Most days I have to make rounds several times to move horses or feed them or check up on the boundaries especially during burn times, etc. To save time I run a lot. Once we get our seasonal help I can go back to a regular training regimen.
Lately on these jogs I have been experimenting with some old moccasins and find I have a superior sprint when I have more contact with the ground. We have a 1/4-mile riding track that will soon be suitable for running/jogging.
Full disclosure: I have a Nike foot and Nike is apparently the only major manufacturer of “free” shoes. With free shoes you wear no socks and the things are light and free almost as if you were barefoot. There are three levels of support, from 3.0 (the closest to barefoot), 5.0 (medium – probably good for me) and 7.0 (the most support).
Has anybody tried this approach? I’ve been lifting and training barefoot and running in my old hunting mocs, so I won’t worry about injury. Are there any other alternatives to Nike shoes?
I have a couple of pairs of the Nike Free 5.0’s, and I love them. I don’t like to wear them when running on gravel, because they tend to pick up pebbles - and you really notice them. Sidewalks and park runs are fine. Personally, I like to wear socks, but that’s just me.
Where they really shine is when I travel. They pack flat, like sandals, so I can stick them in my carryon for short trips.
Have you made any advancements with your calves and shins? I have found (blew out my old mocs and now I’m using my Doc Marten retro laceups barefoot) my agility has increased as I get closer to the ground, and no “shin splints.”
I don’t really use mine for heavy working out (my workout shoes are very specific), but I picked up a pair on clearance 2 years ago and loved them for everyday shoes until they got paint all over them. Very comfortable and surprisingly good for feet and legs. They do get pretty smelly though without wearing socks.
I have the Free 7.0 running model and I love them. I walk better in them, stand more comfortably, avoid all foot and lower back pain, and they’re the only shoes I’ve got (and I’ve been trying 5 different pairs this year) I can run in without aggravating an old knee injury.
Another thumbs up. I have a pair of the 5.0’s. They allow your feet to get a little cold in the winter, but they are great shoes. I also noted the pebble thing, but it wasn’t too much of an issue. Despite what they say, I would recommend wearing socks though.
I have a pair of the 5.0, but I’ll probably get the 3.0 for my next set. They don’t really feel barefoot, but they’re pretty nice. Even though the sole is very flexy, it is pretty thick, especially at the heel. If you’re used to true barefoot running or walking, they’re more like a comfortable shoe than a substitute for bare feet. I was informed that when buying Nike Free shoes, you should get about a half size larger than your standard shoe size since your foot spreads out more.
The benefits of barefoot running are pretty well known in coaching circles. And yeah, it’s not your imagination, you are using a lot of small muscles in your feet and lower legs that you don’t use when you wear regular shoes. It’s thought that both reduced stress on your joints and connections and the strengthening of supporting muscles are the reason for reduced injuries.
Shoes are one of those areas where technology and cultural practices can hurt you. Wearing shoes, you get protection against trichinosis and debris, but in return you get athlete’s foot, collapsed arches, pronation or supination problems, shin splints, and in some cases backaches. For most of the last year I’ve been doing my workouts and runs barefoot when possible, and using my Nike Frees when I can’t be barefoot. I think if I had good moccasins I’d probably use those. Course, the problem there is that you’ll wear them out pretty fast.
The closest I’ve found to barefoot running are these: http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/products_classic.cfm
They may look a bit freakish, but they’re great for around the pool, surfing, boating, or just running. They may look like typical reef shoes made out of neoprene, but they’re not. They’re made of a thin canvas-like material, and the soles are thick enough to protect your feet from glass, sharp rocks, etc. And once you get used to them, they’re comfortable as hell. Plus, you can throw them in the washing maching to clean them.
I like the feeling of being barefooted, but actually being farefooted kinda grosses me out. These are my go-to shoes on the weekends.
Awesome! I just ordered a pair of the Sprints in red. I have high hopes for these shoes. Thanks for the tip. Damn I wish these things were on my feet right now. Wind’s picking up it’ll be ideal runnin time.
