Comments on: A Conversation About Barefoot Running

By: Katie @ peacebeme

Katie @ peacebeme — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:32:55 +0000

I totally agree with going with whatever works for you. My podiatrist kept pushing and pushing me to wear RIGID orthotics, that I spent $400 on. They hurt sooo bad and I think made things a lot worse, I keep forcing them for two months and then gave up. I bought OTC SOFT orthotics, that helped A LOT, then I started walking barefoot (my nerve problems don’t allow me to come even close to running or walking more than a quarter mile at a time). This helped even more. In stores or places where I have to wear shoes, I wear my soft orthotics, otherwise I go barefoot. I think just listening to your own body is the key. My sister swears by her orthotics. She got them in 11th grade and has run two marathons without ever getting shin splints again.

The main point is to advocate for yourself! If it hurts over and over, question what is going on!

By: Steph

Steph — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 02:25:34 +0000

My husband & I bought the Vibram 5 fingers this past winter and in the spring we were comfortable enough to start running in them. Vibrams take a while to get used to, you are using very different muscles for walking/running so your calves, feet & toes are very sore and legs are generally very tired for the first few weeks. (we only wore ours a few hours each day while we were adjusting!). We started running in them and each noticed changes in our form & bodies. My husband had stopped running for years due to knee pain and I just never really enjoyed running (I’m a team sports girl). Once we ran in the Vibrams a few times we learned a little about barefoot running and researched it a ton. We went out front and decided to run to the end of the street & back (about 40 yards total) so we did. It was amazing to actually feel the earth beneath your feet! It made it fun for me and so we started doing it on a regular basis. Now when we first started, you have to run very short distances (5 mins or less) as your feet toughen up. His are nice & padded now, they feel leathery but smooth, unlike before when his feet would catch on everything (YUCK!) lol. Mine are still developing, I can only run every 3 days or so barefoot as I develop blisters or “hot spots” and then they peel off and the underlying skin becomes tougher and it happens less the next time. We run barefoot on the rough blacktop every few nights (12am or so, we live in Las Vegas and the ground is hot until about 10pm) and sometimes we treat ourselves to the grass. When you come home, wash your feet in the shower (no need to worry about germs, just don’t suck on your toes after your run!) and if they are sore or hot, you can soak them in cold/ice water while you watch some TV or play on the computer. Keep them bundled in nice socks & your favorite shoes when you have blisters until they heal up. My husband’s knee pain has COMPLETELY gone away, it’s impossible to heel strike when you’re barefoot, and I am having fun running! Just try a few yards, don’t be afraid!

By: Barefoot Josh

Barefoot Josh — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 00:47:16 +0000

Heather:

Yup, I’m talking about aqua socks and vffs.They are great for extreme temps, ultras, and rough terrain, if you’ve learned how to run barefoot first.The difference between barefoot and minimalist isn’t just grammatical (although that does bug me too; are you barehanded if your gloves are really thin?).It’s a completely different experience being able to actually feel the ground.

If you stomp your foot in vffs, it doesn’t hurt. Obviously you can’t heel strike, so you’re going to start forefoot striking instead. If it doesn’t hurt to stomp, what to prevent you from doing so? If you stomp on your forefoot, eventually you will snap your metatarsals. Or you won’t let your heel land, you’ll stress your calves, ankles, and instep, and eventually suffer some malady or another. If you run smoothly, you should be fine. But if you run smoothly, you probably have no problems running in shoes, so not really in the market for “barefoot shoes” anyway…

It hurts to stomp barefoot. Immediately. Every step I take has to be smooth and gentle, or else it hurts. Since it takes time getting used to how the ground feels, they’ll start hurting before you overstress the muscles and ligaments that are being used differently. That’s how barefoot runners avoid the stress fractures, PF, etc reported among runners in minimalist footwear.

Toughness is a liability, not an asset, for a barefooter.

That’s not to say barefoot running is injury free; I’ve gotten some nasty blisters (a result of bad form, from either inexperience or exhaustion) and am currently nursing a broken 2nd toe (tripping over one of my dogs). Others have pushed the extremes with weather, and have dealt with frostbite and burns. Rocks can hurt, and glass exists (even though it’s not nearly the problem people think it is. I’ve had one tiny piece to pull out in over 1100 miles.).

For further reading on the minimalist vs barefoot brouhaha, there’s this bit of crankiness from yours truly:
http://therunningbarefoot.com/?p=5575

Sorry to be so verbose. I need an editor. Hope you found this informative/interesting/entertaining,

Josh
barefootjosh.com

By: Heather

Heather — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 17:05:08 +0000

Thanks for the sharing the resource!

By: Heather

Heather — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 17:03:09 +0000

Thanks for your input! I don’t think the PT was telling me not to try it, he even trains barefoot occasional- he just made a point I hadn’t considered before.

I have a question for you- when you say the ones getting injured are the ones in “barefoot shoes” are you talking about things like Frees or Vibrams, etc? I hadn’t heard about getting injured in those vs barefoot-barefoot- they usually seemed to be grouped together in things I’ve read.

By: Heather

Heather — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 17:01:00 +0000

I’ve never heard of the Bioms- I’ll have to check them out! I love the idea of something minimal- protection, yet “barefoot”.

By: Heather

Heather — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 17:00:06 +0000

I’m thinking I’m just going to have to try it myself to make a good judgement for ME- I’m just scared of making an injury worse or getting a different one hahaa. Maybe when I recover from this one

By: Barefoot Larry

Barefoot Larry — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 20:56:33 +0000

Check out our website: The Barefoot Runners Society http://www.barefootrunners.org/build2/

You will find out everything you need to know about barefoot running. Skip the orthotics, they will ruin you feet.

By: Barefoot Josh

Barefoot Josh — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 19:01:06 +0000

Hoo-boy, let me give it a go:

Asphalt and concrete ARE ideal surfaces. The harder the better. Hard surfaces teach you how to run smoothly.

There’s no such thing as “built for it.” Most of the people enjoying barefoot running success are not elite, but rather midpackers who are sick of getting injured.

Most of the “barefoot” runners getting injured aren’t barefoot at all, but instead wearing “barefoot” shoes. There’s a big difference.

Instead of asking a PT about evidence for barefoot running, why not ask for evidence for cushioning? After all, that’s what you’re paying for.

There’s a few of us barefoot runners out there; we’re not hard to find and we like to blab about our experiences. Of course I’m biased, but how much is a person going to know about running barefoot if they ignore info from people actually running barefoot?

I’m not trying to be evangelical or anything; I’ve got no business telling you what you should or shouldn’t wear on your feet. I just would like to suggest your PT did not give you very good information.

By: Bekah @ runtrackmind

Bekah @ runtrackmind — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 02:14:58 +0000

I do love the concept of barefoot running, but I would never personally become a convert. I worry too much about germs. I do not disagree that our bodies were made for bare footing but not on our current roadways. I do have a pair of Ecco’s Biom which I do train in and there is a considerable difference in the way I run in the Bioms vs. my Asics. I purchased Vibrams last month but have not run in them yet. I do wear them out and about though and I love them because they give you that barefoot feeling all the while protecting you.