Running barefoot
CarbingTemptation
Posts: 50 Member
Hey there!
I've heard of this before as you step differently barefoot (on your toes) to with shoes on (heel to toe) and I've seen the cool durable sock type things that you can get to do so outdoors. I was wondering what difference it actually makes to run barefoot on a treadmill? Has anyone tried? Good, bad, indifferent?
The skin on my heels are a little sore from my trainers and it occurred to me that I could try this out instead.
What's everyones thoughts?
I've heard of this before as you step differently barefoot (on your toes) to with shoes on (heel to toe) and I've seen the cool durable sock type things that you can get to do so outdoors. I was wondering what difference it actually makes to run barefoot on a treadmill? Has anyone tried? Good, bad, indifferent?
The skin on my heels are a little sore from my trainers and it occurred to me that I could try this out instead.
What's everyones thoughts?
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Replies
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It's virtually impossible to be a heel striker if you run barefoot or in zero-drop minimalist shoes. In my opinion, running barefoot gives you the best running form to prevent long-term injuries. When I first started running, traditional cushioned running shoes nearly wrecked me. Switching to barefoot (and minimalist shoes) running was exactly what I needed. I do not use a treadmill much, but when I do I always am barefoot. Just go slowly at first until your feet toughen up.
I still will run barefoot outside on occasion, but only on trails... asphalt is just too rough for me to get many miles.0 -
I'd do some research on it and go very slow and easy if you try it.
It seems like the response to barefoot/minimalist running is mixed. Some people swear by it. Others say it was bad news for them. Even those who say it worked, give the warning to ease into it.
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There are people who say we were not born to wear shoes and I do go to some workout classes where we are in bare feet. I would, however, be hesitant to run on pavement in bare feet.0
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There was just a thread about this a few days ago. Hit search ... you might find what you're looking for
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I run on and off in vibram five fingers. However, even when I'm not in VFFs I wear fairly minimal shoes, and I do not recommend jumping right in barefoot or minimally shod.
Here's how I worked (slowly) into ultraminimal shoes (this was a few years ago so this may not be exact):
-Walked the dog 1x per day in vffs or barefoot until my feet weren't sore and my calves felt ok (about a week).
-Walked the dog 2x per day in vffs or barefoot until my feet weren't sore and my calves weren't tight.
-Ran 3/4 of my normal run in regular shoes, then stopped home, switched shoes, and ran the last 1/4 or so in vffs.
-Ran 1/2 and 1/2.
-Got tired of the slow transition and started wearing vffs (and later merrell road gloves).
My only recommendation/thought is that you should consider WHY you want to go minimal. It does require dropping your activities and mileage until you get a better handle on how your body feels. And more than likely, you'll have sore calves because it does put a bit more strain on your calves. I wouldn't switch just because someone told you it would be better. Try it for yourself.
Personally, I switched because I have some knee issues stemming from an ACL tear/surgery a few years ago. Ever since, my knee has been pretty picky, and minimal shoes have been the best choice for me. Every time I run in "regular" shoes I get knee pain. But if you're doing fine in what you're currently using, don't change it for the sake of changing it.0 -
I wear vff shoes for running. I have tried both running and walking on the treadmill without them and get blisters on the bottoms of my feet.0
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This is something I actually DON'T recommend. The entire premise behind running barefoot being better for you than running in good running shoes goes to a tribe of Native Americans in Mexico that run as part of their culture. They run all the time barefoot and have minimal reports of injuries. HOWEVER, the science shows many other factors to this and good running shoes do a better job preventing injury if you consciously run with a mid-foot strike. You can go do the research yourself, but keep in mind Vibram had to cough up millions of dollars in a class action lawsuit for their false advertising tied to this.0
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i switched to minimalist shoes and a lot of my joint aches and pains went away. you have to build up SLOOOOOWLY though. at first i got a lot of blisters in my "toe shoes" (now i have socks, but they remove a lot of the "ground feel"), so that kept me from over doing it.
