Study shows barefoot is best

[silverpig]

Found the story on /.

I know there are a few people here who are running in the Vibram Five Fingers (myself included) and have noticed that they really change the way you run. I got stress fractures in my running shoes and they're still healing. Once fully healed I'd be interested to see how my training in the VFFs compares.

The article is long but has a lot of good info in it and is at least worth thinking about.

 

[brikis98]

Definitely a nice read. Here are a few more that sold me on barefoot running and motivated me to get some VFFs and learn proper running technique:

You Walk Wrong
Do Running Shoes Cause Injuries?
Barefoot Running
Barefoot Running: A Natural Step For The Endurance Athlete?

 

[Titan]

I used to go around all summer with no shoes. I was comfortable moving from martial arts classes. I would not run on pavement barefoot, that is asking for pain. But on a dirt bikepath or field, absolutely. There were times when I could sprint on pavement barefoot and go damn fast. You do tend to favor the front of your foot more. I even drive barefoot in the summer and have better control.

 

[Deeko]

meh. I'm going to keep running in shoes.

 

[kalrith]

I enjoyed the read plus the ones brikis posted. I've been thinking about this lately after hearing some friends say that they bought some special shoes for their toddlers that help them to learn how to walk, but that we don't need special shoes after we've learned how to walk correctly. I didn't agree with the second part of that statement, and I'm really thinking about getting some VFFs to try to learn how to walk and run correctly.

 

[silverpig]

This was the best part for me:

Jeff Pisciotta, the senior researcher at Nike Sports Research Lab, assembled 20 runners on a grassy field and filmed them running barefoot. When he zoomed in, he was startled by what he found. Instead of each foot clomping down as it would in a shoe, it behaved like an animal with a mind of its own - stretching, grasping, seeking the ground with splayed toes, gliding in for a landing like a lake-bound swan.

That's exactly how my feet feel when I run in the VFFs. My toes are all splayed out, I almost point my foot down towards the ground and it almost feels like my foot searches for the ground, then grips it with my toes. Really neat.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: silverpig
This was the best part for me:

Jeff Pisciotta, the senior researcher at Nike Sports Research Lab, assembled 20 runners on a grassy field and filmed them running barefoot. When he zoomed in, he was startled by what he found. Instead of each foot clomping down as it would in a shoe, it behaved like an animal with a mind of its own - stretching, grasping, seeking the ground with splayed toes, gliding in for a landing like a lake-bound swan.

That's exactly how my feet feel when I run in the VFFs. My toes are all splayed out, I almost point my foot down towards the ground and it almost feels like my foot searches for the ground, then grips it with my toes. Really neat.

Do you ever stub your toe with VFF?

 

[KingGheedora]

When I was a kid I was used to walking around barefoot and had skin thick enough that I could run around on the sidewalk and street barefoot. I was much faster barefoot than with shoes.

 

[CellarDoor]

I've been using the Nike Free training shoes for a while. They are the ones that are designed to replicate what it's like to run barefoot. They are extremely flexible and comfortable. I wonder how it actually compares to running barefoot though. I actually use them for competitive basketball because they are so light.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: silverpig
This was the best part for me:

Jeff Pisciotta, the senior researcher at Nike Sports Research Lab, assembled 20 runners on a grassy field and filmed them running barefoot. When he zoomed in, he was startled by what he found. Instead of each foot clomping down as it would in a shoe, it behaved like an animal with a mind of its own - stretching, grasping, seeking the ground with splayed toes, gliding in for a landing like a lake-bound swan.

That's exactly how my feet feel when I run in the VFFs. My toes are all splayed out, I almost point my foot down towards the ground and it almost feels like my foot searches for the ground, then grips it with my toes. Really neat.

Heh, when I first got my VFF's, I was surprised by how fun it was to be able to really feel the ground below your feet. I walked all around my neighborhood just to see what various surfaces felt like, making a point to walk on bricks, grass, asphalt, gravel, moss and anything else I could find. And yea, it's funny having your toes take an active part in movement - I especially noticed this when walking up hills as I'd almost feel my toes grabbing onto the ground.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: silverpig
This was the best part for me:

Jeff Pisciotta, the senior researcher at Nike Sports Research Lab, assembled 20 runners on a grassy field and filmed them running barefoot. When he zoomed in, he was startled by what he found. Instead of each foot clomping down as it would in a shoe, it behaved like an animal with a mind of its own - stretching, grasping, seeking the ground with splayed toes, gliding in for a landing like a lake-bound swan.

