Great article about running and footwear...

[Andrea]

I am a huge fan of barefoot running! I do all of my runs <10 miles either totally barefoot or wearing a vibram 5-fingers shoe, depending on the terrain (I like the 5-fingers shoe when there are a lot of little rocks or hidden roots/debris on the trail). This is really just because I'm still working my way up to longer barefoot runs- it takes some getting used to!
My left foot used to be flat, and I used to get tendinitis in my right knee. I tried all sorts of motion control shoes and even went to a podiatrist that immediately suggested orthotics. I started doing my own research and decided to give barefooting a try. It makes your feet sore at first... in weird spots, but that went away after a while. Now I have no issues. At all.
I was also incredibly surprised the other day when I was walking around in damp socks on a wood floor- the light caught my footprint just right, and I noticed that my left print was no longer flat! I immediately reached down to feel and, sure enough, I've got an arch now!

When I do wear shoes, I wear Vasque Velocity trail shoes- they don't have much cushion, but they do have a very rugged sole, which I feel that I need to get good traction in some of the places I run.

[Biciclista]

There are several truths quoted in that article. Humans have been running for millions of years. But since we now have shoe feet, we have weakened the muscles in our feet so that we have these problems. Then doctors give us orthotics that shift the balance and eventually we will need more orthotics.
The best shoe is no shoe.
Barefoot people don't get plantar fasciitis. When I shop for shoes, i look for shoes that are as flexible as possible. if i can't easily bend the shoe in half, i put it back down.
Those big fat platforms are real cute, but they're as good for walking as a couple pounds of cement tied to your ankle.

my husband has plantar fasciitis, and wears orthotics now, and we're sure it's because of a summer where he walked a lot in shoes with a 3/4" rigid sole. As a result both of my sons have been eschewing their shoes to a large degree. They both have beautiful muscular feet as a result.

also, there are PT's who can help you work with your weak feet and strengthen the muscles in them.

there's also a program called egoscue.com which has great exercises for all sorts of foot problems.


quote from article: "Your foot's centrepiece is the arch, the greatest weight-bearing design ever created. The beauty of any arch is the way it gets stronger under stress; the harder you push down, the tighter its parts mesh. Push up from underneath and you weaken the whole structure."

this is why big arch supports make my (high) arches hurt like the dickens. That's why I no longer wear Keens.

[SadieKate]

The best shoe is no shoe.

Not according to my sports pedorthist. If you could walk on soft ground or sand, yes, but our lives are spent on flat rigid concrete, wood or tile floors, forcing our feet to conform to the floor.

So you shop for shoes that are as flexible as possible? That is so the shoe provides the pseudo-soft ground.

Your statements are sort of mutually exclusive given the environment in which most of us live.

http://www.footform.com/philosophy.htm

[salsabike]

There are several truths quoted in that article. Humans have been running for millions of years. But since we now have shoe feet, we have weakened the muscles in our feet so that we have these problems. Then doctors give us orthotics that shift the balance and eventually we will need more orthotics.
The best shoe is no shoe.
Barefoot people don't get plantar fasciitis. When I shop for shoes, i look for shoes that are as flexible as possible. if i can't easily bend the shoe in half, i put it back down.
Those big fat platforms are real cute, but they're as good for walking as a couple pounds of cement tied to your ankle.

my husband has plantar fasciitis, and wears orthotics now, and we're sure it's because of a summer where he walked a lot in shoes with a 3/4" rigid sole. As a result both of my sons have been eschewing their shoes to a large degree. They both have beautiful muscular feet as a result.

also, there are PT's who can help you work with your weak feet and strengthen the muscles in them.

there's also a program called egoscue.com which has great exercises for all sorts of foot problems.


quote from article: "Your foot's centrepiece is the arch, the greatest weight-bearing design ever created. The beauty of any arch is the way it gets stronger under stress; the harder you push down, the tighter its parts mesh. Push up from underneath and you weaken the whole structure."

this is why big arch supports make my (high) arches hurt like the dickens. That's why I no longer wear Keens.

Mimi, these may be "truths" for you. They do not work for everyone.

[SadieKate]

Interestingly, that article doesn't even discuss whether there was any evaluation of people buying the right shoe for their foot and stride.