I am considering trying actual barefoot running this summer, but right now it's still a bit cold for me to try (there is a guy who does run barefoot in sub zero weather, but not me)
someone likened minimalist shoe running vs barefoot to trying to do fine work in gardening gloves.
there are a lot of books on it out there, some read more like gospel than facts though. one i liked, which had a lot of facts in it, was "natural running" by Danny Abshire. i just googled it and some review said it is trying to sell his brand of shoe - i don't recall, i just retain what i deem interesting and skip through the rest anyways...0 -
I can barely walk barefoot... must go very slowly and cautiously. In fact, if I just wear socks all day, my feet will dry out, crack open, and bleed. The pain makes it even more difficult to walk, and then I'm leaving a blood trail anyway (assuming there is enough blood to soak through my socks). The only way to avoid this is to suffocate them so that there is very little or no air flow. I've never understood the minimalist shoe fad or even shoes that allow air to flow through. Why buy cases of aquaphilic ointment when you can just as easily buy something more permanent (shoes) and effective to block exposure to air?!0
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Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
by Christopher McDougall
If you want to imitate outdoor running on a treadmill, nearly barefoot, set the treadmill at an angle so there is less heel strike.
Barefoot Mick0 -
I'd do some research on it and go very slow and easy if you try it.
It seems like the response to barefoot/minimalist running is mixed. Some people swear by it. Others say it was bad news for them. Even those who say it worked, give the warning to ease into it.
It's very dependent on the individual runner. I'm a heavy pronator, running barefoot or in minimalist shoes would wreck my knees and hips. But for others, it's great.
This is definitely one of those cases where what works well for some would be disastrous for others.0 -
This is something I actually DON'T recommend. The entire premise behind running barefoot being better for you than running in good running shoes goes to a tribe of Native Americans in Mexico that run as part of their culture. They run all the time barefoot and have minimal reports of injuries. HOWEVER, the science shows many other factors to this and good running shoes do a better job preventing injury if you consciously run with a mid-foot strike. You can go do the research yourself, but keep in mind Vibram had to cough up millions of dollars in a class action lawsuit for their false advertising tied to this.
No I think the entire premise is that most humanoids for centuries did not wear shoes and in fact many still do not.
The foot is meant to flex and strapping a stiff board to your foot restricts that flexibility. Most injuries/conditions treated by a podiatrist are caused by - wanna guess? - shoes!
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midwesterner85 wrote: »I can barely walk barefoot... must go very slowly and cautiously. In fact, if I just wear socks all day, my feet will dry out, crack open, and bleed. The pain makes it even more difficult to walk, and then I'm leaving a blood trail anyway (assuming there is enough blood to soak through my socks). The only way to avoid this is to suffocate them so that there is very little or no air flow. I've never understood the minimalist shoe fad or even shoes that allow air to flow through. Why buy cases of aquaphilic ointment when you can just as easily buy something more permanent (shoes) and effective to block exposure to air?!
I think you must be a very unique individual. Do you also protect all the rest of your skin from exposure to the air? Hands, arms, face, head, ad nauseam? If it is only the skin on your feet, maybe you should consult a doctor.0 -
beemerphile1 wrote: »This is something I actually DON'T recommend. The entire premise behind running barefoot being better for you than running in good running shoes goes to a tribe of Native Americans in Mexico that run as part of their culture. They run all the time barefoot and have minimal reports of injuries. HOWEVER, the science shows many other factors to this and good running shoes do a better job preventing injury if you consciously run with a mid-foot strike. You can go do the research yourself, but keep in mind Vibram had to cough up millions of dollars in a class action lawsuit for their false advertising tied to this.
No I think the entire premise is that most humanoids for centuries did not wear shoes and in fact many still do not.
The foot is meant to flex and strapping a stiff board to your foot restricts that flexibility. Most injuries/conditions treated by a podiatrist are caused by - wanna guess? - shoes!
Running shoes are not stiff boards. All of this no shoes talk is ridiculous. Why do professional athletes wear shoes to run in if shoes are so evil and constricting?
OP, start running without shoes and you're likely to get a good case of plantar fasciitis if you don't ease into it very very slowly. To me it sounds like your shoes don't fit you properly.0 -
This is something I actually DON'T recommend.
