I am a barefootrunner now for 11 years and since the day I took of my runningshoes I didn't had any injury anymore. I have a better runningform, better stride. I run on concrete, offroad and I have stronger feet than ever.
Couldn’t agree more! I’ve done an Ironman, 2x 70.3 events and 2 half marathons plus all the training for the above, all in bare feet. Yes transitioning to bare feet will take some time but it strengthens feet, legs and improves gait. Watching this video watch the roll in of the ankle on one of the examples whilst using shoes. That over time has huge negative effect on one’s physical health. As above it does take time, and counter to the expert you can actually create a stronger arch with backwards walking (a good 3x 10mins a week for 2 years) Barefoot running will strengthen those in shoes and actually help with longevity in ones running career. New evidence in the Physiotherapy realm backs this now.
The biggest issue with barefoot/ minimalist running is people ignoring the advice and completely underestimating how much adaptation is required. It's astounding how thick people can be. When you start running barefoot/ in minimal footwear, you have to transition to forefoot landing and you'll be relying on your forefoot to break the landing and slow your leg down, absorbing the shock and protecting "upstream parts" of the leg. Our legs were designed for this, but it's demanding. If you have a weakness there and overdo it, you'll hurt yourself. Some people would argue that this proves it's more damaging style of running, but I think it's a case of "use it or lose it." Just because our body is designed to do something, doesn't mean you're fit enough to do it. It means you can train yourself to do it safely. Body is adaptive. We only have what we use. And it takes time to acquire it. You don't have to switch 100 % overnight. You can switch gradually. Who cares if it takes you two years? If the focus is on not getting injured, taking it slow is the answer. You can start by just walking barefoot/ in minimalist footwear once or twice a week. Nothing too long. And take it from there. Shoes without raised heels are great for gym. You perhaps don't need to start that easy, but where is the harm?
If you can't immediately transition to *walking* barefoot or in 'barefoot type' footwear 24/7, you might as well give the ocean a try. It doesn't take 2 years with running either. Took me 2 minutes. However: don't land on your heel, and make sure your cadence is very high. If you don't, you'll probably get injured.
Exactly! Taking weight through the heel should always be avoided. I would love to transition to barefoot but I'm now realising how difficult it is - esp given my runs are generally in the dark and on the road...
yeah let's hear more from the person who's benefitting more of this shoe disaster :D The truth is that every parent should be told to never ever buy their kids regular shoes.
@Armando Sturzenegger lol, not entirely I guess. There are plenty of people with others interest honestly at heart. But yeah, there is no money in a cure. Edit- Welll at least no money in prevention.
"I had so many injuries as a young athlete" and "my opinion is that if it's not broken don't fix it" kind of diminish your argument against barefoot running.
There is a hypothesis that the known running injuries are caused by running shoes. She says she has battled plantar fasciitis for years. If you run barefoot, you do not land on your heel and may not have problems any more. It's just a hypothesis, but many athletes do swear by it. look up "born to run", it's a good book!
These females have bubble gum minds cause they have no worries and tons of money from rich husbands. No thoughts, just repeating like a parrot what some man said.
Nice. Always curious about how long it takes. I’ve been doing as much as possible and very very far from a marathon after 6 months. Hoping to run my first marathon in 9 months, but not sure if that’s enough time. It takes a long time to transition for sure. Ran 10 miles today mostly on the beach and it nearly killed me. Like most, injury essentially lead me here.
@@TheSandkastenverbot Because barefoot running is very enjoyable. Imagine if you when you ate, you only could taste flavours, but nothing had any texture. You would be missing out on a whole dimension. It is nice to feel the earth beneath you.
Forget the video…Have you read Born to Run? I just finished the audiobook and it will pretty much tell you everything you need to know about barefoot running.
@@alexm1841 I read it about 4 years ago when I started minimalist shoe running. I would wear my Xero sandals, and walk for 30 minutes, and every 5 minutes, I jogged for 30 seconds. That was how I started. I gradually increased running time from there. Never had any problems, knee, ankle, feet, back, it was all good. And I was 40 when I started, not an invincible 18 year old! Today I have arches! Always had flat feet, but "barefoot" running has given me arches. Every injury report I've seen was an active runner, someone who would run 6-10 miles at a stretch, put on the minimal shoe and try to go three miles without building up the tendons first. It takes months, at least 6 to develop tendons. They don't have the blood circulation that muscles have, so they take forever to strengthen. Start way slower than you think and it's fine. Another thing I did was after the run I'd wear Chacos or Birkenstocks for the rest of the day. I'd pound pavement barefoot, then support them while they healed.
I've never heard of anyone having collapsed arches from barefoot running, in fact all the testimonial and small studies have shown the opposite. I myself had very flat feet and used to run with inserts until I started cross training with barefoot shoes, now I have a pronounced arch and run with a neutral shoe. There hasn't been any major study about barefoot building arches, to my knowledge, but runners forums are full of similar stories. Personally, I run with minimal and Hokas, depending on the distance and terrain. With marathons and hard flat surfaces, I use lots of cushion, but with technical, soft, very hilly or mixed terrain I use barefoot.
She's clueless of lying through her teeth. Stay away from this ültra charming "professional". I could barely stand on my feet from fallen arches and seemingly ruined ankles. I fixed it myself building up barefoot running from zero. Day 1 - 100m jogging mid-foot strike on the side walk. Day 2 - 200m Day 3 - 300m Day 4 - guess what? 3 weeks and I was doing 600m reps on concrete. Doing some transitions on surf shoes as my soles were not adjusting as quickly. 2 months and I was running PB's. 3 months and I did 18'00 over 5K, being a pretty big guy who never broke 20.
I generally agree, so I did a bit of hunting about within the podiatry community about this topic rather than the barefoot and sports community which seems to overwhelmingly support barefoot for training. The first thing: www.podiatrytoday.com/tackling-10-myths-barefoot-running this states the complete opposite of everything she says... plantar fasciitis is caused by shoes etcetera. But, since I don't know the author or the rigor of their statements, I kept hunting. I found a few other podiatrists: goo.gl/J6rwbA , goo.gl/sqja66 , that state identical information that barefoot running promotes arches and reduces the injuries she cited as being the most common side effects of barefoot running. Maybe the editing of the video flipped what she was saying or she said it one way and meant the other, but it would appear my experience is the medical norm.
I would like to point out that a podiatrist also makes their living off of selling and offering advice on how to fit a shoe for your "particular foot type". There's a huge conflict of interest here. Seeing a podiatrist recommend you go barefoot is like a car salesman telling you to ride your bike. At runrepeat.com they perform a huge meta-analysis of 150 studies I can tell you their conclusion, but let's face it. If you don't like the conclusion, you won't be reading it. runrepeat.com/arch-support-study I personally have been wearing orthotics for my flatfoot for over a decade. I feel like I've been lied to by three different podiatrists and a bunch of Chiropractors.
Yes, to me that is a ridiculous statement by the podiatrist that barefoot running causes fallen arches. At 17 years old a doctor told me I had mobile flat feet. Now at 55 years old, after waking on the pads of my feet for the last 14 months (no heel contact at all, walking 5 to 10 miles a day) my right foot has a nice arch and my left foot has a slight one and still getting better I think. Also, my upper body tension which would cause discomfort every time I bent over at the waist, vanished after 2 months of my new walking style. Then as my ankles got stronger I was able to walk with my heels higher off the ground, and after another 5 months, my gluteal muscles which had been very tight for 25 years, were no longer tight. The arch collapses from people walking flat footed as they aren’t using the arch.
same as me, through my teen years ive had on and off issues with pronation, and i would wear insoles, but now that im conscious of my walking and running style my arches are better.
The transition to barefoot/minimalist running takes time. It has taken me several years, due to the fact that I have been shod in both walking and running my whole life. When you wear shoes, not just running shoes, your are basically putting your foot in a cast, and of course your foot muscles atrophy, and tendons become stiff. I can now run in minimal footwear but still need time to toughen my feet to running around completely barefoot. The other thing that people forget when they talk about running barefoot, is that yes our feet and legs were designed to run barefoot, but not on completely flat pavement. They were designed to run around on varying terrain of deserts, forest floors and tundra. Therefore running barefoot on pavement may not be be such a good idea, with exception of reducing weight. I recommend these books in this order, if you want to make the transition: Whole Body Barefoot: Transitioning Well to Minimal Footwear, by Katy Bowman (A biomechanist) The Running Revolution: How to Run Faster, Farther, and Injury-Free--For Life, by Nicholas Romanov (Olympic coach and world-renowned sports scientist)
Run in shoes and you can look forward to ankle issues, knee surgeries and back problems. Run barefoot and your feet will hurt when u run until youve built upnthe muscles in your foot.
jgsk78 Yep, calves for me because you spring up and down on the balls of your feet. So barefoot running is like doing hundreds and hundreds of calf lifts.
So true, my calves had a hard time first few weeks. Now even with shoes my form is better from training bare foot. Let the fools ruin there joints i say " hard head makes for a soft ass"
@@MrKachannie I don't care one way or the other about veganism, but processed foods are generally bad regardless of whether they're in meat or veg form.
it's like, "ah, yes. I'll go immediately from what I have been doing for years and am used to, to something I don't know the proper technique for, haven't trained for, and aren't used to. That sounds like a sound experiment and comparison to me."
I had had the same experience. I suffered with shin splints for years. I tried expensive motion-contol shoes, custom orthotics, and reducing my miles. Nothing worked or even helped...until barefoot running. Vibram fivefingers cured me. Now I run in them or a thin, light neutral shoe for longer runs.
@@heatherjenson6120 I'm only one week in rning every other day in 5 fingers, And my shin splints are gone as well :). The outside of my calf and achilles does feel a bit tight though after about a mile. Is tgis normal for a time as a beginner in minamalist shoes?
The podiatrist is clueless. Barefoot running (gradually building it up from having been given up by the industry and a therapist for fallen arches) fixed me. Within weeks I was doing barefoot speedwork on concrete. A few months I ran 5k in 18'00, having never gone close to 20', and weiging in at 87kg. It's all about transitioning. Any running style seems design to ruin your calves until you've adjusted to it. And going from the mindless heelstrike in even the most "shock absorbing" (compare a few mm of foam compression to all the movement in the foot...) to a nice midfoot strike, it's a whole different use of the calves. Heel strikers use the calf to push off through the angle at the very end of the ground contact. Mid foot strikers pre-tension the calf, absorb the impact THERE (on with the knee and hip joints), and with the whole bone structure of the foot, and the push-off is a passive release by the calf. Very different way to use the muscle. Now let's ponder, how did evolution or some creator want up to run? We didn't have shock absorbing shoes for a very, very long time... How did we hunt and flee? Taking animals into submission? Spears and daggers? Guess again.
While I can agree with that sentiment in general, I don't think biomechanics is an area where we want to go against nature, especially in regards to longevity of our body. If you want to run, it's a good idea to run as your body evolved to. As this is something we have done for a very long time and evolution is pretty good at optimization. The issue here is that artificial support interferes with exercising that part of your anatomy. And if you start relying on it, that part can weaken because it's no longer needed as much. This is IMHO wrong. It's a tool that can be useful, but the focus should always be on strengthening your weaknesses. Not on relying on a compensation device. I also run in shoes. Because I'm not keen on dirt, debris or getting my feet wet. However, I don't like raised heels. They make forefoot landing more difficult and influence posture. And I don't like stiff soles, especially in combination with raised heels.
Evolution doesn't take a hundred years. Shoes as we know them today are modern invention. Running shoe is something like 50 years old. That's barely a moment in evolution. On the other hand, we spent walking barefoot or in thin sandals ages. And studies have shown that people in less developed regions that didn't wear shoes in childhood have significantly fewer issues with their feet than people from the so called more civilized parts of the world that have been wearing shoes for almost as long as they could walk. Even a correlation between the likelihood of having issues and how soon you started wearing shoes (the sooner you start wearing shoes, the more likely it is you'll have problems). So much for your evolution. It looks more like degeneration. Of course, retrospective studies are problematic. And this is part of the problem with barefoot running. Normally, you'd spend your entire childhood building strength and honing technique so you could then run long distances e.g. while hunting. And some people think it's a good idea to skip this part. Main point was that our bodies have evolved over millions of years to do something and they're pretty damn good at it. Don't reinvent the wheel. Just run as you're intended. Perhaps, over time, we'll become so crippled (we will evolve, as you put it) that running without special aids will be out of the question. I would prefer not to get there. To each their own, I guess. The real challenge is determining how much you can do. From physics standpoint, there is a big difference between running at 8 km/h and at 15 km/h. Does it matter to us as far as injuries go? Who knows. However, just because we evolved to run (among other things) doesn't mean there is no limit to our ability if you want to avoid long term consequences.
The podiatrist is out of work if people get back to how their foot was meant to work and stop having foot issues caused by super padded and raised heal shoes. She is not clueless, she knows exactly what she's doing.
Aged 10, we moved to South Africa, in the early 1970s, where I discovered everything was done barefoot. Became adept. Ran cross country at school barefoot, played junior rugby barefoot, even rode my bike in quill pedals and toeclips barefoot! Wind the clock forwards to the 1990s and I start Tri. Running shoe shop took one look at my stupendously flat feet and sold me heavy duty motion control shoes. Injury after injury (I'm also 100Kg or so). Nearly gave up and in desperation tried some Vivo Barefoot trail shoes which absolutely rocked when I ran. Recently had a gait analysis with video, and discovered that I'm also slightly bow legged, and the combination of a bowed leg and flat feet mean I have a perfectly neutral foot strike. 20 years of the wrong shoes.... I still run barefoot as part of my running program, my feet aren't as hard as they were in my teens, so I do this mainly on treadmill or beach and also do my longer distances in low drop Hokas. For me, minimalist / zero drop or genuine bare feet would be my preference.
