MAXIMALIST VS MINIMALIST SHOES | Pros and Cons
Video taken from the channel: Lone Endurance
The Problem with Minimalist Running Shoes
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The truth about barefoot running the key to avoiding injury or a runner’s fad?
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Fully barefoot running pros and cons | Barefoot running review
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Barefoot Running | GTN Investigates The Pros And Cons
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Is Running Barefoot Better For You? | Earth Lab
Video taken from the channel: BBC Earth Lab
The Science Behind Barefoot Running Shoes
Video taken from the channel: Exercising Health
The Pros and Cons of Barefoot Running Footwear to Mimic Bare Feet. Although it may sound like an oxymoron—shoes for barefoot running—larger shoemakers are The Debate Over Going Barefoot. Some experts agree with the shoeless runners; wearing shoes weakens the small muscles in Potential.There is clinical and scientific evidence inferring that barefoot running strengthens the muscles, ligaments and tendons in the foot. Barefoot running stretches the heel and hence strengthens the Achilles tendon.
Barefoot running also strengthens the calf muscle. 2.Barefoot running hones in on these small muscles in the feet, ankles, legs, and hips and helps you develop better balance and proprioception. Plus, instead of your toes being trapped in a shoe, they are free to spread out and create a wider, more solid base to spring off of.Pros of barefoot running: It can strengthen feet and reduce injuries. “The benefits from this style are low impact on the heel, thus translating to less loading pressure on the weight-bearing.
Pros Of Barefoot Running While research is not conclusive, there have been noticeable pros for many runners when running barefoot. Some of these are as follows: Runners find that they can develop a more natural gait when running barefoot.THE PROS OF BAREFOOT RUNNING One of the reasons that barefoot running is considered beneficial is that it allows the foot to follow a more natural movement.
The majority of people running in trainers will run with a heel to toe action, whereas those running barefoot will land on the mid-foot or fore-foot first.Other research out of Harvard has demonstrated that the foot-strike pattern associated with barefoot runners is significantly more economical for running, meaning runners use less energy to run the same distances as runners wearing traditional shoes and striking with the heel.The arch of your foot has to work harder when running barefoot.
It is an elastic yet very strong component of your foot and its structure dissipates force on landing and assists on push-off into.Being the true caveman that you are, working out barefoot may seem like nothing new to you. Yet, there has been plenty of discussion among experts on the relative pros and cons of working sans footwear. Just consider the evidence.
Pros When working out in shoes, the small muscles, tendons and ligaments in your feet can become weaker.Potential Benefits of Barefoot Running:1 May strengthen the muscles, tendons and ligaments of the foot and allow one to develop a more natural gait. By removing the heel lift in most shoes, it will help stretch and strengthen the Achilles tendon and calf muscle which may reduce injuries, such as calf strains or Achilles tendinitis.Scientists have revealed that walking, and even running barefoot may be superior to doing these activities wearing shoes. In one study, researchers reported that when comparing the feet of 180 people from three different population groups (Sotho, Zulu, and European) to the feet of 2,000-year-old skeletons, the ancient people had healthier feet.
1.A 1998 study by a team from Griffith University concluded that barefoot running in loose sand results in pronation occurring earlier and lasting longer with each footfall. This leads to increased pressure on both the ankle and knee joints, which, in turn, could potentially result in.
Running Barefoot vs. Running in Shoes The big difference is in how your foot strikes the ground. Runners who wear shoes tend to strike the ground with the heels first.Beach barefoot running pros and cons are less extreme than barefoot running in other environments, you still need to know what the cons are with a workout on the sand.
Your feet can become “rough” pretty quick and looking after your feet in the right way after your beach running.Pros One of the main arguments for barefoot and minimalist shoe running is that the support and cushioning that modern running shoes provide have caused our feet to become lazy. Running with little or no support can therefore help to strengthen the intrinsic muscles, tendons and ligaments of the foot.
List of related literature:
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from Relentless Forward Progress: A Guide to Running Ultramarathons |
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from Triathlon Science |
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from The Cool Impossible: The coach from Born to Run shows how to get the most from your miles and from yourself |
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from Rushing Woman’s Syndrome: The Impact of a Never-ending To-do list and How to Stay Healthy in Today’s Busy World |
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from Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide |
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from Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness |
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from Managing Sports Injuries e-book: a guide for students and clinicians |
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from Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever? |
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from The Sports Medicine Physician |
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from the moment you start going barefoot, you will change the way you run.” | |
from Beyond Belief: Agnostic Musings for 12 Step Life: finally, a daily reflection book for nonbelievers, freethinkers and everyone. |
342 comments
Have started barefoot running n absolutely love the experience though my friends have been saying it causes more knee injury n complete NO No for an flat feet individual
Yes! I started walking barefoot last year april. After half a year I found out that my chronich back-pain had left me and I have been painfree for a year now. And this after more than 20 years of different therapies and more, which didn’t cure it.
I had to stop running 4 years ago on advise of the hospital. Last mai I felt that my passion for running grew stronger and stronger and I just couldn’t resist.
Long story short: I started slow-jogging and two months ago I combined the barefoot to the jogging and now I’m joggin’ barefoot. I love it! My body tells me this is the right way for me. I only had to listen to myself, the natural me.
I love Vibram five finger shoes and now I am wearing full time the EL-X model which I believe is the best barefoot shoe on the market. I do not care how others think. I love showing my toes. I am now totally pain free with no surgery or podiatrist visits. You are wrong not to like Vibram.
