Minimalistic Running Shoes?

bowties_r_cool · July 2012

{Skip to bottom for questions and not the long story behind my questions.}

Now I know that everyone is different, and minimalistic shoes are probably not right for everyone, but I really wanted to use them. I purchased new 4mm drop shoes and was trying to ease my way into them. (The next happened over the course of 2 weeks. BTW I am a trail/dirt runner.)

I went for a short mile run and the next day had MAJOR calf/plantar (sole of foot) pain. I took a couple of days off. During these days I could hardly stand on my feet let alone walk.

Went running on my old worn out shoes and was instantly in pain that evening. (Pain in the same areas calf/soles of feet.)

Took a day off from running but wore my new 4mm drop shoes around work for half a day. Trying to get use to them just walking. Feet felt sore the next day but not too bad.

Another day later I went for another mile run in the 4mm drop shoes. It was only when I stopped that they would start to hurt. Something to note was that while running the 4mm drop shoes felt great!

Had to take another few days off and went running in my old worn out shoes again and more calf/feet pain.

I had to take off the rest of the second week. It took me three whole days to get back to walking normally again. I ran a 5K this past Saturday. I have to admit I was very nervous about it. I ran it in my old worn out shoes and besides the normal lower back pain, from being worn out, it went fine.

I felt great Sunday morning too. Then I decided to put on my 4mm drops to walk around the farmers market a little while. Within 5 minutes my feet ached! I mean ached!

Now that is a long story to make a point and ask a few questions.

1. Normally how long does it take to get use to minimalistic running shoes? Should I have eased in even slower?
2. Should I try a different brand of minimalistic running shoes?
3. Do some people just have feet that don’t do well with minimalistic running shoes?

contingencyplan · July 2012

I don't know if my experiences can help since I don't run in mine, but...

Some time ago I purchased a pair of Nike Frees, which is Nike's minimalist shoe. I have the cross trainer variant, the TR2, not the pure running version, because the things I do for exercise need a cross trainer more than they do a running shoe. I don't go on long runs. The closest thing I do to that is I run sprinting HIIT and agility drills. I also did weight training in them. That being said, here is my opinion based on my personal experiences:

They suck and bad. Not the Nikes, but the whole minimalist shoe concept itself. When doing heavy weight lifting in them I couldn't lift as much on lower body specific exercises (squat, hack squat) because it made my feet hurt and badly, specifically in the arch area. My form also was not as clean in them. Regarding the more cardio centric activities, here is my opinion there:

Sprinting - Lack of cushion meant I had to dial down the speed to more of a fast jog rather than a balls-out-sprint, which defeats the purpose of attempting to do it for HIIT. My running form is good, landing on the balls of my feet and not the heels. But still, when doing sprinting there WILL be impact that needs cushioning.

Jump rope - SOMETHING needs to be cushioned when jumping rope, either the ground or your feet. Otherwise knees won't last.

Plyometrics - honestly I was better off doing them in bare feet as the shoes seemed to actually magnify impact.

When I did finally wear the Nikes out, I switched back to using my old beat-up, worn-out ASICS for a while before I got new shoes and despite the fact that they were also in dire need of replacement I did better at everything in the ASICS in their tons-of-cushion-and-support than I ever could in the minimalist shoes, and with no pain or injury in the feet.

I don't know how well they would have performed as pure running shoes since that isn't my thing, and maybe the philosophy behind them does carry over well to just running. But trying to say that same philosophy carries over well into ALL athletic activities is just someone trying to sell you snake oil.

Sabine_Stroehm · July 2012

Not sure what to suggest.

I use the Brooks Pure Connect.
In fact, I hadn't run in 20 years (I was a cyclist for exercise).
And, I hadn't intended TO run (it just happened).
The shoe guy warned me to start slow.
I wore them at work for a few days.
Then started wearing them to walk on the treadmill/lift weights.
Then wore them to walk to work for a week or so (2.5 miles each way), which was why I bought them.
And one day they felt so good, I just started running.
That was 7 months and about 300 miles ago.
For whatever reason, they worked for me.
The knee pain that derailed my running in my 20s just isn't there.

Did you have your gait analyzed to see if they were right for you?
I know Brooks are good for me, and I know I'm pretty balanced in that regard. So I figured minimalist shoes might work for me.

Perhaps it's the type? Perhaps they aren't for you in general.
How long have you been running? Do you stretch well?

So sorry to hear about your pain. That's NOT fun!

bowties_r_cool · July 2012

Did you have your gait analyzed to see if they were right for you?
I know Brooks are good for me, and I know I'm pretty balanced in that regard. So I figured minimalist shoes might work for me.

Perhaps it's the type? Perhaps they aren't for you in general.
How long have you been running? Do you stretch well?

Hey Sabine_Stroeh!

I had the Brooks Pure as well. I ran in them on the treadmill while there and they said it looked good. I am a neutral runner and I stretch ... a lot actually. I am starting to think I was pushing too fast because my old ones were wore out and I do have a 1/2 Marathon coming up in 3 weeks. Maybe when my current shoes are just starting to go I will go invest in a different style of minimalistic shoes. Make sure I can still use my old shoes and have no races coming up.

Thanks!

scottb81 · July 2012

The calf pain is pretty typical when swithing to a shoe with a lower heel. Depending on the person that may take several months before the achilles tendon in stretched back out and the calf strengthened.

The bottom of foot pain is not typical. Something else is going on there. Try running barefooted for a distance and see how that feels. If it doesn't hurt then the shoe is the problem.

I've been running in vibrams and Brooks Pure Connect for 17 months.

Sabine_Stroehm · July 2012

The calf pain is pretty typical when swithing to a shoe with a lower heel. Depending on the person that may take several months before the achilles tendon in stretched back out and the calf strengthened.