Adriano Oda Yamada my point was not that we should all run around barefoot. My point was the foot protection you wear should allow your foot to work the way it was meant to. Not, add ridiculous amounts of rubber and raise your heal 2-8” off the ground. They should not restrict your toes. There is a difference between protecting the bottom of your foot from scrapes, punctures, or what have you, and binding it up in a leather or synthetic material cast that forces it into an unnatural position and effectively atrophies the muscles that should be strengthened with every step.
MrKimberCrazy actually we’ve been running barefoot for millions of years, ever since 2,000,000 B.C.E. Our ancestors would run dozens if not hundreds of miles in a single day after their prey in a process called persistence running, where they would run an animal to death. Modern running shoes have only been introduced and mainstream in the past few hundred years. So although we should be able to easily run barefoot, growing up with shoes on every time one runs makes them have weaker calves and foot muscles, so anyone who wants to go back to their roots and run barefoot, just know, take it slow at first, don’t destroy your calves, and always stretch. After a few weeks of readjustment self therapy, you may begin to run faster and easier with less pain than you did when you wore running shoes. But of course, that is the whole idea of barefoot running, I’m not yet speaking from experience.
A few issues i am noticing in a lot of these minimalist v shoe running videos: 1. No one talks about the history of the modern trainer to tell people why they don't work. 2. Look at the injury rate of shoe runners vs bearfoot runners. 3. Talk about how to convert from shoes to no shoes (where most injuries accure) from jumping into minimalist shes and think they can run without developing muscles in their feet. Its a prosess that takes a while to prep for. But if you take the time to develop muscles. Its far more rewarding and you would be supprised. I am 100% for minimalist shoes. But it tool a little over a year before i could do a 10 mile run at my original speed. Good luck runners. I will cheer for you no mater what shes you have on.
I love barefoot running, I've done it exclusively for over five years and now I feel trapped, weighed down, in normal running shoes. Since I do most of my running on asphalt roads I do like to use some sort of protective footwear like vibram fivefingers or similar zero drop shoes with a wide toe box.
The fact that the video host had tons of injuries as a younger athlete running in trainers probably shows the harm that thicker-cushioned shoes can do in the first place. The reason her calves were tight when she ran barefoot is that she didn't transition into them at all. If you've run unnaturally for years, you can't expect to not experience discomfort when you suddenly switch to natural. Analogy: It's like when you suddenly transition to a high-fibre vegetable-rich diet after years of junk food; you'll struggle with digestion because of the lack of a healthy microbiome to break down the veggies. But gradually increasing veggie and proper food intake will do you a world of good. Similarly, switching to barefoot running is going to take some time and, for a fair assessment, the transition into them should be gradual.
Hahaha this is like interviewing a windows user about the benefit/pitfalls of using a Mac. Honestly not impressed with this video, most people in the "barefoot" running movement are using very minimalist shoes (like Vibrams) so pesky things like gravel don't matter, these don't even get a mention, you also warn of sore calves after you gave it a go (and probably did it wrong, landing to far forward on your foot) for 10 minutes on sand. You spend half the video talking to a pediatrist and zero time talking to any barefoot runners or researchers, you then go on to say how you have used very cushioned shoes and orthotics to eventually get injury free but did not interview any of the hundreds of people out there (including professional/high level runners) about them using the barefoot running methods. I'd love to see a non-bias proper video on this because I'm still very much undecided on the whole barefoot thing, but this 1-sided, ill-informed glance at it was not good imho.
Sounds to me like you've convinced yourself already. I did 3 years ago and now can't run with any heel it just feels wrong. I run tar and trail up to double marathon distance and get no foot or impact issues at all. Watch all the vids if you haven't already, start very slow and build up. Short strides are the key, leading with your hips helps posture. Have fun.
For the first two years of competitive running (cross country+track) in middle school i ran in thick well cushioned running shoes. Every other week i would have to take a few days off because of injuries. I switched to minimalist trainers a few months ago and from the first week almost all the pain went away. With practice eventually all of it did as i got used to the proper cadence and gait necessary when running barefoot, or close to it. Ive never felt more fit and ready for this upcoming running season. For anyone who sees this, definitely try barefoot ot minimalist shoes, it takes time and practice but it pays off.
@@clai6016 thanks for sharing. I've gotten injured 3 times in the past 8 months and have never tried barefoot or minimalist running before. I think I might give it a try.
@@MichaelA82828 no problem, take your time getting into minimalist running. Right now I'm mainly running in the Adidas Adios 4. It's a pretty cheap racing shoe, but I would definitely recommend it for people trying to ease into minimalist running. Good luck, I hope you stay healthy!
@@clai6016 I heard that was a good shoe. I'm kind of nervous going into minimalist running because it hasn't been tested that much with high performing athletes. And Nike has been coming out with amazing shoes (4%, next %, and alphaflys) that Kipchoge and other top runners are wearing to break world records. Maybe a combination of barefoot/minimalist shoes and regular running shoes is the best. Maybe the benefit of barefoot running is just to get better running form. If you can run with the proper form the alphaflys are probably the best thing to go with. What do you think?
Host: 'My opinion, if its not broken dont fix it' Evolution: 'well if its not broken, why did you go and fuck up my good work by putting shoes on. You broke it, not me.'
In Portland Oregon I ran 12k barefoot in grass every am & 8k up 1% on the treadmill each pm pretty quick.( DAILY) In my case----my feet became SO strong & bulletproof-that when donning track spikes I could do sub -5 sets of mile repeats & sets of :65 1/4 repeats which translated into many track ,road 5 &10k overall wins. I even won a beach 5K running barefoot. Most people in my opinion aren't motivated,intelligent or disciplined enough to implement let alone maintain such a regime.Or to transition appropriately & patiently from shoes to sans shoes. Anyone questioning the effaccy of barefoot running need look no further than the fastest runners on planet earth from Kenya, Ethiopia & Uganda who often spend a large portion of their regular & training life BAREFOOT. You definitely don't need a scientist opinion to understand & comprehend the very simple fact that 1) your feet are the foundation of all your athletic endeavors thatyou undertake & 2) STRONGER FEET = FASTER FEET. The end.
Love the comment btw. I’m a competitive runner too. Started in high school 10 years ago. Just started barefoot running for a variety of reasons 6 months ago. Making huge progress, but still so far from where I want to be. I live at the beach which has been helpful for easing into it. Believe it or not, can’t find any 5ks on the beach. After graduating college, I realized I’ve never really won a single individual race. 10 years of running and I’ve never won! I’ve never felt so motivated to get back in shape to check off that bucket list item along with run a marathon. Winning a marathon is very very far out of reach, but sure it won’t be too hard to find a local 5k where 18 minutes will do the job. I’m gonna win a race or die trying.
Started running with barefoot shoes and loving it!! I got rid of all my “normal” shoes and only wear barefoot shoes now. I did a very slow transition! Took me half a year to get back to my normal running distance (10k), but loving it!!!
@@humility-righteous-giving Took me half year to transition! To get back to my normal running distance. About 5 months ago I Vibram fivefinger shoes. For me these are the best shoes I’ve ever worn.
I've run my Luna Sandals for a few years now. My lower back and knee tightness immediatly improved and I love the free feeling it gives. Planning to do my first marathon in them this month🤞👊
I made the mistake of transitioning too quickly but I persevered and have now run 9 marathons without shoes including the Boston Marathon. If I could give the me of seven years ago advice it would be this: 1) Buy zero drop, thin soled work and casual shoes and start wearing those exclusively outside of running. 2) start every run barefoot for a short distance (less than 1/4 mile then put shoes back on and finish the run then add bf miles slowly. 3) watch The Soc Doc on TH-cam and heed his advice for any issues with leg, knee or foot pain. 4) Your soles get tough fast but the bones, ligaments and tendons do not; give them time! I've trained 70+ mile weeks 80% barefoot and the rest using Soft Stars or Vibrams. I will never wear shoes with heals or support again. Things you may not know: 1)Trails are way harder to run barefoot than pavement and I still can't handle gravel for more than a mile without swearing. (They use basalt gravel around here and that stuff us sharp! 2) Barefoot keeps you cooler than shod even on hot pavement. The weight of even a light shoe is still noticeable once you've run without shoes.
Transition: altra escalate, merrel vapor glove, vibram five fingers, barefoot. Bare in mind these high stack running trainers will make u run unnaturally but u will get those PR's. Barefoot is slower but much more fun
I haven't ran at all since I was in the military in 2015. I discovered barefoot running and picked it up 2 weeks ago. Been running 2-3 miles a day on concrete in Mexico with not one injury or pain. This whole warmup/ease strategy is a farce IMO. These feet were made for running and I feel great after every session.
@@tylerbenner Huh, mine don't really touch the ground but I go straight from walking to running, no jogging. Jogging hurts, I can run for much longer anyways, although I'm not a distance runner.
@@crisbowman if your heel does not touch the ground all of your shock absorption comes from your achilles and calf muscles. This is too much stress for them and not how the human body was made to run long distance. For sprinting this makes you the fastest, but if you run every day your chances of injury go up dramatically. Use your whole foot, landing on the midfoot.
I was an avid runner for several years and then everything fell apart, pain everywhere, developed a chronic fatigue disorder and so on. A couple of years ago I was able to get back into running and was wearing the Brooks GTS, and was soon in the market for a new shoe. I've always been fascinated with barefoot running. I decided to go more that direction and discovered the Altra Escalante. I figured I'm basically starting over anyway, so might as well give it a try. It does take time to build up to running with this kind of shoe, but once you do you will love them. They are foot shaped and allow for the toes to naturally spread. I discovered muscle function that had been missing from my feet. I've increased mobility from my toes up to my hips. It's the greatest decision I ever made. I smashed my personal bests in the 5k and 10k distances.
the altra isn’t wide enough to allow natural toe spread imo, i’ve run through 2 pairs already Altra is more like a minimalist shoe. It’s a good transitional shoes for barefoot shoes.
The only time I'm wearing traditional shoes is at work as there are very few alternatives.... but my out of work hours I am barefoot or in minimalist shoes... I'm a firm believer in getting your feet out as often as possible.....
I started running in extremely minimalist zero drop shoes (one step above barefoot running) to try to get rid of some knee pain. I did get rid of the knee pain but I got some plantar fasciitis issues. Now I used the minimalist zero drop shoes for short runs (5-10 km) and anything longer I have cushioned shoes with only a 4 mm drop. I also do foot exercises to keep those muscles in shape just like everything else.
How do you run, forefoot/heel striking? How did you transition? Maybe that's the answer to your plantar fasciitis issues, not the actual barefoot running...
I have trained karate on and off over the years barefoot. Then at the beginning of the pandemic, I had to shield and basically lived in slippers or barefoot. When I was due to go back to work in the office, I found my feet had changed shape, e.g. I had a gap between my big toe and the rest etc. My ordinary shoes felt uncomfortable so I decided to switch to barefoot shoes - initially just using blitz Superflex. I have literally just started couch to 5k, so therefore am doing that in barefoot style shoes - initially using thicker zero drop Ecco trainers, today I used blitz Superflex. It has meant I started running, when running for the first time as an adult, with a forefoot strike. Key point being I did an accidental slow transition and am not just doing running on barefoot trainers, I am using barefoot shoes for everything.
Claire Forbes is a for profit Doctor who runs a private clinic. Also, let's not talk to anyone who is an advocate for Barefoot Running. I expected better of you GTN
I transitioned to barefoot running after forgetting my shoes and running 2x longer than I could normally run. I grew up in gymnastics and running around barefoot. As I got older I had many injuries training, hiking, and exercising in 'normal' shoes. I had less injuries after transitioning during exercise but realized I was wearing 'normal' shoes most of the time - just living and doing normal day to day walking and activity. It wasn't until I transitioned to full time barefoot style shoes that my injuries and pain actually did a lot of resolving. "Normal" shoes inhibit my hip, ankle, knee and foot awareness (and strength). I think it's almost impossible for them not to in some way. I don't think people should ever be put in 'supportive' shoes. Sure, cover your feet from the gravel! But I have better arches now then I did all the years I wore normal shoes, and strong feet are good for your body. And that wasn't a good test as the presenter is used to shoes and her body has become reliant upon the cushioning and support..
I enjoy GTN very much and have for years but this was a poor effort at diving into a complicated subject. Would be nice to see GTN revisit this subject in a deeper dive and without the bias their shoe sponsors influence may have.
At age 61 I was obese (102 kg and 170 cms in height). I began running barefoot in the house, most often on the spot. I find it remarkably efficient, you are so right about the weight of shoes. I have had my medial miniscus removed ‘coz it tore about 20 years ago, and I felt that running barefoot on the forefoot would prevent bone on bone impact in the knee because the way I was running the leg never straightened at the knee and the gait was springy because the tendons were being loaded. And at 61 it felt great to be springy on my feet again!!! Of course you can hurt yourself so go easy, I began with 50 steps a day and worked up to about 75 minutes a day over 4 years, and it is wonderful.
I bought some VivoBareFoot running shoes last year and tried them for a couple of runs but found they hurt my feet. So I retired them to walking shoes and continued running in my Hoka’s. After 12 months of walking every day in minimalist shoes and doing calf strengthening exercises I’ve started running in my Vivo’s again and love it! I think I’ll be a full time minimalist runner very soon! The calf activation from running in minimalist shoes is crazy, they’re growing a lot more than they ever have in cushioned running shoes.
