Barefoot shoes

[Meanmommab]

I am interested in knowing more about barefoot shoes. I seem to remember there is someone on this forum who is keen on them so after some information/advice/recommendations please.TIA.

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

nowster is the man who can give you that info

[nowster Graduate10]

I've been summoned! I've been wearing Vibram FiveFingers since 2012. I also have several Vivobarefoot shoes (and boots). I occasionally run totally barefoot (no shoes at all).

What is it you'd like to know?

The one thing that I'd stress up front is that if you have worn only "normal" shoes so far, you need to phase in the use of barefoot shoes very gradually otherwise you will hurt yourself. You almost need to re-learn how to walk.

[Meanmommab Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

Thank you for answering the summons!😁I seem to be having lots of adverts popping up at the moment and they have caught my interest. What are the advantages of barefoot shoes? Are some better than others? What should I look for if I do decide to try them? Over what period of time would you recommend to phase in barefoot shoes? Would there be problems in flipping from 'normal ' and barefoot shoes?

[nowster Graduate10 in reply to Meanmommab]

For a start, here's a good video about transitioning:

youtube.com/watch?v=LoUjgxG...(Not working as expected?)

[nowster Graduate10 in reply to Meanmommab]

Here's a lady who talks about the benefits and pitfalls:

youtube.com/watch?v=TD0fhMz...(Not working as expected?)

youtube.com/watch?v=Qm0ijPq...(Not working as expected?)

[Meanmommab Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

Lots to think about! Thanks for spending the time to reply so concisely!

[nowster Graduate10 in reply to Meanmommab]

To echo a point that Laura says in her first video about injury.

I'd been walking in barefoot shoes for 8 years when I took up Couch to 5K. I thought I was adapted.

However, I hadn't ever run before. My ankles weren't strong enough to cope with running at that point, and the nine weeks of C25K weren't enough to allow me to build up that strength. In "normal" shoes the stiffness of the shoe would have provided some rigidity around the ankle, masking the problem.

I missed the warning signs and on my final run of C25K I had to do a little swerve round a puddle of slippery mud, and sprained my left ankle in two places. That injury didn't happen in that instant, but was the result of many little injuries over the previous weeks that hadn't properly healed.

Two physio visits, a month of recovery, and then restarting in some shoes that had a tiny bit more structure round the ankle, some exercises from the physio, and I did C25K again.

Two years on from that my ankles have adapted well and give me no trouble at all.

[Meanmommab Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

Would need to exercise a lot of patience then which is not a strong point!🤦‍♀️

[Roxdog Graduate10]

So you might be thinking about nowster who is the king of the barefoot running. However, I have also switched to barefoot shoes, not only for running, but for my everyday shoes and boots. I now have 2 pairs of barefoot running shoes.I switched as I increasingly found my toes couldn't spread fully in conventional shoes.

I jnderstsnd the advice is to build up gently in yhem as you will be using different muscles etc. I'm not expert, but am sticking with them as I like feeling the ground under my feet.

[nowster Graduate10 in reply to Roxdog]

One thing I only noticed recently from her Strava photos was that ju-ju- (of the Magic Plan) wears VivoBarefoot shoes nowadays.

[Couchsurfer]

Hi - I switched from Brooks to Altra Escalate after reading the Born to Run books. I recommend both highly. I changed my running style to a forefoot landing, and can now do better distances, have beaten my 5k PB, and have been relatively free from injury - certainly the plantar fascitis I had in my heel from thudding along flat footed has gone. Thumbs up from me!

[Meanmommab Graduate10 in reply to Couchsurfer]

The Born to Run books are part of what started my interest in barefoot shoes. 😁

[LeeU 60minGraduate]

I switched not so long ago, it's different but better, I'm still transitioning if I'm honest but there's no going back.