That's exactly how my feet feel when I run in the VFFs. My toes are all splayed out, I almost point my foot down towards the ground and it almost feels like my foot searches for the ground, then grips it with my toes. Really neat.

Do you ever stub your toe with VFF?

I sort of did once. I was running up hill, crossed a street and climbed a curb. My pair of VFFs are a tiny bit too big, so the toe caught the curb a bit. No big deal though, I just stumbled for a step then caught myself and kept going.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: brikis98

Originally posted by: silverpig
This was the best part for me:

Jeff Pisciotta, the senior researcher at Nike Sports Research Lab, assembled 20 runners on a grassy field and filmed them running barefoot. When he zoomed in, he was startled by what he found. Instead of each foot clomping down as it would in a shoe, it behaved like an animal with a mind of its own - stretching, grasping, seeking the ground with splayed toes, gliding in for a landing like a lake-bound swan.

That's exactly how my feet feel when I run in the VFFs. My toes are all splayed out, I almost point my foot down towards the ground and it almost feels like my foot searches for the ground, then grips it with my toes. Really neat.

Heh, when I first got my VFF's, I was surprised by how fun it was to be able to really feel the ground below your feet. I walked all around my neighborhood just to see what various surfaces felt like, making a point to walk on bricks, grass, asphalt, gravel, moss and anything else I could find. And yea, it's funny having your toes take an active part in movement - I especially noticed this when walking up hills as I'd almost feel my toes grabbing onto the ground.

Oh running up hill is a piece of cake in the VFFs. They're so light, you grip the ground better... fun

 

[SKC]

related question regarding the VFFs - I've worked out in them (really good for squats/DLs) but haven't had the chance to run in them much. Would they be good for sprinting? I used to sprint barefoot and liked it but the track near me now has a lot of small rocks/gravel. My concern re the VFFs is I'm not sure how the tightening mechanism will hold up to the stresses that sprints would put on it.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: SKC
related question regarding the VFFs - I've worked out in them (really good for squats/DLs) but haven't had the chance to run in them much. Would they be good for sprinting? I used to sprint barefoot and liked it but the track near me now has a lot of small rocks/gravel. My concern re the VFFs is I'm not sure how the tightening mechanism will hold up to the stresses that sprints would put on it.

I have the VFFs KSO and they work very well for sprinting. They are super light and you don't even notice that they are there.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: SKC
related question regarding the VFFs - I've worked out in them (really good for squats/DLs) but haven't had the chance to run in them much. Would they be good for sprinting? I used to sprint barefoot and liked it but the track near me now has a lot of small rocks/gravel. My concern re the VFFs is I'm not sure how the tightening mechanism will hold up to the stresses that sprints would put on it.

I have the KSOs and actually wish I would have gone with the classics now.

The KSOs would be impossible to lose really. They're partly designed for walking in moving water. There's a velcro strap that goes around your food to hold them on.

The classics have an elastic cord that you can tighten at the heel. They're meant for sprinting so you should be good to go.

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: silverpig
This was the best part for me:

Jeff Pisciotta, the senior researcher at Nike Sports Research Lab, assembled 20 runners on a grassy field and filmed them running barefoot. When he zoomed in, he was startled by what he found. Instead of each foot clomping down as it would in a shoe, it behaved like an animal with a mind of its own - stretching, grasping, seeking the ground with splayed toes, gliding in for a landing like a lake-bound swan.

That's exactly how my feet feel when I run in the VFFs. My toes are all splayed out, I almost point my foot down towards the ground and it almost feels like my foot searches for the ground, then grips it with my toes. Really neat.

Sounds more like they were trying to avoid injuring their toes and feet by coming down more gingerly.

 

[TheVrolok]

Hmm.. I really want to try a pair of VFFs now.. where did you guys buy 'em? I'm not sure where to find a pair that I could try on beforehand .. doesn't seem like something you'd want to buy off the Internet.

