Now that may be true, because the soles of all those training shoes have left some dog crap and pollutants on the belt that I really wouldn’t want on my bare feet.
The belt on a treadmill runs to the back roller - if you slip and fall, you get thrown off the back and can’t get dragged into anything, shoes or no shoes. The part of most likely to bleed is your face when you bang it on the console on the way down, or your knees/palms when you scuff them. And if you use the safety cord, the machine will be stopping by that point.
There is an argument that the whole arch support/padded heel/gel sole shoe industry is actually bad for you when it comes to running.
I suggest Chris McDougall’s book Born to Run. Its an entertaining read about the Tarahumara runners of Mexico that also touches on the benefits of (close to) barefoot running.
On second thought, it’s probably in part a rationalization based on how clumsy I am. I’ve almost fallen off a treadmill or elliptical several times (gotten into a trance watching tv, gotten tired and stubbed my toe, etc) and I’m young, healthy, and toned, so I figure the uncoordinated guy is in a worse position than me. But no, the ick factor for me only exist on communal yoga mats and the like, where it’s rational, what with MRSA and such.
Question to those who use the Vibrams and similar things for lifting - are you ever scared? I’m hyper alert when lifting, but I’d be petrified someone (and there are* lots *of inexperienced gym goers where I workout) would drop a weight on my foot.
Original: Biomechanics: Barefoot running strikes back William L. Jungers Nature 463, 433-434 (28 January 2010) | doi:10.1038/463433a; Published online 27 January 2010 (subscription required)
Sharp, pointy things that jab the bottom of your foot
Joint and muscle pain from absorbing the running impact
These weird shoes help a little with #1, but they help greatly with #2. Yes, it is counterintuitive. You’d think a big padded shoe would be best. But what happens is that your body loses an essential feedback mechanism. In padded shoes you run with a long stride and solid heel strike. This transmits a lot of force up through your body which can create joint and muscle pains.
You won’t have the same stride if you run barefoot. You can’t do the heel strike–it’s too painful. Instead, your stride naturally changes as your body uses the feedback of how your foot is landing. Your legs become shock absorbers to lessen the pain that your foot feels as it slaps the ground. If you run incorrectly you’ll feel the pain immediately on the sole of your foot. You body changes your stride to lessen that pain, and in doing so slows the force as it moves through your body. You don’t have that slam-slam-slam feeling when running. Instead it becomes more of a swish-swish-swish.
One thing I’m not sure of is if barefoot running is faster than shoe running. I have a feeling that shoe running is faster since you can have a long, bounding stride. But barefoot running will likely keep you running longer both in time and age since you won’t be dealing with as many injuries.
It’s not a worry for me because I don’t think I’ve ever seen people drop weights (except deliberately at the end of a tiring set, but I’m nowhere near them anyway). I don’t think that regular running shoes provide any more protection than my Vibrams - unless I’m wearing steel capped boots, my feet are going to get hurt by a dropped weight.
I have plantar fasciitis, which means that I have to have arch support or my heel really starts hurting. So I know that I can’t walk barefoot on soft carpet without having a problem. But now I’m wondering if this shoe could work for me.
I went to the nearest REI to see what they look like. They don’t carry them, but they did have one on hand that someone returned. I like the look of it. And it did have some arch support. The bottom is curved with a bit of slightly stiff plastic-like material, but it gives pretty easily. I’m thinking of calling or e-mailing the company to ask if they recommend these shoes to people with plantar fasciitis. I really like the idea of the toes spread out like that and of having such freedom of movement. I’m mostly thinking of walking in them, so I don’t know if that makes a difference.
They may just be the thing you need. The “Born to Run” book and some barefoot sites will talk about arches. The problem with arch support is that it allows your weak arch musles to get even weaker. What you really need to do is work out your arches. Make your arches as strong as possible. Barefoot walking/running will do that.
Read up a bit and give it a try. I would recommend Born To Run even if you’re not a runner. It’s a great story which just happens to be about running.
Nah, they’ll never get as popular as crocs. They’re specialized shoes that are worn primarily by people who run or do other athletic sports and so they’re marketing towards a niche audience. Unless barefoot running gets super popular, it’ll probably experience a small boom with the percentage of the population that has any athletic inclinations only.
That said, I’ve been looking at the vibrams for a while now and this thread is pushing me towards buying one. I hurt my left arch on my foot about a month and a half ago while running and during the healing process I’ve been considering getting some new shoes that would minimize future injuries. I’ve always loved barefoot running, especially on grass, so this was a timely thread.
Actually, I have a pair of running shoes which tend to give me patches of rubbed-off skin (I guess they might be blisters, but I’ve never seen them in blister form, only as layers of seperated skin). Probably it’s a case of poorly-fitted running shoes, but what can I say? I got a great deal on them.
Also curious on how much of a speed difference there might be between padded and unpadded running shoes. I’m in the Air Force and so I have to take an annual PT test which includes a mile and a half timed run as part of the test. I tend to use the run to make up for a lack of upper-body strength, but if it’s gonna ultimately make my legs fall off to run in padded shoes, I might not be able to use my running as a crutch (heh) forever.
Any idea how they do in snow? I was thinking of getting some a while ago but I’d want to use them in winter and summer and the only ones that look like they’d hold up to snow are the flow ones which don’t come in a size small enough for me.
I don’t actually do any running or sports I just think they look comfy.
Well, they are definitely NOT waterproof - they let in water pretty freely, even the Flows. The Flows are warmer because they’re made of thicker material, but that’s it.
Generally, if it’s snowing, I don’t wear them unless I intend to run in them (keeping your feet moving and the muscles active warms you up enough to be able to ignore the snow and slush). If I’m just walking to the office I’ll switch to similarly barefoot-style but enclosed shoes (like the ones from Terra Plana http://www.terraplana.com/vivobarefoot_info.php).
Dumb question-couldn’t they make these where they looked like feet on the bottom, but had a thin layer of cloth on top to make them look like a somewhat normal shoe? Or is complete, unencumbered goofy-looking toe separation essential for them to work?
I guess a thin layer of cloth would make them look more normal, but I’m not sure how durable that would be. These shoes are kind of a “love 'em or hate 'em” kinda thing. I don’t mind how they look, because they’re so comfortable. But then again, I don’t have a problem with Crocs, and I absolutely LOVE my Gurkee rope sandals. In the summer, sandals and Virbrams are all I wear.