The question is: if your SO had a foot fetish, would that count as a pro or a con for barefoot running?
asking a shod runner about barefoot running? Hmmmm. Like asking a car driver about riding bikes.. Doesn’t make any sense. Also wet sand and pebbled stones are pretty tricky to run on barefoot.. why not try grass and mud and trails first.
Is bare foot running on man made smooth paved surfaces healthy? Bear foot running seems natural but it would only be so if done on rough irregular surfaces, not on smooth ones. I am not sure it is good for the foot’s arch.
You can run even faster if a Rottweiler is behind your behind
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 tried vibram five finger barefoot running shoes two months ago now and I’ll never run with running shoes ever again. It’s a gradual process, but I’ll never go back to shoes. I suffer from severe knee pain from the army and I have zero pain when running barefoot now.
I mean, this guy heel strikes. Could we re do this with an experienced runner? Or maybe a large sample of professional runners?
The Benefits of barefoot running is you avoid landing on your heel and sending all the shock up your leg and possibly without even knowing it you continue to injure yourself in an unnatural way.
In my first barefoot 5k race I was significantly faster than usual. My calf muscles were quite sore for a few days after… should have built up to it really.
I go barefoot whenever possible. I may not have pretty feet but I can walk and run on most surfaces without issues
Running on hard surfaces is not natural, and it takes years to build up your foot muscles as you haven’t done it for that long
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
To be honest, this is describing a high quality pair of real moccasins
If she had transitioned to barefoot running years ago she would have never had shin splints I bet!
Started in NB minimus, then Altra lone peak and now I’ve moved on to huaraches sandals. I’ve enjoyed them all. I’m open minded and enjoyed hearing your observations and thoughts. Keep having fun and stay tuned to your body. Peace
Anyone have any advice for someone wanting to start barefoot jogging?
My mans still running on his heels and not the ball of his foot smh
Don’t let people police you, run barefoot:) went for my first barefoot stroll today, loved it.. Thanks mate great stuff
What doesn’t let You hit forefoot while running in a shoes..?
instead of going straight for cushioning to barefoot, just get more minimalist shoes, and make a conscious effort to land on your forefoot to start gently building up those muscles. Given time you will be running with proper form, be faster and efficient, much less hip and knee strain, and with not too much discomfort from the transition.
I have run many miles both barefoot and in shoes but definitely prefer barefoot running. It’s just so much more fun! Your pro/con list is spot on. The main con for me is the somewhat limited routes for barefoot running. Gravel, rocky trails, and hot pavement just aren’t practical. However, it’s not too limiting and I have run in many different cities San Francisco, DC, Vegas among others without any issues. I have run a sub 1:30 half marathon barefoot and am considering trying a barefoot marathon, but I’m a little concerned about my feet getting sore/sensitive in the final miles. We’ll see how the training goes. Great video!
no rocket science. look at the best distance runners in the world are from africa and all started barefoot. Im from africa and you see barefoot guys running sub three hours like a fun run. natural is best. dumb humans need to learn that.
I Can run barefoot but it takes too much afford to run with shoes so i cant run with shoes without training my endurence and energi some more
How can you do this living in a land locked area and during cold winters? Is summer the only time?:(
I have been running and hitting the road barefoot for 9 months now with no injuries….. and I ran a little faster than with shoes…. i never want to return wearing running shoes again….
Did you come out with shoes on your feet when you were born?
Go right ahead and say:
“No but that does not mean we dont need shoes especially if its cold”
You would need shoes if you come from a cold climate or live in the city but there are natural benefits to running barefoot if you can get beyond the excuses.
YES, for me it is. Because I can’t wear shoes. I’m a barefoot hiker!
You have to change all of your normal daily shoes to zero drop. I wear Belleville Mini Mils at work.
so what you are trying to say…… is…… a well placed frozen muck luck… will… work as a contraceptive?
I injured myself exactly how you explained it when I first got my Vibrams.
ran with ‘barefoot’ running shoes for years and I love it! When running properly, all the stabilizing muscles will start getting stronger and protect your other joints. I no longer experienced knee pains when running long distances. Even my fast twitch muscles improved. Calves will burn at first until you gain some endurance.
i got my altra shoes today. its from you adveticing. you told about this shoes im surprised never seen that kind of running shoes i htink is more compfortable. i tell u later what is my experiences wiht. that. shoe. take care my running coach. but u dont alliliate market? for that or?
frank.
I’ve gone for it, Tuesday I ran 2k in my Asics Nimbus to warm up, then put on a pair of Hot Tuna water shoes I found in the shed (no sheep in shed) that cost under £10 which are as flat as pancake, I could not believe it. Felt so good, my cadence went up to 180 without thinking about it, foot strike was what felt like perfect from the off. I know you said 1KM max but I could not help but do 2KM as I felt so good. I rolled out a lot in the evening as expected the worse but felt good the next day, so did another 2KM yesterday. I now know how I should be running and realise its these stupid trainers that encourage poor heal striking in the 1st place. Over pronation my ass! Thanks for your vids and advice.
So, I work in retail meaning about 40 hours a week I’m walking on a hard floor. Would these benefit me? Will there be a real in period? How long before my get stop hurting?
Thank you for the great video. This is a nice site with lots of minimalist shoes http://www.kstylery.com/sitemap.html
When your a track sprinter you run with spikes going on the ball of your foot but long distances people switched it to heel wonder if humans could build muscle to run on ball of foot and go long distances at an extremely fast stride frequency because you bounce off the ground better
Just make sure you do not run barefoot on grass that is sprayed with chemlawn chemicals.
To give this real balance, you need to get someone on the other side and invite them onto a video to share their view of pros and cons of running in traditional trainers. Or perhaps both you and they have pros and cons of both styles.
