Questions for Ed4 (Or anyone, about minimalist shoes) (Read 1172 times)

"In 2008 I logged 1414 miles. 21% of them were barefoot, 55% were in FiveFingers, 19% in other minimal shoes like Teva Proton IIIs, and 5% in running shoes. Most of my miles were on asphalt and concrete in the city, but I've also run barefoot on rural roads and forested trails. I ran a 3:05 marathon in FiveFingers, which was a PR by over half an hour." Hey, Ed, That's really impressive! That post in the barefoot running thread got me thinking about a few things. On my last two runs, I did at least part in my water shoes. One was the last 4 of a 12-miler, and then I did a 5-miler with a 3.25 mile tempo at 6:10 pace in the middle. Both times, they felt great, except that the shoes don't have a lot of upper support, so my feet slide around in them. They gave me blisters on the ball of my left foot and under two of my toes. I'd love to try a pair of Protons, but nobody here carries them, so I can't try any on. Do your feet slide in yours when you run hard, or on a twisty route? I have narrow feet, so that's always been a probem for me. How true to size do they run? I'd be clueless as to what size to even order. Measuring my foot in the store, I'm right between a 9.5 and 10. My surf shoes are 9's, and are just about right except the width. My Asics are 10.5's, as are my NB racers. My son has 10.5 Nike's, but they're too small for me. I'd need an 11 in those. Traditionally, I've been a hard heel striker. That tends to wear most shoes out quickly. I'm hoping that running in minimalist shoes might shift my landing more midfoot, so I don't beat myself or my shoes up so much. That said, about how many miles do you normally get out of a pair of protons? I'm guessing you're pretty easy on shoes. There isn't much tread to start with, but they're not that expensive, so I wouldn't be disappointed if they didn't last forever. Usually, I'm happy if I get 400 miles out of $40 shoes, so if I get 100 miles out of my $10 Surf Mocs (I'm 10% there! ) I'll feel like it was worth it. What other minimalist shoes have you tried? Other than water shoes or the Nike Free (which I don't really want to try) I really don't have a clue what's out there. Oh, and the FiveFingers are pretty expensive, so I don't really want to go that route with my first minimalist pair. Thanks for letting me pick your brain. This really has me interested!

That is VERY cool, Anya! I've been really interested in trying those, too, but I just can't pay that much for something I may end up hating. I hope you love them! Keep me posted on how they work. I know you've been having a lot of ITB troubles. I really hope those help you. I looked up some info on POSE running, which is close to Chi Running. I'll have to find some books or videos, though, because what I found isn't making a lot of sense. I'll have to see it done before I think I can really make an effort at it. (I'm a guy...you have to draw me a diagram! ) When I tried running barefoot last summer, my feet got kind of raw, too. That will get better over time as you get used to them. My feet are already stronger, too. I can go longer without my orthotics now, before my feet start to bother me. I've kind of done the next best thing to the Five Fingers. I picked up some water shoes that fit better, and I'll be running in those for a while. The last 3 runs I've done have been in another pair of them. Other than it making my lower legs burn after about 5 miles, I'm really enjoying it. I like the feel of having FEET to run on. It hasn't slowed me down much, either. They're cheap, which makes me happy. I'll do it for a while, until I figure out if it's helping me, then I can justify spending more on something more durable. Good luck! I'll be excited to hear your reports on them!

That is VERY cool, Anya! I've been really interested in trying those, too, but I just can't pay that much for something I may end up hating. I hope you love them! Keep me posted on how they work. I know you've been having a lot of ITB troubles. I really hope those help you. I looked up some info on POSE running, which is close to Chi Running. I'll have to find some books or videos, though, because what I found isn't making a lot of sense. I'll have to see it done before I think I can really make an effort at it. (I'm a guy...you have to draw me a diagram! ) When I tried running barefoot last summer, my feet got kind of raw, too. That will get better over time as you get used to them. My feet are already stronger, too. I can go longer without my orthotics now, before my feet start to bother me. I've kind of done the next best thing to the Five Fingers. I picked up some water shoes that fit better, and I'll be running in those for a while. The last 3 runs I've done have been in another pair of them. Other than it making my lower legs burn after about 5 miles, I'm really enjoying it. I like the feel of having FEET to run on. It hasn't slowed me down much, either. They're cheap, which makes me happy. I'll do it for a while, until I figure out if it's helping me, then I can justify spending more on something more durable. Good luck! I'll be excited to hear your reports on them!

I must be a guy too, since whenever I read instructions, I can't seem to get the moves right. Just looking at this Chi Running book, sort of makes me feel stupid. I ran today in my Fivefinger. 3 miles. I posted under the Barefoot running group. I was so happy to be able to run, but have totally new pulled muscles in my calves. It's really different. But, my knee was fine. YAY!! My feet are still too raw to run real barefoot. I really need to toughen them up. I suppose any minimalist shoe will probably to the trick. I guess I'm a moron for spending the money, but it kept burning a hole in my pocket, and I just HAD to. I like the post below yours, $4 from the Asian market. Hilarious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well my feet are quite wide, so if yours are narrow I bet we don't have the same taste in shoes. The Protons are holding up well at 485 miles. I probably won't use them again until it gets cold in the fall. I could probably get another whole winter out of them. I haven't had any problems with sliding, even though they fit fairly loosely and I've taken them off road. Running barefoot teaches you not to slide. You might like Saucony Kilkenny XC flats. They're light and soft, and have no noticeable heel lift. They were way too narrow for me.

In winter I stuck to mostly the Teva Proton 3's, which I usually wear with thin socks.