I finally bought myself a pair of barefoot running shoes yesterday after thinking about it for literally about 2 years!
Aren’t they purrrdy?
So what took me so long? It’s not like this is such a big decision after all.
Paula Jager, the Fitness Editor for this blog, wrote a post not too long ago about barefoot running and the benefits of shoes designed to mimic how we walk and run naturally.
Here’s a snippet of what she wrote:
- The big fat cushiony heel support found in modern day running shoes goes against our natural gait and can result in a shortened Achilles tendon and calf muscle
- It takes more energy to run with the extra weight of the shoes
- Worst of all, they are designed to make you land with your heel while we are designed (by nature) to land on our forefoot. The repetitive strain of slamming on your heel results in undue shock and potential joint injury. By landing on the ball or forefoot with light steps allows our arch to act like the natural spring that it is.
- By wearing all that fake support our muscles, tendons and ligaments have weakened. And that’s not only the ones found in our feet but also in our hips and legs. This will also decrease coordination, agility and balance.
Well said Paula! I find the reasons for barefoot running to be rather compelling too which is why I’ve been considering these new types of shoes for quite sometime.
My holdup with getting my first pair of barefoot runners was actually my husband who doesn’t at all like the look of the Vibrams Five Fingers models which were some of the first barefoot runners on the market.
“They look really weird” he would say whenever I brought up the possibility of buying a pair for myself.
I figured the problem was just that it was a new fashion trend and he would eventually get used to it, so I just waited.
And waited.
And waited some more!
No chance. After all my waiting, he still hated the look of those shoes and so did all 3 of my kids!
“Don’t get those Mom, they look like frog feet” my boys would tell me.
As luck would have it, something else happened in recent months to change the deal in my favor.
Barefoot runners were introduced to the market that look more like a regular sneaker. Hurray!
When these new barefoot runners first came out, I was ready to bite, but they were a bit too expensive for my taste. I can’t justify spending $100+ for a pair of sneakers when it comes right down to it.
It just seemed excessive to me.
But yesterday, I found a pair that were an excellent price and they were snazzy and cute looking to boot.
So I snapped them up as we have a bunch of outdoor hiking type of activities coming up this summer and I need a really good pair of shoes anyway as my sneakers are pretty beat.
My question to all of you is, are these shoes really worth it? Did I succumb to marketing hype by buying a pair or will I be nothing but thrilled in the coming weeks as I wear them for my outdoor excursions?
Please chime in as I would really like to get your opinion. And, if you think my new sneaks are ugly (or cute), feel free to mention that too!
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
I have read that podiatrists actually hate these “barefoot running shoes” because they have absolutely no arch support, which the modern foot needs. Proponents of the shoes say that in ancient times, people ran barefoot, so we should do this too – but we are no longer in ancient times, and the body and foot has evolved since then. As humans have gotten less and less on-foot exercise, our feet are no longer ready for hours of running barefoot anymore. So if we are going to do it, doctors say we need arch support. I’m no expert, for sure, but I was born with flat feet, myself, so arch support is extra important for me. For those reasons…you won’t see me in a pair of these anytime soon!
Sara,
I think yours are super cute. Yes, you need to start out super slow (short bits of time and build up.). I hope they work out well for you. I think that they work well for some people, but not everyone, due to people’s pre-existing body issues. About 6 months ago, I switched from regular sneakers to the Nike super flexible shoes, which is sort of a mid-point between sneakers and the “frog shoes”. Even these took time to get used to.
Enjoy your long awaited snazzy shoes!
Andrea
Hi there! I found your blog from Real Food Media, and I had to comment on this post! My hubby and I both have the Fila brand Skeletoes and we LOVE them. I had no idea there were other brands of these types of shoes out there…we were looking for him some sturdy sandals one day (he is hell on flip flops!), saw these, and fell in love. Personally, I go straight barefoot whenever possible (or in my very minimal flip flops) but the Skeletoes are PERFECT for outdoor activities where barefoot/flops just aren’t an option. They are great for fishing in rocky rivers/lakes where you are walking in the water, or for walking in wooded areas where you just don’t want to be completely barefoot. Hubs also wears his at the beach, especially when there are a lot of shells/broken shells like on the gulf. He says “They’re like being barefoot, but way better”.
