Barefoot Running

[GLC1968]

I finally saw a podiatrist for my foot pain on Friday. I saw one about 6 years ago for the same pain (back then it was in both feet - now it's just my right one) and he prescribed custom orthotics. When they never really resolved the pain, I bought a road bike and stopped running/impact all together.

Fast foward 5 years: Last November I started running again in the interest of getting into tri. I hoped that if I started SLOWLY, I could get up to distance without pain. It didn't happen. The pain started about a month ago. It hurts when running in shoes and when wearing certain shoes (usually narrow flats or most anything with a heel). I was astouned that running barefoot didn't hurt at all (I'm only up to about 0.5 miles barefoot).

Turns out that I have fibular sesamoiditis caused by my shoes. My prescription? Run barefoot! Woohoo!!! (starting slowly - which I already understand)

I also have to buy only certain types of shoes (my VFF's got a big thumbs up) and I have metatarsal pads in most of them now. I also have these things called 'Correct Toes' to wear when I don't have my VFF's on. All of this should allow my toes to realign back to where they SHOULD be and the extraneous pressure on that sesmoid bone should go away (overly simplified, of course).

I really *heart* my new podiatrist for not just sticking me in some orthotics!

I've been following his advice all weekend and my legs were aching yesterday. They are so NOT used to having no heel elevation. Wow, what a difference! I can't wait until my body gets used to this....

[colby]

I finally saw a podiatrist for my foot pain on Friday. I saw one about 6 years ago for the same pain (back then it was in both feet - now it's just my right one) and he prescribed custom orthotics. When they never really resolved the pain, I bought a road bike and stopped running/impact all together.

Fast foward 5 years: Last November I started running again in the interest of getting into tri. I hoped that if I started SLOWLY, I could get up to distance without pain. It didn't happen. The pain started about a month ago. It hurts when running in shoes and when wearing certain shoes (usually narrow flats or most anything with a heel). I was astouned that running barefoot didn't hurt at all (I'm only up to about 0.5 miles barefoot).

Turns out that I have fibular sesamoditis caused by my shoes. My prescription? Run barefoot! Woohoo!!! (starting slowing - which I already understand)

I also have to buy only certain types of shoes (my VFF's got a big thumbs up) and I have metatarsal pads in most of them now. I also have these things called 'Correct Toes' to wear when I don't have my VFF's on. All of this should allow my toes to realign back to where they SHOULD be and the extraneous pressure on that sesmoid bone should go away (overly simplified, of course).

I really *heart* my new podiatrist for not just sticking me in some orthotics!

I've been following his advice all weekend and my legs were aching yesterday. They are so NOT used to having no heel elevation. Wow, what a difference! I can't wait until my body gets used to this....

Interesting. I have described to some people the effect of wearing VFFs as like the toe separator dealies. I have before/after pics of my toes (more or less, it's a crappy before pic but still visible) that show how far they have separated/straightened just from wearing FiveFingers.

In other news, I was told there were four "barefoot" finishers at the Ironman yesterday (including myself) - one of which was fully barefoot, the other three "barefoot".

[GLC1968]

In other news, I was told there were four "barefoot" finishers at the Ironman yesterday (including myself) - one of which was fully barefoot, the other three "barefoot".

So awesome! I had one guy pass me on my last tri wearing VFF's. I heard him coming (we were on a paved path at that point) and I wondered what the 'flap, flap flap' sound was...until he passed and I smiled to myself.

I don't think I'll ever be a VFF runner. I wear mine as walking around shoes. They are too loose in the heel to run in (I think). They are too tight in the toes to wear socks, too. I plan to be either a true barefoot runner or perhaps run in hurraches if I can't go barefoot.

Tonight is my first run in my Terra Plana 'Aqua' shoes. These are my 'transition' shoes for going from structured running shoe to barefoot (under doctors orders). I can't wait to see how it goes!

[nscrbug]

I finally saw a podiatrist for my foot pain on Friday. I saw one about 6 years ago for the same pain (back then it was in both feet - now it's just my right one) and he prescribed custom orthotics. When they never really resolved the pain, I bought a road bike and stopped running/impact all together.

Fast foward 5 years: Last November I started running again in the interest of getting into tri. I hoped that if I started SLOWLY, I could get up to distance without pain. It didn't happen. The pain started about a month ago. It hurts when running in shoes and when wearing certain shoes (usually narrow flats or most anything with a heel). I was astouned that running barefoot didn't hurt at all (I'm only up to about 0.5 miles barefoot).

