vibrams five finger shoes?

I don't have vibrams, but I have some barefoot offroad inov8s. I love running in barefoot shoes, BUT I am just recovering from an ankle injury caused by lack of cushioning over too long a run (17k), and my physiotherapist says 80% of the running injuries she sees are as a result of offroad/barefoot shoes. Which has made me wonder if they really are such a good idea. I get the impression they are great for shorter runs, or if you have been running for years, but apparently if you have only been running 6months-2 years your cardio fitness increases faster than your flexibility/tendon fitness, so you are more prone to injury wearing shoes that make your feet work harder.

I do own a pair and they are different and take time to get use to because you flat out just run differently in them your foot flexes more and give you much more of a natural feel. They do have a hardend sole on them to help protect your foot but you will feel like bigger rocks and sticks but I think it is one of those things you will not know if they are right for you until you use them for about 2-3 weeks.

I don't have vibrams, but I have some barefoot offroad inov8s. I love running in barefoot shoes, BUT I am just recovering from an ankle injury caused by lack of cushioning over too long a run (17k), and my physiotherapist says 80% of the running injuries she sees are as a result of offroad/barefoot shoes. Which has made me wonder if they really are such a good idea. I get the impression they are great for shorter runs, or if you have been running for years, but apparently if you have only been running 6months-2 years your cardio fitness increases faster than your flexibility/tendon fitness, so you are more prone to injury wearing shoes that make your feet work harder.

Thanks for the feedback. I've wondered about that.

I have them and I love them. But I don't run with them. I walk, not hike with them. I hiked with them once before and I felt everything. Every rock,s tick and bramble. I swim with mine too. When I exercise I mostly wear them unless I'm doing something with a lot of cardio. For some reason they hurt my knees when jumping. There isn't much insulation on the bottom of them. But when I power walk, they are wonderful.

I saw that Fila is coming out with something similar

I've never personally tried them, but from a scientific point of view they are a really bad idea if you have anything less than a perfect foot/ankle position when running. ie: if your feet pronate/you have flat feet when you run then they are not for you. If you have a tendency to sprain your ankle then also not for you. You will need the extra support a proper pair of trainers will give you.

I do like the concept of them, but it's not nearly well enough publicised that they are not for everybody.

Hope that's helpful

Cathy

Thanks for the insight!

I have a pair and I can't run long distances in them because I get blisters on my big toes where my normal calluses are (yes, the shoes fit correctly. ). Anything under 2 miles in them I could handle, but I was training for 10k distances at the time. I tried very hard to build up running in them and it just didn't work out. I really, really wanted them to work. But they haven't gone to total waste -- I use them for walking & yoga at times.

My FAVORITE pair of minimalist shoes that I've found are New Balance 100s. I have the old model, but they released a new model in October 2010. They're ultra light & provide essentially no support. I still use the barefoot running "technique" in them (running on the balls of my feet versus heel striking). They're trail runners so they do provide often-needed traction. I do all of my working out in them. I've actually had them since September & they've held up really great (though I haven't been running nearly as much as I normally would have been since I'm pregnant). I personally would recommend them over the Vibrams.

I know someone that had some of these. He didn't run in them or anything, he just thought they were cool. All I know is they were really stinky!! I couldn't be near the person when they wore them cause it smelled so bad. So if you do get some, wash them often!!

You might want to refer to this thread here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/199705-barefoot-shoes


It is soooo important that people really take the time when they transition to barefoot shoes. They get a bad rap because people do too much too soon. Your feet have been coddled and are very very lazy from cushioned stability shoes. You have to take time to build up the muscles in your feet to support the bones and tendons or you WILL get an injury.

People with bad arches believe they need to put a crutch or bandaid in their shoes to "fix" the problem. What they really need is stronger muscles on the top of their feet for arch support. Wearing barefoot shoes prevent you from heel striking too much which is the cause of shin splints and plantar fac.

I found out the I needed more forefoot cushioning on longer runs...over 13 miles. But my husband is a 100% vff's runner and has run 2 marathons and is training for an ultra.

I've heard nothing but great things! A good friend swears by them, although said they really hurt in the beginning. After some "break-in" time though (about a week, or five runs), they became "amazing." Good luck!!