Comments on: Is Barefoot Running Really Better For You?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:44:00 +0000

This post is from a while back, but I’ve been wearing my vibrams ($18 in the REI garage!) for about 3 months now and I will never go back. I don’t do much running recently, because I sprained my ankle badly about 5 months ago, but for walking they are fantastic. And, in my short sprints for the bus, they definitely feel better than athletic shoes.

I’d always preferred walking barefoot to walking shod, and then I went to a specialty shoe place on my husband’s recommendation. They gave me orthotics to “correct my gait” because I had slightly flat feet. The orthotics gave me foot pain for a couple weeks, which I was told was normal, and then became pretty much the only shoe I could wear comfortably. This was terrible! I bought a pair of canvas shoes from Pay Less and wore them into the ground. Then wore a pair of Tevas into the ground. Then, over the summer, experimented with walking barefoot and found that it was way less comfortable than it had been years ago. BOO. So, now, 6 months after starting to retrain my feet, I wear my vibrams everywhere, as well as a pair of simple Mary Jane shoes that have a thin sole and wool uppers. They look more conventional than my vibrams, so I wear them when I have to look nice. :)

By: Kellyanne

Kellyanne — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 10:35:00 +0000

I’m not a religious runner, but when I do run, I always find it easier to run barefoot than in shoes, whether they’re running shoes or not. I go farther per step, and I never have to stop and tie a lace or worry about rolling my ankle (You know when you accidentally step too far on the side of your foot and you fall because your foot somehow ended up on its side? That happens to me a lot, but only when I wear shoes.) Plus, my calves look fantastic.

By: Merlyn12

Merlyn12 — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 06:42:00 +0000

I do medieval reenactment, and the shoes I have made for that activity are basically just like vibrams in that they have no supports or padding- just a leather skin to protect your foot. When I wear them, my flat feet actually develop an arch. I plan to make a second pair and some wool liners and try running and walking in those. Way cheaper than buying special barefoot shoes.

By: Lauren

Lauren — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:11:00 +0000

During high school, I always ran in the “barefoot” or sprinting fashion without even realizing it. When I was having trouble with cramping in my ankles, my coach taught me how to run “normal.” After that, I had more pulls, tears, and general soreness in my feet and ankles than ever before. I switched back and am totally fine as long as I make sure to stretch my calves before and after.

By: Whozoo_10

Whozoo_10 — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:02:00 +0000

i cant beleive i seriously just read all of this. And i have math finals in 6 hours… But I absolutley love blogs like this – makes me wish I wasnt in college and I was out there running. But running doesnt pay for a living : / Im gonna buy those shoes now: so if u see a Mexican chunti girl running with some gorilla feet in santa monica – thats me!

By: The Eutychus Project - Week Two – Day Five: C25K Sparta style, and more Batman.

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 15:27:04 +0000

[...] raining so hard this morning, C25K a bit easier. Also experimented with the ‘Barefoot Running‘ style (although I kept my shoes on!), and found it to be possibly compatible with my back. [...]

By: Niki Glasgow

Niki Glasgow — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:15:00 +0000

Cool~ I have a pair of Fivefingers myself. Oh you know, the thing about how it’s too cold to run barefoot isn’t entirely true. There is a pair of the toe-shoes that is specifically designed for cold weather. Probably not for sub-zero or Antarctic temps, but still. It’s like they just thought of everything, even the people who like to wear suede on their feet. Fancy feet. =w= If you use the Vibrams for rock climbing though, make sure the sole has texture to it. Mine are more smooth on the bottom and have an alarming tendency of skating right of the face of the rock. That is not at all a fun experience.

By: Rosscarrel

Rosscarrel — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:25:00 +0000

I HATE running. (at least I thought I did) It hurt and I was terrible at it. In a last ditch effort to conquer the beast once and for all, I started looking at minimalist shoes. So I bought some NB minimus…and then ironically won a second pair in their FB caption contest the next week. They have vibram soles, but no monkey toe weirdness.

The difference was immediate. My previous best distance in big healed clunkers was a mile with intense shin pain. In the minimalist shoes I have run as much as 6 miles, and run my fastest mile time ever. Instead of flailing in agony, I’m gracefully gliding along.I still hate running long distances, but at least now it’s an issue of personal choice and not because of any limitation.

By: How to Not Suck at Running | Nerd Fitness

How to Not Suck at Running | Nerd Fitness — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:49:52 +0000

[...] with it. Interesting point about the barefoot running stuff – I think a huge issue with barefoot running is that people try to do too much too fast and end up hurting themselves. Speaking of hurting [...]

By: Introduction to the Parkour Lifestyle | Flip Yeah, Parkour!

Introduction to the Parkour Lifestyle | Flip Yeah, Parkour! — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 17:54:09 +0000

[...] [...]