Turns out that I have fibular sesamoiditis caused by my shoes. My prescription? Run barefoot! Woohoo!!! (starting slowly - which I already understand)

I also have to buy only certain types of shoes (my VFF's got a big thumbs up) and I have metatarsal pads in most of them now. I also have these things called 'Correct Toes' to wear when I don't have my VFF's on. All of this should allow my toes to realign back to where they SHOULD be and the extraneous pressure on that sesmoid bone should go away (overly simplified, of course).

I really *heart* my new podiatrist for not just sticking me in some orthotics!

I've been following his advice all weekend and my legs were aching yesterday. They are so NOT used to having no heel elevation. Wow, what a difference! I can't wait until my body gets used to this....

Thank you for posting this! I just read up on Correct Toes, and will be ordering a set ASAP. I have a severe toe over/underlap issue and I think Correct Toes may just be exactly what I need to help my situation. I've had to scale back my running because no matter what running shoe I try, I get toe pain/numbing in my 4th toe on my right foot. This toe curves underneath and lies below my 3rd toe...which I think is causing a lot of friction, rubbing and general irritation. I was thrilled to find out that Correct Toes can be worn in shoes and while running! I've tried other toe-spacers in the past, and all of them eventually fall out of place after a short while. I can't wait to try out these Correct Toes! I'd be interested to hear how they work for you, too GLC. Please keep us posted on this.

Linda

[katluvr]

So I have been wearing my VFFs around the house to get used to them. It is the "toe spread" that I feel the most. I really don't have toes to close or crossing over, but we shall see.
Next step is to go for a REAL walk in them before I try "running" a short spell.

K

[GLC1968]

I did my first run in my Vivo Barefoot shoes last night. I kept it at 3 miles just in case my muscles needed adaptation time.

Basically, I wore thin smartwool socks and my new Aquas. It took a little getting used to but once I got my stride dialed in a bit, it was enjoyable. My calves and feet were defiintely getting more tired than usual as the run went on. I could tell where in my run I normally start to 'plod' because with these shoes on, I couldn't! I really had to focus on form the WHOLE run which was kind of neat and definitely a learning experience. The most surprizing thing is that hills are easier than they were with traditional running shoes on.

My feet are fine today, but my calves are starting to tighten up a bit as the day wears on. Nothing too bad though. I'm looking forward to run #2. I *should* be doing a longer run next, but I think I'll stick to shorter lengths until I fully adapt to the new shoes.

I did not wear my Correct Toes for the run because I wasn't sure if I was supposed to. Turns out, I am, so I'm going to pick up a pair of Injinji socks tonight so that I can wear the correct toes for my next run. I don't want to wear them on 'naked' feet just yet as the right one has a tendency to slip forward and I think running with that happening might cause blisters. We'll see.

My foot hurt a little during the run but I kept reminding myself to relax everything below the knee and it helped a little. What surprizes me is that my foot doesn't hurt at all today...so I think that's a good sign.

[katluvr]

Ok, so I FINALLY actually ran (ok, jogged is more the speed) in my VFFs. So I was supposed to do a 25 min run, so I headed to the waterfront, there is a wideside walk but also grass that usually has a bit of a worn path from those that run off the concrete. So I started out bit fast and also w/ a shock...hitting the pavement/concrete sidwalk was hard. Then I moved to the grass, not so bad but since I never run on grass I had to deal with all uneven it was. So my pace slowed nicely (almost too slow). I ran mostly on the grass, but last 5 minute on the sidewalk. I liked the sidewalk since it was even, but liked the grass for the cushion. Overall not bad. I could feel my hips more and my left ITB has been giving me fits anyway. I also suspect I'll feel it in my feet, not so much the bottom but the toe spread and push off effect. I do still heel strike, but I think I was mostly a "flat foot" strike. I had a bit of rubbing at heel and side arch of one foot, but I think I did not have the straps tight enough. Can't say I "loved it", but I will give it another go.

So, how does one clean these? As getting the smallest size puts me in the light lavendar ones they are a bit dirty.

K

[indigoiis]

You just throw them in the washer. Make sure you hang to dry.

[GLC1968]

I still haven't tried running in my VFF's yet, but I do have a new barefoot running goal.

Two days ago I did a mini-tri at a local lake. The run was a trail run over hard packed dirt trails and a few sections of asphalt (~2 miles). I found it very difficult to do effectively in my new running shoes. I think this is because I bought my shoes a size bigger than normal to get more toe space. It makes them feel a little like clown shoes on terrain where I need to be nimble. Not good! I had to slow WAY down to keep upright. There is another mini-tri at the same lake (same course) in two weeks. I want to run it barefoot. I'm not sure I'll be ready!

