Need Some "Barefoot" Running Advice

I don't have any experience with running but can advice against not using Vibrams for training calves
I went through 2 pairs, both took quite a beating from calve raises

I've been reading up on the "barefoot" running, and a sudden conversion to it can put you out with an injury, BADLY. I'm not saying that "barefoot running" is a bad idea, because it appears to be good, but you haven't trained for it.

When you start training, you strengthen all the needed muscles simultaneously. Your legs, your knees, your hips, etc are all probably pretty buff right now. But your ankles and feet, and specifically the muscles that you'll need for "barefoot" running, have been protected and cushioned by your non-barefoot running shoes. If you try to go out and run at the level you are at now, you are opening yourself up for stress fractures, muscle pulls, and a number of other things that can take you off your feet for months.

Just take it really easy at first and remember that your ankles and feet are not ready to run at the level the rest of your body is - yet.

If he does any weight training with calves, he should use flat shoes with somewhat thick soles (vibrams break eventually)
However, most vibram wearers do get some pretty amazing calve development simply by walking
My calves grew about 1 inch the first year I used vibrams

Sorry for the confusion

I wouldn't call the brooks pureflow a "barefoot" shoe. The biggest difference you will notice is the lesser heel drop compared to a normal shoe. That shouldn't cause you much issues switching over. Maybe some slight added stress to your calves. I would keep your normal schedule but also be a little cautious and see how your legs feel when you switch.

Also just wearing those shoes most likely won't alter your running style unless you make a concerted efffort to do so.

I personally would never run barefoot. Too many bad things can happen. When I first read about the mid sole running approach, it took me a while before it became natural for me. the best advice I can give is to lean forward a little bit when you run. I found that when I ran upright, it was easy to fall back into the heel strike stride. When I run leaning forward, I run with a mid sole strike.

I transitioned from heel-toe running ( resulting in torn knee ligament/ shin splints) to a mid foot strike and would advise going back to the beginning and starting slowly - it uses muscles very differently and you will get tight calves especially if you tense your foot and 'reach' for the floor. the goal technique is running with a mid foot strike and letting my heels 'kiss' the floor seems to prevent calves tightening

I did a lot of research into scientific journals and stuff on barefoot vs shod running ( I cheat and run in minimal shoes) and changing from shod to barefoot is not trivial as you are suddenly using all your muscles in different ways. effectively you have to start again and build up especially as it uses much more of the muscles in the foot that we don't actually activate very often in shoes and your calves effectively act as springs/ shock absorbers (one of the reasons many people get tight / sore calves after).

One of the major initial faults ( that people have) as i discovered from reading blogs, and talking to trainers is that people reach for the ground with their toes/ midfoot, their foot held rigid and then push off again with the toes with their heels never coming down. this does not absorb the impact and the muscles of the foot and calves quickly become painfull.

the foot shouild be relaxed, mid foot strike the heel the comes down gently and kisses ther ground before the the mid foot pushes off. allowing the feet, ankles and legs to absorb the impact like a spring reducing the damage to joints.

now a personal note. I spent allot of time looking at the bio-mechanics of this and listening to my body and i find that for me i have much less pain running with a mid foot strike rather than a heel strike and I do this whatever shoes I am in: barefoot , minimal or traditional. I find it easier to run in minimal shoes because they are more flexible and i can really feel the ground so i get more feedback on how I am running but that's just me. I can tell if i get tired because my form goes and my feet start to slap the ground and i can really feel it. the steps should be small and fast too ( 180 bpm) and speed comes from technique not stride. as you get better you can really push off the ground on every stroke and this speeds you up. but you can't stride out like heel toe running as this will return you to a heel strike and if i do this i can really feel the impact.

hope my long rambling reply helps and happy running - however works for you.

I am not an expert, just an interested scientist and my advice is no way professional , just what i have found out.

My minimalist shoes helped me get away from being a heel striker and I've been pain free since I bought them. I only wear them about once a week and on short runs, because I do a lot of running on sidewalks and I worry about the lack of cushioning. They also taught me how to be a little bit lighter on my feet.

The best advice I can give if you change your shoes is just to start off slow. Whether it's a barefoot, minimalist, or a midfoot striking shoe, don't try to run in them like you would with your previous shoes. Start off slower than you normally would and focus on your stride, don't expect the shoe to do all the work.

I'm a barefoot runner (Vibram) and I never sis the training program for switching shoe styles, but I was also never a heel toe runner. I'd go out in them once for a short run (about a mile or two) and see how you feel. If you're feeling good two days after, I see no reason not to jump in where you left off in C210K. Otherwise, go slow!

I would keep running with the current shoes that you have and try to increase the distance. Once you get the new shoes, cut the distance and time by 2/3rds and take a rest day in between. You can increase from there.

The only thing I'll add to this is start slowly with the minimalist shoes, should you decide to go that way. You will use your muscles differently and you'll need to strenghten the muscles in your feet. This is where most folks go wrong and get injured and add to the "bad press" of barefoot running.

I always had problems running in regular shoes and I always thought I hated running. I've been using barefoot shoes for about a year and a half for working out, hiking and even zumba. I've recently started jogging and notice that my joints feel better when I jog either barefoot or using the barfoot shoes, as I've learned to cushion my strike. For the first time, I'm contemplating the Cto25K and may even do the Zombie run in October.

I had problems with plantar fasciitis for about a year, and decided to try the barfoot shoes to strengthen my feet rather than depend on arch supports. I started slowly and now prefer them to any other shoe. I haven had an issue with plantar faciitis in over a year.

Hope this helps

I personally have been wearing vibrams for years. I have run over 25 adventure races (Tough Mudder, Warrior Dash, Spartan Race, Metro Dash, etc) and dozensof standard races. I took a few months off from running when i moved and started wearing sneakers again (Nike Free with amazing knee high socks, i wanted to look cute) and i couldnt believe how many injuries i was getting - knees, hip, ankles and of couse shin splints. Finally i had to give up the cute outfits and go back to my vibrams. I did a 5k the first day and yes i was a little sore, but nothing crazy. now three months later, my body is back to being injury free. I will never make the mistake of working out in sneakers again.

Also running adventure races in sneakers is AWFUL! They get so wet and heavy that the run becomes miserable. I highly reccomend using lighter shoes before the race.

Best of luck!!!

I did not read all of the replies, but here's my .02. I switched from traditional running shoes to minimalist shoes about a year and a half ago. I was wearing stability shoes - Mizunos. And I went cold turkey to Brooks Pure Connects. It toook me about a week to get used to them. I did a couple of runs to try them out and then I went full force and never looked back! I had some mild calf soreness for the first few days. That was it. I also went from a card carrying heel striker.... to a midfoot striker. I ran a full marathon a month after getting the shoes. It was great!!

So I would say give it a week or so with the new shoes - maybe mix up your training plan for that week, see how you feel and then get back into it the second week. I don't think the transition will be that rough.