For some people they work very well, for others, less so. It's always worth exploring, although I share the same view as upthread, people get a bit religious about it.
There has been another thread on this recently, and I drew out that there is a difference between minimalist and zero drop.
Personally I find a lower drop shoe to be more comfortable for trail racing. Introducing lower drop shoes did take me some time, and led to some transitional calf pain.
It's worth recalling that even in conventional shoes one might be using motion control, neutral or cushioned shoes. Picking the wrong type could be as damaging as anything else. I know from my own experience that using a cushioned shoe gave me all sort of problems. I'd disagree with the point above that an overpronator shouldn't use zero drop/ minimalist shoes, using an adequately short/ quick pace will mitigate the effects of overprontation anyway, so they have the potential to be useful.0 -
beemerphile1 wrote: »midwesterner85 wrote: »I can barely walk barefoot... must go very slowly and cautiously. In fact, if I just wear socks all day, my feet will dry out, crack open, and bleed. The pain makes it even more difficult to walk, and then I'm leaving a blood trail anyway (assuming there is enough blood to soak through my socks). The only way to avoid this is to suffocate them so that there is very little or no air flow. I've never understood the minimalist shoe fad or even shoes that allow air to flow through. Why buy cases of aquaphilic ointment when you can just as easily buy something more permanent (shoes) and effective to block exposure to air?!
I think you must be a very unique individual. Do you also protect all the rest of your skin from exposure to the air? Hands, arms, face, head, ad nauseam? If it is only the skin on your feet, maybe you should consult a doctor.
I do get dry skin on other areas, but not usually to the same degree. It has improved with age, but it is still bad enough to avoid air as much as possible.
I saw a dermatologist when I was a kid... he said it was ichthyosis and gave me a urea cream that made it even worse. Aquaphilic ointment tends to moisturize and create a barrier, so that helps more than any other product I've used.0 -
No shoes? Sounds like torture; it's like wiping your butt with grasses/leaves, useful in a pinch but not something I aspire to do day in & out. Haven't read the studies (because, I hate running) but see for yourself http://sportsscientists.com/featured-series/0
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CarbingTemptation wrote: »Hey there!
I've heard of this before as you step differently barefoot (on your toes) to with shoes on (heel to toe) and I've seen the cool durable sock type things that you can get to do so outdoors. I was wondering what difference it actually makes to run barefoot on a treadmill? Has anyone tried? Good, bad, indifferent?
The skin on my heels are a little sore from my trainers and it occurred to me that I could try this out instead.
What's everyones thoughts?
I have always been a toe/mid-foot striker regardless of the shoes that I'm wearing.
I have the vibram 5 finger shoes that I wore probably half a dozen times running and I screwed up my foot due to no cushion.
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Everyone's biomechanics are different. I try to mix it up, little bit of barefoot on the treadmill, alternate shoes 4,10,12. But find I run best in regular 10-12drop shoes. Too much fore foot landing leaves me with left medial shin pain and right hamstring pain along with numbness in my toes.
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I didn't mean to start a war!
I understand there's many different opinions on this and of course it's down to individual differences too. I just wondered about personal experiences really.
As you were everyone0 -
CarbingTemptation wrote: »I didn't mean to start a war!
Minimalist vs conventional is on a par with Mac vs PC for the religious intolerance.
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and don't forget cardio vs strength ;-)MeanderingMammal wrote: »CarbingTemptation wrote: »I didn't mean to start a war!
Minimalist vs conventional is on a par with Mac vs PC for the religious intolerance.0 -
You just have to go with what works for you. I have had both of my hips replaced and if were not for minimalist shoes/barefoot running, I would not be running at all. Since I started running a little under 4 years ago, I have run a little over 5,000 miles and recent x-rays showed no wear on the hips. My orthopedic doctor said the only thing he could attribute that to was my shoes and the way I run... and he really didn't want me running at all and told he thought the minimalist movement was shamanism. My results have not not convinced him to change his mind, but he said in my case, just keep doing what I am doing.0
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My personal experience is that I was not able to run consistently with conventional shoes. I ended up with Jumper's Knee. Switching to lower drop shoes is recommended for runners with that problem.
