I’ve thinking of trying them. If people are willing to look that fucking stupid wearing them, it may be for unwise trendy reasons or it could be that there’s something to them. I’d like to find out which. I’m not limiting my search to the Vibram brand.
So, what benefits are they said to have? Any risks? What to look for when hunting for a good pair?
Couldn’t I accomplish the same function with a sock that has an abrasion-resistant sole?
Can’t speak to the ‘Eldritch’ part, but I’ve worn Vibrams and liked them.
Barefoot running has many advantages, which I don’t cite. Toe-shoes give you almost all the advantages, without the big disadvantage of exposing the soles of your feet to the road and everything on it. They can also be a bridge to get you used to barefoot running. Wearing these, you must run in a barefoot style, with a forefoot strike, or you will soon regret it. They are not suited for heel strike running, so no one does it for more than a few steps.
My first pair were ‘regular’ Vibrams. They were okay, but you could feel every acorn and stone through them. I got a pair of heavy duty ones, which I like better for road work.
There is a trendy aspect to them. You can get a lot of benefits of barefoot style in running shoes designed to work with forefoot or mid foot strike. I do most of my running in ASICS, now.
But, yeah, you should give them a try. If you don’t run with s forefoot strike currently, work up with them slowly. While barefoot style takes a lot of stress off the knees, hips, and back, it does load up the calves a lot.
I’ll leave off now, and let more experienced runners weigh in.
Large series on barefoot running.
Basically, it only works for the gifted few.
My running partner tried a number of minimalist footwear approaches, when she discovered that running in any sort of traditional running shoe led to knee pain for her. She ran barefoot, she ran in Vibram FiveFingers, she ran in huaraches, she even ran in socks with duct tape on the soles. Eventually, she found some less-extremely-minimalist shoes which worked for her (I can’t remember the brand name), and that’s what she’s used for a few years now.
As Blue Blistering Barnacle notes, minimalist running pretty much demands a forefoot strike; part of what minimalist fans argue is that many of the knee and leg problems which runners deal with come from running in shoes with well-cushioned heels, and doing too much heel-striking – which, they argue, transmits the shock of each strike directly up the leg, rather than letting the foot’s own suspension cushion the strike.
My partner tried at least two different varieties of FiveFingers – she liked the general concept of them, but as her feet and toes weren’t precisely shaped the way the toes in the FiveFingers were, they caused rubbing and chafing, and that’s why she eventually switched away from them.
What’s special about huaraches? They look like a sneaker had an affair with a sandal.
I’m getting into forefoot running. I much prefer it although I find it more demanding on my cardiovascular system. I’m not sure how I can run both on the forefoot and at a slow enough pace that I can sustain it.
The version she wore was essentially a strip of rubber for a sole, with a few straps to hold it in place on your foot. This is a picture of the sort of thing she wore (note: that is not my friend’s foot 
).
The idea behind them, as I understand it, is that they’re just about as minimalist as barefoot running, but they give the soles of your feet protection from pointy / sharp stuff on the road.
That is minimalist. I get only this kind of thing: Amazon.ca : huarache when I look up huaraches. Does it go by another name so I can look that up?
Thanks.
I just tried running a mile in short sport socks, compression socks and foot liners. It’s going to take me some time to learn the appreciate the subtle joys of running over a pebble and my calves will be sore for at least half a week. It’s surprisingly easy to run on the forefoot when the shoes aren’t in the way. I didn’t time myself but it felt like it required less effort while being faster and more flowing.
I wear Vibrams five-fingers (not sure which model exactly) as good weather casual walking shoes and for good weather errands. I find them extremely comfortable, and I often get questions on them from strangers. I like them for jogging (which I don’t do much any more), but watch out for stones – even a tiny stone can hurt like hell. Not great for bad weather – your feet will get soaked in the rain, and your feet will freeze in the snow.
The shoes do tend to stink, and I haven’t figured out what to do about that. My other shoes don’t stink (even the ones I wear to work every day), so I don’t think it’s a foot thing… something about these shoes trap foot odor.
