Barefoot Running

[Andrea]

I'm happy to see some people willing to give barefooting a try!

Like I've said before... it's not going to be for everyone, not a cure-all to foot/joint/leg problems, and not everyone will fall in love with it. That's OK (which some barefoot-purist will deny), everyone's gotta figure out what works best for herself!

I love my VFF shoes. I wear them any time I'm running someplace with rocks or hidden sticks, etc. (which is about 80% of my runs)

[wavedancer]

I started running with the VFFs just a few days ago (see post on other thread) and continue to enthusiastically explore barefooting. Today I went for a walk and jog totally barefoot. We are staying at a resort in AZ right now for primarily a mountain biking vacation, but it has perfect terrain for getting my feet used to being shoeless again. I took a walk this evening on coarse gravel trails and some stream-side dirt trails. The coarse gravel was a little intense, but I thought about walking on coals and found the more I relaxed the easier it was. I also ran for about 15 minutes on a lovely grassy area. What heaven!

50 years ago my pediatrician told my mother that the best thing she could do for my flat feet was to let me go barefoot as much as possible and take dancing lessons. I remember being thrilled by doctor's orders to be barefoot, and the dancing lessons became a big part of my life. Wise down-to-earth doctor!

Running barefoot in the grass, I felt like that kid again!

[roadie gal]

I cringe at the thought of running barefoot around here. There are too many sticks and stones and other sharp objects on the roads and the trails. I would prefer a shoes with less heel than normal running shoes, but I want some protection for my feet.

As an aside, I was out walking on a trail with my dogs a while back and a guy came running up from behind me. As he passed me I noticed that he was barefoot except for cloth medical tape that he had on the bottom of his feet to protect them.

[Biciclista]

and here in Seattle, we have broken glass everywhere thanks to a lack of a glass recycling law.But you can be almost barefoot and enjoy the relative freedom.

[Crankin]

I would never run barefoot... the thought makes me cringe. But, to each her own! I tried running barefoot on the beach once and had shin splints for weeks.

[GLC1968]

I did my first barefoot adventure last night. First of all, I'm now trying to be barefoot as much as possible when I'm not at work. We do have stinging nettles in the grass around the farm, so I'm not sure how I'll work around that. We also have certain shoes that we only wear when we go into the goat pen which I can't exactly give up (at least, not yet!).

BUT, starting small, I decided to put out the trash and recycling without shoes last night. Our driveway is not very long, but it is all sharp gravel. It wasn't easy, but I kept telling myself to relax and to breathe easier, and I was able to step lighter and I survived. My feet were dirty, but no worse for the new wear!

I'm going to start with walking & working around the farm first. I'll progress up to running with time.

[HillSlugger]

I would never run barefoot... the thought makes me cringe. But, to each her own! I tried running barefoot on the beach once and had shin splints for weeks.

From my understanding, shin splints is the result of heel striking and having your foot then slap down onto the ground, stressing the muscles on the front of your shins. In barefoot running you should NEVER heel strike; I've read that it's enough to rattle your fillings if you do.

[Jolt]

From my understanding, shin splints is the result of heel striking and having your foot then slap down onto the ground, stressing the muscles on the front of your shins. In barefoot running you should NEVER heel strike; I've read that it's enough to rattle your fillings if you do.

Agreed. Just the thought of heel-striking in bare feet or VFFs hurts...

[MartianDestiny]

From my understanding, shin splints is the result of heel striking and having your foot then slap down onto the ground, stressing the muscles on the front of your shins. In barefoot running you should NEVER heel strike; I've read that it's enough to rattle your fillings if you do.

I realized I was doing this in shoes when I started running again last month (I am not a fan of running, but I want to try some tri's, so...). I was not happy that my shins, thighs, and knees were not happy after a mere 2 miles (I was up to 10 no problems last year).

The other thread was timely. I'm trying barefoot to correct this issue. First run was great, no leg soreness, but my feet weren't happy. I'll have to go a bit slower to get them to toughen up for me and wear shoes to get the mileage in in the meantime.

My roommate thinks I've lost my marbles.

I'm not sure I can get the VFFs to work for me since all but my big toe are moderately webbed Hoping I can find some locally I can try on and see.