Questions & Answers

I am a mother of 4 boys, our 5th is in Haiti awaiting his paperwork to be processed. I am a barefoot junkie and have been since I was a kid. My mom was always yelling at me to Put my shoes on...but alas my natural inclination to be barefoot won out. Now I have passed that desire on to my children. As we explore the world beyond our home however barefeet aren't really "sanitary" so we have been exploring footwear options for some time. My husband also suffers from back problems and has been told that a change in foot wear could alleviate his problems. We are still in the research phase and have yet to purchase any barefoot foot wear but am loving reading the reviews!!!! They have been so helpful. -Louise

I'm 6'1", around 200 lbs. and really flatfooted. Ran for 15 years in big marshmallow Asics until my knee operation. After that I started running in Nike Free 3.0's, and all my aches & pains went away. Knee feels great! Now I'm running in my socks. It's 10x more enjoyable.

Just curious how many of you run with VFF's over longer distances (at least 6 mile runs) and use them with Injinji socks or sockless?

I got the Bikila's this past summer and thought they were perfect after having built up 2-3 thick calluses to protect my feed from rubbing spots on my Sprints, but after going past 17-18 miles, even the Bikila's cause issues.

Enter a pair of Injinji socks and a new pair of KSO Remixes. I think I can run for hours and hours with no blistering issues, and the stank problem has just about been 100% eliminated. The socks reek, but those go in the wash and come out just fine.

If you do use them sockless, which model(s) and how far to you typically run?

My name is Kelly and I currently live in Lexington, KY. I have not yet made the switch to minimalist footwear because I am training for the Boston marathon and I'm reluctant to make any big changes until after the race. I also have concerns regarding a previous/lingering/summertime stress fracture in my left foot and whether minimalist shoes will exacerbate this condition. Otherwise, I'm looking forward to making the switch (or at least trying) and finding what products suit me best. Cheers!

Greetings all, nice to find a community for fellow minimalists! Been a barefooter for years, as much as I can get away with, but some how got stuck in regular old shoes when I got back into running 4 years ago. I run to stay sane, be alone for awhile, and get small breaks from homeschooling my two boys. Got my first pair of VFF's exactly a year ago, and haven't worn anything else since for my runs, or much else for that matter. They've made a huge difference in how much I enjoy running, and I've had virtually no joint issues since I switched. So much nicer, and once my gait adjusted I think I'm a bit faster and definitely healthier. No toenail loss and hardly any blisters after the NYC marathon last fall :), a big change from my experience in 2008. Looking forward to finding out more about other minimalist options.

Hello, my name is Corey from Cincinnati, OH. I first went "barefoot" in VFF KSO's last summer. Since then I've bought a pair of VFF Smartwool Classics and VFF Treks. I wear the Treks to work often and hope to do some hiking and backpacking in them once the weather turns. I used to run in my KSOs but my current work schedule is hectic to say the least.

Seems like these are popping up now, reviews otw, and some are in stock on Merrell's site.

I can't say I enjoy the styling of any of these personally, but I've never been a fan of Merrell's shoes in general, however, they seem to meet some of the important marks.

My main concern is width obviously, since they're listed "regular" although my foot is normal width, I've got very wide forefeet/toe-splay.

Thoughts? Anybody have any of these for testing already that can comment on toebox size?

Thanks!

I'm interested in learning more from others on their adventures in minimalism. I've been running in VFFs almost exclusively for 2 years. I've been wearing Vivo Barefoot Dharmas (brown) to work for almost a year. I've liked these so much that I just ordered the same style in Black (thanks to the coupon I found on this site). I'd like to learn more about business casual alternatives in minimalist forms.

Merrell has just released a new barefoot site:

http://www.merrell.com/barefoot/

Enjoy!

Hi all - got back into running last fall after long hiatus, interested in happy pain free feet and legs. More into minimalist footwear than barefoot due to location.

Has anyone had any experience with the Vivobarefoot Hackney? It's an ankle-boot, & I like the look of it but would love to get some feedback about it before buying.

