Running in your bare feet

Tim Robbins

Anyway ever run in their bare feet? And if so do you notice any difference to anything?

Zamboni

Tim Robbins wrote: »

Anyway ever run in their bare feet? And if so do you notice any difference to anything?

It feels 'right'.
The only bogey is finding surfaces safe to run where you won't land yourself on broken glass, dog crap, etc
Hard sand on beaches is great.

TommyKnocker

Zola Budd

From the Wiki page

Zola Pieterse,[1][2] better known by her maiden name of Zola Budd (born 26 May 1966 in Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, South Africa), is a former Olympic track and field competitor who, in less than three years, twice broke the world record in the women's 5000 metres, and twice was the women's winner at the World Cross Country Championships. Budd's career was unusual in that she mainly trained and raced barefoot. Her achievements on the track were often overshadowed by the political controversy she aroused during her short stay in the United Kingdom.

M

SanoVitae

As long as you avoid running long distances with American women, you'll be fine.

Tim Robbins

Just an update on this...

A few years back I got very bad shin splints that I could not get rid off. I ended up getting orthodics which got rid the shin splints but gave me plenty of blisters.

I ended up trying special socks, vaseline, changed runners you name it but kept getting the blisters. I had a few threads on the blisters here.

My GP told me to try running in bare foot and ditch the orthodics. So far so good.

Been out twice in bare foot and then did some training in 40 umbro boots with no orthodics. So far so good. No shin splints. No blisters.

So my plan is to keep going this way. Train once a week bare foot and then play the match in my boots - no orthodics.

Will provide some update here and hopefully the info might be of use to someone.

cmyk

I presume you've stumbled upon the vibram five fingers along the way? If not they may be worth a look.

biko

Shoes for bare feet runners.

rainbow kirby

cmyk wrote: »

I presume you've stumbled upon the vibram five fingers along the way? If not they may be worth a look.

Saw two people running the marathon in them. Didn't look too comfortable on the concrete sections! :eek:

cmyk

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Saw two people running the marathon in them. Didn't look too comfortable on the concrete sections! :eek:

Don't own a pair, don't run distance, even if I was to attempt a marathon I can't imagine doing them in a pair, but I've read some of the thinking behind barefoot running and I guess they are as close as you'll get.

flywheel

their latest range is more designed for running in:
Vibram Five Fingers Bikila



got a pair this week, just getting used to them at the moment... as are the people walking by staring at my feet!

Insane1

Guys I can't recommend these things enough! I bought my first pair of Vibrams (KSO's) in New York last year. Bought my second pair in Waterford (Bikila's) about a month ago.

Prioir to trying Vibrams I always ran with some form of pain for about 2 years. Usually, shin splints, medial tibial stress syndrome and even tibial stress fractures. I just assumed that running with leg pain was something I was always going to have so I just sucked it up and got on with it.

From the very first time that I put on a pair of Vibrams I couldn't believe the comfort I felt and for the first time in 2 years solid I ran without pain. That being said, for the first few weeks my calf muscles felt like they were being surgically removed every step I took but then again I was advised to start very slowly in them but of course I went too far the first few times. It was just my calf muscles being sore because I never used my calves the way they were designed to be used. Soft running shoes allowed me to change my running gait and therefore I wasn't using my calves as much as I should have been when running. I changed from being a heel striker to a midfoot striker. Once my calves got stronger I have had zero leg pain or injuries since.

I think once people get over the strange look of Vibrams (and the funny looks you get from people you pass) lots of runners will begin to see the huge benefits of running barefoot or almost barefoot. Personally I think its nuts to not allow your feet to do what millions of years worth of evolution designed them to do. Evolution did not take Mr. Nike and Mrs. Asics into consideration when designing your foot.. Hope this helps..

d'Oracle

How topical.

I'm reading "Born to Run" at the moment.....

Tim there is loads of info about barefoot running online.
How its different, how to start accustomising yourself to it etc.

I wouldn't ref a game barefoot if I were you though.;)

BJohnson

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Saw two people running the marathon in them. Didn't look too comfortable on the concrete sections! :eek:

I ran the Dublin Marathon in my FiveFingers and set a PB! I've been doing all of my running in them for the past 10 months, almost all on asphalt and concrete, and would never go back to a regular running shoe. I've been running for over 15 years now, and for about the last 10 had always run in the same model of New Balance, but after reading about the Vibrams I decided to give them a try. Every review I read of them raved about them, and I can see why.

There was some interesting research done by Harvard University - you can see the lead researcher describing how you actually put less strain on your joints running barefoot than running in a cushioned running shoe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jrnj-7YKZE

None of the major shoe companies have ever produced any research showing that their shoes either decrease injury rates or improve performance. You start to realise that it's all a lot of marketing hype to try to sell a product. Every year shoe manufacturers update all of their shoes to newer models, but nobody seems to ask if any of these changes are beneficial, or if they actually make things worse.

Christopher McDougall, the author of Born to Run, did a really interesting talk at the Google campus in California - if you're interested in the barefoot running topic at all, I'd highly recommend it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_usxrvKvus

shg101

Insane1 wrote: »

Personally I think its nuts to not allow your feet to do what millions of years worth of evolution designed them to do. Evolution did not take Mr. Nike and Mrs. Asics into consideration when designing your foot.. Hope this helps..

Millions of years of running on concrete and tarmac? Millions of years of 200lb people running on concrete and tarmac?

Insane1

shg101 wrote: »

Millions of years of running on concrete and tarmac? Millions of years of 200lb people running on concrete and tarmac?