Not ruling out the Nike Free, next time I’m in a big city I’ll look for them. Our Sports Authority gets them once in a blue moon. . .
Let me know what you think of 'em. I have two pairs for the Classics, and I love 'em. Prepared to have a LOT of people ask you about them; they get some weird looks. Also, since you can’t wear socks with them, they can get a bit funky.
Just for a voice of dissent . . . I asked my podiatrist about barefoot running a couple months ago and he thought bringing it to the masses was idiotic. He said it works for a lot of Nigerians and other ultra-high level runners for specific biomechanical reasons, but most people are just begging for an injury by doing it. I still want to try it for myself eventually but I’ve been putting it off because of his advice. He had done a lot of research into it and felt pretty strongly against it.
<sarcasm>Yeah, because human feet have obviously been well adapted to our million-year history of using hard-soled rigid protective footwear.</sarcasm> :dubious:
I wouldn’t doubt that he’s seen some injuries from people who just jump right into it, since you’d see some problems with jumping right into any kind of fitness program, especially if you overdo it. But saying that going barefoot is only appropriate for high-level runners is like saying that walking upright is only appropriate for elite speed-walkers.
I hate running for the most part, could just never get into it at all, though I’ve done some long races. However, every once and awhile I try and go out and do a couple of easy miles. For the last few years I’ve run barefoot. I asked at one point a friend of mine who’s a podiatrist and he said he knew of no reason that running barefoot would be a problem. Except of course crap on the road.
Not a million, but each of us has 15-20 years of adaptation to shoes by the time our feet stop growing, and that’s probably plenty. I’m not a specialist or anything, so someone who knows more could smack this notion down any second, but my understanding is that modern people’s feet are extremely different from how they’d be if we all went barefoot. I don’t think those years of adaptation can be undone by going barefoot once you’re grown, either. So, I think it’s perfectly reasonable that many, if not most, people would have trouble adapting to barefoot running after growing up in shoes.
I can’t speak as an expert here either but I’ll give you my opinion: since I was a little kid I’ve spent as much time as possible barefoot. When it wasn’t possible to be bare I’d wear mocs to shield my soles from twigs and most thorns. As a consequence I think my arch is natural and my flesh is tough. In late 2005 I went to St Croix and was lucky enough to have a beach to myself for two whole weeks. A good beach makes for supreme barefoot running.
It’s like I somehow lost contact with the ground; I’ve been a religious runner since ROTC in 1989, always trying to lower my three-mile time. Lately it seemed all the passion was sliding out of even five easy miles in God’s Country. Then one evening there was an emergency and I had to get to the back-back in my street shoes, no socks. And that’s the genesis of this. (Well that and the ultimate goal of parkour, but that’s a whole different story.) Ever since then I’ve been itching to run almost every night of the week.
Anyway I do agree with Cisco, conditioning is very important.
Re: the Vibram toe finger shoe - they aren’t a great fit for everyone, particularly if your “index toe” (the one next to the big toe) is longer than your big toe. I prefer moccasins, and the Nike Free.
One problem with the Nike Free is that they’ve made the heel too thick. One of the benefits of barefoot running is that it promotes running more on the front of your foot. Landing square on your heel is painful - it sends a hard shock up through your ankle, knee, hip and back (which is why traditional running shoes use so much air/gel/springs, etc. to cushion the heel). When running on your forefoot, and avoiding a “heel strike”, you’re using the structure and muscles and tendons of your foot, ankle, calf, and knee as a natural shock absorber. In my opinion, because of its thick heel, the Nike free doesn’t do enough to deter a “heel strike” running posture.
Word of warning - as you start running barefoot, and naturally move away from the heel strike to a forefoot foot fall, you start using muscles in your feet, ankles and calf that may not have been used in a long time. Take it slow in the beginning!
I’m not sure I understand. When I run barefoot I keep mostly on the balls of my feet, only hitting my heels to absorb a leap or jolt. Is that what you mean? If so why do we traditionally have a heel strike anyway? Seems counterproductive.