3 posts tagged “barefoot”
I haven't written about these for a bit, but it's not because I haven't been wearing them. On the contrary, I have practically given up wearing shoes altogether.
I got no pics for this post because they look pretty much the same as what you've seen before.
But let me tell you a little more about these "shoes"... I have been running in them, I wear them around at work, and I even went on an hour long walk in them. These things are, without any shred of doubt in my mind, the most comfortable footwear that I've ever worn in my entire life! Mainly this is because they are almost like not wearing shoes at all. It's as close as you can come to just walking barefoot, without walking barefoot.
Running is no sweat. I actually find it more enjoyable to run in these than in running shoes. I've had no knee problems or back problems or shin splints or any problems at all! It has taken some adjustment to learn to walk in these, but once you get used to how it works, I think you probably wouldn't want to wear shoes after this.
It is definitely true that you should spend a bit of time getting adjusted to how these work. I wouldn't recommend that you try and run a marathon in them, right after you buy 'em. You should definitely start with the suggestion to wear them initially for 2 hours, and work your way up from there. You will be sore and probably hurt yourself if you don't learn to adjust.
But overall, my experience with them has been pretty much 100% positive. I really recommend that you consider getting a pair for yourself. And no, I am not working for Vibram. No. I do not get a commission. I just think that they are some of the best shoes I've ever worn, and I want other people to try them as well....
More on these later...
(I originally typed this up late at night... I guess I was pretty tired or something so I fixed all the fucked up grammar... Well, not that the grammar is perfect, but there were some pretty obviously bad things going on with this post...)
I've been wearing these for quite some time now. I've tried to follow a slow plan of foot indoctrination into wearing these. So I wore them to work and stuff just to walk around and feel comfortable getting around and not hurt any vital parts of my mobility. Since yesterday, I felt like my feet were actually feeling pretty good. Like, they just felt like second nature. So it seemed appropriate to up my activities to start running!
Then I realized (finally) that there's a school near my place, and I could just go run around their playing fields on my way home from work. I don't know why that thought hadn't occurred to me before, but for whatever reason, that's what happened to me. So since I got a long-awaited clue about how to take advantage of the environment here, I decided that today would be the appropriate time to try my hand at semi-barefoot running.
The main thing is, if you've never done this before, you'll never really be ready!
So, I ran around this (neglected) baseball field. By the way, who the hell builds a baseball field in Canada anyway?! I thought all they'd have here are ice rink after ice rink... But clearly, they don't use it for baseball because it pretty much is a gigantic field of weeds and dirt and probably some other miscellaneous creatures.
I tried running on the asphalt path, but I didn't like the hardness, and the heat coming off of it was going right into the soles of my feet. YECH!
So, I ran just inside of the path. It was a mix of weedy grass, rocky dirt, and rocky gravel terrains. I wanted to test how my feet (and shoes) would react to the changing terrain and I'm proud to say, they held up just fine. Powered over the rocks and gravel no sweat! It was almost like a foot massage actually. I found it very stimulating to have all these accupressure points getting pressed in my feet from walking/running over the rocks.
I only ran about a mile. This is for 2 very important reasons. 1.) I am grossly out of shape. No, I am not a gigantic fat sack. I do not need to be hauled out of my apt. with a large crane. But I am certainly not the young fit guy that I was a few years back (sorry....). But that's the point right? That's why you exercise.... Anyway, reason 2.) After about a mile, I felt an intense burning sensation from my heels up to my calves.
Yes.
You have no idea what muscles you aren't using until you actually make them do stuff. And then they tell you to go F**K yourself because you ignored them for the better part of 20 years or so... And now you expect them to work? No sir... These surly teamsters are not likely to change. At least.... Not yet....
See, I'm fairly positive there are muscles back there that haven't been used for like, ever, and with the way modern shoes cushion your feet, my achilles tendon never got a chance to really stretch in the way that it should. So not only am I out of shape, but I'm also using muscles that probably have never been exercised before. In time, they will learn to grow up strong and healthy. But for now, they are not happy with me and need to be broken in delicately.
I will run again, but I think I will wait a day for my muscles to get over the shock. As far as the shoes are concerned, I really liked them a lot before, and this just makes me even happier. Super good purchase! If you, you know, like going outside at all (please say you do...), then I really recommend you get a pair of these too!
More to come...
So I've been away for a l'il bit... But while I was away, I happened to pick up a pair of these little guys...
"What the fuck are these things?" you might be asking. Well, they're kind of unconventional.... Not really shoes, and not really barefoot. But boy, they are comfortable. They're designed to help you walk more naturally, mainly because your toes get more freedom to move around and, well, do what toes are supposed to do.
Shoes are tools of the devil!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They bind your toes together and disrupt your natural ability to stabilize yourself. These things are designed to help you cast off the shackles of your brand name footwear and return to a more natural way of life.... In brand name footwear... :P
Anyway, check out their site to find out a bit more.
My Experience Wit' 'Dem Part 1
When you get a pair of these things, they suggest you ease your way into them by only wearing them around the house and stuff for a couple hours. The reason being is that shoes have pretty much ruined your toes' ability to move and the ligaments and muscles associated with your toes are too weak to really handle these things properly.
So I've been wearing them around the house, taking them on and off to get used to the new footwear.
I gotta say, they're really nice. I have really flat feet... Like, really flat... Like I have almost no arch when I stand up. So I wasn't sure how this would work with my poor archless tootsies.
Part of why I think I have such flat feet is because of how I walk. I tend to have a lot of "heel strike" when I walk which is probably what has lead to my feet having poor posture. I suppose orthotics or something could help, but to be honest, I think these shoes have really helped me more than any shoe inserts.
There's not so much padding in 'em and the soles are made of really flexible rubber. So what ended up happening was that I couldn't really "heel strike" anymore without it being kind of uncomfortable. So not only did I have to train the muscles in my lower legs to wear these shoes, but I also had to relearn how to walk.
So it's been a few days wearing these around the house and it's definitely true that you must take your time with these. The very first day I wore them, after a few hours I actually felt the weakness around my shins and ankles. It's a lot better now, which tells me I can start wearing them more often.
So anyway, as of right now (yes, I am wearing them right now...), I am really enjoying them. I don't think just anyone can wear them though. I would suggest getting some toe socks first, if you're interested, because it'll help teach your toes what they'll need to do, and they don't cost as much as the Vibrams.
But if you like the toe socks, definitely give these things a shot! I'm looking forward to the day when I can go on a hike with these. I'm finding that now, when I am wearing shoes, my walking has improved. I'm now more of mid/forefoot striker. And interestingly enough, I'm starting to also not like wearing shoes anymore... They're too restrictive for my toes and the Vibrams just feel more natural. Go figure!
Anyway, check back later, 'cuz I'll probably be blogging about these cool shoes a little bit later on...
