Barefoot Running

[ericfromcowtown]

Just bought a pair of Vibram KSO "shoes" and shall give it a try. Feels like it will take some getting used to.

I've gone running 3 times in my 5-fingers so far. After the first run, I felt as if I had never run before in my life. My calves were so sore that I could barely walk afterwards. it's slowly getting better, but I'm not a believer yet.

 

[Claudiu]

Just bought a pair of Vibram KSO "shoes" and shall give it a try. Feels like it will take some getting used to.

I've gone running 3 times in my 5-fingers so far. After the first run, I felt as if I had never run before in my life. My calves were so sore that I could barely walk afterwards. it's slowly getting better, but I'm not a believer yet.

I think you gotta lift up the knees more, so the calves don't have to work as much. My calves used to hurt all the time until I lifted my knees more. Might help, idk.

 

[SolaScriptura]

So that I'm crystal clear: Basically, if the idea behind barefoot running is correct, virtually every civilization in known human history has had it wrong, and mankind's continual quest for better footwear has been misguided, while a few barefoot going groups of savages who have contributed next to nothing to human cultural advancement have been onto something all along?

 

[TexanRose]

So that I'm clear: basically, virtually every civilization in known human history has had it wrong, and mankind's continual quest for better footwear has been misguided, while a few barefoot going groups of savages who have contributed next to nothing to human cultural advancement have been onto something all along?

Wow! No, barefoot running advocates are not saying that all shoes are bad. They are just saying that the big, clunky, built-up running shoes of the last 25-30 years are not generally conducive to good running form. If you watch a marathon, you'll see that a lot of the elite runners have already figured this out, as many of them run in "racing flats" which are quite minimal. And if you look at photos from racing events pre-1980 or so, you'll see that runners wore lightweight, flexible canvas shoes, as opposed to the modern day running shoe which typically has an inch plus of foam and rubber on the bottom.

If you google "running barefoot" you'll see that the majority of runners who have tried downsizing or eliminating their shoes have found it to be quite helpful. Try it before you knock it.

 

[hermanchauw]

Nice thread.