Ok, so I’ve just finished reading a book called “Born to Run”, and I am now 100% convinced that I need to go and run 100 mile ultra marathons through deserts and mountains barefoot for the rest of my life.

First im going to need some vibram fivefingers to protect my feet and help toughen things up…..anyone got any experience of these? Where can I get them cheap?

I will of course be buying the plain black ones, and doing all my running after dark when no one can see me.

Cheers

i can taste sick when i see them….

I’ve got some speeds and treks which I love, but I don’t think they do cheap 🙂

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=theHXQP9Bo0[/video]

and
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuBw39uCT4Q[/video]

Enjoy 😀

me too, hence the running in the dark

They are so over priced I would not buy them on principle. Instead, I compromised by going for the most minimal running shoes I could get for under £50 and got some F-Lites 230s in the sale for £45. 8)

PMSL!

I’ve got Flite 230s too.
I think I might be developing a shoe fetish 🙂

I read the book about 2 months ago and experienced the same symptoms. Don’t worry, it will pass.

Soon you won’t even think about fashioning sandals from old car tyres at all.

i went to intersupersoccerdiscountsportworld and bought some cheap thin soled gola shoes that look like track flasts.

more minamilist than barefoot.

“i have broken free of the matrix!!” lol

Some little black PE pumps, like you used in primary school will do the job just fine.

Mind how you go.

There is a company called Newitts who were clearing them out online, they might have run out now.

I’ve had a pair for about 6 weeks now, I’m not running in them but I’ve been doing gym rehab and agility stuff. I have got noticeably better balance and proprioception in that time. You can get a feel for the ground in any thin-soled shoe but I have wide feet and I have noticed that they spread in the Vibrams, to the point where some of my other shoes feel narrow and constricting.

Don’t get carried away and use them too much, too quick, you will find lots of little muscles and ligaments that feel a bit strange at first and you need to give them time to adapt.

I tried them and hated them, like the thin sole but the separate toe bits were just a pain, however merrell are bringing out some with a more standard toe box this month.

http://www.merrell.com/US/en/Barefoot

I have two pairs of sprints and a pair of classics. I love them, really comfortable and pretty much all I wear in the summer when I’m not at work.

There isn’t anywhere to get them cheaply and they have shot up in price from 50 odd quid when they first came out here, to what 80 or 90 quid now?

You need to be pretty thick skinned in more ways than one to wear them though, people point and laugh quite alot.

You may find that the more eccentric members of your gym will strike up conversations with you based around your crazy shoes.

Be careful of the “just buy cheap thin soled shoes” idea if you are going to go for long runs. You will need to have a larger toe area to allow your toes to spread when your foot lands. Also look out for hotspots forming.

I bought some “Vibram fivefingers” for my other half. Imagine her disappointment when she opened the box and discovered they were just shoes.

(I’m here all week, try the veal)

Do it. BF running is great. I started after reading BtR too. I already had some VFFs and tried running in those initially, but preferred proper barefoot.

For longer distance, I made some huarache sandals from sole material from the local cobbler and rope. They appear to be a really good compromise for offroad running. Still prefer BF on road though.

Did a half marathon BF last year. Felt really good too.

I do wear the VFFs alot though and if I’m not at work or BF, I wear those as shoes, *when required*.

I wear terra planas mostly at work. Massively wide so your feet can spread in em.

I think unless you’re running completely naked, it’s just too commercial / artificial and taints the whole experience.

Be careful of the “just buy cheap thin soled shoes” idea if you are going to go for long runs. You will need to have a larger toe area to allow your toes to spread when your foot lands.

Heaven forbid that you may actually try to run barefoot and avoid the expense and hype of the large shoe industries without…. well…. investing in a pair of expensive and over hyped shoes. Oh hang on….

If you are looking for some ver thin soled shoes have a look at some from feelmax, Ive got a pair of the Kuusaa and they are brilliant not that I do much running but do understand the benefit of being barefoot

Home

the website is a bit pants but it gives you an idea.

Would be better if they did them in adult sizes.

Maybe it’s just me being a knobber but whenever I see anyone wearing these things I have a really overpowering urge to stamp on their toes. Anyone else? It hasn’t actually happened yet but when it does I’m going to blame the wearer for provoking me

I can’t imagine running barefoot. It’s bad enough having to pick broken glass and dog poo out of the treads of my trainers.

Heaven forbid that you may actually try to run barefoot and avoid the expense and hype of the large shoe industries without…. well…. investing in a pair of expensive and over hyped shoes. Oh hang on….

Some surfaces and distances aren’t suitable for barefoot running, especially when starting out, but why let facts get in the way of an ignorant rant?
Heaven forbid spending money on something you enjoy, even as little as 100 quid. I presume you have a low-cost independently made hand-made bike, have built your own car and live in a mud hut too.

And so, the inevitable degeneration of the barefoot thread begins…

I’ve got Feelmax shoes. Lovely. Wear them for the office it’s like nothing, – perhaps socks. It definitely does change one’s gait. I do wear them outside for summer walks, but I try to avoid tarmac for fear of taking out the soles.

And so, the inevitable degeneration of the barefoot thread begins…

It’s like night following day….

Run barefoot if you like, stop trying to prove stuff, just get on with it.

Don’t try and prove stuff folks, you heard it here first. Keep your so-called opinions and experiences to yourselves.

Inov8 do a version. LOTS cheaper I think.

Also there is a long and quite interesting thread on barefoot running on the FRA site.
Think this is it: http://forum.fellrunner.org.uk/showthread.php?8680-D-Barefoot-Running&highlight=barefoot

Don’t try and prove stuff folks, you heard it here first. Keep your so-called opinions and experiences to yourselves.

Better comment than “he inevitable degeneration of the barefoot thread begins…”

Is it really though? 20 posts is probably a the longest yet before somebody felt the need to make a post rubbishing the whole idea.

or go native

http://www.lunasandals.com/sandals/2-the-original-luna

Inov-8 have started marking their shoes with arrows to indicate how thick the soles are. You could gradually switch to flatter/thinner soles that way.

Plus ça change (plus c’est la même chose).

pah, great minds think alike… same concept innit!

Is it really though? 20 posts is probably a the longest yet before somebody felt the need to make a post rubbishing the whole idea.

What you mean people are serious? I thought it was all “ironic”

iDave, I’ve got a pair of them too 🙂

I did the barefoot thing for a while – and would again if I could find the f’ing things – they must be in the house somewhere :-(.

Take it slow and easy, I went at ti far to hard, my legs and CV system were waay ahead fo my feet/tendons and I give muself quite bacd achillies tendonosis. Took about 6 months to be able to run well again. I’m not knocking the barefoot thing, but just take it easy and allow lots of time for your feet to adapt.