Watching you run here is like watching one of the female lifeguards run in a Baywatch film.
claiming the terrace steps or claiming hills moutain with or without shoes bare foot
incline and decline to be shown what way they carry
pressure point is said but most of that touches ground a shoe always make to shape in the shoe shape structure landing but barefoot as per the weight asper weightless person the landing and standing differs
how do allopathy research says
y some times most of the people allowed to use oil apply oil most of the asian like india as per advice bare foot people apply oil and then they walk barefoot on the road side thar roads contraction always said
c most difference shown, bare foot experiment always shown on proper sand space of running shown but reality that is always hindered to people million of people uses roads to run in bare foot y do they experiment, highy wary roads contraction
barefoot understanding it helps to release some vent inside the body to release the air and inhale fresh air that are congested in the body
first experiment how much air inside the body circulation and how were to release the air when fat over power the body joints and ends how air is almost left to move around and mostly it has hard to breath inhale and exhale that carries more of vent ends circulation of regular flow often decreased when fat almost over power in the body some few points end bare foot helps to make ventricles or vent to move around easily better than shoes that what we understand
I dont trust podiatrists for my running like i dont trust my doctor about my nutrition. They learn book smarts not reality
Also don’t go from a high heel to toe drop running shoe to barefoot or minimalist without a slow transition unless you want to hurt your Achilles tendon and possibly everything else. I’m slowly doing it by doing 1/3 of my run barefoot, 2/3 with shoes but you need to transition at a speed that works for you. Too much too soon for anything with running = injuries.
Those arms aren’t properly moved. You’re going to have a very bad back injury if u still running moving ur arms like that
I’m a large chap, 286 lbs as of today and this writing, and I’ve also just run about 1.2 miles thanks to the c25k running program and barefoot running allowing this to not massively overload my legs and give me shin splints, as earlier attempts at running in traditional shoes did. My case is not all cases, but it works, where the traditional trainer industry would simply be grinding my shins into the pavement.
You should implement this test with a true runner, and make him or her run with shoes and barefoot. I am a runner and I a mid foot striker with shoes and without shoes, so it will be better with shoes or what types of shoes. I haven’t had joint problems in all my years of running (30 years); however, my calf muscles always get tied.
I just wear them for everyday shoes and it feels way better been doing it for four years now. When I put regular sneakers on now it feels like brick cages on my feet.
Forefoot running is a religion. There’s little to no scientific evidence that forcing yourself into a forefoot stride is in any way beneficial, it’s all based on an observation of one particular barefoot tribe in Africa. ANOTHER well-studied barefoot running tribe in Africa uses a heel/midfoot stride for efficient long-distance running and a forefoot stride when sprinting just like most people learn to do it intuitively.
we are created by God not evolving over a million years he has made our foot suited for bare foot running
What matters is form.Barefoot is a frontstrike action while shoes are a heelstrike.I walk on cement 8 hours a day barefoot shoes and its fine because I correct my form throughout the night.Barefoot is best because your not reliant on shoe mechanics working correctly like a worn shoe that has a ramped edge causing damage in the long run.
Its like sleeping in floor vs mattress.Mattress is great as long as its not old and worn creating inbalances.
I tried barefoot running for the first time yesterday after much research. I began running only a few months ago and it took only several weeks before my knee started to hurt so bad that I had to take several weeks off. I studied up on the kinds of shoes I was wearing but then I decided to try barefoot running to see if it would make a difference. With shoes my knee pain was an 8 out of 10 without shoes my knee pain was a 1 or 2 out of 10. This is based on only one day out..
I started the transition to barefoot running about a month a ago and I’m 42. I guess better late than never lol. I’ll say this it’s an amazing feeling to not be in those coffins as a lot of people call them. I also own minimalist shoes to help with the transition but I’ll go to the park and run barefoot. I wish I had started this many years ago. Great video!
Minimalist shoe runners that are still heel striking are either a) not listening to their body, or b) buying minimalist shoes as a trendy purchase and not as a result of investigation. Either of these will hurt eventually, whether we’re talking about running or absolutely anything else.
I never enjoyed running until I researched barefoot/natural running, now I only run this way and have been for over two years I love it. You need to introduce it gradually to avoid injury.
I use barefoot shoes, merrell vapor gloves like in video and barefoot is a lot different. I run barefoot and the skin touching the ground brings more awareness. The landing technique is pretty much the same accept you feel the different asphalt and rocky surfaces. There is a reason merrell uses the word vapor gloves. It is the same as wearing a glove while reading a book or something. Knock yourself out with comparisons. It takes a little time for the nerves on the skin to get used to the rough underground. The skin thickens and becomes also more resistant to hot summer pavement. Yes, if you are not careful at first and run too long you end up with blisters. After awhile you can run in snow or on hot pavement. Patience is the key.
I’ve been 1 week into my first pair of vibram 5 finder kso evo shoes and o have to say i did 10 years in the army and I’ve racked up some crazy milage over the last 20 years and honestly can’t say my feet have felt this good in that time since switching feom boots all the time to bearfoot like shoes…
That uni is about to loose it’s Nike sponsorship…..lol. Bought a paid of minimalist shoes back in 2011, changed my running style and haven’t looked back.
I have been running barefoot since 2 weeks now, and i have gained more speed and no injuries whatsoever. It is amazing. On 25th November 2018 i am attending half marathon in Nagpur(MH).. hoping for good results. Thank you for the video.
Barefoot running is normal running. Wearing casts is the new weird thing.
Don’t a question on the title if you’re not going to answer it.
No no no, you DON’T want support. And how on earth do you get foot problem with barefoot.
