Barefoot Running

[KnottedYet]

Colby - do you have a running coach or sports med PT who could look at your running form? It sounds like you might be over-striding, and maybe vaulting or whipping on the right foot during toe-off.

(shoes can let you over-stride and get away with it for quite a while)

[GLC1968]

Keep in mind that VFF's don't work for everyone. If your second toe is significantly longer than your big toe, it is apparently hard to get a good fit. And if your pinky toe is really short or low on the outside of your foot, you will again have difficulties. If your pinky toe is just tightly curled under, then the VFFs will help fix that, actually. The problem is that if your toes can't remain in the pockets, running in them would be incredibly painful. I don't know if walking in them would work and if that might help the problem, but it's a pretty expensive experiment, if you ask me. I have no idea how a bunioned (is that a word?) foot would do in VFF's.

Now, if you have basically flipper feet like I do, they'll fit perfectly the first time you slip them on! I also wear mine to work but I do not wear them for running. I'm sticking to true barefoot running and just working my way up very, very slowly. Since I have always had flat feet, problems with shin splints and ball of foot pain, it just blows my mind that even the small amount of barefoot running I've done over the past three months has helped so much. I am 100% foot/lower leg pain free right now! Unreal!

[nscrbug]

Keep in mind that VFF's don't work for everyone. If your second toe is significantly longer than your big toe, it is apparently hard to get a good fit. And if your pinky toe is really short or low on the outside of your foot, you will again have difficulties. If your pinky toe is just tightly curled under, then the VFFs will help fix that, actually. The problem is that if your toes can't remain in the pockets, running in them would be incredibly painful. I don't know if walking in them would work and if that might help the problem, but it's a pretty expensive experiment, if you ask me. I have no idea how a bunioned (is that a word?) foot would do in VFF's.

Now, if you have basically flipper feet like I do, they'll fit perfectly the first time you slip them on! I also wear mine to work but I do not wear them for running. I'm sticking to true barefoot running and just working my way up very, very slowly. Since I have always had flat feet, problems with shin splints and ball of foot pain, it just blows my mind that even the small amount of barefoot running I've done over the past three months has helped so much. I am 100% foot/lower leg pain free right now! Unreal!

THIS is interesting and has given me some hope in trying VFF's. My right pinky toe curls under, quite excessively. After any runs in my normal running shoes (Mizuno Wave Inspire & Adidas Supernova Sequence 2), that pinky toe is beet red and very tender to the touch. The two toes next to my pinky, also have a tendency to misbehave...by underlapping each other, which I'm sure causes some friction and rubbing. I was hoping that with the toe pockets on the VFF's, this might help "train" my toes to straighten out. Is this a plausible theory? I've already tried the Injini toe socks, but they are way too thin for me and induce the toe numbing way faster than a thicker, padded sock does.

[GLC1968]

I was hoping that with the toe pockets on the VFF's, this might help "train" my toes to straighten out. Is this a plausible theory?

I think it is, based on my experience and what I read here: about toes

My feet are already pretty close to the spread out toe condition which is why my VFF's slid right on the first time and why they feel totally natural to me. Of course, the little device they sell at that podiatrists office (mentioned in the link) might be a cheaper way of getting there, too.

[colby]

Colby - do you have a running coach or sports med PT who could look at your running form? It sounds like you might be over-striding, and maybe vaulting or whipping on the right foot during toe-off.

(shoes can let you over-stride and get away with it for quite a while)

I think my PT might do running form analysis (haven't seen them since I graduated from my hip injury, which of course may entirely be related - we might have fixed one system but not all of them). I did notice that the VFFs increase my cadence and shorten my stride. I try to practice mirroring the right to the left in feel (and the VFFs help that), but I think I need to rebuild some related muscle memory.

Good advice.