I just bought a pair of Vibrams in March. I’ve been looking at them for a few years, too, but thought that they were a bit weird. The fact that I didn’t see anyone else wearing them kind of detracted from their appeal, until I went to my first 5K race. Tons of people were wearing them! I asked around about what other people thought of them. Everyone who had a pair loved them, so I sucked it up and bought a pair on sale for $90.
I think they’re great! I was warned to work up to running long distances in them as my body adjusted, and my calves were sore for the first couple of days. I noticed that I definitely strike with my forefoot rather than my heel now. I love these shoes, and I’m glad I gave them a chance. I hope you love your barefoot shoes as much as I love mine.
Are we designed to land on the forefoot only when running or when walking too? I haven’t been able to figure that out. And, do you have to walk/run landing on forefoot in order to get benefits from these shoes? Anyone know?
Despite my knowledge about these shoes (consistent with Paula), It did not take me long to purchase my first pair….three years ago.
The first versions of the Vibrams started to fall apart on me, around the toes. I loved them so much that I shoe glued the the rubber toes back on. I still have those pair and wear them occasionally, but mostly when I have washed another pair and am waiting got them to air dry.
I have 5 pairs now. Funny the mention of frog feet. I am an athlete and people tell me they look like gorilla feet – I guess because I tend to wear black Vibrams.
Once I started to wear these as often as possible, especially during training, my calves and muscles around my ankle and feet improved in their flexibility, tone, muscularity, and shape. I was concerned that I would suffer some setbacks because I have no arch in both of my feet. I was wrong…. I actually started to gain a slight arch over 3 years.
I wish these were around when I was growing up, especially as a teen. More or less, because I would have learned to run correctly; landing on my forefoot instead of my heel. I ran a 4.5 second 40 yard dash as a teenager….can only imagine how much faster I would have ran if I learned to run correctly. I am fortunate not to have suffered knee, ankle, or hip problems from my participation in sports and the USMC.
They are fast becoming a trend in this country. Just about every single day i wear them, I have someone comment or ask about them.
And this is the gist of what I explain to people:
We lose this sense of proprioception once we start wearing shoes. For those who do not understand what that word means and do not want to use google, proprioception is the ability to sense the position and location and orientation and movement of the body and its parts.
When we were born into the world and start to develop, we smell, taste, touch, crawl, learn to walk, etc… We develop a sense of awareness about our bodies (and the self) with the earth under our feet. This is a very important stage of our development. However, once we start to wear shoes, we eventually lose this sense and the muscles in our feet, ankles, and up through our hips either atrophy or weaken. Thereby decreasing coordination, agility and balance. Believe it or not, many knee and lower back injuries can be attributed to this effect.
Different subject altogether, but these shoes often remind my of the problems with sitting down at a desk… How it is better to use a standing desk, etc…for some of the same or similar reasons – shortening of the calf and hamstrings. pelvic tilt, postural problems, etc….
Good article… Despite my knowledge on this subject, I was excited to see what Sarah had to say about it… But then again, that applies to all of the articles on this site…
well i love color. and frog feet i dont think i could have done toes. maybe these tho. however my feet are not tough to feeling things as with bee sting alergy 101 says never go outside beerfoot. so as kid I always had something on feet. thin bottom would most likely really bother my feet.
Welcome aboard the barefoot craze! I switched about a year ago and love, love, love it! I have the Merrell pace glove that I where everywhere. For running, I really do like my five fingers. I’m sure I get looks, but hey, they feel great. That being said, it seems this year in particular, many new minimal models have come on the market. Now if only someone would come out with stylish minimal sandals and dress shoes for women…
I had flat feet and orthotics and when I ran (several half marathons, and 1 full marathon) I would burn through a traditional pair of shoes in about 100 miles due to the severe heal strike. When I switched to Vibrams, I could get 500-600 miles out of a pair. As everyone has warned, you do have to take it slow, as I did not, and have had a chronic calf issue from a severe tear from going too fast too soon. But I wear the shoes everywhere and what a huge difference it has made in back and knee pain. The real test for me was doing 5 days and about 70 miles at Disney World 2 years ago. Never had an issue, and that was pushing strollers and carrying kids on my shoulders. To date, I have had 3 pairs of Vibrams, 1 pair of New Balalnce and my work shoes are the Merrell Tough Glove ($120) that I have been wearing to work for over 1 year, so to me they are worth the money. Oh and what I recently discovered at the pool is that I now have arches on both my feet, as I have strengthened them over the last couple years wearing minimalist footwear.