I run and train with xero genesis sandals. I am a professional cook so being in truly minalmalist footwear is not possible for me all the time. I have 2 different pairs of work shoes with different degrees of support. Before I started training in minimalist sandals, I noticed that switching between these different work shoes everyday helped eliminate pain in my joints, presumably because different leg stabilizers were being targeted every day. I decided to incorporate minimalist footwear on my off days to round it all out and have been happy with the results; for a while I had lost my ability to do a full squat, and since incorporating running with my xero sandals I can now fully squat again without knee pain. I still use conventional shoes for long, muddy hikes, and for my job but even then I believe my posture and over all body awareness have improved
I recently started running barefoot on the treadmill and for some reason I run with only the very front of my foot my heels and mid foot never touch and after words my calves are sore lol
tried it, never looked back. Even went the “camino de santiago” in barefoot footwear. without any blisters if i might add that… big fan of vibram five fingers and furoshiki (the latter just for walking and light jogging)
Hello, people!
I run only barefoot almost everyday, 4 seasons, but I have to admit that when the winter comes I’m starting to have problems with the footwear. I’ve used Vibram Five Fingers(with sock and without), Merrel Glove, New Balance Minimus, Aqua-shoes with wool sock, only wool sock(it’s perfect on dry snow, in my opinion) and the last winter I’ve been running with a neoprene 0.5 mm sock (I’ve tried to run with bare feet too,but it’s a slow process). I have to tell you that for me the neoprene sock works exceptionally well. I’m running only trails, not hard surface (asphalt, concrete…), soil only. Even when sprinting the sock is pretty stable, but with 0.5 is little chilly when the snow melts. It starts to absorb water(because I wear another sock underneath), so I have a plan for this year. I will buy 1 mm neoprene sock, put a wool sock underneath and for the slippery ice-I will use spray glue+sand on the bottom(which method I saw in another video, but for shoes) and let you know what happened.
In conclusion I think that barefoot runners face hard times when the wet winter comes. So…that’s my plan to defeat it.
I will be glad to hear more ideas for snow and wet cold weather from you.
Have a great day!
someone find out if they make the Navy Seals, or in Brita case,the SAS, if they have them strengthen natural othodic functions
Jesus, can you millennials try any harder to be not interesting
In a saner future where people don’t throw glass bottles away and people stop making roads out of everything we may go back to barefood running.
Anyone even remotely interested in barefoot running should read “Born to Run” as it has been the catalyst for this rise in barefoot running. It quotes a lot of studies, goes into a lot of history, and discusses modern running.
It also emphasizes one very memorable fact for me, and that is the architecture of our foot; a complex arch that over millions of years has been designed to be efficient in its functioning, consisting of quite a few bones, more joints, and even more ligaments and muscles. It is so beautifully designed that it should be illegal to misuse this work of art.
Gotta say that it took me about a year of inconsistent running to transition to full forefoot striking. First few months I was only able to put in a mile or 2 per week on sand, my calves would feel absolutely torn the rest of the week and you’d see me hopping along on my heels.
it’s 104 here today. Imagine how hot the concrete and asphalt are!
I’ve switched shoes to vivobarefoot brand. I really like them and now I hardly wear any other shoes and when I do, I wear my old nike shoes for running. Normal shoes now squish my feet and I don’t like them at all. I can feel my feet getting stronger and I’m experiencing less fatigue in my feet at the end of the day.
I come from an island in the carribean and most of my childhood I spent running barefoot through dense tropical forests and on hard, hot pavement. I only really started to wear a lot of shoes when I moved to the US. Even so, I try to spend as much time as I can completely barefoot. It feels more natural and I never get as fatigued when I run with running shoes.
Please leave your thoughts and experiences of barefoot running below. If you haven’t subscribed already please hit that like button. Keep it rolling
I found a good barefoot running sandal that have thick enough tread without changing my stride too much. I would recommend something with some cushioning since a lot of modern asphalt can hurt feet over time if we run barefoot on it. I’ve had them for about 4 months, they’re Xero shoes, though I have known friends who also run in their Teva’s, Chacos, and Lunas.
If it’s hard ground shoes should be used otherwise for soft ground bare foot is best it feels awesome
My jury is in. I have been running since I was 15. I was constantly having to stop due to some kind of injury. At 45 years old I had so many problems with my knees and feet that felt it was time to give up running. While researching ways to deal with my injuries I learned about barefoot running. Started slowly, used sandals and 5 finger shoes. All my injuries went away. I am 54 now and have had no knee problems since going to barefoot/forefoot running. I do have to be careful with my tendon if I do too much to soon after, but a couple days rest and I am good again. I use racing flats when I do marathons, though my best marathon was in my in a pair of 5 finger shoes. Never go back to big bulky training shoes.
Look at “Older Yet Faster.” However it takes a very long time to transition.
I live a sedentary lifestyle, and I started jogging recently. With shoes, I could only jog for 2 minutes and my lower body would feel heavily exerted. I was lazy to put on shoes last night on my treadmill, and I was able to jog 5 minutes until I felt exhausted. I’ve been watching some barefoot running videos and I think running with shoes made me strike with my heel first, which transferred most of the force to my legs, and my leg muscles had to work more to keep my body up. When I jogged barefoot, more of the force was absorbed first by the flexing of the forefoot before it transferred it to my heel and up my legs. I’m officially converted to au natural:P
This is not an accurate test, should done test on a barefoot runner and a regular shoe runner. As it is more about how you run and what you put one. Asking a regular runner to run barefoot for a short test isn’t going to change his footstrike that drastically and therefore the results won’t be that different. It takes quite some time to adapt and change your running pattern once you go the barefoot route for your muscles, joints and ligaments to adapt to your new style of running to run efficiently.