The bottom of foot pain is not typical. Something else is going on there. Try running barefooted for a distance and see how that feels. If it doesn't hurt then the shoe is the problem.

I've been running in vibrams and Brooks Pure Connect for 17 months.

This sounds like great advice!

bowties_r_cool · July 2012

Try running barefooted for a distance and see how that feels. If it doesn't hurt then the shoe is the problem.
I've been running in vibrams and Brooks Pure Connect for 17 months.

Thanks Scootb81!

I started on Brooks Defiance 4's. Been running on Saucony Triumph 9's for the past 7 months (On second pair due to wear out). I may go for a run barefoot like you suggest and see how that feels. I did return the Brooks Pure to get the new saucony's, but next time I get paid I may go back in and purchase a different minimal shoes and do the barefoot test.

I did not realize it could take that long for the calf to stretch back out.

I do have a question. Do you thing it is bad to switch back and forth between the minimal and my 8mm Saucony's while waiting for the calf muscle to stretch out?

scottb81 · July 2012

I do have a question. Do you thing it is bad to switch back and forth between the minimal and my 8mm Saucony's while waiting for the calf muscle to stretch out?

I think that if you keep your running form the same for both pairs of shoes you should be ok. If you change running form with each shoe change you might run into a problem.

leilaphoenix · July 2012

My bareform experiences are here http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/leilaphoenix/view/a-tale-of-bareform-running-159195

It took me a while till my calves didn't hurt, but it was worth it.

Sabine_Stroehm · July 2012

fwiw: my best friend (who doesn't live in the same town as I do) remarked that I had calf definition. For the first time ever. There's a NSV I wasn't expecting!

lmc8774 · July 2012

A few years ago, I made the transition to minimalist running shoes and it took me months to get used to it. I was moving from a basic New Balance stability shoe to Five Fingers. I initially went out for a mile run and couldn't believe how sore my calves were because I was running around 20 miles a week at that point. The slight difference in the angle of the shoe can make quite an impact on your legs. I had achilles problems for a long time because I started too soon. With the problems you are having, I would do very short distances only a few times a week. You don't want to get injured.

I don't know if the type of shoe is your problem as much as the fact that your leg and feet just aren't used to hitting the ground at those angles. But like another person said, try just running barefoot and see how that feels on your feet.

I'm curious why you are trying to make the switch to minimalist shoes? I made the switch because I was plagued with plantar fascitis and shin splints and was ready to give up running entirely. Now I run in Saucony Kinvara's and Five Fingers and have been fine for years. If you weren't having injury problems before switching, it might benefit you to not change. Just a thought though. I love the mid foot strike and the light feel of minimalist shoes and can't imagine ever going back.

kendrart · July 2012

I bought new running shoes this Saturday - and spent a while taking with the guy about minimalist running shoes, which I've really wanted to try. I decided to get back into running first, until I felt comfortable taking on the commitment of adjusting / switching to minimalist shoes.

Because what the guy at Running Room told me is that it takes a looooong time to adjust to them, and it is a commitment. He had had them for about 3 months, and did a fair amount of research beforehand. Of course, this is just this one person's opinion - but from what he had read, it's best to ease into them much slower than you did. Like, wear them around the house for 1-2 hours MAX, a few times for a couple weeks. Then try running in them for something like 5-10 minutes at a time, and really listen to your body because it's going to hurt and be very sore. He talked about his toes being sore, and different areas of his foot aching. Different strokes for different folks though - I think the above is on the extremely sensitive side of experiences.

From what I understand, you're changing the way your foot hits the ground. You're going from heel strike to a toe strike. Your body's not used to it. You're going to be using and developing muscles in the foot that have hardly been used at all.

camrunner · July 2012

Oddly enough, I didn't "ease into" forefoot striking at all. Bought a pair of Saucony Guide 5s and ran in them exclusively for about a month. Then I won a free pair of Newtons (Sir Isaac model) and, from the very first time I put them on, I haven't wanted to wear anything else. They didn't even feel like they needed to be broken in. I DID have some ankle pain the first few runs wearing them, but it wasn't anything I couldn't run through.

I guess the Guide 5s are actually sort of an introductory minimalist shoe, because it doesn't have the giant lugs under the foot-ball region like the Newtons do.

I love my Newtons so much that I'm thinking about getting a second pair for trail-running.

sydnisd183 · July 2012

I have a pair of Nike Free+ that are about 2 years old and i wear them to run/train exclusively. I had Asics Gel Kayano 16's and they were fine, then (OF COURSE....UGH) the 16's got discontinued and I tried the 18's. Shin pain and the outsides of my feet were numb within a 1/4 mile. I walked around in them at work, tried other Asics, etc but I gave up. I said "aaahh EFF it" and started running in the Frees I had been using just for Crossfit. My calves and arch were a little sore but no shin pain, and no outside-of-feets-being numb. YAY. They're still holding up and all nice and broken in now, guess i'll get another pair of Frees soon but I love them.

I run on a dirt trail at the park.

Chipmaniac · July 2012

I did the same thing you did. I threw on my new Vibram Speeds and ran a couple miles in them. I thought they were great until I was done and my lower calf hurt in a way I'd never felt before. I was laid up for a couple days. Only later did I find out that two miles was way too far for a first run with minimalist shoes. Lesson learned.

I haven't ran in them for a couple months, but I have been wearing them a lot this summer and they are now like a second skin. I really don't like to wear normal shoes anymore. However, when I have been running, I've used my old New Balance and Brooks shoes because I was scared of injuring myself. I want to trying running in the Vibrams again. Hopefully, walking around in them has helped to strengthen the necessary muscles.

Minimalistic Running Shoes?

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