I hated running growing up, but was and am best friends with an elite XC runner who transitioned to Vibrams and barefoot. Fast forward 10 years and now I've been running as a complete beginner exclusively in Vibrams. I got one stress fracture, but took 6 weeks off, and now I'm in the best shape of my life. I think I'm a pretty rare example of someone who started running this way.
I started transitioning to barefoot running and walking 10 years ago. Today I can say that I have fully transitioned as I am able to run more than 2 hours without any soreness on trail (concrete do create a bit of soreness as it is hard, flat and boring...). Intelligent transition takes years, not months, not weeks but years... And yes, calves will hurt at the beginning, it is the price to pay to educate them. Outside of what we can read everywhere (natural gait, postural gain, improved propriation...) the weight factor is something that is very often forgotten and I am glad you've talked about this at the end of your videos. From my perspective the gain in weight is not negligible (100+grams gain on each feet repeated at each strike for a session of several hours is a major difference for the body) and this key factor alone help to run longer and be faster going uphill. What I can also tell you is that 6 month I twisted my ankle on a hike in the mountain. I was wearing a heavy backpack and tried to jump on an uneven terrain with a very minimalist shoe (stupid I know). According to the physiotherapist my feet/ankle/overall leg where very strong and it helps prevent bigger injury (ligament tearing or even worse). The physiotherapist was very surprised with my recovery rate and how quickly I was able to do all the recovery drill at each cession.
One note on the opinions of podiatrists. I heard one on a podcast the other day claim that in podiatry school they were not taught much of anything regarding causation or prevention of injuries. What they WERE taught was diagnosis and treatment. I don't want to sound like "conspiracy brother," but it's interesting that those happen to be the two things that produce revenue, whereas prevention does not.
I've been running barefoot for 3.5 years and had no problems and my injuries only lasted half a week. At little Athletics, I have to run with shoes on and that's unfortunate but I train barefoot. I feel so light barefoot and I like feeling the grass under my feet.
a pediatrist recommending to use comfort and support?! WOW so surprising! I bet a surgeon would recommend surgery and a optometrist recommend not to do eye surgery. All of the above is true stories. If you are not a complete idiot, anyone can and should do barefoot running. But if you do think you're a bit of an idiot and go run heel striking then don't do it. Use the fat cushy shoes. Really annoying that shoe companies cannot make barefoot shoes anymore (almost) because they have to cater for the lower denominators. DO NOT RUN BAREFOOT if you don't want to start slow, learn to run correctly and take your time. If you do injure yourself because you're an idiot, go spend $40 000 000 on orthotics in 7 different kinds of shoes for the rest of your life.
I’ve been wearing the Hykes Pinnacle barefoot shoes, and I always tell my friends, imagine wearing a pair of pants that did all the supporting for you. If your muscles didn’t have to work, they would slowly weaken, leading to countless problems. The same goes for your feet. Since switching to the Hykes Pinnacle, my feet have become incredibly strong, and I never experience foot pain anymore. I can’t imagine ever going back to restrictive, conventional shoes. These barefoot shoes have truly transformed my foot health.
I've been running in VFF's and other extremely minimalist shoes, for nearly two years now (and thousands of km's)! I used to get runners knee and IT band syndrome consistently with regular trainers, but have been completely injury free side going extreme minimalist! It takes quite a while to get appropriate strength and technique, but once you have, it's so much easier to run (for me)! I'm currently training for my first Ironman in 2019.
Thanks for sharing. I've gotten 3 injuries in the past 8 months with IT band and runner's knee problems. I'm thinking of trying out barefoot running. Did minimilast running help with your speed as well?
@@MichaelA82828 Speed took a hit to begin with, but once your body, achilles, calf muscles, etc are used to minimal running you can start working on speed! Don't go too fast too soon, make sure to listen to your body!
@@IronWill Thanks for the info! I think that is always my problem, doing too much too soon. That and not doing injury prevention exercises. I'm hoping to get back in shape and finally beat my PRs from high school in the 800, mile, and 5k and run my first marathon.
I have had zero injuries or problems transitioning to barefoot, but it has taken me 5 years, and I still only 'jog' 2 km, focusing solely on the foot splay, calf and technique. In the beginning, I couldn't run 100 yards without heel striking (which really hurts)! It takes time, but once you do it, it is amazing.
I discovered barefoot running last year when my shoes were still wet from the previous days' run on the beach. I remembered seeing a lady running barefoot and figured I would give it a try. I haven't stopped since. I run in the tide and it feels like playing and helps keep me cooled off, therefore helping me drastically improve my distance. I don't have issues with shin splints anymore, although I did have to really focus on stretching beforehand because I was getting very tight calves and thighs and this resulted in pain. I haven't tried running barefoot on the pavement or grass. To be fair, the surfaces where I live are covered in filth of all sources, so I will stick to the beach for now.
Thank you for this video! I know you’re feeling hesitant but your honesty in trying to investigate helped me realize I really do wanna get some vibrams
For the first two years of competitive running (cross country+track) in middle school i ran in thick well cushioned running shoes. Every other week i would have to take a few days off because of injuries. I switched to minimalist trainers a few months ago and from the first week almost all the pain went away. With practice eventually all of it did as i got used to the proper cadence and gait necessary when running barefoot, or close to it. Ive never felt more fit and ready for this upcoming running season. For anyone who sees this, definitely try barefoot or minimalist shoes, it takes time and practice but it pays off.
I have run barefoot and with Vibram 5 fingers and Vivobarefoots for about 9 years. I am a curvy lady and weigh 75kg. I am just about to run a half marathon next weekend. I have been training with my boss who suffered shin splints on both legs wearing a traditional running shoe. So far, I am injury free. I don't remember having suffered any injuries in 9 years and I was also running after I gave birth and put on 20kg. I wouldn't go back to running with a traditional running shoe. When I transitioned, there was tightness in my calf muscles and my feet were quite flat. The tightness eased as they strengthened running barefoot and I noticed after about a year, when walking on concrete with wet feet, that my arches became more pronounced. I would say after 9 years barefoot, I now have a normal arch. All pluses from my perspective.
orthotics are like using duct tape to repair a car engine. you are just holding something that is still broken together and it will inevitably get worse. my evidence for this claim is almost every case of orthotics use ever.
I am running barefoot since 2014, 2015, no injuries but it did took a while to adjust. At the begining from what I remember, bones in the leg were hurting littlebit. That was enough of warning not to push it to hard. I think it took me few months to go up 10k with no problem. After that I run several 21k and under. If I have or had time to train could go longer. Trail running barefoot is blessing. "When you run with the earth on the earth you can run forever"
For the first two years of competitive running (cross country+track) in middle school i ran in thick well cushioned running shoes. Every other week i would have to take a few days off because of injuries. I switched to minimalist trainers a few months ago and from the first week almost all the pain went away. With practice eventually all of it did as i got used to the proper cadence and gait necessary when running barefoot, or close to it. Ive never felt more fit and ready for this upcoming running season. For anyone who sees this, definitely try barefoot ot minimalist shoes, it takes time and practice but it pays off.
My coach has included running on sand for the past 5 years, when we're building my endurance base for the upcoming season. I'm a 50+ athlete, and need to constantly work on my strength. Typically it'll be 1 of my 3 weekly runs, with a 30:00 warmup, 40:00 on the sand, and 10:00 warmdown. It'll usually be a set of intervals, that I run barefoot, and airways on the soft powdery sand, never the harder wet sand at the water's edge. After a few weeks my body adapts and I don't feel the heavy soreness I do at the beginning, particularly in the calfs. I feel it's beneficial, and helps maintain my running strength, though I wouldn't do it in the middle of the racing season. One caveat: I live in Rio, and though there are plenty of beaches to run on, it's very easy to burn the soles of your feet. I've burnt my soles 3 or 4 times, and the blistering is bore to deal with after. My advice: in Spring/Summer/Autumn, make sure to run before 10AM. In winter here I've run barefoot at 2PM without any problems...
The podiatrist is clueless. I have never heard of fallen arches or stress fractures of the shins as a result of running barefoot. I actually went from possible knee replacement to running 6-10 miles daily with no knee pain presenting. The only thing I have experienced from running barefoot is an occasional calf cramp.
In summer I do a barefoot warmdown after interval sessions on the track. Just a few laps on the grass though (watch out for the javelin/discus/hammer throwers!)
Run barefoot to learn proper form then try to transfer that form to wearing shoes. The problem is shoes ruin your natural running form... (forefoot first)
at one point, I had fully flat (no arch) feet, barefoot has slowly fixed that over 3 years. i dont even have to wear rigid orthodics any more, and all the pains went away aswell. but that's just my experience, barefoot really improved my life
The challenge with moving to barefoot is that you're also moving into a different running culture, mainly ultra running which can be pretty weird and mysterious with lots of people doing their own thing.
I couldn't run for more than about 10 minutes without knee pain until I changed to a zero drop shoe (no cushioning with Vivo and mild cushioning with Altra) and a forefoot strike. 45 minute 6 km runs are no problem now and I'm looking forward to running faster and further.
i'm a new runner and I started with barefoot-like shoes right off the bat. It feels great so far. as you said lots of stretching and calf strengthening exercises.
On a personal note; run "Barefoot/Mimalist" shoes, and this has solved by issues; Planters-fasciitis on my left foot and Fat-pad syndrome on my right heel because I no longer heel-strike, but rather run with a mid-foot/fore-foot strike. Yes, when transitioning over to the bare-foot shoes, take your time and allow your muscles to adapt to the new biomechanics; I did a learn to run 5k program using the shoes indoor on the Dreadmill over a Winter to get use to the feel.......I had been running for years when I took the decision to try, I had completed 2 marathons already....just my 2pennys.
Quite a biased report, no? ..........How about interviewng someooe fro the barefoot camp???? Are you talkign about barefoot or zero drop?? I switched to zero drop shoes two years ago. Since then i have never had any joint or muscular pain. Do what you like but overly cushioned , high raised heeled shoes are not natural. Completley barefoot (naked feet) I can't recommend for obvious reasons of safety. All I can say is zero drop has been the thing for me and has allowed me to continue and progress. I feel that most sports shops sell shoes for fashion...not many shop assistants kno anything about running or 'drop' ...do your own research and experiment. .... I tried a shoe with a very low drop but had pain again.......Companies want you to buy the new BS....There is a period of transition as your calf muscle strengthen over time. An empty report.
I use both. I know I can't run a marathon barefoot so I only use it as a drill. If you're doing swimming drills then consider barefoot running as a drill. I don't even have to force myself and I'm running at 4'40/km without breathing particularly hard so you can run quite fast barefoot because you're getting a better running economy. With normal shoes I keep getting blisters and huge callouses under the ball of my feet, but I need them for interval training and long runs as well. Arch support is definitely not a problem for me. I need stronger hips though, working at a desk all day long is clearly detrimental to me.
Extreme support trainers and barefoot are the complete opposites, the solution should be somewhere in the middle, and not every runner requires the same solution. Personally, a minimal shoe with enough protection for the rough terrain helps me maintain a midsole landing which avoids my knee injuries, while giving me enough protection to face tough running surfaces.
I used to sell shoes at a fleet feet sports which specializes in diagnosing strike patterns, and arch types and fitting customers in proper fitting trainers. I am an ultra trail runner and barefoot runner on trail. I have found that the type surface I choose to run on is one of the most important factors in preventing injury and improving my running form i.e. running on hard flat surfaces like pavement forces your foot to adapt to a flat surface repeatedly and can lead to more injuries running barefoot than running in a proper fitting trainer with good support, but ultimately it is clear to me that using highly supportive shoes and inserts on pavement causes me to strike exactly the same way each time I place my foot as I run, which over many miles causes imperfections in my running form to materialize as injuries. Bottom line, our feet are NOT adapted for flat hard surfaces. ---As a side note it is important to point out that trainers fall into two categories 1: Stability shoes: these have higher density foams, and plastic structures on the inside half of the shoe (the part where your arch is) and are for people who over-pronate (have flat feet) because they help keep the knee in line with the hips by lessening how far your ankles roll inward during pronation. 2: neutral shoes: this is the typical trainer that has the same density of foam through the entire sole. Shoes in the stability and neutral categories vary in heel to toe offset, amount of cushioning and structure ect which are more important for matters of preference, milage, strike pattern between different runners. Is important to know if the level of your overpronation puts your into the stability shoe category or not since this can drastically change the way that your joints above your foot absorb the impact of strikes as well as the wear pattern of the shoe.--- ---Second side note: Inserts such as custom and other orthotics offer a completely different type of support than stability shoes, they support the arch of the foot by keeping the bones in the arch (particularly the navicular bone) from dropping too low during pronation. Semi-flexible orthotics such as Superfeet inserts are a great way to help stabilize the foot when running on pavement, as long as the orthotic fits correctly and doesn't overstabalize the arch which will cause discomfort and can even cause stress fractures--- However running on trail is much more dynamic and your feet adapt to a variable 3-dimensional surface with each strike which is much easier on your entire body (provided that you have worked up slowly to running barefoot) since it works out many more balancing and stabilizing muscles and ligaments, which leads to a stronger running form overall and fewer injuries as a result. For those serious about running long distance I think its a huge advantage to have a good set of supportive and cushioning shoes for the road, trial runners for running offroad, and to practice barefoot running on a regular basis offroad on safe surfaces that you don't expect dangerous objects like glass or metal. Using running orthotics is a great way to control overpronation and stability shoes help align the body above the foot for people who overpronate too much on pavement. Finally road runners who are having issues with injuries should consider starting to switch over to primarily running on trail with more neutral shoes with good grip.