I just bought my first pair of vibrams five fingers the over day and they are amazing I just can’t wait until I get used to them so I can run longer distances
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 tried barefoot running, and I have to say, there’s a big difference between hard concrete and grass/sand
This is my view on the topic: https://alesantuz.com/2017/04/23/evolution-of-barefoot-running/
Barefoot running is dangerous as hell. Better off just playing in minimalist shoes
I suffered form 4 high ankle sprains on my left foot. conditioning is key. Now i still have foot discomfort but its getting better
I do both running on Merrell VGs and full barefoot. It’s quite amazing even the difference between the two. Full barefoot feels even much better. I feel I have much better sense of my gait and landing, also the highest cadence is achieved with no additional weight on the feet. Still transitioning (increasing mileage gradually) there is actually muscle soreness in my feet and inner side of the calves. Also I feel a better activation of the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes). Speed is still lacking a bit but I guess that will pick up in time.
For me, just simple walking barefoot is a great happiness. It’s much better (healthier, happier and more comfortable) than in these torture instruments called “shoes”.
I agreed with her on the calf soreness after my first barefoot run
Countless Earthworms were smooshed in the making of this video
Personally, I think that whatever choice you make should be gradual. You can’t go from a motion control shoe to running barefoot on asphalt without consequences. Personally, I used to run in neutral / support shoes for a while and then I bought a pair of altra escalante and kinvara 7 and 9 and what I noticed was that my left leg backchain was stretched too much from the zero / minimal drop. It doesn’t really happen nowadays if I do wear those shoes, but it’s also because I’ve become slightly more flexible and my achilles responds better. One thing an aspiring barefoot runner could do would be to buy a pair of minimalist shoes like the merrell vaporfly or vivobarefoot primus and just walk around in them or just buy minimalist casual shoes. There are also cheaper options on amazon (TSLA and Whitin).
Super balanced video -> massive backlash by zealots (I guess expected if you don’t make a completely glorifying video about how barefoot running is the be-all and end-all). Thank you very much for the insight. Whenever I actually take up running I’ll probably try minimalist shoes over standard trainers. My thought right now is that the forefoot running should complement my cycling better.
No matter what I try I always end up heel striking when I run. It’s just so ingrained in my body that it refuses to change.
So…people in the U.K. say “nyhk” instead of “nyhkee” for Nike? Huh…
My calves hurt after forefoot running, but they are getting stronger. Not getting foot injury is great.
Just started getting interested in barefoot running and tried it too.So far so good! Let’s wait and see! Best wishes from Colombo Sri Lanka!
The only reason I became a barefoot runner is because barefoot shoes look better than normal shoes lmao
Running barefoot vs running in merrell vapor gloves in my experience is the bare skin touching the ground creates another sensation of awareness and also foot flexibility. I was dealing with plantar fasciitis off and on for years because I used to be a heal striker while hiking or walking. And I have narrow feet used to have flattish feet. But I have strong arches now.
Developing a thicker skin is essential and getting used to the hot pavement takes time. If you go out running in hot weather be careful. I got blisters because I didn’t stop. The pavement will burn your soles. Not fun. But the skin will get thicker like dog foot pads. Yes our pads get thicker.
So I noticed immediately I get more flexibility while running barefoot. The tendons and muscles feel better and as if they are healing and preventing injury. My plantar fasciitis is almost gone. I just believe barefoot strengthens the feet the best. Minimalist shoes are good. They help keep most of the running form correct. I really think learning to barefoot walk or run is great for your feet health. Builds bone density and strength. Also your circulation improves, so you don’t get cold feet as much or not at all. We get 4 seasonssnow in winter. I wear vapor gloves and no problems. I’m 54 and ran my first marathon at 52 wearing the merrell vapor gloves. I’m also a fat adapted athlete. LCHF
I transitioned slowly into bare foot shoes, over a period of four years. I run barefoot on indoor tracks, since they are a safe option, ie. no glass, no debris, no dog stuff, enough said. Now, I find that when I put on my older shoes, they feel heavy and clumsy. Since my feet are stronger, I have had no problems with injuries. I should also mention that I am 71 yrs old and my goal is to run into my eighties. I think barefoot running, with a softer footfall, will help me achieve this goal,
My podiatrist says that when going walking/hiking in a forest type environment you should be wearing boots that have stiff soles so that it keeps the feet stablised or something when walking on rough terrain, what do you think about this doctrine?
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
Thanks for the video. Check out these cool shoes: http://haloeffectrevealed.com
I agree with this assessment 100%! I made the transition to forefoot strike a little over 5 years ago. I struggled at first and even hurt my calf because I did too much too soon. The way I really got it down was actually running barefoot. Then, my transition went fairly smooth. I am well over 5,000 miles and over 1,000 hours of running without any major issues! Small little aches and pains still pop up every now and then…but nothing that has kept me from running more than just a couple days. That’s a huge improvement over the major injuries I had when I wore regular running shoes!
I run competitively and I still train in normal trainers even tho I only run on my forefoot. Minimalist shoes aren’t needed for the barefoot running style and for me only has a bigger risk of getting me injured
Ever since my kid convinced me to give up shoes, all injuries have been forgotten. Running barefoot does some magic to the mechanics of the run. Probably it is all about minimizing the impact on the knees (and more). Paradoxically, the harder the surface, the more pronounced the effect. I have always liked to run barefoot on a beach, but it is the hard surface when running barefoot is the greatest blessing. Soft shoe soles on a hard surface seem to do most damage. There is only one trick to remember: you need to start very slowly: 100 meters, 200 meters, etc. or 0.5 minute, 1 minute, 1.5 minute, etc. This slow start is necessary to start building up the strength of calf muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc. I have no idea how long it takes, perhaps months? Once you try you will probably know (and never go back to shoes).
