Barefoot Running

[KnottedYet]

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

Chaco has finally done it right! After flailing around with Merrell (for the disasterous hiking boots and shoes in the early 2000's) and the appalling sneakers (mid 2000's) they've taken a cue from Birkenstock. Basing a heel-strap clog on their fabulous Z1/Z2 footbed (like Birkenstock did with the Tokyo) to make the "Toe-Coop" and a closed-heel clog (like Birkenstock did with the London) to make the "Ped-Shed." These won't be available until July 2010. $110 for the heel-strap clog (Toe-Coop) and $120 for the closed-heel clog (Ped-Shed).

And they will be resoleable like the Z1 and Z2!

Yay!

ETA: Serendipity - I run barefoot in the snow (truly barefoot, not with training flats like VFFs). It's good stuff. Give it a try over a short distance.

[Serendipity]

ETA: Serendipity - I run barefoot in the snow (truly barefoot, not with training flats like VFFs). It's good stuff. Give it a try over a short distance.

Wow, KnottedYet, I have never considered running barefoot in the snow.
You inspire me, but for next year
Actually we've lost all the snow we had over the past week or so and unless we get a major snowstorm (and that entirely possible), it looks like next winter....which will give me time to build up my courage!

[KnottedYet]

I never ran far (30 yards, tops!) but it felt so neat that I made a point of doing a little run in the snow on sunny days.

That was when I lived where it snowed...

I still run in the snow when I go to visit my mom, but that's not every week!

It's really a lot of fun! I thought my feet would get very cold, but for a short jaunt they stay pretty ok.

[OakLeaf]

Re-post from Chi Running:

Anybody practice chirunning or barefoot running in South Florida? Journalist looking to interview for a magazine article. Please contact Margit Bisztray at majo705@yahoo.com, thanks!

Got a pair of VFF Sprints yesterday. Honestly I'm not sure if they're going to work with my toes or not, but they were close enough I'm going to give them a try for a bit. Or, I may have a pair of size 41s for sale in the near future...

[Tri Girl]

I've been pretty much wearing ONLY my VFF's for about a month now. We did a mountain hike on Tuesday and I wore my trail running shoes with my custom orthotics (I thought I'd need the extra toe protection and support). My arches have hurt terribly for the last 2 days. Eek! I guess going from no support to full-on support was NOT a good idea.

I'm hiking for 4 days in the Grand Canyon this summer. I want to wear my VFF's, but I'm afraid they won't protect my feet as well as traditional shoes. I'm stumped at what to do. Maybe I should wear my trail shoes but without the orthotics... I've got lots of experimenting to do over the next 3 months.

[twin]

The trek is supposed be out for women in the near future.

[Tri Girl]

The trek is supposed be out for women in the near future.

bwaa haaa haaa (insert evil laugh here).... perfecto!

[Grog]

Got a pair of VFF Sprints yesterday. Honestly I'm not sure if they're going to work with my toes or not, but they were close enough I'm going to give them a try for a bit. Or, I may have a pair of size 41s for sale in the near future...

I might be interested in those. I tried size 40 in a shop in Kona but my toes were too long for the "fingers." I tried the men's 41 which fitted fine in the toe area, but were of course way too floppy otherwise.

Let me know how it turns out!

[KnottedYet]

Knee osteoarthritis and shoe choice: http://www.podiatry-arena.com/podiat...ad.php?t=46569

This is a very cool study. I like it particularly because it supports what we've been hearing anecdotally from some patients. Less beefy shoes = happier knees.

I'm also quite interested in the fact that changing from a supportive shoe (Dansko clog or Brooks Addiction) to a training flat/flip-flop/barefoot relieved pressure at the damaged knee joint as much as wedging or bracing!

Cheap and simple solutions are my favorite solutions.

[KnottedYet]

Here's a nifty series of Q+A discussions about barefoot/shod running: http://www.sportsscientists.com/2010...d-shoes-q.html This is a link to the first of 5 installments.

I must admit that the number of popular media articles I read that refer to running in VFF's as "barefoot" is driving me nuts. VFF's are training flats with toes! They are SHOES. If you run in VFF's you are running in training flats, not running barefoot. But I guess compared to the shoes the younger generation grew up with, the return to training flats feels like barefoot? I don't know where it came from, but the VFF=barefoot thing is getting right up my nose.