the foot)? While I don't personally call running in vibrams "barefoot running," you still would want to use the same running techniques which include not heel striking. You should land either more flat-footed, or run on the balls of your feet first (though both of those take some getting used to). Vibram has a page that goes over this and also has a video about heel-strike:
http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/education/barefoot_running_technique.htm

sammniamii

2 months may not be enough time to "break in" Vibrams to running, specially if you were running in normal shoes before. I wear mine 24/7 - i just started wearing them instead of normal shoes since day one (over 2 years ago) - just walking. It took me nearly 4 months to stop having pain & finally even try running in them. Yes, I do know everybody has different break in times, but I think you may not have reached that point yet. Even now, I catch myself stepping wrong or heel-striking sometimes and have to correct.

I tend to get a sharp pain in the main joint of the left Big Toe when I run in them sometimes, I pronate on that foot and strike my whole weight on that side/point. Perhaps you are doing something similar.

If it continues, hit the doc and make sure you haven't done any internal damage. You make not "break" something, but there are so many bones & tendons in our feet, you can tear something that can have lasting effects. Good luck.

greenhudler

2 months may not be enough time to "break in" Vibrams to running, specially if you were running in normal shoes before. I wear mine 24/7 - i just started wearing them instead of normal shoes since day one (over 2 years ago) - just walking. It took me nearly 4 months to stop having pain & finally even try running in them. Yes, I do know everybody has different break in times, but I think you may not have reached that point yet. Even now, I catch myself stepping wrong or heel-striking sometimes and have to correct.

This.

rybo

Although this is a semi zombie thread, 2 months is WAY too quick to transition into vibrams. You don't "break in" the shoes themselves, you build up your feet, muscles, tendons etc. And 2 months is too quickly for almost anyone.