I switched to barefoot running in 2017 after getting out of the military. I’d been suffering from knee and arch pain for years due to wearing boots and ill fitted running shoes. It got so bad that I started wearing $900 prescription orthotics (a total scam in most cases) and was told that I would have to wear them (and buy new ones almost every year) for the rest of my life. But I switched to barefoot style and all my flat foot and knee/arch pain has gone away. It took a while to get used to but once I did it completely changed my stride and run even when I’m wearing regular shoes.
I run bare foot today for the first time, love it, I only do around 3 mile runs if that, bit shorter one today to break me in……but I can say it felt really good, my feet have felt all warm since, like the blood is actually flowing now, it feels awsome……..I dont need any scientist to tell me what’s right and what’s wrong, are feet where made to walk without shoes on, no one, absolutely no one can argue against that…….
lol….the way we do this all the time in Africa, grew up running cross-country without shoes, barefoot in zimbabwe, it was enjoyable
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.
why she constantly said “nike” as in “bike”? it’s supposed to be rhymed wtih “spiky”
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.
This was obviously his first time trying this. It is a great reason to reinforce that people who want to change their running style do it slowly and seek advice from more experienced runners, even in your own community. Look up the different kinds of foot and ankle mobility training that will speed up and assist you in the transition, especially in the area of your Achilles and big toe flexion. After 6 months of incorporating minimalist running, I was completely hooked and comfortable. I’ve watched 2 of my brothers take over a year to make the same progress. Listen to your body and find a partner to watch your posture!!!
Age 65, I run 5 km a day, four times a week, in trainers, for last 2 years. Today, ran fully barefoot, full 5 km on concrete road. Quite enjoyable. Ran 5 km in 7 minutes. No problem.
Lifes too short to run. Slow down smell the flowers, enjoy the world around you:) Your knees and back will thank me. Just walk, no need to run.
Another “con” is that you can not correct a possible leg length discrepancy when you are barefoot. You can not use an inlay or adapted shoe.
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 never seen anyone heel strike when running barefoot. BECAUSE IT WOULD HURT. Use running shoes but train your technique using barefoot shoes
Thanks a lot for sharing your experience!
I use both in the manner exactly as you’ve explained and, moreover, I “felt deep in love” with minimalists from the early beginning, to start running Vivo BF 5K m, then 8K, 12K m etc. Later on, I purchased Merrell Trail Glove 3/4 and MBT Speed 17 which are not exactly barefoot but rather good simulators. Surely, I train Adidas Boost and even Mizuno WR 18 for rehabilitation, relax and long runs, due to their forgiveness. And I love my Asics Hyperspeed, too, as fast racing shoes.
Now I think that, probably, the best universal choice would be Feiyue Classics they look very much like Altra you’ve mentioned as “middle” or “intermediate” in terms of cushioning. But I still have to try them first:-))
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
Your body may be too full of inflammation to properly attune to minimalist shoe running. And gauging the whole shift in running technique simply by doing a few test runs is insufficient. Adjust your diet to what our ancestors ate for 100’s of thousands of years when they ran barefoot, walked barefooot, did pretty much everything barefoot: keto, or even carnivore diet. This dietary change was necessary for me to really adapt because I would have thrown in the towel with the amount of inflammation I had from my former, typical western diet (I do intermittent fasting as well). The foot dr in your video needed to look at the pt with stress fractures diet: were they insufficient in minerals and vitamins like calcium and magnesium (many people are deficient in magnesium). These are just two things of course, but overall, our modern shoes, imho, have disconnected us from the earth when we run or walk. Reconnect to it and I have, for one, felt amazing benefits. I can trail run in very minimal shoes for three hours at a time.
No shoes, next no underwear lol, no belts no tee shirts, no bras, common sense we are not animals. Our bodies need to be protected and covered.
Bought my first barefoot shoes today. Going to try it out, already running on my toes with my regular trainers.
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.
Just wondering, how can an activity she described as engaging (thereby strengthening?) the muscles in the feet cause fallen arches? Is there certainty nothing else was affecting that condition? Would love some thoughts on this ✌️️
The question really comes down to wether you like your knees or your shins more. Or perhaps we should try not to run on concrete.
I am not a runner but i am vegan and interested in wide toe box shoes, currently using Merrell Trail Glove 3 vegan shoes but over a year now i start noticing joint pain and i was wondering an iron problem, maybe is the fact of those shoes having no cushioning at all, i will get Altra’s, not sure if low ir high cushioning
Idk. I get she’s looking into it, but it already sounds so biased… It takes time to change back to not wearing shoes… Can’t just test it once… And make a decision.. Idk. Seems biased to asseslike this.
Also watching everyone stride insane and land on heel hurts my eyes. Where’s the 180 cadence? That shit feels good…
Also if the pediotrist talked about barefoot runner injuries, let’s hear about normal running injuries with added shoes lol. Can’t only talk about one side of injuries, also did those people ease in? Or were they asking for it without adapting their feet?
NIHKE fuckin dying. You can’t tell me that the British pronounce that one right it’s an American FUCKIN company NIK-E fer fuks sake mate!
I started today,but inside my home and yes I felt like I ran just a bit faster/lighter???
I’ve been running with minimalist shoes for over two years now and I’m always recommending people switch! Because it’s been amazing for my joints and knees!
