Has anyone had bad experience with barefoot running?

I did it barefoot for many months on the treadmill and loved it. Then when summer came along, I bought some running shoes. Now I find that I prefer the shoes. But I still land on my forefoot, which is a habit I picked up from doing it barefoot.

They now make "barefoot runners" (I don't know if that's the official name), basically, a very flexible rubber that fits snuggly to the foot (even each toe) and protects your feet from pebbles, glass, slivers, etc but still gives the feel of running barefoot.
I've run barefoot short distances before and want to start working up to longer distances when I can start running again.

These are vibram shoes

I've heard and experienced just the opposite, mostly, with barefoot running helping to reduce or reverse pain. It's generally when people try to do too much too fast that injuries happen. When you've been wearing shoes your whole life, your body isn't ready for that. I have a friend who started out with Nike Frees and is working his way up to Vibrams. That's what I'd recommend.

Barefoot runner, right here.

Last summer when I lived in Boise, I ran totally barefoot. There is great book called, you guessed it, Barefoot Running, written by a guy from Boulder CO. I carried my shoes because sometimes, it got too rough. But my feet toughened and I could run on fire roads totally shoe free. I absolutely love it. It is so freeing!

But this year, I live in Lancaster CA. Its pretty ghetto-ie and I don't trust these sidewalks to be totally barefoot. So I run 95% of the time in Five Fingers. I have an older model, but just got the newer 'running' model. I love them more then the older ones. I almost can't run in shoes anymore. I am barefoot almost all day and when I need shoes, its either flip flops or Chuck Taylors.

To start running barefoot, there are several things to start with. First, most people have very weak feet. When you start barefoot, or in Five Fingers, start with short distances and finish your run with shoes. In the book they say that 1 barefoot = 3 shoed. So, 1/3 a mile barefoot = 1 mile shoed in terms of strength of your feet and tenderness of your soles. It takes time to work up to miles in the things. But I love it. I will never go back to "get yourself a great pair of running shoes. Go to the running store and have them watch you and recommend a plaster cast made by Asics" *
*Barefoot running is not for everyone. Some people will never like it and will never do it. That is awesome, too.

Even in the winter, I run in Five Fingers. The only time I wear shoes is when it's icy and not just snowey. Then I wear a pair cheap simple Asics that have screws in the bottom (google Screw Shoes).*
*In the summers, I work and travel for the Forest Service. In the winter, I live just outside Boulder CO.

As for the running shoes I still have? Every once in a while I get the urge to run in shoes. I have a broken a** pair of Saucony's. On those runs, I find I go faster, but at the expense of my HR and pain in my feet and knees. Now I'm not fast to start, but when I run barefoot, the ability to keep my HR in check and go further is almost immediately noticeable.

I've had two pairs of Vibrams, both wore out with less than 100 miles on them... Horrible design flaws, I've heard that the quality has gone down as the demand has gone up.

If you buy a pair, buy them from REI where you can return them with REI's lifetime warranty.

Vibrams are not the only barefoot shoes out there anymore. I'm looking at the Merrell Pace for my next shoe purchase. I heard Brooks is coming out with a minimalist shoe at the end of this year, or beggining of next.

Search for "minimalist running shoes" and pay attention to the "drop" which a true barefoot shoe will not have. Meaning they are flat from heal to toe, where as a running shoe has a cushioned raised heel that drop to the toe.

I haven't been injured so far, at least not from running barefoot. But have had foot injuries(from jumping rope, foot getting hit etc) that kept me from running barefoot.

I'm a bareform running convert.

When I started running I went to the specialist running shop, as recommended and was fitted with some super motion control mega shoes. They hurt my legs, and my feet, and my back when I ran in them - I almost gave up - thinking that running was "just not for me".

After researching bareform running quite extensively I invested in Merrel Pace Gloves and voila! I can run.

It took some time to get used to it and to let the shoes force me to run forefoot first. And my calves burned after ever little run/walk but it was a good pain - the kind of "I've worked hard" pain rather than "I'm hurting myself" pain. I'm doing c25k to ease myself into running and now going 2 miles at a time - I will never go back to running in "proper" running shoes. The cushioning just encourages bad form.

duqtape post is great

I too run in vibrams. Can't be stressed enough, start slow. It took me a long time to build up, but the longest I've now gone in them is 10 miles. I've also gotten great wear out of mine, over a hundred miles and not even a hint of wearing out anytime soon. Much of those miles have been on rocky trail too.
Which brings me to my next point, I've backed off my VFF wearing because of those rocks. My trails just havetoo many small rocks that beat up my feet.

Good luck.

I hiked one of the3 peaks in Yorkshire barefoot for charity 5 years ago. It was amazing, my shoulders were so loose afterwards, I couldn't believe the effect it had!

One of the things I did first to get acclimated to barefoot running was run on the treadmill in socks In an article I read it states that by running barefoot your bodies natural response is to protect the foot, so you dont land heel first, what I experienced with this was my shins were sore for a short period as my body adjusted from prior military heel first foot contact..bought the nike free's and love em! they are so light! My next shoes will be even more minimalist...

My podiatrist suggested that barefoot running can be part of a training plan, but most people don't need or can't sustain a 100% barefoot running regime. Replace ten minutes in your normal running schedule with ten minutes of slow barefoot jogging, and if you aren't too sore, do another ten next time you run. Stick with ten minutes until there is no soreness or discomfort from the barefoot running. Then go up to 15 minutes, etc. His recommendation was no more than 20 minutes per session, three times a week. It is great form training, but for people running on blacktop or concrete, too much barefoot running can cause stress fractures in the bones of the foot/heel.

I'm not saying that the lucky people on this forum who can do more barefoot running than his suggestion are wrong, but based on the published studies out there, and the patients he sees in his clinic, this is his recommendation to barefoot experimenters.