You can throw them in the wash, every now and then. They are basically very fancy socks.
They make a version with a thicker sole, which I would recommend to most.
The ones that my partner wore weren’t a major (or even minor) brand; I think that she actually ordered them as a kit from someplace – and, yes, they were as minimalist as the picture I posted. (I googled on “huarache running sandal” to find that picture, FWIW.)
I have a pair of Five Fingers, and I am most decidedly not a runner or jogger. The late Other Shoe got them for me years ago because they help with bunions, which I was developing already at the time.
They do (temporarily, like anything else) realign my foot and toe bones, esp. that problem child big toe that’s causing the bunions. They do so more comfortably than any splint or toe spacer, and obvs you can walk in them, since crazy folk go jogging in them.
Damn, they do get stinky though. Yeah, yeah, machine washable. My feet do not get that funky otherwise.
But briefly, my bones get straighter & less achy than through any other means.
I started using them after NOT running for years, so I had very little stamina. Actually, I ran for a few weeks in running shoes. After I got the Vibrams, calves were real sore for a bit, again emphasizing that you should start slow with them, especially if you are in shape. I hate to think what a fit runner could do to their calves first day out.
I had some plantar pain in one foot after a few weeks, so I switched back to running shoes for a few weeks. I was in better shape now, so wow!, instead of calf pain I had thigh pain! I had an interesting period where I could alter my foot strike several times during a run, depending upon which part of my legs were more fatigued.
Fortunately, plantar pain resolved with a bit of rest, not to recur. You wouldn’t want to get plantar fasciitis.
Re: Purple’s comment, I’ve heard you can lose a shoe size (through strengthening and development of your arch) from this, but I’ve never seen this myself. Definitely a “freeing” experience for the foot. I’m not sure what to say if you have plantar fasciitis- proponents say it strengthens the foot arch, but most treatment for plantar fasciitis says maintain arch support.
Thinking more on it: How is that type of shoe different from a flip flo or slide sandals?
Unlike regular flip-flop style sandals, it’s strapped around your ankle, so it doesn’t “flip flop” with every stride, and isn’t likely to accidentally go flying off of your foot.
I’m not a runner so I can’t speak to them for running, but I bought a pair many years ago to take on a trip where I was going to climb a waterfall. They had one version that was designed for use in water. It was quite good, the flexible sole made it easy to feel how the bed of the river was under my feet, but without getting poked by rocks. I thought they’d be good for doing nature walks as well, for the same reason.
I don’t know how people with Morton’s toe could wear those. I’d have to cut a hole to let my second toe out of the shoe. Or get them oversized to allow for it.
I have a pair and love them. The first pair’s design happened to irritate the back of my heel, but I got a different pair that sat differently, and they’ve been quite useful.
Haven’t worn them in a couple years, I should dig them up.
I am dangerously clumsy - I roll my ankles relatively frequently, and this has always occurred when wearing normal shoes, versus being barefoot. I thought the Five Fingers would be a nice compromise there.
The good: Aside from toe-stubbing, I’ve never injure myself wearing them. They would be good to wear when wading or whitewater rafting or whatever - something where you need protection that can get wet. I feel like they give my feet pretty good grip on whatever terrain I’m on.
The bad: They don’t have any padding (which is part of the reason I don’t wear them much lately; I have an issue relate to a broken foot some years back). If you’re walking on rocky terrain, you will feel every pebble. They don’t offer protection against obstacles; someone I knew said a friend of hers broke a toe while running in the forest - and I’ve stubbed my toes on things while out and about. I think they may have aggravated my plantar fasciitis (or maybe not). It can be tough to get all your toes lined up right.
The ugly: Well, they ARE bizarre-looking. My daughter was horrified and hated being seen in public with me - she was mortified (arguably, that’s a feature, not a bug).
When I was habitually barefoot, I habitually watched the ground all the time. It’s not just that walking barefoot affects the way people see you: it affects the way you see people.
Lengthen your stride.