I used to get inflamed shinbones, and my knees would always start hurting, but now that’s all in the past. Granted, you’ve got to be careful not to rush into toe striking, as it’s way more exhausting than landing on your heels, and yes, initially, you’re going to have some pretty sore calves, but after a while, you’ll be running the same distances you used to, and you’ll have some killer calves as well
Today was my first time barefoot running and I was suprised how much different it is. In shoes after 10 km run my knees would hurt alot.
But barefoot I only my calfs hurt and I guess that is normal because I have never activated them before when running.
Barefoot is the way to go
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)
i really wanted to know the pros and cons. Especially long term effects and dangers, pitfalls to avoid. I expected an investigation, something what journalists and scientists do.
Tried to listen to information…was distracted by arm path.
Were you born with shoes on? have you seen cheetah running with shoes on? Folks, just try running barefoot, you would connect to nature in a whole different way.
I had a very hard time getting through the first minutes of the video because of the mispronunciation of the globally dominant company name Nike. Has she never heard how to say Nike?
I turned off when the “expert ” came on,clueless, blah blah get good fitting trainers.
I almost died from training in old age, I had to sort my feet out, I can tell you no body has a clue,especially this expert
The feet pump water and air round body, mine do this, nobody else’s does
At 03:02, on the left one; he clearly strikes the ground with his heel.
If you follow any “How to run” video/article, the tip one wouldn’t miss is to never land the foot with a heel.
Your body needs to train and adapt to barefoot running… i’m using FiveFingers from years and i cannot turn back to normal shoes for running. You have to train for month (literally) increasing progressively the distance to adapt muscles to that effort because when you run barefoot there’s no shoes that absorb the impact and your muscles have to compensate it… but you are born to do this!!! And your cadence changes too: my cadence was around 160 spm with normal shoes but now with years of Vibram FiveFingers my cadence is regularly 190 spm! Frequency increased (naturally) for a minor effort and less energy consumption, less bouncing, less stress and higher constant speed… i never tried it with STRYD because i don’t need it yet, but i’m quite sure that power increases in barefoot running respect to regular because of a greater efficiency… your body is born to run barefoot… otherwise god made you with nike air on your feet… 😉
PS:..and personally i think that there is an entire shoe market that lives on structured shoes and has no benefit to tell you that you don’t need them…
I’ve been running barefoot for about half a year now and will get those wibram shoes this Christmas I think my forefoot running technique is pretty good already.
I saw a lot more of views of ‘maxamalist’ running-short shots than actual ‘minimalist’ running foot-strike shots. What gender was the person taking the video?
I ran 3 times barefoot and the running technic got better instantly, but I got some serious bruises and a lot of pain, the first time was horrible, then it got better, but I understood that there MUST be a transition because our foot are not prepared to touch the ground since they haven’t done that for the most of our lives. Now I run with fivefinger shoes, you can still feel all parts of your foot touching the ground at the same time like it should do. You totally avoid heel strike and you can feel your body working together to create a solid and fluid locomotion. IG: yourpersonalnoton
You deserve some more views for sure.
Also its pathetic how all barefoot shoes can be so expensive. Even a thin rubber sole with some laces DIY cost like $30.
Maximalist all the way. I don’t give a damn about foot strength. I just don’t want injuries.
If the fat on bottom of feet thins with age. Can we prevent that by running barefoot???
I run barefoot on treadmill (due to icy weather) but get blisters if over 30 minute run due to friction being completely different.
Outside I use football trainers that have barely any heel cushioning, much better than my running shoes.
Make a video about someone who never wore shoes and compare that to them wearing shoes for the first time
Barefoot running fixed my shin splints instantly from which I suffered for years
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.
The minimalist running ethos makes traditional podiatry redundant, of coarse she’s not going to be all for it.
Letting your joints/tendons/muscles absorb the impact vs. letting the cushioning of your shoes absorb the impact.
One is easily replaced when broken, the other isn’t.
Unless you are a competitive runner then running is a bad idea. If you are competitive then you have reason to do it so the consequences are bearable. If you are running just for fitness then i recommend you change it to a different exercise. Running WILL damage your knees. You may not notice it for a while but it will creep up on you. So if running is not important to you then I recommend replacing it with something low impact on joints.
Tried barefoot running basically because it just made sense in my mind and never went back (well, except when it’s cold and wet, those barefoot shoes aren’t exactly water proof). I had barely started running (and I’m by no means a good or quick runner now), so maybe that’s why it went with no problems whatsoever, I could instantly run faster, for longer, with less soreness, no pain. Yes, 3 km was still a “long distance” for me when I switched, but hey, I just did my 10 km under an hour for the first time, “barefoot” and with no pain during or after the run:D And I pretty much hated running with shoes. Without… different story. Also, great for dancing. I’d just stay clear of any kind of moshpit or things like that:D
I wear Nike Free during some short easy sessions…I agree barefoot running can be hard on the calves
Thanks much Heather
Less than 4 minutes in, and already know how it is going to end….. disaster…. My own personal experience? About 6 months for a transitioning period, increasing strength in my legs, never have ANY injury since completing my transition, same pace or faster, more focus on form. Sure it’s hard at first, but now I run half marathons in barefoot shoes and only wear barefoot shoes ever,
I transitioned to minimalist and barefoot a couple months ago. I was wanting to do this since high school and the opportunity came when I went into college and stopped competing cause of work and studies. It was easier to transition as I ran and did strength endurance workouts for a few years before this. What I did was I started in the minimalist. I ran a few days a week in them and when I was about 80% tired I’d stop then do my workouts after. I didn’t work out hard. I worked out to feel tired not super worked cause I didn’t want my body to feel tired for my next run. Especially my legs. I was careful and made sure they got tired not super worked.
