Forums >General Running>Barefoot/Minimalist Shoe Running Clinic in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Good Bad & The Monkey
I'm running somewhere tomorrow. It's going to be beautiful. I can't wait.
Poor baby
jfa
We have yet to hear from someone who has tried to reduce their big shoe habit with a bad outcome.
Excellent point.
Yeah, that is an interesting point. One wonders if back in the day we were as sensitive to poison ivy as many folks are today. Asthma and allergies are on the rise; they were not huge problems for as many people like they are today just a generation or two ago. Poison ivy has a similar mechanism to asthma and allergies.
As far as I know there is no poison-ivy in the Savannah.
However, if we look back the Native Americans of course wore moccasins. Just something to cover their feet to keep them protected and warm.
Oh, and I have stopped running in cushioned shoes. I am definitely not looking back. I am currently injured (shin splints), but that injury is a persistent injury from when I wore shoes. It is definitely finally getting better. You can check my logs and see how my shoes were treating me. I had to stop running twice due to the same injury. After stopping for 3 months the second time I decided to not worry about the injury and just run short distances in my VFF. This seems to be working for me.
moccasins
Not sure that they all did. But fine points otherwise
I don't bash anyone. If you run in shoes and you don't get pain or injured, why change? I physically could NOT run a mile almost my entire life...In august I started running barefoot or in FiveFingers and haven't looked back. I've had over 5 months of pain free running, it's completely amazed me. I've turned a half dozen others onto it that had pain issues and all rave about the outcome; I can't argue with what I am seeing with my own eyes.
So shoes, or no shoes, I don't care - that fact that we get out there and get it done, that's what matters. If you have pain, get injured at least once a year, etc you have NOTHING to lose by kicking the shoes off and running some laps on the local soccer field.
Stay healthy, keep running.
I don't bash anyone. If you run in shoes and you don't get pain or injured, why change? I physically could NOT run a mile almost my entire life...In august I started running barefoot or in FiveFingers and haven't looked back. I've had over 5 months of pain free running, it's completely amazed me. I've turned a half dozen others onto it that had pain issues and all rave about the outcome; I can't argue with what I am seeing with my own eyes. So shoes, or no shoes, I don't care - that fact that we get out there and get it done, that's what matters. If you have pain, get injured at least once a year, etc you have NOTHING to lose by kicking the shoes off and running some laps on the local soccer field. Stay healthy, keep running.
The big problem with VFFs is all the people asking you about them. I would much rather just be left alone. I think I am going to get feelmax shoes next time. They have a 1mm sole and weigh less than VFFs.
Queen of 3rd Place
I just had my first run in Feelmax shoes last night, tried 6 mi, no problem, and felt MUCH more like real barefooting than the FFs. One note: they fit snug (as the manufacturer says). Now to see how long that sole lasts, supposedly mine have the improved, Kevlar-impregnated sole.
Ex runner
Better than all of you
How do you prove a negative.
It's not a negative that I'm trying to prove. Either barefoot running IS better for runners or it IS NOT. Either elite runners DO IT or they DO NOT DO IT. Those that are experts in foot related sports are saying that barefoot running IS better for runners or they ARE NOT saying that.
Isn't it possible, for a variety of reasons, that what is appropriate for an elite runner may not be right for a recreational runner?
Runners run
Elite runners are not necessarily experts. Elite runners are fast, dedicated and well trained. But that does not mean they KNOW or UNDERSTAND foot and body biomechanics any more or less than anybody else.
Not just that but... I would bet somebody that runs for a living would be very risk adverse. They would be less willing to stray to far from conventional wisdom.
Are you guys just saying this for the argument's sake or do you guys really mean it?
Dale Earnhardt drove his care better than most others, and was able to do so without necessarily knowing the physics that take place inside the engine.