Study shows barefoot is best

[PricklyPete]

Originally posted by: BeauJangles

Originally posted by: PricklyPete

Originally posted by: BeauJangles

Once you have the basics of the mid-foot strike I don't see how, or why, you would ever want to go back to heel striking in regular shoes.

The reason is that if it takes so long to build up your tolerance/muscles so that you can adjust to running in VFF's...then you are really making a commitment and screwing up whatever training you currently do.

My normal level of training is 25-35 miles a week with spikes up to 50+ as I get close to marathons. If I suddenly start at .5 mile a day for a week...for several weeks on end...I've severaly reverted my training. I'm sure I'll get over it...but it is a commitment. If I can switch back and forth...I can run my normal training with my shoes and ease into my VFF wearing.

Also, it seems like there would be instances (sever cold for instance) where VFF's may not be enough (without any real experience...I'm only guessing here). So I would hate to limit where I can run because of the shoes my body now requires.

Edit: I also do not feel I have bad form when running...I would definitely not consider myself a "heal striker" ... allthough you may be applying that term to anyone who doesn't use VFFs just because of the built up heal on traditional shoes...but I've never put significant pressure on my heals that I am aware of or suffered any related injuries

A lot of people are stuck in the same boat as you because they want to maintain their conditioning while making the transition to more basic shoes. From what I've heard, the more you switch back and forth, the longer it takes to adapt your form.

I own these -- http://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/7478399/c/189933.html because they can be used in all weather. They're pretty much identical to normal shoes except they have a very hard, thin sole, and there isn't a ton of padding around the sides. They're extremely light and durable.


-----slightly off-topic-------

I don't really think heel striking is necessarily bad form. I'm not some barefoot running zealot who denounces things that work for other people, so I didn't mean to imply that heel striking is bad.

Most people, if they've never done serious running anything but running shoes are heel strikers. What that means it that your foot extends over your center of mass and the first point of contact is your heel. Many people have few problems running like this and, truthfully, if it works for you I'm not about to convince you to switch.

I switched because I have flat feet and slightly bowed legs. The impact of hitting with my heel and having no natural cushioning made running distances over 3 miles painful. With shoes like VFF, you cannot heel strike simply because there is no artificial cushioning there. If you hit with your heel first, the entirety of that impact goes right up your leg and to your knee. Ouch.

VFF and the like force you to hit with your mid-foot. Your foot should never extend out in front of you (where it's impossible to do anything other than hit with your heel first). By striking with the mid-foot, your calf and foot itself get a chance to absorb the majority of each impact.

That was the primary reason I switched. I longer have pain when I run. Conveniently, I also found that mid-foot running was more efficient. I shaved huge amounts of time off my runs. When you think about it, increased efficiency makes sense. With regular running, you shoot your foot out in front of your mass. When that heel hits the ground, it's essentially slowly you down because the force acting on your foot is traveling against the direction you're trying to move. When the strike comes immediately below your mass, that impact travels perpendicular to your movement, meaning there is no loss of energy.

Aaaaanyway, if you're curious about trying to make the switch, there are plenty of good sites out there that have forums, tutorials, and videos. Personally, I found having a coach actually critique my running while I did it helped tremendously.

Thanks...useful information. I may start reading more of the sites to get a better perspective on whether I think it is for me and when/how I could take the time to adjust if needed. I'll have to be a bit more attentive to my regular form to see how much I think switching to VFF might help.

 

[surfsatwerk]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: surfsatwerk
The more I hear about minimalist running and barefoot running the more curious I become about trying it. I'm a big guy so I always felt like I had to have the big cushioned shoe to avoid injuries. But even with top of the line running shoes I still have problems with achilles soreness and joint pain after long runs or several consecutive days running without a break.

There's a store in town that sells the VFFs so I may try running in them one day a week to start with. I may start out buying a pair of the VFF flow because I live in NE and winter is just around the corner.

You may want to wait. Next month the "trek" is coming out, probably better for winter. Although it is a bit thicker than the normal ones...

http://birthdayshoes.com/index...isted-on-voycontigo-de

I checked out this site and they quoted a price for the trek at $250 plus. I may buy a pair of the KSO or Sprint to try them out in the few months of warmth I have left, before making such a financial commitment.

 

[Koing]

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.

I run on my toes anyway...but I'm a trained sprinter that get smashed before one mile

Then there's the secretive Tarahumara tribe, the best long-distance runners in the world. These are a people who live in basic conditions in Mexico

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/hom...ney.html#ixzz0Oji9g6RX

Mexico is at alttitude buddy but EVERYONE seems to ignore the fact that the best distance runners in the world are typically from countries that are at altitude...7500ft above sea level...

