Questions & Answers

Hello from NC. I have been running for years, but I have been running barefoot since Dec. 2009 and haven't looked back since. Typically, people are not taught how to run. It supposed to be natural, right? Instinctual even, right? I think so... to some degree. It seems to become less natural as we add more and more gadgets and FOOTWEAR. :D

Anyhow, my gait has changed dramatically over the last year and I am considering adding some minimal footwear to the equation. Finding the right footwear has been the challenge. Decide of footwear too soon and you miss out on all the possibilities that seem to be looming for release this spring. So I wait...

Looking forward to lurking around here. Thanks.

Started running about 1.5 years ago...beat up my body a good deal and now looking to transition into some lower profile shoes. Wish I found running before my late 30's...alas...

Hello all,

Glad to find a cool place on the web to talk minimal shoes. I first started running barefoot or barefootish about 3 years ago. After dealing with a number of maladies of the feet and being prescribed orthotics, the thought occurred to me that maybe it was weak feet. I set about to strengthen my feet.

The rest is history.

I currently run in minimal shoes because I like the protection offered by a layer of rubber or leather. I've made several pair of moccasins that I use for running. Why buy five-fingers when sub $20 mocs will do?

Thanks for a great site! I can't wait to dig in and read more!

Cheers,

Mark H

Glad to see this community spring up and hope it grows well. I'm a relatively new runner - I just started in the fall of '09. I was only a couple months in before I started getting pain in the front of my legs just below the knees. I went searching for info on proper running form and came across the idea of barefoot being a means to that end. I tried it and have never looked back (have never had any pain since either). I do currently have some VFFs that I use for my longer runs, cold days, or bad surfaces but prefer barefoot otherwise. I have yet to incorporate the minimalist theme into my other footwear - but I am someday going to find some that I can wear to work and other public places without looking wacky.

Nice site.

I quit using traditional running shoes in April of 2010 after getting started with Vibram Five Fingers in February 2010.

I typically run 35-45 miles per week with at least one run of 6 miles totally barefoot. My current favorite is the VFF KSO Remix.

I love being in SoCal because I can run year round without having to worry about snow, ice and freezing temps.

Of all the videos I've watched of people demonstrating barefoot running I can't seem to find anyone running faster than a moderate pace. My long-term goal is to be have a sub 3hr marathon. Does anyone have any experience in this regard? Is it recommended to go minimal if I am going that speed for that long? Any insight is welcome. Thanks.

I wanted to run.

I had an old knee injury that was prone to trouble but I still wanted to run. In our family of many children, we could not afford for me to be injured so the start was intentionally slow & careful. The rest of our family was doing fine in conventional running shoes but I was having serious problems. The Man started researching and thus began our minimalist footwear conversion.

We have 6 minimalist runners in our family now and all that can walk wear minimal/zero-drop footwear when we must. And, in Minnesota, there are times we must.

Our new adventure is making our own footwear for our growing children so we can all have good footwear and still afford to eat.

Sarah K

Hello Everyone. Great to be a part of a growing community.....

After running in shoes for 25+ years, I ran my first two miles barefoot around a local track last March. After a 3 month transition to minimalist/barefoot running (a real test of my patience!), I've not looked back.

Will run my first 50K this summer. Currently wearing Terra Plana Evos and VFFs. Trying to keep my toes warm during the chilly months!

Cheers, J

Hi there, just wanted to say a quick hi to everyone and introduce myself.

Mark, Brit living in Hoboken NJ Running - seems to be a historical activity due to one injury after another although beginning to slowly come back into it. I would treat myself as a tortoise rather than a hare.

Have been using VFFs for a couple of years.

Mark

Hi all. 42-year-old male beginner in Philly area. I prefer trail-running, so I am REALLY excited to try the new Merrells in a month or so. Also looking forward to some (virtual) support as I learn more about this whole "running" thing, as I believe it is sometimes called.

