barefooting

I just bought a pair of Vibram Five Fingers. I've been running for almost ten years and I am looking forward to replacing my running shoes with them. As far as going barefoot I don't know why I stopped. I use to run around barefoot everyday when I was a kid and it just slowly stopped. I still hate wearing socks and I only wear sandals unless I'm at work or working out. Nothing beats bare feet.

-Adam

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Originally Posted by joke1176

I am currently training for a 1/2 marathon 'barefoot' aka Vibram 5 fingers or Terra Plana Evo's.

Not technically barefoot, but a minimalist shoe with no padding or support...just a 3mm layer of puncture resistant rubber to keep broken glass and whatnot away from the skin.


There is a fair amount of research that indicates "normal" shoes are bad for your feet and intrinsic foot musculature. It sure makes running easier on your knees, back etc IMO.

Regardless, it takes some getting used to.

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I've been toying with this idea a bit too. To me it is very intersting just how much foot pain I can endure during a run, only to remove my shoes and jog a bit at the end. The second I take my shoe off I get relief from the foot pain. I'm in that stage where I am doing short runs without shoes simply to build up strength in my foot.

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Originally Posted by AFDavis11

I've been toying with this idea a bit too. To me it is very intersting just how much foot pain I can endure during a run, only to remove my shoes and jog a bit at the end. The second I take my shoe off I get relief from the foot pain. I'm in that stage where I am doing short runs without shoes simply to build up strength in my foot.

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Heck, I never used to run more than a few miles at a time, and not more than 2 times per week due to continuous knee pain, shin splints, back pain... and I'm not exactly old and out of shape either. I just assumed I wasn't "built" for running.

Turns out I was buying all the commercial propaganda and was looking for footwear that would FORCE me to have good running mechanics. A dumb idea in retrospect.

Once the thick, cushioney shoes came off I HAD to run correctly or it would hurt. I am still experimenting on myself, but the only probs I can see will be possible overuse injuries in my ankle plantarflexors/inverters... but 3 months in and no issues yet.:)

i love not wearing shoes, but here in iraq its not really an option so i got some vibram 5 fingers a while ago and love them, now i wear them everywhere here, not really allowed to but hey they are way more comfy than my boots.

-dan-

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Originally Posted by Utopian

Even when I was a kid, I never understood the concept of "no shirt, no shoes, no service." What is non-hygienic about bare feet? If you step in something with or without a shoe, you're still going to track it around.

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Probably less of a hygiene issue and more of a social issue. I'm guessing it's more intended to keep out degenerates and riff raff than worrying about mud on the floor.

Dang. You people are nuts! ";"

The only time my boots come off is when I'm in bed or in the shower, or if I visit someone that doesn't allow shoes to be worn in their house.

Heck I never go barefoot. I think it should be a felony offense. I even wear socks with my sandals.

Society for Barefoot Living Home Page

plenty of good reading.

Barefoot Running

We all have to consider the fact that, in this day and age, stepping on a sharp stone is the LEAST of our worries while walking barefoot.
Back when walking barefoot was "normal" there were no hypodermic needles (potentially causing AIDS or a plethora of other disease), broken beer bottles, motor oil and other car fluids that get picked up in the rain and spread around. Hell, nowadays stepping in someones spit can net you a serious resperatory problem.

I say for safety, stick with shoes.
Personally, I wear socks around my house because my shoes track in stuff from outside that I simply don't want on my feet. I vaccuum weekly and shampoo the carpets every 2 months and I still know there is stuff from outside on my carpets, it's common sense (yes, I own a carpet shampoo'er lol).

To each his own, just watch your step :)

Always wear shoes but as little shoe as possible. Low Top Chucky T's, Birkenstocks, Sanuks for summer and when the cold comes and the Chucks are not enough Ugg's in the winter. And I wear them until I am really forced to put on a dress shoe. I push the limits with when the dress shoes should be worn.