Koing

 

[Titan]

OK I may was well throw my 2 cents in here.

10+ years ago, I used to run a lot. 2.5 miles on a main paved road with no shoulder to school 5 days a week. I also did a lot of TKD and went barefoot everywhere in the summer on pavement in my home town.

When I ran, I used running shoes and had great heel-to-toe form. I was heavy and didn't aggravate my knees because I didn't bounce up and down all the time. My head stayed more or less level with each stride. I would strike with my heel first, pull with my hamstring, then as my weight shifted over the leg, I would push off with my quad. Though I had a banged up knee and was heavy I never got injuries running this way.

Also as an active kid hanging out barefoot on the no-traffic streets of my village, I would run short distances on occasion. Here I had to run with the weight on the front of my foot. This felt more natural, but without padding I would make the bones in my feet hurt after doing it a lot on pavement. I could move pretty quick with no shoes.

If I was running again I would use both, why not cross-train with both techniques if you have no reason not to?

I still like to drive my car in the summer with no shoes as it gives me a better feeling of control on the gas and break.

I'd love to try some vibrams, but my feet are size 13, 3-4E. Very wide. I'd have to have them make 'em custom.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: Titan
OK I may was well throw my 2 cents in here.

10+ years ago, I used to run a lot. 2.5 miles on a main paved road with no shoulder to school 5 days a week. I also did a lot of TKD and went barefoot everywhere in the summer on pavement in my home town.

When I ran, I used running shoes and had great heel-to-toe form. I was heavy and didn't aggravate my knees because I didn't bounce up and down all the time. My head stayed more or less level with each stride. I would strike with my heel first, pull with my hamstring, then as my weight shifted over the leg, I would push off with my quad. Though I had a banged up knee and was heavy I never got injuries running this way.

Also as an active kid hanging out barefoot on the no-traffic streets of my village, I would run short distances on occasion. Here I had to run with the weight on the front of my foot. This felt more natural, but without padding I would make the bones in my feet hurt after doing it a lot on pavement. I could move pretty quick with no shoes.

If I was running again I would use both, why not cross-train with both techniques if you have no reason not to?

I still like to drive my car in the summer with no shoes as it gives me a better feeling of control on the gas and break.

I'd love to try some vibrams, but my feet are size 13, 3-4E. Very wide. I'd have to have them make 'em custom.

The problem is that heel-to-toe traditionally injures joints due to lack of shock absorption - therefore there is a huge reason not to run like that. I ran heel-to-toe in high school during cross country. I didn't really have any problems either; but the fact is that those who continue doing it for years on end really get messed up. Marathoners that run heel-to-toe eventually need joint replacements in later years or even have trouble walking, not to mention stress fractures that aggravated the feeling of shin splints.

In essence, heel-to-toe running works. However, in long-term, the negative aspects really start to come out. For example, why would you drive in a car with no shocks if you had the option of driving in a car WITH shocks? The ride is much more comfortable and you're less likely to get hurt. That's kinda the parallel relationship between forefoot running and heel-to-toe running.

 

[sash1]

Originally posted by: Deeko
heh I caught the tail end of that story last night and thought "oh god ATHF is going to be buzzing tomorrow"

i had to read that about 10 times to realize you meant anandtech health & fitness and not aqua teen hunger force

 

[RagingBITCH]

Well, I've only done forefoot once during a 7 miler today, and will try it again during my 8 mile easy Turkey Trot tomorrow, but based on the articles and research I've been reading, am convinced it's the more mechanically efficient and safer way to run than heel toe. Considering my lack of any real running up until 3 years ago, I just plopped along on the treadmill for a year, then have been doing the various XXK/half/full races the past two years.

Knock on wood, I've been injury free except for plantar fasciitis. (Which, only flared up on longer distances in my current Brooks shoes) I solved it using stiff SuperFeet inserts and haven't had any real issues since, except for some random pains in my legs nearing my last marathon, which were probably just the phantom pains we all get before a big race.

I've always pretty much ignored all the "hype" surrounding barefoot or even forefoot running, but after having read up on it and tried it, I'll give it a real shot and not write it off like I did before. I don't plan on getting straight into VFF's quite yet - am taking the in-between and going with the Nike LunarTrainer+ based on a few recommendations.

Different strokes for different folks...you can say "if it ain't broke, why fix it?" Well, at least give it a shot.

- Mel