 

[Titan]

I checked out the VFFs, I doubt they come in my size, about 14 5E

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: TheVrolok
Hmm.. I really want to try a pair of VFFs now.. where did you guys buy 'em? I'm not sure where to find a pair that I could try on beforehand .. doesn't seem like something you'd want to buy off the Internet.

Their website has a Store Locator to find a dealer near you. I got mine at City Sports and found that trying them on in person was essential, as I got them in a smaller size than I normally wear for sneakers.

 

[NGC_604]

Originally posted by: TheVrolok
Hmm.. I really want to try a pair of VFFs now.. where did you guys buy 'em? I'm not sure where to find a pair that I could try on beforehand .. doesn't seem like something you'd want to buy off the Internet.

Yeah I'm curious about ordering them online without trying them on. I searched on the website and the nearest store is several hours away. The website makes it seem like it's not too hard to measure your feet properly and order a pair, but I'm curious how well this worked for others.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: brikis98

Originally posted by: TheVrolok
Hmm.. I really want to try a pair of VFFs now.. where did you guys buy 'em? I'm not sure where to find a pair that I could try on beforehand .. doesn't seem like something you'd want to buy off the Internet.

Their website has a Store Locator to find a dealer near you. I got mine at City Sports and found that trying them on in person was essential, as I got them in a smaller size than I normally wear for sneakers.

I got mine locally too. I think I got them a little too big because I was initially going for a tight fit, but the guy at the store said he had some and he got his a bit too small. He said any slight backward pressure on your toes becomes very uncomfortable.

Oh well.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: energydan

Originally posted by: TheVrolok
Hmm.. I really want to try a pair of VFFs now.. where did you guys buy 'em? I'm not sure where to find a pair that I could try on beforehand .. doesn't seem like something you'd want to buy off the Internet.

Yeah I'm curious about ordering them online without trying them on. I searched on the website and the nearest store is several hours away. The website makes it seem like it's not too hard to measure your feet properly and order a pair, but I'm curious how well this worked for others.

To be honest, it would not have worked out for me if I hadn't actually gone to a store and tried them on. If I had just measured my foot as indicated on the website, I probably would've ended up ordering a size too big for me. However, my feet are oddly shaped and have absolutely no arch, so maybe it wouldn't be an issue for folks with more normal feet.

 

[polarmystery]

I just bought some new running shoes

I was getting bad shin splints from my old ones and now they are gone. I guess I'm going to have to get some VFF's

 

[NGC_604]

Originally posted by: brikis98

Originally posted by: energydan

Originally posted by: TheVrolok
Hmm.. I really want to try a pair of VFFs now.. where did you guys buy 'em? I'm not sure where to find a pair that I could try on beforehand .. doesn't seem like something you'd want to buy off the Internet.

Yeah I'm curious about ordering them online without trying them on. I searched on the website and the nearest store is several hours away. The website makes it seem like it's not too hard to measure your feet properly and order a pair, but I'm curious how well this worked for others.

To be honest, it would not have worked out for me if I hadn't actually gone to a store and tried them on. If I had just measured my foot as indicated on the website, I probably would've ended up ordering a size too big for me. However, my feet are oddly shaped and have absolutely no arch, so maybe it wouldn't be an issue for folks with more normal feet.

I have no arch as well. I'll have to check out their exchange policy. I really want to order them but I have a feeling it might require me getting a different size than the one I get initially.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: brikis98

Originally posted by: energydan

Originally posted by: TheVrolok
Hmm.. I really want to try a pair of VFFs now.. where did you guys buy 'em? I'm not sure where to find a pair that I could try on beforehand .. doesn't seem like something you'd want to buy off the Internet.

Yeah I'm curious about ordering them online without trying them on. I searched on the website and the nearest store is several hours away. The website makes it seem like it's not too hard to measure your feet properly and order a pair, but I'm curious how well this worked for others.

To be honest, it would not have worked out for me if I hadn't actually gone to a store and tried them on. If I had just measured my foot as indicated on the website, I probably would've ended up ordering a size too big for me. However, my feet are oddly shaped and have absolutely no arch, so maybe it wouldn't be an issue for folks with more normal feet.

I had the exact same problem. I don't know if it's due to the bad arch because I have a normal arch (without weightbearing) and I was a size or two smaller than what the website said.