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The return of barefoot running....now with Five Fingers!

RussBow6

Member
i have the same exact pair and love em.
gave me some nasty blisters when i first started but they do wonders for the feet and calves. having deeply sore feet and toes is a weird feeling. now if i could only get the pose figure 4 running down...
 

UCbearcat

Lawn Dart
pilot
Here's a link to an article from a health journal. It's a study that compares your gait when barefoot, wearing shoes, and wearing FiveFingers.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19188889http://w4.ub.uni-konstanz.de/cpa/article/viewFile/2793/2638

The abstract of the article summarizes that there is a difference between running barefoot and running with shoes. It also says that the FiveFingers shoes do a good job of mimicking the behavior of barefoot running.

(Yeah. I really just quoted a medical journal. Thank you ENG282H. ::rolls eyes:: )

Haha, those are some interesting shoes to say the least. I might try out a pair after reading this and hearing some good responses from you guys. Running with bare feet always feels better, but I always think I'm tearing my body apart while doing it.
 

RussBow6

Member
Can/do you run on concrete with those things? Seems like that would hurt.


haha well you hit on the whole point of pose figure 4 running...

most people run the wrong way... technique wise anyway... they strike heel to toe which ruins your joints, tendons, everything is affected with the constant blows your body endures when you run that way. especially on concrete.

vibrams, barefoot running, flat bottom shoes are basically trying to get you away from running heel to toe and back to the way the human body was designed to run; which is basically falling forward on your toes... just pulling your feet off the ground with your hamstring right to your butt, and then placing them back right under your body and you move forward by leaning forwards. most running shoes will have thick cushioning on the heel (shox, nike 180s/360s) to compensate for a bad running style.

i've gotten a couple pm's asking me for videos and instructions on this so i'll just post the link here to where i learned everything.

http://www.crossfitendurance.com/page/index.php?menu=demos&page=videos

it is absolute gold. its very weird to make the switch but keep with it and i promise it will revolutionize the way you think about running. any questions just pm me. if your not getting it on your own i would call up a crossfit box in your area and tell the coach you need some help with your running and they'll get you squared away
 

Elegant Emily

I love my husband!
Awesome! So cool to hear another "testimonial."

I just won some in a contest and am so excited ... trying to decide whether to get classics/sprints/KSOs. Leaning toward either classic or sprint because it seems they'd be cooler temperature-wise, but KSOs might be more versatile. What's your input on that?
 

UCbearcat

Lawn Dart
pilot
I haven't worn them, but Sprints look to be designed better than Classics. They have the straps that keep them on your feet and whatnot. Classics make me think of water shoes.

Anyone worn both? I'm curious too. If I bought a pair it would be between Sprints and KSO.
 

RussBow6

Member
kso's for sure. they will stay on your feet better and offer more protection from the elements getting in.

i wear mine in the ocean for surfing and stuff... kayaking as well. sand/mud does get in there but a lot less than if you wore the sprints or classics. hiking & other stuff outside i want the tops of my feet protected from abrasions or poison ivy. classics look like slippers and the sprints i dunno i just figured i should get the full bootie as oppose to something with just a strap. made my mind feel more at peace haha
 

Makk85

604KTS
pilot
Read an interesting article on barefoot ultra-marathons. This back to barefoot craze sounds pretty legit. We were meant to run barefoot, despite what the shoe industry would like us to think.
 

Elegant Emily

I love my husband!
What's the sizing like on these? Do you buy them small so they fit snuggly on your feet or what?

If you go here you can click on "sizing" at the bottom and a chart will pop up.
http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/technology/faqs.cfm

Good point on the strap... I think I will end up getting the sprints (I kind of like the mary jane look, but I'm a girl and have always liked mary jane shoes) and then if I need to keep stuff out (haha) I can pair it with some of those socks they sell... seems like the socks would help a lot with dirt/sand/dust/poison ivy concerns, and it's only something like $12 a pair ... but then I can have my feet be cooler and not all covered up when keeping stuff out isn't a concern.
 

Jynx

*Placeholder*
Contributor
Read an interesting article on barefoot ultra-marathons. This back to barefoot craze sounds pretty legit. We were meant to run barefoot, despite what the shoe industry would like us to think.

I have to disagree here a bit, While they do make good arguments for how padding in the heel encourages bad technique, and barefoot running obviously is time tested, there is a place for protective footwear. Not motion control and stability whatever, but actual protection from objects. Running barefoot is all well and good, but the one time I tried it, I ended up slicing my foot open on a piece of glass I didn't see. Now a pair of light shoes, in which I land on the balls of my feet, serves me just fine.
I like the idea of these, and I might try them at a more convenient time. They remind me of those split toe'd shoes Nike and Brine had a few years back. I liked them, and they were good for my calf and ankle. I imagine these KSOs would be too.
 

Pags

N/A
pilot
Can/do you run on concrete with those things? Seems like that would hurt.

Yes. If you step on something like a stick or a rock, you'll feel it, but the sole is pretty thick so it's not going to abrade your feet if you run on concrete/asphalt.

If you live in the Tidewater area, there's one store, GSS Gear(aka Global Supply Solutions) that sells em and can size you there. They also have an 18% military discount, which is nice.
 
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