Best barefoot shoes + where to buy ?

Fantomas9mm

I’m thinking of finally making the jump (or stride ) to barefoot running shoes .


I’ve purposely made my last pair of regular shoes zero drop, being doing drills in prep and now I think it’s time to stop pussyfooting around it and go for it .

My question is this .

Is buying online advisable or would you rally need to try on a pair just to ensure the fit is good ?

If trying on is recommended , is there anywhere in Ireland that carries a large range of barefoot running shoes that I could try on before I buy ?
Ideally in Cork ? Shoe width and the hardness of the sole would be what I would be interested in .


If not , than what websites are good to start taking a look at that have a decent returns policy ?

Any brand that folks have used that they would recommend ?

Would be running roads and occasionally trails .

Thanks

pconn062

Is it 2012 again?!

To be honest that fad has died out a bit and you would struggle to find any bricks and mortar shops in Ireland that stock "barefoot shoes"anymore. You could get them online still I would say. Some common brands would be Merrell, vibram, vivobarefoot.

Have you tried actual barefoot running on a nice soft grass surface. It's actually quite a pleasant thing to mix into your regular training.

Fantomas9mm

pconn062 wrote: »

Is it 2012 again?!

To be honest that fad has died out a bit and you would struggle to find any bricks and mortar shops in Ireland that stock "barefoot shoes"anymore. You could get them online still I would say. Some common brands would be Merrell, vibram, vivobarefoot.

Have you tried actual barefoot running on a nice soft grass surface. It's actually quite a pleasant thing to mix into your regular training.

Yeah I have .

To be honest I’ve never enjoyed running because of the pains after . I would rather walk 20km than run 5.

My calves and lower back always tighten up no matter how much stretching I do.

I can swim , walk,do BJJ cycle without issue but running is always a struggle.

I play soccer in AstroTurf boots that have zero drop and a thin sole and also never have an issue .

I know it was a fad but if it means I can start running without issue then I am willing to try it .

Thanks for the heads up , appreciate it .

pconn062

Fantomas9mm wrote: »

Yeah I have .

To be honest I’ve never enjoyed running because of the pains after . I would rather walk 20km than run 5.

My calves and lower back always tighten up no matter how much stretching I do.

I can swim , walk,do BJJ cycle without issue but running is always a struggle.

I play soccer in AstroTurf boots that have zero drop and a thin sole and also never have an issue .

I know it was a fad but if it means I can start running without issue then I am willing to try it .

Thanks for the heads up , appreciate it .

Not having a go at you by the way about barefoot running. I like doing a bit of jogging in grass barefoot, very relaxing. Just the initial hype has died down and I doubt anywhere stocks the shoes anymore.

Might be worth considering if you have any biomechanical issues that are causing you so much pain when running.

Ceepo

pconn062 wrote: »

Not having a go at you by the way about barefoot running. I like doing a bit of jogging in grass barefoot, very relaxing. Just the initial hype has died down and I doubt anywhere stocks the shoes anymore.

Might be worth considering if you have any biomechanical issues that are causing you so much pain when running.

Maybe the running shoes are causing a biomechanical issue

DukeCaboom

Jesus there hard to get now,

I used to use them a lot when I was racing b.c (before kids). Now I would have done as much stretching as running when I used them. I also see that Rob from Movement 101 wears them so they must be great.

Online I'd say is your only bet.

healy1835

DukeCaboom wrote: »

Jesus there hard to get now,

I used to use them a lot when I was racing b.c (before kids). Now I would have done as much stretching as running when I used them. I also see that Rob from Movement 101 wears them so they must be great.

Online I'd say is your only bet.

Think I've seen a few pairs of the Vibram Five Fingers on Start Fitness.

pconn062

Ceepo wrote: »

Maybe the running shoes are causing a biomechanical issue

Maybe they are, who knows without an assessment.

6run28

Vibram 5fingers were a dose to get on but I have a pair of new balance which are great. Id use once a week, feels great on the calves

Ceepo

pconn062 wrote: »

Maybe they are, who knows without an assessment.