I have begun to slowly transition to barefoot running because of injuries (Shinsplints for 2 years, strained achilles for a month, pulled groin (Or muscle near groin area) for a couple months) and I can safely say that in the runs that I have done (Not too many since I'm still recovering from my shinsplints), barefoot running has allowed me to run without pain from my shinsplints and avoid new injuries. It might not be for everyone but, I definitely recommend trying it if shoes aren't helping prevent injuries.
5:00 That podiatrist is the first of a dozen that I have heard link these problems to barefoot running. Literally every other one has said the opposite, and about half had footage of realtime data gathering to back it up.
Barefoot running is a lifestyle. It's not a fad. It is how our feet were designed to be used. You can see in the front on view with trainers on the foot doesn't land correctly. The main thing about BF. running is you have to transition from shoes to Barefoot as your feet have been held in a split for so long they are week. I have been running" BF" with vibrams for years now and I can't run in anything else. I hate wearing shoes for work and can't wait to get them off. My legs shins and knees are all much stronger and no pain what so ever compared to when I ran with padded trainers.
I have a flat left foot and a normal to high arch right foot. For almost 2 years since I started running I was told there wasn’t really a way to fix my left foot, and was told to use orthodontics. So far my Ultraboost ST held up well without having to use a “patch”, rather than fixing the problem. Then I got into barefoot minimalist shoes. 8 months in, my left arch is starting to correct itself. Yes the transition sucks for a bit, but omg I’m never going back to cushioned shoes! My feet have never been happier, feeling and moving as they should be.
Barefoot/Minimalist/ Pose running takes time to master. Here are some pros and cons from someone who's been doing this for five years: Pros: - Focus on form (provides concentration when running) - Increased calf strength - Increased balance - Reduction of lower back and knee pain - PBs - Toe splay! - Use of barefoot shoes in everyday life is life-changing Cons: - Initial transition calf pain is incredible - Lack of focus on form leads to overstriding - Impatience leads to injury - Your foot is not automatically bullet proof and gravel is a bitch to run on. - If you wear the same barefoot shoes all the time because they're so comfy they will have the most ungodly smell - For me personally I was not a runner much before this and focused on other sports this meant I found it difficult to apply barefoot principles to things like football and squash and would have bad form doing all of these things.
shoes give you protection but also makes the foot weaker. Just like in life, everything has advantages and disadvantages. Finding the right balance is important, which is why I like this video.
For me my barefoot running ismmore about enjoying the movements of running and sensation of the terrain, shifting focus from achieving times and beating distance onto feeling natural , free and joyful. Also having to be constantly aware and attentive to the surface makes it far more meditative/mindful activity. Sorry if this all sounds a bit hippyish!
True "fallen arches" (where arch was previous present) is a REAL problem, and often due to rupture of posterior tibialis tendon. In an active individual this can be a devastating problem requiring surgery and often a less-than-optimal outcome. The larger and better designed studies comparing barefoot running with shod running show that injury rates are no different between the two styles, but there are significant patterns of injuries associated with each type. I don't think anyone is wrong for choosing either type. But if you have a particular recurring injury from running, depending on what it is, switching running types might help. Contrary to what has been said in other comments, a person with naturally flat fleet is not going to "gain" an arch by their running styles; in fact, developing a higher arch over time is often a sign of a neurological disease affecting muscle balance (see Charcot-Marie-Tooth as an example). This podiatrist obviously was knowledgeable and fairly balanced, but as stated she did have a bias. It would be nice to have an expert from the other side of the issue.
That's a bit more complicated. There have been studies clearly showing that the sooner you start wearing shoes, the more likely you're to have flat feet (arches are classified by the footprint, which is a bit more complex metric). This can hardly be explained by genetics. The thing is, a happy foot is not about the height of the arch. It's about the strength. It's possible to have a flat foot and be trouble free. Even if the arch itself is largely a question of genetics, it doesn't mean your footprint can't change. It can seem like the arch is higher, but who knows. I do know that e.g. ballet dancers do exercises to strengthen and heighten arches. One would assume it does something if they continue doing it.
It's hardly surprising the injury rates are similar. While it's a more natural style of running, it's demanding and you've got plenty of space to screw yourself. At a root of an injury is a human doing something which he shouldn't. Throwing your trainers into a trash bin won't solve doing too much too soon. It really wouldn't surprise me if the people who had problems after going barefoot/ minimal largely were the people who had problems before as well, just different problems. I don't care for normal running shoes because I want to exercise my foot. This doesn't really have anything to do with my running. I can run in them just fine. But I want strong feet. And a normal running shoe almost feels like I have my foot in a cast. From my perspective, this barefoot thing is more about saying that you don't need shoes to run and be healthy. A shoe can allow you to live with a problem, it can allow you to develop problems (remember, use it or lose it), but it won't fix them on its own. It can be used as a tool in the process of fixing them. But it's not a magic bullet. Just like running barefoot is not a magic bullet. If I'm healthy, why would I want a lot of support? So I could be weaker? More prone to injury without the crutch, I mean shoe? Why would I want a shoe that makes a poor running technique feel better? So I can develop bad habits without noticing it? Or a shoe that actually makes it difficult to achieve proper technique? By proper I mean the same mechanics as in barefoot/ primitive sandal running.
@I know KF: I'm only asking to investigate the causal link (if there is one) between shoes and flatfootedness. How do you know you were born with flat feet? How long after birth can flatfootedness be determined? Do you know when your parent(s) or guardian(s) started making you wear shoes? Thanks for any answers you are willing to provide.
@@jobicek lol sorry but that’s not true. Your bone structure is determined by genetics unless you have a neurological disorder such as CMT or developed a disease such as poliomyelitis. You don’t develop arches from strengthening your muscles. The only way to achieve an arch is under going surgery e.g. calcaneal osteotomy etc for severe pes planus
I am not a runner, but you hit the hammer on the head in regard to the differences. On the rare occasion I do run a short distance, I have a joy like a five year old, running to his best friends house, four houses away. Barefoot or in minimal shoes, has given me freedom long lost.
7 years back I started to run after have been totally stopped with any kind of sport for some years, so my runs where very short, typically 2 to 5 Km. I read "Born to Run" and immediately knew that I wanted to go the barefoot and be a front foot striker, not 100% bare foot, but as near as I could (I did not trust my feet would like the raw contact with the asphalt), so I bought a pair of Fivefingers. Today I still use the Fivefingers for street runs. On trail runs, in the mountains, I found that the stones punish my feet to much in the Fivefingers, especial downhill, so I use something with a harder sole, large toe box and with 0 drop. I think I had success with the "barefoot" because I started with it on my very short runs. In the beginning I learned how many muscles i have in the feet, yes - they can buildup lactic acid too. Today I see so many fail in the transition to barefoot/minimal shoes, mainly because they go to fast, and declare barefoot running total unhealthy. I think Claire Forbes advice is very good to start with, if you are an experienced runner. The secret is to go slow, you should not start to do a 10K barefoot, a month after you have began the transition (I have seen this more than one time). I had a natural transition as I started to run with my Fivefingers and could only run 2 to 5 Km in the beginning and then slowly build the distance up, as my fitness build up too.
"If it's not broken..." but it is, manifested by existing and previous injuries, running in the common way. If anything, keep your cushioned shoe, but focus on the forefront strike. Barefoot / forefoot running is literally learning to run again -- may be easier for those who haven't got a solid running background to begin with, to explore this method of running over what they think running is. But, like anything, technique and stretching and strength building is key, in any way you go about it.
I've investigated this to some (very geeky) lengths. I used to suffer from shin splints and plantar fascitus and it was basically stopping me doing any running. I tried barefoot, but just didn't have the patience to build it up gradually (you really need to do it VERY slowly, start with just 100m on day one etc), similar with the really minimalist shoes. However, I did notice it changed the way I ran and left me with fewer injuries and less heel striking. I then went to some Newton trainers, the key I've found is the very minimal heel to toe lift (leaving you with a flat shoe, but with cushioning). I've found this to be my sweet spot. Running with these has also helped me build my foot strength and my collapsing arch is much less pronounced than it used to be. I'm guessing Heather is limited by sponsor commitments, but considering she suffered from exactly the same issues I did, it may be worth trying some flat(ter) trainers. In between all of these steps, I've read countless books, articles etc as I need to understand what i'm doing. IMO, a lot of the current issues people have are from buying trainers to fit the running style (and offer short term solutions), rather than correcting the underlying issue. Just my 2p.
I have the Vibram five fingers. I run about 40 miles per week in Hoka and Nike. Started out with 1 - 2 miles in my Vibrams and then, over a few months, built it up to a one hour easy run 1-2 times per week. No issues at the moment.
When I was in high school we were able to move to the beach and live. I took the opportunity to jog barefoot to get in shape for upcoming football. After a couple of times my calves were so sore I could barely walk. I never had muscle soreness like that before. I never tried it again. 99% of people you see jogging on the beach are wearing shoes, especially in NE Florida where the sand is packed. Fairly recently I bought a pair of minimalist running shoes. I didn't have any problems. I don't live by the beach anymore so I don't have the availability to try to run barefoot although the minimalist shoes do allow me to run most places.
Well I’ve been walking, hiking and a little (little) running on five toe the last 8 years but now I’m to heavy and feeling lots of strain in my calf’s. Plans are losing around 9kg and learning to use running shoes. Maybe 57 years of age isn’t helping much either 😂 Thanks for all the great inspiration
RUN with both. If I alternate between my barefoot shoes and my brooks ghost 12 I find that since I use differen't muscles then every other run feels fresher. You can double your distance volume if you alternate between cushion and race flats, zero drop, barefoot. Essentially your switching up the "substrate impact" thus either using more calves, glutes etc.
I love hoka and their shoes, I’ve grown up sprinting barefoot but for cross country hoka are great for that extra push. Track spikes felt soooo natural when I first used them thanks to my barefoot running
"if you want to include barefoot running into your training"... My god people understand barefoot running so little!!! Our modern bodies are horrible for running, not because they are weak but because they are full of excess energy, in the form of fat. We are way to heavy and our feet are not used to work, because we dont use them... You have to transition slowly. Even the person in this video, which i assume was an athlete, is clearly a little heavy. The podiatrist was only there to attempt to demonize barefoot running, and it was clear she understood very little of it
I am a barefootrunner now for 11 years and since the day I took of my runningshoes I didn't had any injury anymore. I have a better runningform, better stride. I run on concrete, offroad and I have stronger feet than ever.
Sounds amazing. I'm just starting to transition. I walk around my neighborhood barefoot and everyone thinks I'm crazy
Couldn’t agree more! I’ve done an Ironman, 2x 70.3 events and 2 half marathons plus all the training for the above, all in bare feet.
Yes transitioning to bare feet will take some time but it strengthens feet, legs and improves gait. Watching this video watch the roll in of the ankle on one of the examples whilst using shoes. That over time has huge negative effect on one’s physical health.
As above it does take time, and counter to the expert you can actually create a stronger arch with backwards walking (a good 3x 10mins a week for 2 years)
Barefoot running will strengthen those in shoes and actually help with longevity in ones running career.
New evidence in the Physiotherapy realm backs this now.
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The biggest issue with barefoot/ minimalist running is people ignoring the advice and completely underestimating how much adaptation is required. It's astounding how thick people can be. When you start running barefoot/ in minimal footwear, you have to transition to forefoot landing and you'll be relying on your forefoot to break the landing and slow your leg down, absorbing the shock and protecting "upstream parts" of the leg. Our legs were designed for this, but it's demanding. If you have a weakness there and overdo it, you'll hurt yourself. Some people would argue that this proves it's more damaging style of running, but I think it's a case of "use it or lose it." Just because our body is designed to do something, doesn't mean you're fit enough to do it. It means you can train yourself to do it safely. Body is adaptive. We only have what we use. And it takes time to acquire it.
You don't have to switch 100 % overnight. You can switch gradually. Who cares if it takes you two years? If the focus is on not getting injured, taking it slow is the answer. You can start by just walking barefoot/ in minimalist footwear once or twice a week. Nothing too long. And take it from there. Shoes without raised heels are great for gym. You perhaps don't need to start that easy, but where is the harm?
If you can't immediately transition to *walking* barefoot or in 'barefoot type' footwear 24/7, you might as well give the ocean a try. It doesn't take 2 years with running either. Took me 2 minutes. However: don't land on your heel, and make sure your cadence is very high. If you don't, you'll probably get injured.
I notice most athletes today other than weightlifters have very small calves, even if they can jump high. Maybe this is why...
Perfect comment!
Exactly! Taking weight through the heel should always be avoided. I would love to transition to barefoot but I'm now realising how difficult it is - esp given my runs are generally in the dark and on the road...
Get a headlamp. Good flashlight brands Fenix makes nice ones. I've got one and awesome.
So remember, listen to the expert: if you don't want strong feet and muscles, wear shoes.
yeah let's hear more from the person who's benefitting more of this shoe disaster :D The truth is that every parent should be told to never ever buy their kids regular shoes.
I pray to the Lord that is a sarcastic comment LOL
Asking podiatrists about barefoot running is one of the most predictable things you can watch. It is always the same.
Entire medical field can be summed up in one phrase. There is no money in a cure.
@Armando Sturzenegger lol, not entirely I guess. There are plenty of people with others interest honestly at heart. But yeah, there is no money in a cure.
Edit- Welll at least no money in prevention.
@@friendlyoldbum9182 more like, there's no money in that cure...
Yeah she was absolutely clueless all just textbook talk
If everyone transitions to barefoot at their own pace, podiatrists will be out of job soon.
