Are there any barefoot/minimalist runners in PS?

[kalomeli]

I'm considering buying a pair of the so called barefoot shoes (maybe VFF's). Yesterday when I and FI went jogging and I realized I'm sick of shoes! They suck! Being barefoot is actually my preferred choice of footwear but not really an option when considering all the stuff (glass, sharp rocks, etc) lying around there.

I have loose joints and hope to improve that situation by strengthening my foot muscles. I'm also a sworn couch potato and last year I started exercising (go me! ) until in July I hurt my ankle badly and it took soooo long to get better... and right after New Year's broke a toe. So I'll have to start learning how to run pretty much from scratch so I thought that this might be a good time to go barefoot as I'll have a plenty of work ahead of me anyway.

Have anyone of you given a try to barefoot/minimalist running?

 

[Harpertoo]

Hi,
The closest I've come is wearing Nike Frees for shorter maintenance runs. I love the idea of strengthening my feet more, but frankly I develop knee pain when I go over about 7 miles w/o support. I've been running in some form pretty much my whole life and since I started running longer distances consistently my bio mechanical issues/weaknesses become more apparent.Trail running really helps with strengthening feet and ankles and spreading out impact....but I don't think I'll ever try barefoot trail running.
I think it seems incredible if it works for you!

Are you trail running or on roads/paved paths?

 

[kalomeli]

I had trouble sending message this morning... damn PS.

Yes, I do both trail running and paved surfaces because I get bored easily.

Lately I've been doing more trail running because after my ankle injury in July my doctor scared the cr*p out of me by telling that if my ankle doesn't recover I might face surgery. The whole shoe thing has been bothering me for a while now and I think I'll give barefoot shoes a try. I already land on the ball of my foot when running so transition to barefoot shoes shouldn't be as big of a change as it would be to most people.

I bought a pair of Vibram FiveFingers today! Can't wait trying them out!

 

[Dee*Jay]

I typed out a reply last night and apparently it didn't post...

Anyway, I used VFF for working out (no distance running any more thanks to my torn ACL and two knee surgeries) and I really liked them. BTW, my natural stride also lands me on the ball of my foot.

One word of advice: Break into using them SLOWLY. There should be some sort of guidelines with the shoes, but if not you can look it up online. I don't recall the specifics but there are prescribed distances to start with. This makes all the difference in the world. I know people who put them on and just went for their normal distance and sorely regretted it (not pun intended), but others who built up slowly really enjoyed the shoes.

Not sure which version of the shoes you got but there are some specifically for more outdoorsy type running. I think they have thicker components to take into account rocks and twigs and things like that.

I'll can't wait to hear your review once you start using them!

 

[kalomeli]

I bought a pair of these. http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/Five-Fingers-SeeYaLS-Womens.htm And I think I'm kind of in love already.

I was pretty lucky when going to our local sports store as they were selling the last ones of this color with major discount (159e->50e, which is about $70) because I'm still living on a student budget. Thanks for the tip in breaking these in... so the instructions in the box really are meant to be taken seriously!

The SeeYa Ls's are recommended for running and fitness, and I'm really excited trying these out in both purposes! Too bad it's already dark here. Well tomorrow then...

 

[momhappy]

Yes, start out slow. If you overdo it, you will feel it in your calves. I went too far (and too fast), too soon and ended up with an achilles tendon injury that required about 3 weeks of rest.