I dipped my toes into minimalist and barefoot running late last spring, and have now worked up to a 90% ratio of minimalist miles to traditional. My stable of shoes consists of Brooks Switch 3 (2-4 runs/mo), VFF Bikila, Newton Motus, Brooks Mach 11 spikeless and Saucony Knvara. Because of current temps, I tend to use the shoes with thicker soles for winter runs, thus the Bikilas and Mach 11's are getting a break. I did some barefoot running last summer, and found that I was most comfortable on asphalt. I don't like the stones on the gravel country roads, and don't have enough groomed grass in the area to try that out. Getting weeds and such caught between my toes is not a fun experience. I have 2 sons running varsity CC. One has spent the last year in Green Silence (has gotten along great), and the 8th grader is impatiently waiting for New Balance's line to debut. His wide, short feet have made shoes a challenge, and he wasn't ready to make the jump to the other options this last summer. My 11 year old daughter loves her Injinji socks, and will probably continue to run in flip-flops all summer again. I look forward to what this forum has to offer, and will share my experiences when appropriate.

Good Morning -

My name is Kevin. I've been running in VFF classics since the start of 2010 and have logged over 600 miles so far.

I currently have the classics and Bikila but haven't run in the Bikila's yet as I'm waiting for a smaller size to compare. I look forward to running in them though and am curious to try other minimalist footwear as well, Terra Plana, etc.

My half PR shod is 1:37 and minimalist 1:47 and look forward to continual improvement sans shoes.

• kw

Just signed up and the site seems pretty cool. My name is Brandon and I'm a runner in southeastern Connecticut, specializing in trail running if I have the choice :-) I've run a couple half-marathons to date and was planning to run my first marathon this year, but a knee injury may set me back a bit. I'll find out soon though!

My ultimate goal is to try some ultramarathons, like a 50k that isn't too far from my house, but that's still a dream at this point.

Anyways, you can visit my website, The Running Bran if you want to read more!

Checking in from Denver, Colorado. Not much of a runner but I enjoy sprinting and have been working my way from shoes to bare feet. It reminds me of the cleats I used to wear in high school at track meets. Glad to see others making the switch as well.

I run in the Saucony Kinvara and preview pair of the Peregrines. Can I review these shoes? They are both what I would classify as transitional, useful moving from traditional trainers toward a minimal platform.

Otherwise all I can review are my bare feet, my rock climbing shoes, and my neoprene wetsuit boots. And stocking feet too.

And I bought my wife a pair of Saucony "classic" something or other from the discount shoe place. Those are retro track shoes, but they are super light and almost totally flat. 50 bucks. They fit in the rotation somewhere.

I guess it seems that minimal running and the mid-foot gait are rewarded by changing things up often. One of the greatest failings in my previous shoe mentality was the thinking that I only needed one pair of trainers, shoes that I would run in every day without variation.

Variety = good

I hope Toe Salad can help me find my first pair of zero drop shoes, but I would love to contribute on the way!

Been running barefoot style for almost a year and loving it. First started out wearing aqua socks, then transitioned to Vibram FiveFingers. I ran my first half marathon in my VFFs a few months ago and look forward to completing a full marathon in the near future.

My name is Corey, and I have been running since February of 2010. I started out doing the Couch to 5K on a treadmill, and now almost a year later, I do almost all of my runs outside. Even in the cold. Since I began running, I have lost about 80 pounds, run 5 or 6 5Ks, started a running club in my little town, and have started two "classes" with beginners to get them in to Couch 2 5K.

I do the majority of my running barefoot, but I also run in Invisible Shoe Huaraches, and Sockwa Amphibians. I can't use Vibrams for two reasons; I have Morton's Toe, and 1 foot is a full size larger than the other.

That's about it, I like to run. And I like to encourage other people to run too.

Hi, I recently started adding some barefoot running into my schedule this past summer. I run in minimalist shoes on the others days. Now that it's winter though I have been forced into running in minimalist shoes all the time. I can't wait for it to warm up so a can do some runs barefoot again.

I've been a runner for about eight years (5K - marathon distance), currently rehabing from a tibial stress fracture. I've become more and more interested in the minimalist shoe concept the more I read about it, and am hoping that the combination of less shoe and proper midfoot striking can help prevent future injuries.

I've also been a musician for 25+ years, and I know very well how important it is to play with good technique. No matter which instrument you play, bad form can lead to all sorts of injuries. I've known my share of musicians who actually can't play anymore, or have to severely limit their playing, due to injuries sustained by long term performance. It makes sense that running would be the same way... you don't just go out and do it, mindless of technique. Well, you CAN, but... it likely will catch up with you. I want to be that 65-year-old you see running around the park someday. I hope that becoming mindful and aware of good running technique, and incorporating it into my own running, will allow me to get there someday!

Found the site by way of Peter's excellent blog - runblogger.com

Good to find a place for like minded runners with shoe addictions to co-habitate :)