It’s been almost three months since I purchased my first pair of barefoot running shoes. I wrote about my 2 year search for a the perfect pair that weren’t over the top expensive and weird looking in my post from June titled Are Barefoot Running Shoes Hype?
I promised to update you all about how I liked my new shoes in the upcoming weeks, and since this is the last official summer weekend of 2012, I thought it appropriate to give you the scoop right about now.
The bottom line? I love my barefoot runners! These shoes really do give you a connection with the ground that is sorely missing from typical athletic shoes.
I took them with me on our summer trip to Alaska and Canada and found them nothing short of awesome for all sorts of activities: long distance walking, hiking, rock climbing, and even zip lining from the treetops as you really do feel balanced and secure wearing them.
I wore my barefoot shoes as much as possible for the two weeks before I left for vacation to get used to them as recommended by the manufacturer.
I did not experience much if any soreness or problems adjusting. While wearing barefoot shoes for athletic activities definitely felt strange at first, it certainly wasn’t uncomfortable and during those early days of adjustment, I always stopped right away if I felt like I was going to overdo it and injure myself.
We go barefoot year round at my house as do many people in Florida, so it really did surprise me how long it took me to adjust to these shoes despite being used to barefoot living for most of my life.
Observation: walking around your house all day long barefoot is quite a different thing from doing something athletic wearing barefoot shoes!
The Downside to Barefoot Shoes
Now, for the nitty gritty.
Despite the fact that I really enjoy my barefoot shoes and find them very comfortable and even pleasurable for all sorts of athletic activities, I have just one beef to share with you:
I still can’t run in them!
I have tried and tried to get used to running in my barefoots, but I can only get to about the 1/4 mile mark before my calves and Achilles feel like they have had quite enough. I always stop and don’t push it at that point because I have no desire to injure myself as that would accomplish nothing in the long run. Any athlete knows that an Achilles injury is nothing to mess around with as it takes you out of commission for an extended period of time!
I shared my frustrations with Paula Jager, the Fitness Editor for this blog, at our local food pickup this past week.
What she said shocked me.
Paula shared that it took her a full year to get to the point where she could run any appreciable distance in her barefoot shoes!
Ah ha!
So that’s the secret!
I just haven’t given the whole thing enough time.
I guess this makes sense. Having been active my whole life and participated in a wide variety of sports and outdoor activities, my leg muscles have good muscle tone and getting them to stretch to the point where the muscle tone is equivalent in barefoot mode is going to take quite a bit of effort and time.
I think if I wasn’t a very active person, I ironically would have had an easier time adjusting to running in barefoot shoes as my calves and Achilles would not have good tone in the unnatural shortened position which occurs over time when you wear typical athletic shoes.
So those of you who are just starting out with running and haven’t really done much in the past, I think you will have an easier time with barefoot shoes than I have. Don’t be discouraged by what I’ve experienced!
Based on Paula’s advice, I am back to wearing my barefoots for running again after nearly giving up on the idea some weeks ago. I am alternating my barefoots with my conventional runners and am giving it until next summer to fully convert over.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
I bought my first Vibram five fingers almost a year ago. I wanted to start barefoot running, and the two books I read said to actually run barefoot as the soles of your feet will keep you from going too far too fast as the VFFs do. I have had to take it very, very slow, to the point of just focusing on barefoot walking. It is taking a long time for my left arch to adjust. Just today, I went on a barefoot hike for an hour. I am getting used to walking on gravel, and this is after a year of on and off barefooting. I’m hoping that next year, I will actually be able to run barefoot without any arch pain. It’s easy to run barefoot on sidewalks. Yes, you do get blisters at first, but that’s just your foot letting you know you are doing too much at once. Focus on barefoot walking first, then transition into barefoot running. It’s agonizingly slow, but so freeing when you can actually do it without any shoes at all!
Running with a heel strike is awful and anyone running for any period of time should learn to correct this. Even if they don’t buy barefoot runners, they can simply go to a park or local school football or soccer field. Run medium sprints barefooted and heel strikes will not be a problem – a person will naturally not do it, at least not more than once.
Then it’s just a matter of time as noted in the post for the legs to catch up strength wise.
I have been wearing my barefoot shoes for about 6 months, in my Mmaxout and Krav maga classes. I absolutely love them too! I would not recommend for activities that require lots of spin-like movement (such as karate). I am able to get the feeling of connecting with the ground that I desire, while keeping my feet fairly clean and safe. Oh, and I prefer not wearing socks with them (I use a shoe deodorizer spray periodically).
Hi Sarah, I know that this is completely off topic but I want to thank you for challenging and encouraging so many of us to do more research on a variety of topics. You also allow room for each family to do what they need to. You encourage for families to do what they are able to afford. You give us a place to start. Even if it is grocery store chicken it is still closer to real food than chicken nuggets!
