My KSO's arrived yesterday and I ran 3 miles today (slowly) - great experience. I'm stiff in new places, but not sore. However, I'm wondering how best to handle the transition. Currently, I use a neutral cushioned shoe, but with orthotics.... Will running in these on alternate days slow my transition or give my feet and legs a rest during it? While I know patience is key, I'm hesitant to dump a bunch of miles during the transition and would like to keep up with six days per week of running once I finish my marathon recovery. I could alternate my shoes w/ orthotics w/ the vibrams - ditch the orthotics to make the shoes a bit more neutral - or just realize that the transition will require a mileage reduction. Any thoughts?

Currently, I use a neutral cushioned shoe, but with orthotics.... Will running in these on alternate days slow my transition or give my feet and legs a rest during it? While I know patience is key, I'm hesitant to dump a bunch of miles during the transition and would like to keep up with six days per week of running once I finish my marathon recovery.

I think alternating will help your transition more than hurt it. The feedback you get from BF running will improve your form when you run with shoes. It takes a long time, just gradually add more miles barefoot or with the Vibrams. I suggest being careful, 3 miles seems like is a lot to start out with. I started with lots of 0.5 mile BF runs just to conidition the bottom of my feet. I would do a normal run then do a short cooldown BF. I've been working on it for 9 months but still do the majority of my miles with shoes.

I was able to keep my mileage up pretty well as I transitioned. But you may need to be willing to slow down the pace.