Posted: 10/31/2009 8:45:11 AM EDT
| I know sounds a little crazay right? I just stumbled apon this last night. I was reading Kyle Defoor's Blog Post and then I did some searching and to me it seems to make sense. When ever I try to distance run my shins hurt and my one bad ankle hurts even more. So I was thinking about trying it out. Does anyone here run barefoot or in shoes with little padding? I was serriously thining about picking up a pair of these and trying it out Vibram Five fingers. |
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I was in your position about two years ago. I was getting shin splints regularly and hated that I couldn't run pain free for very long. I bought a pair of Vibram Five Fingers and have never looked back. I dont think it is the shoes that really make the difference as much as it is landing on your forefoot when you run. For PT at work I can't wear the Five fingers, for obvious reasons, so I wear Asics Onitsuka Tigers. They essentially have no padding and make forefoot running a breeze. I have been injury/pain free since making the switch and I run a bit faster with the forefoot technique as opposed to landing heel-toe.
One bit of warning about the Five Fingers is do not buy a bright color if you do not want random people asking you about your shoes all day. Good Luck. Jimmy |
Switching to shoes with less padding and "support" made a HUGE difference for me. Hell, I even ran barefoot sometimes but could only do it so often because running on the road = foreign objects = feet torn up. Joint wise though it helped beyond belief, I ended up running an ultra in shoes that weigh about 7oz(Asics Hyperspeed 2's). Unfortunately they no longer make that shoe and the 3's don't fit me right
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Here is an interesting book on the subject
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen Monk |
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The underlying assumptions about the superiority of how "primitive man" did things were clearly not developed by anthropologists or anyone familiar with the abuse those bodies took and the early age at which most died.
That being said, I think the 5-fingers concept is cool for some purposes, and only wish they allowed for more custom sizes for those of us whose feet are not the same size. It is ridiculous to expect a man to buy two pairs to end up with one pair, and you just can't get away with one "shoe" being a tad big when your toes are supposed to fit into little channels. |
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Quoted: running barefoot is the worst thing you can do to your feet dont do it unless you want a trip to the podiatrist Wrong. http://www.sportsci.org/jour/0103/mw.htm http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-240-319––6728-0,00.html http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/sports/4314401.html http://www.popsci.com/entertainment-amp-gaming/article/2009-05/running-barefoot http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06157/696125-114.stm http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/07/barefoot/ You get the idea... |
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I bought my first pair of Five Fingers back in the beginning of August. Initially, I had wanted to try them for beach running. The instructions indicated you should start by wearing then for around an hour a day and work up from there. This was to allow for your body to adjust to walking barefoot.
Here's my problem. I found them to be sooo freaking comfortable that I started wearing them just about everywhere. I never made it to the beach to run with them, had too much going on and never could make it there. I did start to run on the street with them. I started with a few low distance runs just to try to get the stride/feel of them down. I then had a family emergency that ruined my running schedule for about 8 weeks. I did notice that they got kinda of funky when running in weather where my feet would sweat. I decided when I started running in them again I would need a second pair, so I would always have a freshly washed pair. I finally got a second pair about a month ago. I am back on track with my running schedule and will start incorporating the five fingers into future runs. |
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The problem with your shin splints/ankle has more to do with your current shoe, stride and form than anything. If switching to the 5 finger shoes, you need to modify your gait like others have eluded. Forefoot running will change biomechanically whats taking on all the stress and load from impact. If you plan on continuing to run heel/toe, none of those problems will go away. So this only makes sense if you plan on modifying your gait as well as your shoes.
Its a great shoe by the way, and ive heard nothing but good things about it. |