This last comment, the “off topic” one seems like a plant. like sarah wrote it herself (or had someone do it). Most blogs have plants that make posts every once in a while, that speak so highly of the blog host. It is a biznes after all…
Film and literary people do this all the time 🙁 🙁
And no, I’m not just hatin I’m just sayin…
Funny, I didn’t think that at all about that post. It seemed quite normal to me, complete with a sentence error. Plus, I did agree with what the poster said. I do find myself delving further into a topic. Sometimes I’m so busy, I think, darn it, now I have to check this out. I won’t feel happy until I do. It’s usually worth it.
And no, I’m not a plant either.
The idea is, to get you to agree with the plant/post. It’s intent was to offset the recent comments regarding her lack of thourough investigating of the subjects she posts. Bloggers do it all the time. They have complete control over who’s who and what’s what. Some bloggers have whole conversations with themselves with 4 or five made up people (and one or two to disagree).
It’s a living, worse things have happened. I actually think it is hysterical. 😀
Well, even if your right, I didn’t see anyone dissenting, or accusing her of not putting in more references. It is a blog after all. All I see from this post is her relating her experience, and the commenters sharing their experiences. Some have more knowledge than others on this particular topic, and it’s nice to hear everyones experiences from all levels. For example, I’d never heard of the contrail thing mentioned by a commenter, and so I went off looking for info on that. I figure if I learn something, even if it had nothing to do with the original topic I’m a bit further ahead. I like learning and researching new things. Plant or not, it doesn’t affect me one way or another.
Hey jill – perhaps you are a plant. ??? Did you see the latest “sarah comment” – innocently asking if anyone has tried the five finger shoe – the whole darn thread has plenty of people speaking about it. Strange…. BTW Why don’t they call it the FIVE TOE instead (it’s not a glove)?
It took me almost 18 months to fully adjust. I also switched back and forth between minimalist and regular at first and then decided it was confusing my running form so just stuck with the minimlist shoes. At first I only ran on soft surfaces and the track for short workouts and relied on cross training to get a full workout in, like swimming or biking. It’s been two years now and my running is so much better. I can always run on pavement now and have gone up to 8 miles. I always have to stretch my calves and achilles really well afterwards and my feet were very stiff and achy for a long time in the beginning. I run in Terra Plana’s vivo barefoot evo’s. I think what also really helped was wearing birkenstock sandals in between my running. I also got Birkenstock Footprints shoes for colder weather and dressier looks.
Soft Star Shoes, anyone?
I’ve been wearing Vibrams for a couple of years now and love them!
I train Tabata and Crossfit style programs (outdoors only) and the Vibrams provide that ‘just enough’ protection from any nasties hiding in the grass and sand, to that fantastic ‘foot to earth’ connection and balance that, i think, is so important when doing plyometric and compound exercises.
Foot, ankle, heel, achilles, lower and upper leg and even core all benefit with such grounding engagement – that results in improved balance, strength and agility for everyday movement.
As far as running in concerned, i tend to do sprint sessions (mostly up hills) only and the Vibrams prove again to be the perfect partner – the foot strike is the upper mid part of the foot and causes no stressful impact at all.
I Love my FiveFingers . Told by podiatrist 2yrs ago the only help for my difficult healing broken ankle was to use advil and orthotics and stop wearing my Birks, I knew there was a better way than to be drugged and patronized/disrespected as simply a “complaining old woman”. Read Born to Run, and bought the Virbrams, and used them, walking and jogging eventually, and problem solved. My ankle regained its strength and flexibility. I am 65, and these shoes help me feel youthful, strong, balanced and I will never go back to regular shoes.
All of you who run barefoot—-Have you ever thought about all the chemtrail spray that falls down and the absorption of it into the soles of your feet? I know some families that do not let their children walk barefoot because of this? Just asking!
There is a video titled, “What in the world are they spraying?” This is on youtube in case anyone is interested.
I always ran barefoot when I was younger, but now wear running shoes.
Katherine, this is a good point, however… we can become a fanatic and allow our mind to cause us to become a hermit. I have known some that have literally researched themselves to death. I believe there’s truth to… what we think about, we bring about. This fear of environmental toxins gives us even more reason to detox our body regularly, like we change the oil in our vehicle. And, making the wonderful fermented foods and drinks that Sarah teaches. My 6 y/o godchild walks barefoot with me after dinner – she does not stop asking until we go. The simple pleasures like when we were children… this is truly what they love. If only we could take them for a ride in the back of a truck 😉
Does anybody know of a brand of minimal shoe that is NOT treated with antimicrobial stuff? I don’t like the idea of those toxins entering the body from the feet, one of the best absorption sites. I have a pair of Merrell shoes that I love, but I do worry about the chemicals.