I switched to 4mm shoes (from 9mm) and it got better, but the pain did not completely go away. Switched to 0-2mm shoes, and no more knee pain. It did take a couple of months for my calves and achilles to adjust, but that was just tightness and more typical soreness. All of that is gone now, and I have no more pain.
I have one pair of shoes that are zero drop and highly cushioned, and one pair that is the next step up from vibrams. The near-minimalist shoes had me running a minute per mile slower than the others for months, but I'm back to faster than my previous times, so it just takes adjustment.0 -
My personal experience is that I was not able to run consistently with conventional shoes. I ended up with Jumper's Knee. Switching to lower drop shoes is recommended for runners with that problem.
I switched to 4mm shoes (from 9mm) and it got better, but the pain did not completely go away. Switched to 0-2mm shoes, and no more knee pain. It did take a couple of months for my calves and achilles to adjust, but that was just tightness and more typical soreness. All of that is gone now, and I have no more pain.
I have one pair of shoes that are zero drop and highly cushioned, and one pair that is the next step up from vibrams. The near-minimalist shoes had me running a minute per mile slower than the others for months, but I'm back to faster than my previous times, so it just takes adjustment.
I have 4mm and 0mm shoes. I love both of them. The 4mm are my daily running shoes but the others are great.
Like you said. Expect some calf soreness if you're not used to these.0 -
MeanderingMammal wrote: »CarbingTemptation wrote: »I didn't mean to start a war!
Minimalist vs conventional is on a par with Mac vs PC for the religious intolerance.
Perfectly put! I have not ever run barefoot and don't think I ever would. I am just don't like to go barefoot period. I mean ok at the pool or beach but that is about it. I even wear shoes in my house. I know strange. My husband wears minimalist for shorter runs but has found that longer runs they don't work for him like he wants. I just wear neutral shoes because they work best for me.
Like others have said find what works for you and go for it.
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I run in minimal shoes from time to time. Barefoot, no way do I want to accidently step in dog crap.0
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I have heard of this and actual health benefits of being connected to the earth (so barefoot outside running- not treadmill running). I am frequently outdoors in the summer with the kids and barefoot. Feels awesome and your feet get used to it. Not sure I could really run a lot on varied surfaces but I suppose you get used to it. Check out more info on earthing or grounding of you want to find out more (earth runners.com or earthing.com)0
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beemerphile1 wrote: »This is something I actually DON'T recommend. The entire premise behind running barefoot being better for you than running in good running shoes goes to a tribe of Native Americans in Mexico that run as part of their culture. They run all the time barefoot and have minimal reports of injuries. HOWEVER, the science shows many other factors to this and good running shoes do a better job preventing injury if you consciously run with a mid-foot strike. You can go do the research yourself, but keep in mind Vibram had to cough up millions of dollars in a class action lawsuit for their false advertising tied to this.
No I think the entire premise is that most humanoids for centuries did not wear shoes and in fact many still do not.
The foot is meant to flex and strapping a stiff board to your foot restricts that flexibility. Most injuries/conditions treated by a podiatrist are caused by - wanna guess? - shoes!
Running shoes are not stiff boards. All of this no shoes talk is ridiculous. Why do professional athletes wear shoes to run in if shoes are so evil and constricting?
OP, start running without shoes and you're likely to get a good case of plantar fasciitis if you don't ease into it very very slowly. To me it sounds like your shoes don't fit you properly.
There are no good cases of plantar fasciitis. Over a year of recovery.... Ouch!0 -
I wanted to be able to run minimalist. I really did. I read the book. My running idol swears by it. I believe that for a lot of people it is benenficial but I've gotten to the point where I believe it isn't necessarily best for everyone.
I run in a corrective shoe and it is the only thing that keeps me running injury free.
Figure out what works best for you. I do recommend a gradual switch to minimalist shoes if that is what you are going to try.0
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