It's the Black PU version I'm looking at, such as here: http://www.vivobarefoot.com/uk/ladies/hackney-2375.html/

Hi,

I am new to minimal running. I have a question regarding what a suitable game plan for minimal running. I have an occasional flare up of plantar fasciitis in my left foot and am a bit concerned about making it worse with running shoes having minimal support. I am doing some arch strengthening exercises, but am wondering if there are any suggestions dealing with minimal running making the plantar fasciitis worse.

Thanks in advance.

-Nick

I am a barefoot shoe maniac .Start modifying shoes 10 years ago , rarely successful.I have now one pair of VFF speed , one pair of VFF KSO treksport and two pairs of Vivo barefoot NEO .Spend over 400 euro and still not satisfied .Most of these shoes have serious problems ,only VFF speed it is ok .It is unbelievable that with all this technology and progress most of the people ware shoes that do more harm than good, western world has the most unhealthy foot than the undeveloped countries.Our scientist and shoe companies screw this up , even a 6 years baby knows more for shoes .I want to write more but my english is not so good . cheers

Hello! I'm 56, English and have lived in New York City for 21 years. I became aware of minimalist running in June 2009 and used a pair of KSOs from then till that November but put them away till last February when I decided to run only barefoot, or minimalist, as it was the only way I had no discomfort in my knees or hips. I get to run to and from work, as well as purely fun runs on weekends, so the miles piled up last year! At the moment I'm indulging my first love and skiing XC as much as I can (after yesterday's 60km today became a rest day!) More snow is forecast but I know I'll soon be back to running more in the fairly near future.

Hey all! I look forward to getting to know the community. Power to the feet! :p

Eric www.fitbyburgan.com www.facebook.com/extremefitnessworkout

Hi I'm Danny Peters. I grew up in Lima, OH. I began running in eight grade when I joined cross country. My initial reasons for joining XC was to get in shape for wrestling season, which was also to get in shape for baseball, my main sport. I then went to high school and switched to swimming instead of wrestling, and started to get our of baseball. Then my junior year my XC team went to state and I got more involved in running. However I was plagued by injuries in my knee and shins. I then went on to the United States Naval Academy, where I currently am located. I got back into running a couple of years ago during my sophomore year here. But was again hindered by shin splints. It wasn't until my junior year that I learned about barefoot and minimal running. Since then I have been pain free except for some blisters early on. Now I'm trying to get more involved and do some races as well.

Hi Everyone,

I began running just a few months ago (at age 57). I began with Nike Free 7.0's. I've since gotten Nike Free 3.0's, Vibram KSO's and Feelmax Osmas. I've noticed that my form does get better as my shoes get more minimal.

I plan to try barefoot when the weather gets warmer. I'm just not hard core enough to try it in the ice and snow!

David

This is my first attempt at making a boot. My goal was/is to make a boot for Minnesota winters with a hope to eventually make something even slush resistant.

This boot was made for my 14yo son. It has a duck fabric outer and an polar-fleece interior. The innersole is sheepskin (taken from sheepskin paint rollers) that I shoe goo-ed to the duck outer sole. I then sprayed it twice with silicone.

Bicycle Boy has been wearing them outdoors for errand running and dog chores with no socks in air temps from 10 below (F) to our current temps in the upper 20s above. He's never gotten wet feet (major plus but not a surprise since it's frozen out there).

My next plan is a cinch strap with velcro closure at the ankle and top of boot. He says it's too slipper like to keep the snow out.

I also have some ~5mm sole material on it's way from my friend, a cobbler, that I will cut and put on the bottom.

I'm afraid they won't be slushproof. But I am very pleased with the style at this point. As big a toe box as I could want. Sheepskin in the bottom for lots of insulation. Very easy to assemble.

Anyone else out there making winter footwear?

I wonder if there are such a thing as minimal dress shoes? I am now taking up to 3 tango classes a week and my dress shoes are the only shoes I own with a heel raise. My feet are starting to cramp because of this. I need the hard, slick sole for easy sliding. Also if there are faux raised heel looks that'd be perfect as I see no one else wearing flats.

Any leads? Because ow.

I'd like to hear your foot care regimins... Do you use any particular moisturizers? Do you do anything with your callouses, or keep them as is? Do you have treatments for common problems?