"I had so many injuries as a young athlete" and "my opinion is that if it's not broken don't fix it" kind of diminish your argument against barefoot running.
I train barefoot over hot coals to improve my cadence.
Bretzky try a 10k like that😂
@@SenorSiesta You gave me the laugh of my day with a comment you made a year ago! Cheers!
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"if its not broke dont fix it" - yet you put shoes on to fix what exactly?
There is a hypothesis that the known running injuries are caused by running shoes. She says she has battled plantar fasciitis for years. If you run barefoot, you do not land on your heel and may not have problems any more. It's just a hypothesis, but many athletes do swear by it. look up "born to run", it's a good book!
cold your feet get cold in the winter
These females have bubble gum minds cause they have no worries and tons of money from rich husbands. No thoughts, just repeating like a parrot what some man said.
@@blockaderunner ok boomer
These shoes are not meant to fix, but to protect. Just like clothes.
I have run barefoot for 3 years. Now I coud say: I will never use cushion or drop again.
Same
@Dawid aka Grendel king mt is more minimalist))
It took me two years of transitioning to run a marathon barefoot properly. (Berlin, streets only, no blisters, no injuries whatsoever...).
The question is: why???
Nice. Always curious about how long it takes. I’ve been doing as much as possible and very very far from a marathon after 6 months. Hoping to run my first marathon in 9 months, but not sure if that’s enough time. It takes a long time to transition for sure. Ran 10 miles today mostly on the beach and it nearly killed me. Like most, injury essentially lead me here.
@@TheSandkastenverbot Because barefoot running is very enjoyable. Imagine if you when you ate, you only could taste flavours, but nothing had any texture. You would be missing out on a whole dimension. It is nice to feel the earth beneath you.
@@TheSandkastenverbotHaving no spine and knee problems later down the line.
She didn’t speak with ONE barefoot runner. She ran barefoot on a sidewalk one time. That’s some deep investigative reporting right there 🙄
EXACTLY
Deep dive 🤣😂
Because she will be out of a job if science community recommend minimalist shoe.
Forget the video…Have you read Born to Run? I just finished the audiobook and it will pretty much tell you everything you need to know about barefoot running.
@@alexm1841 I read it about 4 years ago when I started minimalist shoe running. I would wear my Xero sandals, and walk for 30 minutes, and every 5 minutes, I jogged for 30 seconds. That was how I started. I gradually increased running time from there. Never had any problems, knee, ankle, feet, back, it was all good. And I was 40 when I started, not an invincible 18 year old! Today I have arches! Always had flat feet, but "barefoot" running has given me arches.
Every injury report I've seen was an active runner, someone who would run 6-10 miles at a stretch, put on the minimal shoe and try to go three miles without building up the tendons first. It takes months, at least 6 to develop tendons. They don't have the blood circulation that muscles have, so they take forever to strengthen. Start way slower than you think and it's fine.
Another thing I did was after the run I'd wear Chacos or Birkenstocks for the rest of the day. I'd pound pavement barefoot, then support them while they healed.
I've never heard of anyone having collapsed arches from barefoot running, in fact all the testimonial and small studies have shown the opposite. I myself had very flat feet and used to run with inserts until I started cross training with barefoot shoes, now I have a pronounced arch and run with a neutral shoe. There hasn't been any major study about barefoot building arches, to my knowledge, but runners forums are full of similar stories. Personally, I run with minimal and Hokas, depending on the distance and terrain. With marathons and hard flat surfaces, I use lots of cushion, but with technical, soft, very hilly or mixed terrain I use barefoot.
She's clueless of lying through her teeth. Stay away from this ültra charming "professional".
I could barely stand on my feet from fallen arches and seemingly ruined ankles. I fixed it myself building up barefoot running from zero.
Day 1 - 100m jogging mid-foot strike on the side walk.
Day 2 - 200m
Day 3 - 300m
Day 4 - guess what?
3 weeks and I was doing 600m reps on concrete. Doing some transitions on surf shoes as my soles were not adjusting as quickly.
2 months and I was running PB's. 3 months and I did 18'00 over 5K, being a pretty big guy who never broke 20.
Obviously, a podiatrist is going to have more experience with foot problems than what we would have from anecdotal evidence.
I generally agree, so I did a bit of hunting about within the podiatry community about this topic rather than the barefoot and sports community which seems to overwhelmingly support barefoot for training. The first thing: www.podiatrytoday.com/tackling-10-myths-barefoot-running this states the complete opposite of everything she says... plantar fasciitis is caused by shoes etcetera. But, since I don't know the author or the rigor of their statements, I kept hunting. I found a few other podiatrists: goo.gl/J6rwbA , goo.gl/sqja66 , that state identical information that barefoot running promotes arches and reduces the injuries she cited as being the most common side effects of barefoot running. Maybe the editing of the video flipped what she was saying or she said it one way and meant the other, but it would appear my experience is the medical norm.
I would like to point out that a podiatrist also makes their living off of selling and offering advice on how to fit a shoe for your "particular foot type". There's a huge conflict of interest here. Seeing a podiatrist recommend you go barefoot is like a car salesman telling you to ride your bike.
At runrepeat.com they perform a huge meta-analysis of 150 studies I can tell you their conclusion, but let's face it. If you don't like the conclusion, you won't be reading it. runrepeat.com/arch-support-study
I personally have been wearing orthotics for my flatfoot for over a decade. I feel like I've been lied to by three different podiatrists and a bunch of Chiropractors.
Yeah he's an Idoit. My slip on boots no longer fit sure to my arches getting taller
Fallen arches? My arches got higher after switching to minimalist shoes. Same story for most of the people I've spoken to.
Yeah I had the same question. Do not understand how one could even get fallen arch when going barefoot. Strange.
Yes, to me that is a ridiculous statement by the podiatrist that barefoot running causes fallen arches.
At 17 years old a doctor told me I had mobile flat feet.
Now at 55 years old, after waking on the pads of my feet for the last 14 months (no heel contact at all, walking 5 to 10 miles a day) my right foot has a nice arch and my left foot has a slight one and still getting better I think.
Also, my upper body tension which would cause discomfort every time I bent over at the waist, vanished after 2 months of my new walking style.
Then as my ankles got stronger I was able to walk with my heels higher off the ground, and after another 5 months, my gluteal muscles which had been very tight for 25 years, were no longer tight.
The arch collapses from people walking flat footed as they aren’t using the arch.
same as me, through my teen years ive had on and off issues with pronation, and i would wear insoles, but now that im conscious of my walking and running style my arches are better.
True for me as well
These same experts prescribe meth to children go figure
The transition to barefoot/minimalist running takes time. It has taken me several years, due to the fact that I have been shod in both walking and running my whole life. When you wear shoes, not just running shoes, your are basically putting your foot in a cast, and of course your foot muscles atrophy, and tendons become stiff. I can now run in minimal footwear but still need time to toughen my feet to running around completely barefoot. The other thing that people forget when they talk about running barefoot, is that yes our feet and legs were designed to run barefoot, but not on completely flat pavement. They were designed to run around on varying terrain of deserts, forest floors and tundra. Therefore running barefoot on pavement may not be be such a good idea, with exception of reducing weight.
I recommend these books in this order, if you want to make the transition:
Whole Body Barefoot: Transitioning Well to Minimal Footwear, by Katy Bowman (A biomechanist)
The Running Revolution: How to Run Faster, Farther, and Injury-Free--For Life, by Nicholas Romanov (Olympic coach and world-renowned sports scientist)
Run in shoes and you can look forward to ankle issues, knee surgeries and back problems. Run barefoot and your feet will hurt when u run until youve built upnthe muscles in your foot.
@3x3 sounds like you are a manlet
And calves
Depends on the surface you are running on.
jgsk78 Yep, calves for me because you spring up and down on the balls of your feet. So barefoot running is like doing hundreds and hundreds of calf lifts.
So true, my calves had a hard time first few weeks. Now even with shoes my form is better from training bare foot. Let the fools ruin there joints i say " hard head makes for a soft ass"
What did she expect to find, with no transition?...
And no adequate mobility, stability, proprioception, functional strength.
Yeah. This was kind of like those "I went vegan for one day" videos.
@@AJHart-eg1ys "and I only ate meat substitutes, hence veganism is bad!"
@@MrKachannie I don't care one way or the other about veganism, but processed foods are generally bad regardless of whether they're in meat or veg form.
it's like, "ah, yes. I'll go immediately from what I have been doing for years and am used to, to something I don't know the proper technique for, haven't trained for, and aren't used to. That sounds like a sound experiment and comparison to me."
Barefoot running fixed my shin splints instantly from which I suffered for years
I had had the same experience. I suffered with shin splints for years. I tried expensive motion-contol shoes, custom orthotics, and reducing my miles. Nothing worked or even helped...until barefoot running. Vibram fivefingers cured me. Now I run in them or a thin, light neutral shoe for longer runs.
I have bad shin splints at the moment and am seriously considering minimalist footware
@@heatherjenson6120 I'm only one week in rning every other day in 5 fingers, And my shin splints are gone as well :). The outside of my calf and achilles does feel a bit tight though after about a mile. Is tgis normal for a time as a beginner in minamalist shoes?
Be me grew up in the Philippines where you grow up playing and running around barefoot in my opinion running barefoot gave me a great running form
The podiatrist is clueless. Barefoot running (gradually building it up from having been given up by the industry and a therapist for fallen arches) fixed me. Within weeks I was doing barefoot speedwork on concrete. A few months I ran 5k in 18'00, having never gone close to 20', and weiging in at 87kg.
It's all about transitioning. Any running style seems design to ruin your calves until you've adjusted to it. And going from the mindless heelstrike in even the most "shock absorbing" (compare a few mm of foam compression to all the movement in the foot...) to a nice midfoot strike, it's a whole different use of the calves. Heel strikers use the calf to push off through the angle at the very end of the ground contact. Mid foot strikers pre-tension the calf, absorb the impact THERE (on with the knee and hip joints), and with the whole bone structure of the foot, and the push-off is a passive release by the calf. Very different way to use the muscle. Now let's ponder, how did evolution or some creator want up to run? We didn't have shock absorbing shoes for a very, very long time... How did we hunt and flee? Taking animals into submission? Spears and daggers? Guess again.
While I can agree with that sentiment in general, I don't think biomechanics is an area where we want to go against nature, especially in regards to longevity of our body. If you want to run, it's a good idea to run as your body evolved to. As this is something we have done for a very long time and evolution is pretty good at optimization.
The issue here is that artificial support interferes with exercising that part of your anatomy. And if you start relying on it, that part can weaken because it's no longer needed as much. This is IMHO wrong. It's a tool that can be useful, but the focus should always be on strengthening your weaknesses. Not on relying on a compensation device.
I also run in shoes. Because I'm not keen on dirt, debris or getting my feet wet. However, I don't like raised heels. They make forefoot landing more difficult and influence posture. And I don't like stiff soles, especially in combination with raised heels.
We evolved. We aren't cousins of Neanderthals anymore.
Evolution doesn't take a hundred years. Shoes as we know them today are modern invention. Running shoe is something like 50 years old. That's barely a moment in evolution. On the other hand, we spent walking barefoot or in thin sandals ages. And studies have shown that people in less developed regions that didn't wear shoes in childhood have significantly fewer issues with their feet than people from the so called more civilized parts of the world that have been wearing shoes for almost as long as they could walk. Even a correlation between the likelihood of having issues and how soon you started wearing shoes (the sooner you start wearing shoes, the more likely it is you'll have problems). So much for your evolution. It looks more like degeneration. Of course, retrospective studies are problematic.
And this is part of the problem with barefoot running. Normally, you'd spend your entire childhood building strength and honing technique so you could then run long distances e.g. while hunting. And some people think it's a good idea to skip this part.
Main point was that our bodies have evolved over millions of years to do something and they're pretty damn good at it. Don't reinvent the wheel. Just run as you're intended. Perhaps, over time, we'll become so crippled (we will evolve, as you put it) that running without special aids will be out of the question. I would prefer not to get there. To each their own, I guess. The real challenge is determining how much you can do. From physics standpoint, there is a big difference between running at 8 km/h and at 15 km/h. Does it matter to us as far as injuries go? Who knows. However, just because we evolved to run (among other things) doesn't mean there is no limit to our ability if you want to avoid long term consequences.
The podiatrist is out of work if people get back to how their foot was meant to work and stop having foot issues caused by super padded and raised heal shoes. She is not clueless, she knows exactly what she's doing.
Yeah, the most ridiculous thing she said was clients getting fallen arches from barefoot running. It's meant to (and does) the exact opposite.
Aged 10, we moved to South Africa, in the early 1970s, where I discovered everything was done barefoot. Became adept. Ran cross country at school barefoot, played junior rugby barefoot, even rode my bike in quill pedals and toeclips barefoot! Wind the clock forwards to the 1990s and I start Tri. Running shoe shop took one look at my stupendously flat feet and sold me heavy duty motion control shoes. Injury after injury (I'm also 100Kg or so). Nearly gave up and in desperation tried some Vivo Barefoot trail shoes which absolutely rocked when I ran. Recently had a gait analysis with video, and discovered that I'm also slightly bow legged, and the combination of a bowed leg and flat feet mean I have a perfectly neutral foot strike. 20 years of the wrong shoes.... I still run barefoot as part of my running program, my feet aren't as hard as they were in my teens, so I do this mainly on treadmill or beach and also do my longer distances in low drop Hokas. For me, minimalist / zero drop or genuine bare feet would be my preference.
"If it's not broke don't fix it..."
Yet we were barefoot THOUSANDS of years and only recently in human history wore shoes?