I've worn prescription orthotics since 1976. I was in terrific pain until I had them. I was also wearing the 70's version of tennis shoes: minimal sole, no padding, little arch support. I also have a incredibly high arch and instep, and I'm in pain skiing, running, whatever, without very rigid orthotics that support my arch and help control skeletal alignment.

And hubby tore the plantar fascia in both feet pre-orthotic days. He also had to run on concrete, and being a big boy, his joints started to scream as his shoes broke down.

I think you can find opinions on both sides of the aisle, and that article needs to be just part of the conversation, not the gospel.

[Jolt]

I think you can find opinions on both sides of the aisle, and that article needs to be just part of the conversation, not the gospel.

This is true. I suppose you know by now which school of thought I fall into, but at the same time everyone is different and your point about the hard, flat surfaces on which we spend a lot of time is well taken (besides the fact that we have spent most of our lives wearing shoes and therefore gotten used to walking differently in them than we would if barefoot or in thin, flexible footwear). Certainly going "cold turkey" from big clunky shoes to bare feet is not the best plan; the body needs time to adapt.

[Biciclista]

I agree with you Jolt, for people whose feet have been stuck in shoes for 40+ years, it's a long hard road to get back to where they might have been if they had never worn shoes in the first place. And for some of us, it might be impossible.
But there's a lot of young people on here who might still be able to learn from the last 3 generations of people whose feet have been ruined by shoes and shoe styles.

[SadieKate]

This is true. I suppose you know by now which school of thought I fall into, but at the same time everyone is different and your point about the hard, flat surfaces on which we spend a lot of time is well taken (besides the fact that we have spent most of our lives wearing shoes and therefore gotten used to walking differently in them than we would if barefoot or in thin, flexible footwear). Certainly going "cold turkey" from big clunky shoes to bare feet is not the best plan; the body needs time to adapt.

Well, actually, no, because you hadn't really posted any comments about the article.

I've never worn "big clunky shoes" but I live in a house with hardwood floors and my previous house had a huge tile-floored kitchen. I work at home so I spend a lot of time on these floors, and my feet have adapted as much as they ever will. I can tell you that barefoot is not the way to go for long periods. I think that article is making the assumption, that everyone's feet fit into some kind of normal range, but doesn't define what that range is.

Not to mention, where in the world would I go barefoot running? Lava and pine cone thorns are not my idea of good pedicure materials.

[Jolt]

Not to mention, where in the world would I go barefoot running? Lava and pine cone thorns are not my idea of good pedicure materials.

I agree with you on that, LOL! That's where the "minimal" shoes come in...I go with those (Vibram FiveFingers) rather than barefoot for the vast majority of my running b/c there is not infrequently broken glass in the park (hidden in the grass sometimes) and when I run trails I think it's a good idea to have some protection as well. Sort of the best of both worlds IMHO--they don't interfere with the natural function of the foot, but there isn't the worry about getting cuts from junk on the ground.

[kacie tri-ing]

I am a huge fan of barefoot running! I do all of my runs <10 miles either totally barefoot or wearing a vibram 5-fingers shoe, depending on the terrain (I like the 5-fingers shoe when there are a lot of little rocks or hidden roots/debris on the trail). This is really just because I'm still working my way up to longer barefoot runs- it takes some getting used to!
My left foot used to be flat, and I used to get tendinitis in my right knee. I tried all sorts of motion control shoes and even went to a podiatrist that immediately suggested orthotics. I started doing my own research and decided to give barefooting a try. It makes your feet sore at first... in weird spots, but that went away after a while. Now I have no issues. At all.
I was also incredibly surprised the other day when I was walking around in damp socks on a wood floor- the light caught my footprint just right, and I noticed that my left print was no longer flat! I immediately reached down to feel and, sure enough, I've got an arch now!

When I do wear shoes, I wear Vasque Velocity trail shoes- they don't have much cushion, but they do have a very rugged sole, which I feel that I need to get good traction in some of the places I run.

Did you run your 50K barefoot?

[Andrea]

Nope, I ran in my Vasques. I still find my feet getting sore after about 7-8 miles when I'm barefoot or in the 5-fingers, so I'm slowly working my way up in distance.