5 finger shoes
- Thread starter dmclone
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My roommate runs in them. It takes a while to get used to them. Once he built up muscle in his feet, he said they were more comfortable than shoes. He ran a lot with them on a golf course.
I plan to and would be interested in any comments about specific brands.
There was an excellent article and video in the NY Times Magazine on running the weekend of the NY marathon. Check out that author's book, Born to Run, as well, which I haven't read but heard great things about:
The Once and Future Way to Run
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/magazine/running-christopher-mcdougall.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&hp
There is also a suggested routine there that they demonstrate in the video.
About a week after this article they had one saying that there isn't necessarily one right way to run, but I think there is something to what they are saying here.
I worked on changing my stride a few months ago (though I have long run outside in the winter on the ice, comparable to the guy in the article doing his laundry in the bathtub, so mine isn't that bad). I read one thing is that people are so used to all the padding that they continue the heavy heel strike even after changing over, which is even worse without the padding.
What worked for me was to purposefully take much, much shorter strides. It is a little hard since the heels in your regular running shoes are so elevated. Because you are using your foot more, I think it will me help prevent things like injuries to the connective tissue on the bottom of your foot and your Achilles tendon, which can take months or even years to heal, if it ever does.
I had this some with one foot a few months ago, not due to running, though it is a common running injury especially for older runners. So part of this time I was actually going for very long walks with very short strides. Anyway after 5 months of progressively changing things up and doing workouts intended to work around and hopefully fix the injury, it is fine. This was a big deal, because again, for some people it is no longer an injury but a permanent condition. And it can take two years to heal. I know someone trying to work off a similar injury, but his was from a marathon. You feel it most when you get up in the morning, and don't feel it much at all usually with your shoes on. Losing some weight would be good also, though I am not really that fat but built pretty solid. I will be hitting the weights pretty good the next couple of months to try to lose the excess fat and to give my feet a little more break. One thing I did the last few months was lift with just my socks on and no shoes. Also, calf raises exercise the particular connective tissue at issue in my case.
I've been running inside some barefoot, which has been going fine. I have been taking my time though scaling up and am not yet going as far as I plan to. Outside recently a few days I ran 10 to 15 miles (with shoes), no problem with the foot. Indoors, which I find very boring but more interesting barefoot, I might only go 20 to 30 minutes for quite awhile yet (assuming the results are still fine, which I fully expect). I go pretty slow but I've found it easy to speed things up and sprint, when it seems like I land even more on the the front part of the foot, unless I suppose I extend my stride.
In my experience, it really is a better way to run. I see the way some young people run and wonder whether they will still be doing it in 10 or 20 years, not that they necessarily have any problem with it currently.
There was an excellent article and video in the NY Times Magazine on running the weekend of the NY marathon. Check out that author's book, Born to Run, as well, which I haven't read but heard great things about:
The Once and Future Way to Run
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/magazine/running-christopher-mcdougall.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&hp
There is also a suggested routine there that they demonstrate in the video.
About a week after this article they had one saying that there isn't necessarily one right way to run, but I think there is something to what they are saying here.
I worked on changing my stride a few months ago (though I have long run outside in the winter on the ice, comparable to the guy in the article doing his laundry in the bathtub, so mine isn't that bad). I read one thing is that people are so used to all the padding that they continue the heavy heel strike even after changing over, which is even worse without the padding.
What worked for me was to purposefully take much, much shorter strides. It is a little hard since the heels in your regular running shoes are so elevated. Because you are using your foot more, I think it will me help prevent things like injuries to the connective tissue on the bottom of your foot and your Achilles tendon, which can take months or even years to heal, if it ever does.
I had this some with one foot a few months ago, not due to running, though it is a common running injury especially for older runners. So part of this time I was actually going for very long walks with very short strides. Anyway after 5 months of progressively changing things up and doing workouts intended to work around and hopefully fix the injury, it is fine. This was a big deal, because again, for some people it is no longer an injury but a permanent condition. And it can take two years to heal. I know someone trying to work off a similar injury, but his was from a marathon. You feel it most when you get up in the morning, and don't feel it much at all usually with your shoes on. Losing some weight would be good also, though I am not really that fat but built pretty solid. I will be hitting the weights pretty good the next couple of months to try to lose the excess fat and to give my feet a little more break. One thing I did the last few months was lift with just my socks on and no shoes. Also, calf raises exercise the particular connective tissue at issue in my case.
I've been running inside some barefoot, which has been going fine. I have been taking my time though scaling up and am not yet going as far as I plan to. Outside recently a few days I ran 10 to 15 miles (with shoes), no problem with the foot. Indoors, which I find very boring but more interesting barefoot, I might only go 20 to 30 minutes for quite awhile yet (assuming the results are still fine, which I fully expect). I go pretty slow but I've found it easy to speed things up and sprint, when it seems like I land even more on the the front part of the foot, unless I suppose I extend my stride.
In my experience, it really is a better way to run. I see the way some young people run and wonder whether they will still be doing it in 10 or 20 years, not that they necessarily have any problem with it currently.
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I have a pair of the Vibrams. Definitely take some getting used to. I don't run with them every day, and never more than about 5 miles at a time. I like them, as I have noticed less knee pain when running in them. I'm thinking that has something to do with changing my stride to something a bit more biometrically correct.
Yep, because the Free is a 5 finger shoe.
It took some getting used to wearing mine, but now when I run in my running shoes my feet feel a lot stronger.
I have the Vibram 5 fingers, New Balance Minimus, and Nike Free's. I would recommend getting the New Balance Minimus. They all follow the general principle of "free running", but the Minimus are the most comfortable, look the best, and have held up over time better than the other two.
Just my 2 cents.
Just my 2 cents.
There is a company called Newton out in Boulder that makes shoes that are supposed to act like shoes should. Regular running shoes have a built up heel so it acts like a stopper on a roller skate when youre running and is supposedly bad for your joints. I ran around in a pair of these and they felt pretty fantastic...a bit pricey though.
Newton Running
Also, Adidas has a pair of the "finger" shoes out now that are supposed to be more for training. They arent quite as expensive as the Vibrams.
Newton Running
Also, Adidas has a pair of the "finger" shoes out now that are supposed to be more for training. They arent quite as expensive as the Vibrams.
I'd give them a try for a little less dough then they tend to sell for. I don't generally have problems with running. No real injuries and relatively few tweaks or soreness and I have usually run with well cushioned shoes. It'd be interesting to give them a run and if nothing else use them for other non-running purposes. They are pretty freaky looking. Theres no magic answer as to the 'right way to go' in my opinion. Some can run, some cant. Some get injured, some dont.
The diagram states to never have your ankle extend beyond your knee. Maybe this is more tailored to distance running, but if you look at the fastest guy on earth.. Usain Bolt.. his foot reaches on every step. I'd say he probably knows something about running [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By1JQFxfLMM]Usain Bolt beats Gay and sets new Record - from Universal Sports - YouTube[/ame]
Minimal running shoes have their place but Five Fingers are pretty gimmicky, in my opinion. They offer similar results to a racing flat but come at twice the price and are harder to fit correctly. If you have Norton's toe you pretty much can't use them unless you want to stretch the second toe by heating up the rubber sole with fire. Go buy a pair of spikeless cross country racing flats for 40 dollars instead.
FYI, the author of that book explicitly disagrees. It is about some Indians that run mega-distances in a remote canyon in Mexico, where he says the terrain is as hard as concrete.
There is a lot of free information at Runner's World. Here is a long article on barefoot running:
Minimalist Running Shoes at Runner's World
Minimalist Running Shoes at Runner's World