Exactly, shoes were the "fix" to something not broken.
Adriano Oda Yamada
my point was not that we should all run around barefoot. My point was the foot protection you wear should allow your foot to work the way it was meant to. Not, add ridiculous amounts of rubber and raise your heal 2-8” off the ground. They should not restrict your toes. There is a difference between protecting the bottom of your foot from scrapes, punctures, or what have you, and binding it up in a leather or synthetic material cast that forces it into an unnatural position and effectively atrophies the muscles that should be strengthened with every step.
Humans have been wearing shoes since 8000 BC, that's 10 thousand years. The advantages of wearing shoes far outweigh the disadvantages.
MrKimberCrazy actually we’ve been running barefoot for millions of years, ever since 2,000,000 B.C.E. Our ancestors would run dozens if not hundreds of miles in a single day after their prey in a process called persistence running, where they would run an animal to death. Modern running shoes have only been introduced and mainstream in the past few hundred years. So although we should be able to easily run barefoot, growing up with shoes on every time one runs makes them have weaker calves and foot muscles, so anyone who wants to go back to their roots and run barefoot, just know, take it slow at first, don’t destroy your calves, and always stretch. After a few weeks of readjustment self therapy, you may begin to run faster and easier with less pain than you did when you wore running shoes.
But of course, that is the whole idea of barefoot running, I’m not yet speaking from experience.
Adriano Oda Yamada I completely agree with your second comment.
A few issues i am noticing in a lot of these minimalist v shoe running videos: 1. No one talks about the history of the modern trainer to tell people why they don't work.
2. Look at the injury rate of shoe runners vs bearfoot runners.
3. Talk about how to convert from shoes to no shoes (where most injuries accure) from jumping into minimalist shes and think they can run without developing muscles in their feet.
Its a prosess that takes a while to prep for. But if you take the time to develop muscles. Its far more rewarding and you would be supprised. I am 100% for minimalist shoes. But it tool a little over a year before i could do a 10 mile run at my original speed. Good luck runners. I will cheer for you no mater what shes you have on.
What's the injury rate of shoe vs barefoot?
whats you original 10 mile speed
I love barefoot running, I've done it exclusively for over five years and now I feel trapped, weighed down, in normal running shoes. Since I do most of my running on asphalt roads I do like to use some sort of protective footwear like vibram fivefingers or similar zero drop shoes with a wide toe box.
The fact that the video host had tons of injuries as a younger athlete running in trainers probably shows the harm that thicker-cushioned shoes can do in the first place. The reason her calves were tight when she ran barefoot is that she didn't transition into them at all. If you've run unnaturally for years, you can't expect to not experience discomfort when you suddenly switch to natural. Analogy: It's like when you suddenly transition to a high-fibre vegetable-rich diet after years of junk food; you'll struggle with digestion because of the lack of a healthy microbiome to break down the veggies. But gradually increasing veggie and proper food intake will do you a world of good.
Similarly, switching to barefoot running is going to take some time and, for a fair assessment, the transition into them should be gradual.
The history of barefoot running begins in 1960? 😂 😂 😂
Haha right on point :D
Major victory in MODERN athletics. She said it quite clearly.
Hahaha this is like interviewing a windows user about the benefit/pitfalls of using a Mac. Honestly not impressed with this video, most people in the "barefoot" running movement are using very minimalist shoes (like Vibrams) so pesky things like gravel don't matter, these don't even get a mention, you also warn of sore calves after you gave it a go (and probably did it wrong, landing to far forward on your foot) for 10 minutes on sand. You spend half the video talking to a pediatrist and zero time talking to any barefoot runners or researchers, you then go on to say how you have used very cushioned shoes and orthotics to eventually get injury free but did not interview any of the hundreds of people out there (including professional/high level runners) about them using the barefoot running methods.
I'd love to see a non-bias proper video on this because I'm still very much undecided on the whole barefoot thing, but this 1-sided, ill-informed glance at it was not good imho.
Sounds to me like you've convinced yourself already. I did 3 years ago and now can't run with any heel it just feels wrong. I run tar and trail up to double marathon distance and get no foot or impact issues at all. Watch all the vids if you haven't already, start very slow and build up. Short strides are the key, leading with your hips helps posture. Have fun.
For the first two years of competitive running (cross country+track) in middle school i ran in thick well cushioned running shoes. Every other week i would have to take a few days off because of injuries. I switched to minimalist trainers a few months ago and from the first week almost all the pain went away. With practice eventually all of it did as i got used to the proper cadence and gait necessary when running barefoot, or close to it. Ive never felt more fit and ready for this upcoming running season. For anyone who sees this, definitely try barefoot ot minimalist shoes, it takes time and practice but it pays off.
@@clai6016 thanks for sharing. I've gotten injured 3 times in the past 8 months and have never tried barefoot or minimalist running before. I think I might give it a try.
@@MichaelA82828 no problem, take your time getting into minimalist running. Right now I'm mainly running in the Adidas Adios 4. It's a pretty cheap racing shoe, but I would definitely recommend it for people trying to ease into minimalist running. Good luck, I hope you stay healthy!
@@clai6016 I heard that was a good shoe. I'm kind of nervous going into minimalist running because it hasn't been tested that much with high performing athletes. And Nike has been coming out with amazing shoes (4%, next %, and alphaflys) that Kipchoge and other top runners are wearing to break world records. Maybe a combination of barefoot/minimalist shoes and regular running shoes is the best. Maybe the benefit of barefoot running is just to get better running form. If you can run with the proper form the alphaflys are probably the best thing to go with. What do you think?
The best thing about this video is the comment section. 😂
Host: 'My opinion, if its not broken dont fix it'
Evolution: 'well if its not broken, why did you go and fuck up my good work by putting shoes on.
You broke it, not me.'
In Portland Oregon I ran 12k barefoot in grass every am & 8k up 1% on the treadmill each pm pretty quick.( DAILY)
In my case----my feet became SO strong & bulletproof-that when donning track spikes I could do sub -5 sets of mile repeats & sets of :65 1/4 repeats which translated into many track ,road 5 &10k overall wins.
I even won a beach 5K running barefoot.
Most people in my opinion aren't motivated,intelligent or disciplined enough to implement let alone maintain such a regime.Or to transition appropriately & patiently from shoes to sans shoes.
Anyone questioning the effaccy of barefoot running need look no further than the fastest runners on planet earth from Kenya, Ethiopia & Uganda who often spend a large portion of their regular & training life BAREFOOT.
You definitely don't need a scientist opinion to understand & comprehend the very simple fact that 1) your feet are the foundation of all your athletic endeavors thatyou undertake & 2)
STRONGER FEET = FASTER FEET.
The end.
Love the comment btw. I’m a competitive runner too. Started in high school 10 years ago. Just started barefoot running for a variety of reasons 6 months ago. Making huge progress, but still so far from where I want to be. I live at the beach which has been helpful for easing into it. Believe it or not, can’t find any 5ks on the beach. After graduating college, I realized I’ve never really won a single individual race. 10 years of running and I’ve never won! I’ve never felt so motivated to get back in shape to check off that bucket list item along with run a marathon. Winning a marathon is very very far out of reach, but sure it won’t be too hard to find a local 5k where 18 minutes will do the job. I’m gonna win a race or die trying.
Started running with barefoot shoes and loving it!! I got rid of all my “normal” shoes and only wear barefoot shoes now. I did a very slow transition! Took me half a year to get back to my normal running distance (10k), but loving it!!!
how long does it take?
@@humility-righteous-giving Took me half year to transition! To get back to my normal running distance. About 5 months ago I Vibram fivefinger shoes. For me these are the best shoes I’ve ever worn.
I've run my Luna Sandals for a few years now. My lower back and knee tightness immediatly improved and I love the free feeling it gives. Planning to do my first marathon in them this month🤞👊
How'd it go?
@@fredriknorberg2870 Jesse died during the marathon
@@jrcadventures2905 , Crude joke ??
I made the mistake of transitioning too quickly but I persevered and have now run 9 marathons without shoes including the Boston Marathon. If I could give the me of seven years ago advice it would be this: 1) Buy zero drop, thin soled work and casual shoes and start wearing those exclusively outside of running. 2) start every run barefoot for a short distance (less than 1/4 mile then put shoes back on and finish the run then add bf miles slowly. 3) watch The Soc Doc on TH-cam and heed his advice for any issues with leg, knee or foot pain. 4) Your soles get tough fast but the bones, ligaments and tendons do not; give them time!
I've trained 70+ mile weeks 80% barefoot and the rest using Soft Stars or Vibrams. I will never wear shoes with heals or support again. Things you may not know: 1)Trails are way harder to run barefoot than pavement and I still can't handle gravel for more than a mile without swearing. (They use basalt gravel around here and that stuff us sharp! 2) Barefoot keeps you cooler than shod even on hot pavement. The weight of even a light shoe is still noticeable once you've run without shoes.
Transition: altra escalate, merrel vapor glove, vibram five fingers, barefoot.
Bare in mind these high stack running trainers will make u run unnaturally but u will get those PR's. Barefoot is slower but much more fun
I haven't ran at all since I was in the military in 2015. I discovered barefoot running and picked it up 2 weeks ago. Been running 2-3 miles a day on concrete in Mexico with not one injury or pain. This whole warmup/ease strategy is a farce IMO. These feet were made for running and I feel great after every session.
For none active people like myself it took me a while to get used to just walking without getting tendonitis
"Hi tech shoe, low tech foot"
Ido Portal
My heels never touch the ground when I run without shoes
Juan Ramirez You should use your entire foot. The heel should touch the ground for long distance running. Go back and watch Abebe Bikila.
I actually don't what I run when I'm barefoot as I have no footage but I know if I run in shoes I land on my heel.
They can lightly touch the floor but otherwise great job keep it up
@@tylerbenner Huh, mine don't really touch the ground but I go straight from walking to running, no jogging. Jogging hurts, I can run for much longer anyways, although I'm not a distance runner.
@@crisbowman if your heel does not touch the ground all of your shock absorption comes from your achilles and calf muscles. This is too much stress for them and not how the human body was made to run long distance. For sprinting this makes you the fastest, but if you run every day your chances of injury go up dramatically. Use your whole foot, landing on the midfoot.
I was an avid runner for several years and then everything fell apart, pain everywhere, developed a chronic fatigue disorder and so on. A couple of years ago I was able to get back into running and was wearing the Brooks GTS, and was soon in the market for a new shoe. I've always been fascinated with barefoot running. I decided to go more that direction and discovered the Altra Escalante. I figured I'm basically starting over anyway, so might as well give it a try. It does take time to build up to running with this kind of shoe, but once you do you will love them. They are foot shaped and allow for the toes to naturally spread. I discovered muscle function that had been missing from my feet. I've increased mobility from my toes up to my hips. It's the greatest decision I ever made. I smashed my personal bests in the 5k and 10k distances.
the altra isn’t wide enough to allow natural toe spread imo, i’ve run through 2 pairs already Altra is more like a minimalist shoe. It’s a good transitional shoes for barefoot shoes.
The only time I'm wearing traditional shoes is at work as there are very few alternatives.... but my out of work hours I am barefoot or in minimalist shoes... I'm a firm believer in getting your feet out as often as possible.....
I started running in extremely minimalist zero drop shoes (one step above barefoot running) to try to get rid of some knee pain. I did get rid of the knee pain but I got some plantar fasciitis issues. Now I used the minimalist zero drop shoes for short runs (5-10 km) and anything longer I have cushioned shoes with only a 4 mm drop. I also do foot exercises to keep those muscles in shape just like everything else.
Similar experience to me, but I've settled for 2mm drop all round. Works perfectly for me.
i had this, just keep building up the training gradually and it will get strong
You get plantar fasciatis pain because you are not used to barefoot running, your feet are not used to work that much, they are weak
How do you run, forefoot/heel striking? How did you transition? Maybe that's the answer to your plantar fasciitis issues, not the actual barefoot running...
I have trained karate on and off over the years barefoot. Then at the beginning of the pandemic, I had to shield and basically lived in slippers or barefoot. When I was due to go back to work in the office, I found my feet had changed shape, e.g. I had a gap between my big toe and the rest etc. My ordinary shoes felt uncomfortable so I decided to switch to barefoot shoes - initially just using blitz Superflex. I have literally just started couch to 5k, so therefore am doing that in barefoot style shoes - initially using thicker zero drop Ecco trainers, today I used blitz Superflex. It has meant I started running, when running for the first time as an adult, with a forefoot strike. Key point being I did an accidental slow transition and am not just doing running on barefoot trainers, I am using barefoot shoes for everything.
Claire Forbes is a for profit Doctor who runs a private clinic. Also, let's not talk to anyone who is an advocate for Barefoot Running. I expected better of you GTN
I transitioned to barefoot running after forgetting my shoes and running 2x longer than I could normally run. I grew up in gymnastics and running around barefoot. As I got older I had many injuries training, hiking, and exercising in 'normal' shoes. I had less injuries after transitioning during exercise but realized I was wearing 'normal' shoes most of the time - just living and doing normal day to day walking and activity. It wasn't until I transitioned to full time barefoot style shoes that my injuries and pain actually did a lot of resolving. "Normal" shoes inhibit my hip, ankle, knee and foot awareness (and strength). I think it's almost impossible for them not to in some way. I don't think people should ever be put in 'supportive' shoes. Sure, cover your feet from the gravel! But I have better arches now then I did all the years I wore normal shoes, and strong feet are good for your body.
And that wasn't a good test as the presenter is used to shoes and her body has become reliant upon the cushioning and support..
