New Vibram FiveFingers

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invisiblerunner23
invisiblerunner23 Posts: 21
in Fitness and Exercise
These are my new Vibrams! I love them. Got them on Tuesday and walked a lot in them already. Anyone else have a pair of Vibrams? How do you like them?

These are the Bikila style. I originally wanted the Sprint, but I like these much better.

Replies

  • deema79
    deema79 Posts: 108
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    Wonderful! I have been eyeing them for a bit now, kind of afraid to purchase them.
    Do they hurt the bottom of your feet? How is the impact on your heels?
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
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    I ran ten miles in my KSOs this morning. I like them far better than any shoe I have ever run in before.
  • ChRiStA_1983
    ChRiStA_1983 Posts: 380 Member
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    "Wonderful! I have been eyeing them for a bit now, kind of afraid to purchase them.
    Do they hurt the bottom of your feet? How is the impact on your heels?"

    EXACTLY what I've been wondering!
  • sarabig2fit
    sarabig2fit Posts: 274 Member
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    I'm really interested in these too. They look amazing!
  • Ash10Dent
    Ash10Dent Posts: 75
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    My best friend has these and swears they are amazing. She can hike and everything in them. The toe did start to rip but (I'm not sure if this is company policy or not) they will continue to replace them for free if they ever tear or have damage :) I want a pair..they're just so expensive to me!
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
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    Wonderful! I have been eyeing them for a bit now, kind of afraid to purchase them.
    Do they hurt the bottom of your feet? How is the impact on your heels?
    Feet, ankles, and calves hurt at first. Over time, they strengthen and do not hurt anymore. I run mostly on asphalt and my feet now hurt less in vibrams than they used to hurt in cushioned shoes.

    If you run correctly on the fore and mid-foot there is no heel impact. If you run on your heels it will probably hurt a lot.
  • invisiblerunner23
    invisiblerunner23 Posts: 21
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    They don't hurt the bottom of my feet at all. The impact on the heels is minimal since you need to teach yourself to strike on the ball of your foot, not the heel. I am training myself to do this now. I am taking it slow so I haven't done much running but walking they are the most comfortable shoe. I don't think I can go back to any other shoe now.
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member
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    Yups! Here's a picture where you can see them. Also, cute doggy. Yayyy doggy. XD

    h41Rh.png

    Got mine last fall. Though, I believe I was duped into buying knockoffs, they're excellent fakes and I love them dearly. Only thing I can wear w/o getting paralyzing shin splints when I run.

    Gonna try hiking in them soon. :)
  • jmijaressf
    jmijaressf Posts: 215
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    I love my VFFs. I'm currently using the Bikila LSs, but I also have the KSOs and KSO Treks. I'm training to do a half marathon in June with my Treks. Definitely take it slow when transitioning to VFFs. I spent seven months and now I'm running in them full time.
  • Rurouni_Kou
    Rurouni_Kou Posts: 180 Member
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    Yay! I have a pair of Bikilas for running as well. They're wonderful! I also have a pair of Sprints for everyday wear. I don't think I could go back to anything else. So comfortable!
  • remembertheharddrive
    remembertheharddrive Posts: 133 Member
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    I love my Bikilas, but I ran too much in them too quickly and subsequently have stress fractures in one of my feet. I wasn't used to landing on my forefoot, so my calves were sore at first - but they quickly adapted. Apparently my foot/ankle wasn't strong enough after years in overly cushioned traditional running shoes though - hence the top-of-the-foot pain that turned out to be stress fractures.

    My best advice: Take it very, very slow when you learn to run in a forefoot landing gait. Increase 1/4 mile at a time, starting at 1/4 mile. If you start to feel any pain in the top of your foot, ice, rest and dial it back. Try to run on trail or beach or grass with the vibrams, not cement and pavement, at least at first.

    As a result of changing how I land, however, I will NEVER run in a heel-striking gait again. I feel like I'm clunking along with every step when I try it now. There is way too much impact - and it really no wonder so many people end up injured with knee problems (myself including). Our heels were never meant to take that kind of impact, and are only forced to do so by the elevated heel of the modern running shoe.

    I'd suggest trying out some of the new minimalist running shoes, as opposed to five fingers, if you want a slower transition towards a natural running stride.
  • jmijaressf
    jmijaressf Posts: 215
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    I love my Bikilas, but I ran too much in them too quickly and subsequently have stress fractures in one of my feet.

    Ouch! Another runner who got injured from doing too much too soon... I was fortunate that I didn't have stress fractures, just inflammed tendons that took two weeks to heal.

    The best way to actually get started in minimalist running is to find a track and run barefoot for a few hundred yards. Your form will correct itself real fast. You don't have to run totally on your forefoot though. The forefoot touches first, but unless you're sprinting, the rest of the foot touches the ground after that.

    After my injury, I chose to do a gradual transition. I ran in my VFFs once a week for the first two months and concentrated on shortening my stride and making sure that my feet were landing under my hips/general center of gravity. After those two months, I added a day of VFF running, and then another day the next month. Seven months later I said goodbye to my cushioned running shoes!
  • invisiblerunner23
    invisiblerunner23 Posts: 21
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    Yeah, I know that I am taking it slow with running. Since I am also a kinda new runner. I am going to take it slow. Just walking with a little running here and there. I am getting down the Forefoot striking. I don't think I will ever be able to go back to a heavy overly cushioned running shoe now.

    I am sure I will end up getting some more pairs of VFFs in the future. I think I love them that much. Lol.

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