That would all depend on what assessment protocol and who does it..

pconn062

Ceepo wrote: »

That would all depend on what assessment protocol and who does it..

Obviously, and many such people exist.

Fantomas9mm

Thanks for the replies folks.

I will ask an extremely stupid question.

Buying trails shoes but running on the road primarily shouldn't be an issue ?

xckjoo

Disclaimer: I'm not a great runner and not doing any these days so not offering expert running advice, but I do like the barefoot style shoes and have tried a decent variety of them.

I like the Vivo barefoot runners the best. Started with the Vibram fingers but they were terrible in Irish weather as they soaked up water like a sponge and could be very cold when it wasn't summer. Plus you end up in lots of conversations about them which is dull. The toe box on the Vivo keeps your toes warmer and they look fairly normal. Plus you can wear the socks you already have. Their size guide recommends going for your usual shoe size

Fantomas9mm

xckjoo wrote: »

Disclaimer: I'm not a great runner and not doing any these days so not offering expert running advice, but I do like the barefoot style shoes and have tried a decent variety of them.

I like the Vivo barefoot runners the best. Started with the Vibram fingers but they were terrible in Irish weather as they soaked up water like a sponge and could be very cold when it wasn't summer. Plus you end up in lots of conversations about them which is dull. The toe box on the Vivo keeps your toes warmer and they look fairly normal. Plus you can wear the socks you already have. Their size guide recommends going for your usual shoe size

Thank you sir.

As a matter of interest, what ones did you go for ?

atilladehun

Have you considered calf strengthening rather than just stretching. If your calf always feels tight after running then maybe it's the muscle over worked. If the muscles was stronger then it may not tighten up as much.

Constantly trying to stretch a muscle that's always tight seems odd to me. We can stretch our muscles a small bit, more when they're warmed up but not a massive amount that will stop them doing previous behaviour.

If a muscle is causing consistent pain from a normal amount of exercise then I think it's reasonable to ask is it strong enough. Would making it stronger help.

I'm not an expert. I was caught in that loop before with back neck and shoulder pain. Stretching helped in the short term. Strengthening fixed it.

xckjoo

Fantomas9mm wrote: »

Thank you sir.

As a matter of interest, what ones did you go for ?

These lads are the most recent pair I got. Was doing less running so wanted something that would look okay to wear normally too.

https://www.vivobarefoot.com/uk/mens/outdoor/primus-trail-fg-x-finisterre-mens

Ceepo

atilladehun wrote: »

Have you considered calf strengthening rather than just stretching. If your calf always feels tight after running then maybe it's the muscle over worked. If the muscles was stronger then it may not tighten up as much.

Constantly trying to stretch a muscle that's always tight seems odd to me. We can stretch our muscles a small bit, more when they're warmed up but not a massive amount that will stop them doing previous behaviour.

If a muscle is causing consistent pain from a normal amount of exercise then I think it's reasonable to ask is it strong enough. Would making it stronger help.

I'm not an expert. I was caught in that loop before with back neck and shoulder pain. Stretching helped in the short term. Strengthening fixed it.

Op previously said.
"I’ve purposely made my last pair of regular shoes zero drop, being doing drills in prep and now I think it’s time to stop pussyfooting around it and go for it ."

Do you think that doing drills etc would strengthen the calves.

If the calves are over working then the question should be... WHY?

If as the op stated that lower back and calves tighten up, then there's a fair chance they are compensating for a break down the the kinetic chain.

As pconn point out a biomechanical assessment may well be the way to go..

cuculainn

i got mine from xeroshoes in the UK

https://xeroshoes.com/shop/activity/performance/prio-men/

they are seriously comfortable once you are used to walking in them, but take a bit of getting used to.

I do find i get more tired the days i spend in them as opposed to regular shoes.

for Running they are great for getting a better mid sole strike and eliminating heal strike, but again i do find i get more tired in them and feel a bit slower. I also get a pinching in my arch if i go too long a distance in them (8k +)

They are also a bit tappy when you run walk in them as the sole is so hard......very hard to sneak up on people