I enjoy GTN very much and have for years but this was a poor effort at diving into a complicated subject. Would be nice to see GTN revisit this subject in a deeper dive and without the bias their shoe sponsors influence may have.
At age 61 I was obese (102 kg and 170 cms in height). I began running barefoot in the house, most often on the spot. I find it remarkably efficient, you are so right about the weight of shoes. I have had my medial miniscus removed ‘coz it tore about 20 years ago, and I felt that running barefoot on the forefoot would prevent bone on bone impact in the knee because the way I was running the leg never straightened at the knee and the gait was springy because the tendons were being loaded. And at 61 it felt great to be springy on my feet again!!! Of course you can hurt yourself so go easy, I began with 50 steps a day and worked up to about 75 minutes a day over 4 years, and it is wonderful.
I bought some VivoBareFoot running shoes last year and tried them for a couple of runs but found they hurt my feet. So I retired them to walking shoes and continued running in my Hoka’s. After 12 months of walking every day in minimalist shoes and doing calf strengthening exercises I’ve started running in my Vivo’s again and love it! I think I’ll be a full time minimalist runner very soon! The calf activation from running in minimalist shoes is crazy, they’re growing a lot more than they ever have in cushioned running shoes.
I hated running growing up, but was and am best friends with an elite XC runner who transitioned to Vibrams and barefoot. Fast forward 10 years and now I've been running as a complete beginner exclusively in Vibrams. I got one stress fracture, but took 6 weeks off, and now I'm in the best shape of my life. I think I'm a pretty rare example of someone who started running this way.
And...in mexico we have the TARAUMARAS, they are minimals or bare foot runners, they runn ultramarathons in natural way.
On DIRT PATHS not tarmac, pavement or any modern urban surfaces.
@@err_goyes it is, they runn literaly for his life, its more difucult in thats conditions. I still trying
@@err_go
Good luck running barefoot on dirt tracks if you consider pavement to be problematic. :D
@@willguggn2 they use tires huaraches, thats not a problem man, in mexico obviuosly.
@Zubi thats rigths, thats their protect foot, but they so much strong runners
Here is a 400 IQ big brain tip for you. How about you start barefoot walking, before starting barefoot running?
Yeah, running with shoes made my knees hurt, transitioning to being completely barefoot ended that, I now feel better than before
I started transitioning to barefoot running and walking 10 years ago. Today I can say that I have fully transitioned as I am able to run more than 2 hours without any soreness on trail (concrete do create a bit of soreness as it is hard, flat and boring...).
Intelligent transition takes years, not months, not weeks but years... And yes, calves will hurt at the beginning, it is the price to pay to educate them.
Outside of what we can read everywhere (natural gait, postural gain, improved propriation...) the weight factor is something that is very often forgotten and I am glad you've talked about this at the end of your videos. From my perspective the gain in weight is not negligible (100+grams gain on each feet repeated at each strike for a session of several hours is a major difference for the body) and this key factor alone help to run longer and be faster going uphill.
What I can also tell you is that 6 month I twisted my ankle on a hike in the mountain. I was wearing a heavy backpack and tried to jump on an uneven terrain with a very minimalist shoe (stupid I know). According to the physiotherapist my feet/ankle/overall leg where very strong and it helps prevent bigger injury (ligament tearing or even worse). The physiotherapist was very surprised with my recovery rate and how quickly I was able to do all the recovery drill at each cession.
One note on the opinions of podiatrists. I heard one on a podcast the other day claim that in podiatry school they were not taught much of anything regarding causation or prevention of injuries. What they WERE taught was diagnosis and treatment.
I don't want to sound like "conspiracy brother," but it's interesting that those happen to be the two things that produce revenue, whereas prevention does not.
I've been running barefoot for 3.5 years and had no problems and my injuries only lasted half a week. At little Athletics, I have to run with shoes on and that's unfortunate but I train barefoot. I feel so light barefoot and I like feeling the grass under my feet.
Most people just want an excuse not to try........let them stay in their shoes and complain about something else.
What the lady said about barefoot running problems never happened to me. It got rid of my knee issues and helped with my running form.
I’ve never heard Nike pronounced that way. I always thought it was N-I-K-EE.
It is pronounced Ni-Kee. CEO confirms!
Definitely Nike with a long e.
why bother? Nike is good enough
Porsche
I wasn’t trying to start anything. I just assumed I had been saying it wrong.🤷♂️
a pediatrist recommending to use comfort and support?! WOW so surprising!
I bet a surgeon would recommend surgery and a optometrist recommend not to do eye surgery.
All of the above is true stories.
If you are not a complete idiot, anyone can and should do barefoot running. But if you do think you're a bit of an idiot and go run heel striking then don't do it. Use the fat cushy shoes.
Really annoying that shoe companies cannot make barefoot shoes anymore (almost) because they have to cater for the lower denominators.
DO NOT RUN BAREFOOT if you don't want to start slow, learn to run correctly and take your time. If you do injure yourself because you're an idiot, go spend $40 000 000 on orthotics in 7 different kinds of shoes for the rest of your life.
I’ve been wearing the Hykes Pinnacle barefoot shoes, and I always tell my friends, imagine wearing a pair of pants that did all the supporting for you. If your muscles didn’t have to work, they would slowly weaken, leading to countless problems. The same goes for your feet. Since switching to the Hykes Pinnacle, my feet have become incredibly strong, and I never experience foot pain anymore. I can’t imagine ever going back to restrictive, conventional shoes. These barefoot shoes have truly transformed my foot health.
I've been running in VFF's and other extremely minimalist shoes, for nearly two years now (and thousands of km's)!
I used to get runners knee and IT band syndrome consistently with regular trainers, but have been completely injury free side going extreme minimalist!
It takes quite a while to get appropriate strength and technique, but once you have, it's so much easier to run (for me)!
I'm currently training for my first Ironman in 2019.
Thanks for sharing. I've gotten 3 injuries in the past 8 months with IT band and runner's knee problems. I'm thinking of trying out barefoot running. Did minimilast running help with your speed as well?
@@MichaelA82828 Speed took a hit to begin with, but once your body, achilles, calf muscles, etc are used to minimal running you can start working on speed! Don't go too fast too soon, make sure to listen to your body!
@@IronWill Thanks for the info! I think that is always my problem, doing too much too soon. That and not doing injury prevention exercises. I'm hoping to get back in shape and finally beat my PRs from high school in the 800, mile, and 5k and run my first marathon.
I have had zero injuries or problems transitioning to barefoot, but it has taken me 5 years, and I still only 'jog' 2 km, focusing solely on the foot splay, calf and technique. In the beginning, I couldn't run 100 yards without heel striking (which really hurts)! It takes time, but once you do it, it is amazing.
I discovered barefoot running last year when my shoes were still wet from the previous days' run on the beach. I remembered seeing a lady running barefoot and figured I would give it a try. I haven't stopped since. I run in the tide and it feels like playing and helps keep me cooled off, therefore helping me drastically improve my distance. I don't have issues with shin splints anymore, although I did have to really focus on stretching beforehand because I was getting very tight calves and thighs and this resulted in pain. I haven't tried running barefoot on the pavement or grass. To be fair, the surfaces where I live are covered in filth of all sources, so I will stick to the beach for now.
Thank you for this video! I know you’re feeling hesitant but your honesty in trying to investigate helped me realize I really do wanna get some vibrams
For the first two years of competitive running (cross country+track) in middle school i ran in thick well cushioned running shoes. Every other week i would have to take a few days off because of injuries. I switched to minimalist trainers a few months ago and from the first week almost all the pain went away. With practice eventually all of it did as i got used to the proper cadence and gait necessary when running barefoot, or close to it. Ive never felt more fit and ready for this upcoming running season. For anyone who sees this, definitely try barefoot or minimalist shoes, it takes time and practice but it pays off.
Edit: I ran and won the middle school regional meet for cross country (17:42) in minimalist trainers, so yeah... they good
I have run barefoot and with Vibram 5 fingers and Vivobarefoots for about 9 years. I am a curvy lady and weigh 75kg. I am just about to run a half marathon next weekend. I have been training with my boss who suffered shin splints on both legs wearing a traditional running shoe. So far, I am injury free. I don't remember having suffered any injuries in 9 years and I was also running after I gave birth and put on 20kg. I wouldn't go back to running with a traditional running shoe. When I transitioned, there was tightness in my calf muscles and my feet were quite flat. The tightness eased as they strengthened running barefoot and I noticed after about a year, when walking on concrete with wet feet, that my arches became more pronounced. I would say after 9 years barefoot, I now have a normal arch. All pluses from my perspective.
Good stuff.
orthotics are like using duct tape to repair a car engine. you are just holding something that is still broken together and it will inevitably get worse. my evidence for this claim is almost every case of orthotics use ever.
I am running barefoot since 2014, 2015, no injuries but it did took a while to adjust.
At the begining from what I remember, bones in the leg were hurting littlebit. That was enough of warning not to push it to hard. I think it took me few months to go up 10k with no problem. After that I run several 21k and under. If I have or had time to train could go longer.
Trail running barefoot is blessing.
"When you run with the earth on the earth you can run forever"
For the first two years of competitive running (cross country+track) in middle school i ran in thick well cushioned running shoes. Every other week i would have to take a few days off because of injuries. I switched to minimalist trainers a few months ago and from the first week almost all the pain went away. With practice eventually all of it did as i got used to the proper cadence and gait necessary when running barefoot, or close to it. Ive never felt more fit and ready for this upcoming running season. For anyone who sees this, definitely try barefoot ot minimalist shoes, it takes time and practice but it pays off.
My coach has included running on sand for the past 5 years, when we're building my endurance base for the upcoming season. I'm a 50+ athlete, and need to constantly work on my strength. Typically it'll be 1 of my 3 weekly runs, with a 30:00 warmup, 40:00 on the sand, and 10:00 warmdown. It'll usually be a set of intervals, that I run barefoot, and airways on the soft powdery sand, never the harder wet sand at the water's edge. After a few weeks my body adapts and I don't feel the heavy soreness I do at the beginning, particularly in the calfs. I feel it's beneficial, and helps maintain my running strength, though I wouldn't do it in the middle of the racing season.
One caveat: I live in Rio, and though there are plenty of beaches to run on, it's very easy to burn the soles of your feet. I've burnt my soles 3 or 4 times, and the blistering is bore to deal with after. My advice: in Spring/Summer/Autumn, make sure to run before 10AM. In winter here I've run barefoot at 2PM without any problems...
The podiatrist is clueless. I have never heard of fallen arches or stress fractures of the shins as a result of running barefoot. I actually went from possible knee replacement to running 6-10 miles daily with no knee pain presenting. The only thing I have experienced from running barefoot is an occasional calf cramp.
In summer I do a barefoot warmdown after interval sessions on the track. Just a few laps on the grass though (watch out for the javelin/discus/hammer throwers!)
Run barefoot to learn proper form then try to transfer that form to wearing shoes. The problem is shoes ruin your natural running form... (forefoot first)
at one point, I had fully flat (no arch) feet, barefoot has slowly fixed that over 3 years. i dont even have to wear rigid orthodics any more, and all the pains went away aswell. but that's just my experience, barefoot really improved my life
The challenge with moving to barefoot is that you're also moving into a different running culture, mainly ultra running which can be pretty weird and mysterious with lots of people doing their own thing.
I couldn't run for more than about 10 minutes without knee pain until I changed to a zero drop shoe (no cushioning with Vivo and mild cushioning with Altra) and a forefoot strike. 45 minute 6 km runs are no problem now and I'm looking forward to running faster and further.
i'm a new runner and I started with barefoot-like shoes right off the bat. It feels great so far. as you said lots of stretching and calf strengthening exercises.
On a personal note; run "Barefoot/Mimalist" shoes, and this has solved by issues; Planters-fasciitis on my left foot and Fat-pad syndrome on my right heel because I no longer heel-strike, but rather run with a mid-foot/fore-foot strike. Yes, when transitioning over to the bare-foot shoes, take your time and allow your muscles to adapt to the new biomechanics; I did a learn to run 5k program using the shoes indoor on the Dreadmill over a Winter to get use to the feel.......I had been running for years when I took the decision to try, I had completed 2 marathons already....just my 2pennys.
Quite a biased report, no? ..........How about interviewng someooe fro the barefoot camp???? Are you talkign about barefoot or zero drop??
I switched to zero drop shoes two years ago. Since then i have never had any joint or muscular pain. Do what you like but overly cushioned , high raised heeled shoes are not natural. Completley barefoot (naked feet) I can't recommend for obvious reasons of safety. All I can say is zero drop has been the thing for me and has allowed me to continue and progress.
I feel that most sports shops sell shoes for fashion...not many shop assistants kno anything about running or 'drop' ...do your own research and experiment. .... I tried a shoe with a very low drop but had pain again.......Companies want you to buy the new BS....There is a period of transition as your calf muscle strengthen over time. An empty report.
This video just lost you my subscription, since I lost all credibility I had in the channel.
Running barefoot improved my eysight and sharpened all my senses. I can taste colors now. It also fixed my hairloss and gave me a 7incher.
I use both. I know I can't run a marathon barefoot so I only use it as a drill. If you're doing swimming drills then consider barefoot running as a drill. I don't even have to force myself and I'm running at 4'40/km without breathing particularly hard so you can run quite fast barefoot because you're getting a better running economy. With normal shoes I keep getting blisters and huge callouses under the ball of my feet, but I need them for interval training and long runs as well. Arch support is definitely not a problem for me. I need stronger hips though, working at a desk all day long is clearly detrimental to me.