[Jolt]

Those of you who are switching to barefoot and/or VFFs: beware! You will find yourself not wanting to wear other kinds of shoes, even when you're not running. They begin to just not feel right. Given the number of situations where going barefoot or wearing VFFs is not considered acceptable, this is a bummer. Especially since just about any "acceptable-looking" shoe (for anything other than very casual situations) will have some degree of an elevated heel, stiff sole, not enough room for the toes to spread out naturally, or some combination of the above. Hopefully this will start to change soon with all the current interest in going barefoot/wearing minimal shoes.

[KnottedYet]

Jolt - have you noticed any cross-over between VFF and Birkenstocks? I have the perfect Birki feet - it's like those suckers were made for ME. (and, oh, do I feel special!) But I wasn't able to fit VFF at all because my great toe is so huge compared to the rest of my toes that to get a size that felt right left me with floppy flaccid toes everywhere else.

Mostly, I'm wondering if the neutral heel, straight last, and broad toe box of Birkis translate well to the neutral heel, straight last, and unlimited toe box of the VFF.

[colby]

I didn't have any trouble going to Keen sandals after wearing the VFFs for a couple weeks pretty much straight, but Keens are well known for their toebox and foot-friendly shape. ANY shoes that squash my toes feel absolutely wrong - even my bike shoes.

I feel like the VFFs are one of those toe aligner dealies that you see in the SkyMall catalog or in the back of magazines. My left pinky toe always feels funny the first time I put it back in the VFFs after wearing other shoes, like it's being put back where it belongs. I wear them for a while, my toes feel great and the shoes go on super easy, then I wear regular shoes, even just for a night, come back to the VFFs, and I have to argue with my toes to get in them.

[Jolt]

Jolt - have you noticed any cross-over between VFF and Birkenstocks? I have the perfect Birki feet - it's like those suckers were made for ME. (and, oh, do I feel special!) But I wasn't able to fit VFF at all because my great toe is so huge compared to the rest of my toes that to get a size that felt right left me with floppy flaccid toes everywhere else.

Mostly, I'm wondering if the neutral heel, straight last, and broad toe box of Birkis translate well to the neutral heel, straight last, and unlimited toe box of the VFF.

I haven't worn Birkenstocks but I would imagine you're right. They're one of the very few shoes shaped like a real foot, and are flat from toe to heel. The only potential problem with them is that they aren't flexible. Check out this link http://barefootted.com/2008/08/my-huaraches.html for sandals you can make yourself (for running or otherwise) that fit all the criteria for staying out of the way of the natural functioning of your feet.

[KnottedYet]

I run in Chaco sandals, and have recommended Chacos to a lot of patients (not necessarily for running, just in general). Birkis seem to only really fit a specific type of foot, so I don't direct patients to them unless they already know they've liked them in the past.

If I could wear VFF I'd buy a pair just so I could experience them and pass the info along to my foot people. I can rationalize a lot of shoe purchases that way...

Neutral heel and straight last AND wide toe box are rather hard to find, and I'd like to be able to add a few more shoes to my recommendation toolbox. (Even though I haven't worn them myself, I did suggest them to a patient with great foot posture barefoot, kinda iffy posture in regular shoes, and who prefers sports sandals and moccasins. They seemed like a reasonable match, and she was quite excited about how funky they look.)

[Red Rock]

With all of this talk on shoes....well I added some Chacos to my collection this week. My shoes are becoming like my bike collection. A big Thank you goes out to Knott on these. Its nice to know that they are recommened by the Podiatry Association. They have a great arch support and hold by big bunioned toe in place. One foot is worse than they other.

Now I am either in my Danskos or Chacos.

GLC1968-thank you for your eval on the VFF's and toe placement.

I think with the Chacos having the toe "strapped in" actually feels better.

Red Rock

[Selkie]

I capitulated and just ordered a pair of the KSOs from REI. My feet are "pre-bunion," according to a podiatrist I saw a few years ago. If I love these shoes, it's going to be very difficult not to wear them to work....