Treadmill:Shoes or Barefoot?

SuperSarah12345
SuperSarah12345 Posts: 26
in Fitness and Exercise
Good morning!

I was running on my treadmill last night - this is one LOOOOONG winter! - barefoot, which made me wonder - what do YOU prefer?

I know there is quite the debate on the effectiveness and safety of barefoot/minimalist running - what's YOUR opinion?

I love the control and strength I gain from barefoot!

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I'm a supinator...if I run barefoot or with minimalist shoes i strain my posterior tibial tendons in my feet. i have extremely high arches which cause this...it's bad news bears if my feet don't have proper support for that activity. i wear minimalist shoes for lifting and daily kinda stuff as well as flip flops, but to do actual running i need proper footwear.

    i also think the minimalist running shoe thing was pretty much just a trendy thing...i know a lot of runners and most of them were into it...a lot of them ended up with injuries that kept them from events and races at one time or another...most of them are back to traditional running shoes now. the last i checked, i believe the minimalist running shoe market lost around 60% of it's market share in the past 2 years or something like that.
  • runfatmanrun
    runfatmanrun Posts: 1,090 Member
    I like a minimal feel of a shoe but I too am a supinator and need the cushion. I do like running barefoot and some of my past shoes have been more racing flat than "barefoot" shoe. But I know some people that can make the barefoot thing work for long distances too so kudos to them. As for running on your treadmill, if it was me, I could only run barefoot for a couple of miles (about as long as I can stand the treadmill). Plus, shoes allow you to leave the house and run in the winter...another benefit.

    Wolf, what shoes do you wear?
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
    I like running barefoot but usually wear shoes on the treadmill. The rubber track can get very hot after a while with bare feet!
  • sjaplo
    sjaplo Posts: 974 Member
    I like my Nike Pegasus. I need the higher arch support, I have found that without the arch support I get pain on the inside of the knees while running. I think I'm on my 8th or 9th pair? I have one pair for the treadmill and one for the road. That being said for weights and yoga it's barefoot and as soon as I'm in the house the shoes and socks come off.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I go back and forth between sock (with little treads) and shoes (pretty minimal) on the treadmill.
    Depends on my mood.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    I like running barefoot but usually wear shoes on the treadmill. The rubber track can get very hot after a while with bare feet!

    Yeah, that's what I was thinking! When I run on a hamster wheel with my five fingers on my feet get uncomfortably hot.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I like a minimal feel of a shoe but I too am a supinator and need the cushion. I do like running barefoot and some of my past shoes have been more racing flat than "barefoot" shoe. But I know some people that can make the barefoot thing work for long distances too so kudos to them. As for running on your treadmill, if it was me, I could only run barefoot for a couple of miles (about as long as I can stand the treadmill). Plus, shoes allow you to leave the house and run in the winter...another benefit.

    Wolf, what shoes do you wear?

    Brooks Ghost 5 at the moment...but I've all but given up distance running at this point with my feet issues. I'm ok if I just run a few miles here and there, but every time I really start training for anything longer than a 10K or something I blow up both of my posterior tibial tendons and end up sidelined for 8 weeks or so. I primarily cycle these days and will cross train with a few miles of running every couple of weeks, but that's about it.

    a couple of months ago i was lifting at my gym and had planned to turn out a few miles afterwards on the track...i forgot my stinkin' shoes so decided to just run in my minimalist lifting shoes...i made it about 1/4 mile before i felt those tendons starting to tingle.
  • mz_tashae_007
    mz_tashae_007 Posts: 61 Member
    I don't like wearing shoes when i'm walking around in the summer buy, at the gym when i'm working out on the treadmill i prefer to have o shoes
  • fitcrystal1121
    fitcrystal1121 Posts: 49 Member
    I love working out barefoot but with that said I started having really bad pain in my tibia, which was shin splints. So I think the smarter thing to do is wear shoes that support your feet.
  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,659 Member
    With good sneakers ...... I need the support !
  • just_Jennie1
    just_Jennie1 Posts: 1,233
    'm a supinator...if I run barefoot or with minimalist shoes i strain my posterior tibial tendons in my feet. i have extremely high arches which cause this...it's bad news bears if my feet don't have proper support for that activity.

    ^^ This. I messed up my foot doing insanity in my vibrams and barefoot a few times. I have to wear something special under the toes of my left foot (the foot I messed up) when I run or do anything high impact. If not then I am in a LOT of pain.

    Thankfully my podiatrist told me platform heels are the best thing to wear for it!:laugh:
  • Roadie2000
    Roadie2000 Posts: 1,801 Member
    I've never had a problem wearing my minimalist shoes on the treadmill, but I generally don't have the patience to do more than 2-3 miles. I wear running shoes for longer runs outside.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    Go with whatever works for you. If running barefoot is comfortable for you, and the treadmill isn't some biohazard experiment, run barefoot. If your biomechanics don't mesh well with barefoot or minimalist shoes, wear something else.
  • TAsunder
    TAsunder Posts: 423 Member
    I hope that it is a treadmill you own and not one at the gym. I would never, ever, ever run barefoot on a gym treadmill unless I really wanted fungal infections.

    I used to run in five fingers. In fact, I trained for and completed a half marathon in them. I really enjoyed how they felt. Unfortunately, I got pretty bad plantar fasciitis with them. I didn't recognize this at first and thought my heels were just sore from bad running form as I got towards the end of a run. Eventually I realized it was plantar fascia and not just heel pain.

    I switched to a semi-structured shoe and it has helped with that. But I feel WAY slower and it has taken me a while to build up speed again.

    That said, I have pretty regular problems with my right ankle ever since I did a 65 mile, hill-laden bike ride. I am not sure that forefoot running is all that great for my ankle.
  • runfatmanrun
    runfatmanrun Posts: 1,090 Member
    [/quote]

    Brooks Ghost 5 at the moment...but I've all but given up distance running at this point with my feet issues. I'm ok if I just run a few miles here and there, but every time I really start training for anything longer than a 10K or something I blow up both of my posterior tibial tendons and end up sidelined for 8 weeks or so. I primarily cycle these days and will cross train with a few miles of running every couple of weeks, but that's about it.

    a couple of months ago i was lifting at my gym and had planned to turn out a few miles afterwards on the track...i forgot my stinkin' shoes so decided to just run in my minimalist lifting shoes...i made it about 1/4 mile before i felt those tendons starting to tingle.
    [/quote]

    Thanks. I'm always looking for the "best shoe". It'll likely never end. And sorry about your feet issues. That just plain sucks.
  • threefancy
    threefancy Posts: 93 Member
    Shoes - the more cushion to absorb shock, the better in the long run.
  • dclark566
    dclark566 Posts: 330 Member
    Barefoot..hmmm...seems ouch!
  • Abb11187
    Abb11187 Posts: 1 Member
    I just started using a treadmill and my feet get extremely hot (not from the heat off machine, just in general). This also happens when walking/jogging outside. I always end up taking off shoes for the last half of workout. Any recommendations for lightweight running shoes that are cooler and breath better? Thanks!

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