The surface shouldn't make any difference if you are midfoot or forefoot striking. The calf and achilles should act as a suffiecient cushion with each foot fall. However, If you heel strike on these surfaces then yes it will make a difference but the point I was making is that your foot is not designed for heel striking in the first place. If anything, concrete and tarmac have given us an even smoother surface to run on than dirt and rocky trails i.e less chance of twisting an ankle etc...

With regards to 200lb people running on concrete and tarmac. Again the surface should not make any difference once their calves and achilles are sufficiently strong to support their weight. The only way for a 200lb person to do this is to strengthen their calves and achilles by midfoot striking in the exact same way 100lb runner would... Its all relative...

dartstothesea

Those vibrams sound like the business. I try doing lots of running on balls of my feet to build calves and improve my muay Thai footwork. Last time I tried running in just socks on treadmill and things got dangerously slippy when I cranked the speed. These things might gimme the grip I need.

Ciaran500

dartstothesea wrote: »

Last time I tried running in just socks on treadmill and things got dangerously slippy when I cranked the speed. These things might gimme the grip I need.

Take off your socks?

dartstothesea

And why do you think that will be any less slippy? Not to mention completely bare feet in my gym might be pushing my luck a bit.

Ciaran500

dartstothesea wrote: »

And why do you think that will be any less slippy?

Ever walked on lino in socks compared to in your bare feet?

dartstothesea

Yeah. I've walked on it in socks too and it feels pretty different from the surface of the treadmill.
In any case, I don't think bare feet or socks are going to cut it in terms of grip.

Lantus

Been checkin out these five toes for a while and I'm going to get some! I had resigned myself to the fact I couldn't run because of my shin splits which the running posture these shoes promote would very likley eliminate or at least so say many many runners who have them.

Will report back once I secure a pair. I'll also be using mine down the gym for weights and just general wear as I love to walk around barefoot all the time and all year!

Colm_OReilly

From my experience:
KSOs feel a bit too loose on runs
Sprints are the best for 5Ks, and workouts. I can't do 400m in them as I revert to heal striking
Bikilas have greater padding and 'allow' me poorer form for sprinting. They feel less like vibrams and more like running.

My recommendation - Sprints.

Orando Broom

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

From my experience:
KSOs feel a bit too loose on runs
Sprints are the best for 5Ks, and workouts. I can't do 400m in them as I revert to heal striking
Bikilas have greater padding and 'allow' me poorer form for sprinting. They feel less like vibrams and more like running.

My recommendation - Sprints.

My Bro in Law uses Vibrams, runs half marathons in them. Incidentally they make your feet smaller as the muscles develop. My Bro-in-law raves about them.

I know loads of people who use Vibrams for lifting.

I bought myself a pair of Nike Free last week.

They do a similar job. They'll be getting tested on the treadmill this eveniong.

Orando Broom

Lantus wrote: »

Been checkin out these five toes for a while and I'm going to get some! I had resigned myself to the fact I couldn't run because of my shin splits which the running posture these shoes promote would very likley eliminate or at least so say many many runners who have them.

Will report back once I secure a pair. I'll also be using mine down the gym for weights and just general wear as I love to walk around barefoot all the time and all year!

Don't buy on line. You need fit them for size. Your 'regualr' shoe size will be differnet in Vibram's.

I was a 43 in Vibrams but I am a 44/44.5 in trainers shoes etc. Just be advised, they need to fit right or they'll kill you.

Also if you intend on using for running long distances in them, build up slowly.

d'Oracle

Orando Broom wrote: »

Don't buy on line. You need fit them for size. Your 'regualr' shoe size will be differnet in Vibram's.

I was a 43 in Vibrams but I am a 44/44.5 in trainers shoes etc. Just be advised, they need to fit right or they'll kill you.

Also if you intend on using for running long distances in them, build up slowly.

Did you use the online sizing chart?

cmyk

Just with regard to trying them on, I was in 53degrees north in carrickmines over the weekend and see they are stocking them now. Don't know much about the pricing but seemed pretty similar to online.

Orando Broom

d'Oracle wrote: »

Did you use the online sizing chart?

Nope tried them on. I was over in the States last week.

d'Oracle

Orando Broom wrote: »

Nope tried them on. I was over in the States last week.

Not to be a pedantic dick then, but you didn't use the online sizing chart, so its safe to say that it might be ok to buy them online.

leopardus

I am a big fan of vibram five fingers. I used the online sizing chart, it suggested a 42 which was too small, the 43 fits perfectly (I do have an odd shaped foot though). My girlfriend and my housemate had the opposite problem and both had to go smaller than the online chart suggested. I'm a different fitting in the classic to the KSO as well. Vibram were pretty quick at making the exchange, but I would try them on if you can.

d'Oracle

Job is a good 'un then.

I will go try them on when I go to get mine.

token56

Insane1 wrote: »

Guys I can't recommend these things enough! I bought my first pair of Vibrams (KSO's) in New York last year. Bought my second pair in Waterford (Bikila's) about a month ago.

Where in Waterford did you buy them?

Also does anyone know of any places in Dublin that sell them?

Edit:

Actually found this:
http://www.barefoot.ie/page.asp?id=130

I think I might take a look at them when I get back running

COUCH WARRIOR

I wouldn't fancy barefoot on a tread mill or anywhere else in a gym. Not because of grip or anything like that, but because of varuccas etc. Is "sprung toes" an issue with pure barefoot or these feet gloves things your discussing. Anyone know where these are available in Cork?

Sorry answered my own question

http://www.barefoot.ie/page.asp?id=130#Cork