My calves and feet are conditioned since I run in my barefoot shoes up to 4 miles now, so that'll be fine. The soles of my feet are not. My longest truly barefoot run is now 1 mile and that was on rough pavement and cement. I've never run barefoot on a trail before. Since this lake/park is near my house, I'm going to give it a try a few times prior to the next tri, but I will also need to work up to longer distances on my regular routes too. I've heard that the soles of your feet will toughen quickly, so I'm hopeful.

Any thoughts? Has anyone else had to toughen up the soles and how long did it take?

[colby]

I still haven't tried running in my VFF's yet, but I do have a new barefoot running goal.

Two days ago I did a mini-tri at a local lake. The run was a trail run over hard packed dirt trails and a few sections of asphalt (~2 miles). I found it very difficult to do effectively in my new running shoes. I think this is because I bought my shoes a size bigger than normal to get more toe space. It makes them feel a little like clown shoes on terrain where I need to be nimble. Not good! I had to slow WAY down to keep upright. There is another mini-tri at the same lake (same course) in two weeks. I want to run it barefoot. I'm not sure I'll be ready!

My calves and feet are conditioned since I run in my barefoot shoes up to 4 miles now, so that'll be fine. The soles of my feet are not. My longest truly barefoot run is now 1 mile and that was on rough pavement and cement. I've never run barefoot on a trail before. Since this lake/park is near my house, I'm going to give it a try a few times prior to the next tri, but I will also need to work up to longer distances on my regular routes too. I've heard that the soles of your feet will toughen quickly, so I'm hopeful.

Any thoughts? Has anyone else had to toughen up the soles and how long did it take?

You might run (jog, walk) this route in your VFFs to learn about how your feet need to adapt to the route. Where are there roots, rocks, or other things that you need to pay attention to, and how does it feel on your feet.

Next, I'd say the soles of your feet will be decent on the dirt/trail (depending on roots/rocks/etc but you might have trouble with that even in VFFs), but the asphalt might be harder (no pun intended?). The biggest problem I think would be that when pavement gets hot, it's HOT. I can feel hot pavement through my VFFs and socks, and when walking barefoot have had to put them back on because it was too hot.

I'm always afraid of stepping on rogue rocks and weird stuff being barefoot-barefoot, the VFFs basically let me be a little more lazy (on a scale of 1 being super careful to 10 being running shoes, I think the VFFs are a 3 but being barefoot would be 1). I've considered starting to run barefoot also, especially for short runs, but as the season wears on I just don't think I can take the heat on my feet. Maybe that's something you build a tolerance to as well?

[GLC1968]

Yeah, I'm not sure about hot pavement as well. I know that you can build up to it as we used to have to as kids on hot sand, but I have no idea how long it took. The pavement part of the route will be in the shade though (I did pay attention to that) so heat shouldn't be an issue.

I already run on bad pavement and cement barefoot, so I'm not worried about that part, either. I am nervous about the trail part - it's not only rutted packed dirt, but it's also narrow. What if other runners step on my feet? What if I have to jump to the side to allow someone through and there are blackberry brambles there? Oy...maybe this is a bad idea. Maybe I should give my VFF's a try.

One guy was wearing VFF's last week, but I couldn't find him afterward to ask his experience. I don't think my VFF's fit well enough to run in. They are kind of large around the heel area (I needed a bigger size because of my super wide feet) so I think they might rub and blister. My injini socks don't fit real well in the toes either - too cramped - so I have to wear them without socks. Mine are sprints and I tried on classics at REI and they fit better, but I don't have the $75 to spare for a second pair (yet).

You are right though - I need to try the trail with my VFF's on. That would be a smart thing to test out.

[colby]

Yeah, I'm not sure about hot pavement as well. I know that you can build up to it as we used to have to as kids on hot sand, but I have no idea how long it took. The pavement part of the route will be in the shade though (I did pay attention to that) so heat shouldn't be an issue.

I already run on bad pavement and cement barefoot, so I'm not worried about that part, either. I am nervous about the trail part - it's not only rutted packed dirt, but it's also narrow. What if other runners step on my feet? What if I have to jump to the side to allow someone through and there are blackberry brambles there? Oy...maybe this is a bad idea. Maybe I should give my VFF's a try.

One guy was wearing VFF's last week, but I couldn't find him afterward to ask his experience. I don't think my VFF's fit well enough to run in. They are kind of large around the heel area (I needed a bigger size because of my super wide feet) so I think they might rub and blister. My injini socks don't fit real well in the toes either - too cramped - so I have to wear them without socks. Mine are sprints and I tried on classics at REI and they fit better, but I don't have the $75 to spare for a second pair (yet).

You are right though - I need to try the trail with my VFF's on. That would be a smart thing to test out.