Extreme support trainers and barefoot are the complete opposites, the solution should be somewhere in the middle, and not every runner requires the same solution. Personally, a minimal shoe with enough protection for the rough terrain helps me maintain a midsole landing which avoids my knee injuries, while giving me enough protection to face tough running surfaces.
I used to sell shoes at a fleet feet sports which specializes in diagnosing strike patterns, and arch types and fitting customers in proper fitting trainers. I am an ultra trail runner and barefoot runner on trail. I have found that the type surface I choose to run on is one of the most important factors in preventing injury and improving my running form i.e. running on hard flat surfaces like pavement forces your foot to adapt to a flat surface repeatedly and can lead to more injuries running barefoot than running in a proper fitting trainer with good support, but ultimately it is clear to me that using highly supportive shoes and inserts on pavement causes me to strike exactly the same way each time I place my foot as I run, which over many miles causes imperfections in my running form to materialize as injuries. Bottom line, our feet are NOT adapted for flat hard surfaces.
---As a side note it is important to point out that trainers fall into two categories 1: Stability shoes: these have higher density foams, and plastic structures on the inside half of the shoe (the part where your arch is) and are for people who over-pronate (have flat feet) because they help keep the knee in line with the hips by lessening how far your ankles roll inward during pronation. 2: neutral shoes: this is the typical trainer that has the same density of foam through the entire sole. Shoes in the stability and neutral categories vary in heel to toe offset, amount of cushioning and structure ect which are more important for matters of preference, milage, strike pattern between different runners. Is important to know if the level of your overpronation puts your into the stability shoe category or not since this can drastically change the way that your joints above your foot absorb the impact of strikes as well as the wear pattern of the shoe.---
---Second side note: Inserts such as custom and other orthotics offer a completely different type of support than stability shoes, they support the arch of the foot by keeping the bones in the arch (particularly the navicular bone) from dropping too low during pronation. Semi-flexible orthotics such as Superfeet inserts are a great way to help stabilize the foot when running on pavement, as long as the orthotic fits correctly and doesn't overstabalize the arch which will cause discomfort and can even cause stress fractures---
However running on trail is much more dynamic and your feet adapt to a variable 3-dimensional surface with each strike which is much easier on your entire body (provided that you have worked up slowly to running barefoot) since it works out many more balancing and stabilizing muscles and ligaments, which leads to a stronger running form overall and fewer injuries as a result.
For those serious about running long distance I think its a huge advantage to have a good set of supportive and cushioning shoes for the road, trial runners for running offroad, and to practice barefoot running on a regular basis offroad on safe surfaces that you don't expect dangerous objects like glass or metal. Using running orthotics is a great way to control overpronation and stability shoes help align the body above the foot for people who overpronate too much on pavement. Finally road runners who are having issues with injuries should consider starting to switch over to primarily running on trail with more neutral shoes with good grip.
I have begun to slowly transition to barefoot running because of injuries (Shinsplints for 2 years, strained achilles for a month, pulled groin (Or muscle near groin area) for a couple months) and I can safely say that in the runs that I have done (Not too many since I'm still recovering from my shinsplints), barefoot running has allowed me to run without pain from my shinsplints and avoid new injuries. It might not be for everyone but, I definitely recommend trying it if shoes aren't
helping prevent injuries.
5:00 That podiatrist is the first of a dozen that I have heard link these problems to barefoot running. Literally every other one has said the opposite, and about half had footage of realtime data gathering to back it up.
Barefoot running is a lifestyle. It's not a fad. It is how our feet were designed to be used. You can see in the front on view with trainers on the foot doesn't land correctly. The main thing about BF. running is you have to transition from shoes to Barefoot as your feet have been held in a split for so long they are week. I have been running" BF" with vibrams for years now and I can't run in anything else. I hate wearing shoes for work and can't wait to get them off.
My legs shins and knees are all much stronger and no pain what so ever compared to when I ran with padded trainers.
I have a flat left foot and a normal to high arch right foot. For almost 2 years since I started running I was told there wasn’t really a way to fix my left foot, and was told to use orthodontics. So far my Ultraboost ST held up well without having to use a “patch”, rather than fixing the problem. Then I got into barefoot minimalist shoes. 8 months in, my left arch is starting to correct itself. Yes the transition sucks for a bit, but omg I’m never going back to cushioned shoes! My feet have never been happier, feeling and moving as they should be.
Barefoot/Minimalist/ Pose running takes time to master. Here are some pros and cons from someone who's been doing this for five years:
Pros:
- Focus on form (provides concentration when running)
- Increased calf strength
- Increased balance
- Reduction of lower back and knee pain
- PBs
- Toe splay!
- Use of barefoot shoes in everyday life is life-changing
Cons:
- Initial transition calf pain is incredible
- Lack of focus on form leads to overstriding
- Impatience leads to injury
- Your foot is not automatically bullet proof and gravel is a bitch to run on.
- If you wear the same barefoot shoes all the time because they're so comfy they will have the most ungodly smell
- For me personally I was not a runner much before this and focused on other sports this meant I found it difficult to apply barefoot principles to things like football and squash and would have bad form doing all of these things.
shoes give you protection but also makes the foot weaker. Just like in life, everything has advantages and disadvantages. Finding the right balance is important, which is why I like this video.
i am Vibram Five fingers runner and i think its the most safe and healthy runnig if you properly prepare for this, what requires a lot of patience
For me my barefoot running ismmore about enjoying the movements of running and sensation of the terrain, shifting focus from achieving times and beating distance onto feeling natural , free and joyful. Also having to be constantly aware and attentive to the surface makes it far more meditative/mindful activity. Sorry if this all sounds a bit hippyish!
Thomas Ely totally with you bro I love that about barefoot running
Totally get it
This.
True "fallen arches" (where arch was previous present) is a REAL problem, and often due to rupture of posterior tibialis tendon. In an active individual this can be a devastating problem requiring surgery and often a less-than-optimal outcome. The larger and better designed studies comparing barefoot running with shod running show that injury rates are no different between the two styles, but there are significant patterns of injuries associated with each type. I don't think anyone is wrong for choosing either type. But if you have a particular recurring injury from running, depending on what it is, switching running types might help. Contrary to what has been said in other comments, a person with naturally flat fleet is not going to "gain" an arch by their running styles; in fact, developing a higher arch over time is often a sign of a neurological disease affecting muscle balance (see Charcot-Marie-Tooth as an example). This podiatrist obviously was knowledgeable and fairly balanced, but as stated she did have a bias. It would be nice to have an expert from the other side of the issue.
Jared Armstrong you are correct. You can’t gain an arch. I was born flatfooted
That's a bit more complicated. There have been studies clearly showing that the sooner you start wearing shoes, the more likely you're to have flat feet (arches are classified by the footprint, which is a bit more complex metric). This can hardly be explained by genetics. The thing is, a happy foot is not about the height of the arch. It's about the strength. It's possible to have a flat foot and be trouble free. Even if the arch itself is largely a question of genetics, it doesn't mean your footprint can't change. It can seem like the arch is higher, but who knows. I do know that e.g. ballet dancers do exercises to strengthen and heighten arches. One would assume it does something if they continue doing it.
It's hardly surprising the injury rates are similar. While it's a more natural style of running, it's demanding and you've got plenty of space to screw yourself. At a root of an injury is a human doing something which he shouldn't. Throwing your trainers into a trash bin won't solve doing too much too soon. It really wouldn't surprise me if the people who had problems after going barefoot/ minimal largely were the people who had problems before as well, just different problems.
I don't care for normal running shoes because I want to exercise my foot. This doesn't really have anything to do with my running. I can run in them just fine. But I want strong feet. And a normal running shoe almost feels like I have my foot in a cast. From my perspective, this barefoot thing is more about saying that you don't need shoes to run and be healthy. A shoe can allow you to live with a problem, it can allow you to develop problems (remember, use it or lose it), but it won't fix them on its own. It can be used as a tool in the process of fixing them. But it's not a magic bullet. Just like running barefoot is not a magic bullet. If I'm healthy, why would I want a lot of support? So I could be weaker? More prone to injury without the crutch, I mean shoe? Why would I want a shoe that makes a poor running technique feel better? So I can develop bad habits without noticing it? Or a shoe that actually makes it difficult to achieve proper technique? By proper I mean the same mechanics as in barefoot/ primitive sandal running.
@I know KF: I'm only asking to investigate the causal link (if there is one) between shoes and flatfootedness. How do you know you were born with flat feet? How long after birth can flatfootedness be determined? Do you know when your parent(s) or guardian(s) started making you wear shoes? Thanks for any answers you are willing to provide.
@@jobicek lol sorry but that’s not true. Your bone structure is determined by genetics unless you have a neurological disorder such as CMT or developed a disease such as poliomyelitis. You don’t develop arches from strengthening your muscles. The only way to achieve an arch is under going surgery e.g. calcaneal osteotomy etc for severe pes planus
I am not a runner, but you hit the hammer on the head in regard to the differences. On the rare occasion I do run a short distance, I have a joy like a five year old, running to his best friends house, four houses away. Barefoot or in minimal shoes, has given me freedom long lost.
7 years back I started to run after have been totally stopped with any kind of sport for some years, so my runs where very short, typically 2 to 5 Km. I read "Born to Run" and immediately knew that I wanted to go the barefoot and be a front foot striker, not 100% bare foot, but as near as I could (I did not trust my feet would like the raw contact with the asphalt), so I bought a pair of Fivefingers. Today I still use the Fivefingers for street runs. On trail runs, in the mountains, I found that the stones punish my feet to much in the Fivefingers, especial downhill, so I use something with a harder sole, large toe box and with 0 drop.
I think I had success with the "barefoot" because I started with it on my very short runs. In the beginning I learned how many muscles i have in the feet, yes - they can buildup lactic acid too.
Today I see so many fail in the transition to barefoot/minimal shoes, mainly because they go to fast, and declare barefoot running total unhealthy. I think Claire Forbes advice is very good to start with, if you are an experienced runner. The secret is to go slow, you should not start to do a 10K barefoot, a month after you have began the transition (I have seen this more than one time). I had a natural transition as I started to run with my Fivefingers and could only run 2 to 5 Km in the beginning and then slowly build the distance up, as my fitness build up too.
"If it's not broken..." but it is, manifested by existing and previous injuries, running in the common way. If anything, keep your cushioned shoe, but focus on the forefront strike. Barefoot / forefoot running is literally learning to run again -- may be easier for those who haven't got a solid running background to begin with, to explore this method of running over what they think running is. But, like anything, technique and stretching and strength building is key, in any way you go about it.
I've investigated this to some (very geeky) lengths. I used to suffer from shin splints and plantar fascitus and it was basically stopping me doing any running. I tried barefoot, but just didn't have the patience to build it up gradually (you really need to do it VERY slowly, start with just 100m on day one etc), similar with the really minimalist shoes. However, I did notice it changed the way I ran and left me with fewer injuries and less heel striking. I then went to some Newton trainers, the key I've found is the very minimal heel to toe lift (leaving you with a flat shoe, but with cushioning). I've found this to be my sweet spot. Running with these has also helped me build my foot strength and my collapsing arch is much less pronounced than it used to be.
I'm guessing Heather is limited by sponsor commitments, but considering she suffered from exactly the same issues I did, it may be worth trying some flat(ter) trainers.
In between all of these steps, I've read countless books, articles etc as I need to understand what i'm doing. IMO, a lot of the current issues people have are from buying trainers to fit the running style (and offer short term solutions), rather than correcting the underlying issue. Just my 2p.
I have the Vibram five fingers. I run about 40 miles per week in Hoka and Nike. Started out with 1 - 2 miles in my Vibrams and then, over a few months, built it up to a one hour easy run 1-2 times per week. No issues at the moment.
Was it only me that cringed when she pronounced it nyk instead of nyk-e?
Aditya Ramesh she’s pronouncing it how it is spelled lol
Irrelevant. I did not watch the video to learn about spelling or punctuation.
When I was in high school we were able to move to the beach and live. I took the opportunity to jog barefoot to get in shape for upcoming football. After a couple of times my calves were so sore I could barely walk. I never had muscle soreness like that before. I never tried it again. 99% of people you see jogging on the beach are wearing shoes, especially in NE Florida where the sand is packed.
Fairly recently I bought a pair of minimalist running shoes. I didn't have any problems.
I don't live by the beach anymore so I don't have the availability to try to run barefoot although the minimalist shoes do allow me to run most places.
0:56 Correction - went on to call the brand "Nik-EEEE"... seriously SMH
Well I’ve been walking, hiking and a little (little) running on five toe the last 8 years but now I’m to heavy and feeling lots of strain in my calf’s. Plans are losing around 9kg and learning to use running shoes.
Maybe 57 years of age isn’t helping much either 😂
Thanks for all the great inspiration
RUN with both. If I alternate between my barefoot shoes and my brooks ghost 12 I find that since I use differen't muscles then every other run feels fresher. You can double your distance volume if you alternate between cushion and race flats, zero drop, barefoot. Essentially your switching up the "substrate impact" thus either using more calves, glutes etc.
I love hoka and their shoes, I’ve grown up sprinting barefoot but for cross country hoka are great for that extra push.
Track spikes felt soooo natural when I first used them thanks to my barefoot running
"if you want to include barefoot running into your training"... My god people understand barefoot running so little!!! Our modern bodies are horrible for running, not because they are weak but because they are full of excess energy, in the form of fat. We are way to heavy and our feet are not used to work, because we dont use them... You have to transition slowly. Even the person in this video, which i assume was an athlete, is clearly a little heavy. The podiatrist was only there to attempt to demonize barefoot running, and it was clear she understood very little of it