I have mixed results running in mine barefoot, I think it comes down to distance, speed, and terrain, along with the fit (of course). I ran in my KSOs once barefoot (concrete/asphalt) and did intervals for 5-6 miles, my feet were marked up on top and bottom on my left foot (wider than my right). Not blisters, more specific (and painful, never again, but maybe if I built up tougher skin there I could take it). I ran a sprint in my Sprints (how appropriate) a couple of weeks ago barefoot and my feet weren't marked up in that way at all. I did have blister-like rubbing, but no different than wearing running shoes with wet-ish feet. I of course had sand in my shoes and my feet were wet. :P

My KSOs are one size bigger than my sprints in mens sizes - I intended to wear the KSOs for distance/running, the sprints for daily wear but I can't run in my running shoes anymore so I sometimes use my sprints. For shoes that were built to be used barefoot, they sure don't seem very well thought through inside (we'll pretend you can't get blisters or hurt your feet, it'll be MAGIC!). I have not tried running barefoot in my Bikila yet, they are womens sized and one size bigger than my KSOs numerically (M39 KSO, M38 Sprint, W40 Bikila). The Bikila are lined inside more like a sock liner so I'm hoping I can run in them barefoot for longer distance, and that the padding will help with running on concrete (the Seattle Marathon has many concrete miles, sigh).

Shade is good. You should be fine on the asphalt, then. Just remember your running posture, sometimes in races I fall back to bad habits as I'm still developing new ones.

So, I'm kind of thinking a few different directions. Maybe if you're uncomfortable being barefoot, you'll overthink things and be too cautious. On the other hand, you won't really know until you try it, and this is a good distance to do something like that. You could try running it in your VFFs if you walk it and decide it's too iffy. You could try running part of it barefoot or in your VFFs ahead of time and see if you can tolerate either of those two. You do have two weeks, so if you can run this course a few times barefoot and/or in VFFs before then, you can learn something about it - and be more confident.

[Tri Girl]

The biggest problem I think would be that when pavement gets hot, it's HOT. I can feel hot pavement through my VFFs and socks, and when walking barefoot have had to put them back on because it was too hot.

I've discovered that this week. So far I've pretty much spent the summer on the treadmill (my longest run in recent weeks being 10 dreadful miles inside), but this week I've been running in the VFF's outside. OH MY- my feet get so hot!!! Not so bad on the trails in the shade, but even then the dirt can be pretty hot.
I'm training for a 24 hour trail race in late October, so being on the trail is better for me anyway.

QUESTION:
I'm noticing the balls of my feet are getting tender when I run. Do you think I can put something on the ball of my feet (moleskin or something) to cushion it? I've never blistered in my running shoes before, but I'm getting blisters with the VFF's.

When the Bikilas come out, it looks like I'll be investing in my 3rd pair of VFFs. I *LOVE* them oh so much. My VFF's are my BFF's.

[Jolt]

I did some real barefoot running today and it felt great! I was at my church's summer camp and alternated swimming with running laps around the dirt/gravel (think river gravel, not sharp crushed stone) road through the camp. I did two miles total of running (one mile at a time) and could have done more but had to go somewhere.

[colby]

I've discovered that this week. So far I've pretty much spent the summer on the treadmill (my longest run in recent weeks being 10 dreadful miles inside), but this week I've been running in the VFF's outside. OH MY- my feet get so hot!!! Not so bad on the trails in the shade, but even then the dirt can be pretty hot.
I'm training for a 24 hour trail race in late October, so being on the trail is better for me anyway.

QUESTION:
I'm noticing the balls of my feet are getting tender when I run. Do you think I can put something on the ball of my feet (moleskin or something) to cushion it? I've never blistered in my running shoes before, but I'm getting blisters with the VFF's.

When the Bikilas come out, it looks like I'll be investing in my 3rd pair of VFFs. I *LOVE* them oh so much. My VFF's are my BFF's.

I'm glad I'm not the only one with the hot feet. The closest I get to blistering in mine barefoot (and I guess even with socks) is below my toes and I've thought about bodyglide or something on the inside of the shoe to reduce some of the friction with the spots inside the shoe where the fabric meets the interior. I think I would protect against blisters the same way you would in shoes, moleskin or taping, keeping the feet clean and soft (though I guess not TOO soft ).

I have a pair of the Bikila, they are comfy inside, and built a little different (other than the harder sole), more like they were intended to be worn for running without socks. They are harder to put on than the KSOs, but I have put a ton of miles on my KSOs so I'm sure they're quite worn in. I hope to run in the Bikila this week. I can't race triathlons in them, but I hope to wear them for just running. They are also white and someone already reported your feet don't get as wet running through surface water in them, so maybe they'll pass less heat on, too.