I was able to run for an hour until I shifted to minimalist and barefoot which dropped me to about 15 minutes of safe running (I was adapting so I had to drop a lot).
Basically I’m super fit now and I’ve built up to running on a treadmill’s maximum incline for 15 mins with minimalist, I can do incline treadmill stride intervals in minimalist, I can do long runs in them, I can do 20 mins barefoot, sprint 100s barefoot, and even jump higher cause my calves, Achilles’ tendons, and arches are muscular more developed and bouncier. Old injuries I’ve had are eased a lot and my knees never hurt and my feet never hurt and my abs got more athletic and it’s all cause of the pure natural work of using more muscles. If you rush into it you’ll hurt yourself. But if you are super patient and take it easy and build up, it’ll work. Don’t forget to stretch and eat well and sleep LOTS. This training needs so much sleep. More than usual. Your feet need the sleep
I’ve always been running partly on my forefoot and partly on my arch. I’ve never been a heel-toe runner. To me, it feels weird. Oh yeah I’ve also grown up with big calves, which is probably due to my forefront running.
This is taking the issue too literally. Of course barefoot is a bad idea on broken tarmac and stony ground. That’s not to say that running without cushioning is bad. I run in sandals and currently run in soles around 10mm thick when new. That’s enough to protect my feet from most small stones and rough ground. It feels amazing. I think the whole point is that raising the foot too much off the ground creates problems in those people, the majority, who pronate. Reducing cushioning reduces the amount of stress on the knees when rolling inwards during a stride. Sports shoe companies have spent millions, billions, solving the problems which they created. Then they charge you for it. Genius! Of course I still get charged for shoes, an acceptable amount for a good product which does the least possible to protect me and keep me comfortable when I run and walk.
I prefer barefoot to Vibrams, but it does take time to build the feet up. Annoyingly a long-term injury robbed my feet of their skin and I’m having to build up again.
The only con I’d add is temperature. It’s hard to run in wet conditions when it’s below freezing and it’s hard to run on concrete when it’s 30C+.
You hit the pros on the head. When building distance and toughening my feet I tend to start out in Vibrams and finish barefoot. Not only do my calves find it more comfortable, but my cadence picks up, my foot fall is softer, my speed increases and my heart rate barely moves.
Other marathon runners tell me they’re a gimmick, then go on to complain about their busted off toe nails, blisters, shin splits, back issues, knee problems etc.; all of which I have none after running 150 of them in a year. I used to get all the same injuries before I switched. Oh, but they look weird? So do your black bent toes and busted feet.
Oh, I did take time to adjust. Do that or it’ll hurt. You haven’t used those foot muscles in a long time, if ever.
I noticed the timeline in the beginning had no mention of Altra running shoes, who have adopted wide toe boxes and 0mm heel-to-toe drops in all of their shoes. Maybe this is a middle ground of building foot, calve and ankle strength but also protecting your feet from hard surfaces?
a.) your suckables are getting dirty
b.) one tiny invisible piece of glass or a sharp rock would ruin your career, you’re extremely lucky to have not encountered one
c.) marathons take place on concrete, not on grass, concrete is covered in vehicle carcinogens and various debris that will hurt your lovelies unless you’ve already toughened them into hideous calluses
I wear Vibram five-finger shoes but I prefer Bearfeet it feels Natural
#HUEMANSandNEANDERTHALS
Recently transitioned to minimalist. Tried my first total barefoot run mid run recently. Felt surprisingly comfortable, I must be a forefoot runner naturally, but I’m blowing much quicker. Not sure if that’s because of the lockdown alcohol uptake ♂️.Either way I’m persevering as best I can. Great vids
Was it only me that cringed when she pronounced it nyk instead of nyk-e?
I do run barefoot,it give so much freedom to the body,you can run 5 k ascetically,however the more we run on trainers,the more load we give to our body,and the landing to the foot becomes a big trouble for our joints and hips.i guess earlier days the tribal people used to hunt food with barefoot and see how there physique…:)
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.
I was a bit skeptical about using 5 finger shoes, but God damn, they are amazing. I run every day and it took me about 2 months to actually run my normal route again. My feet feel strong and my knees do not hurt at all! Just make sure to ease into it. I guess there were cases of plantar fasciitis. I felt sharp stabs when I tried to reach beyond my limits, so I’d switch between running styles. I’d go as far as I could with barefoot running and when I felt the pain, I’d switch to finish the workout. Slowly but surely I phased out switching and now I’m all set.
I have weak arches meaning I can see arches in my feet when I sit but when I stand on them they go away. How can I help make my arches stay or atleast what can I do to avoid getting injured somewhere else in my body?
You didn’t skip leg day haha!!! Subbed and great information
I must be lucky because I always run as if I’m already barefoot. Excited to try my new minimalist running shoes.
When I began running I wore traditional running shoes. They gave me a false sense of confidence. I felt like I could run high speed for miles on end which caused overuse injuries and stress fractures due to horrible form….I switched to vibrams and wear them as an everyday shoe and run in them…it’s taken months for my feet to adapt.
Today I’m faster and my feet stronger than they ever have been.
Can’t see myself running in shoes ever again…your channel is what brought about this change.
I’m grateful. Keep it up man!!
I had 4 ankle sprains on my left foot only now no problem i run bare foot everyday
Ran my first half marathon barefoot yesterday
And all that you have said I did experience for sure.
It was a comfortable run especially after 8 weeks of no practice.
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.
Great video showing the form. However, showing running on a hard surface, even close up, might be helpful. Some people say we weren’t meant to run on concrete. Maybe, but our ancestors didn’t have the luxury to run on grass everywhere either. They probably ran on trails and areas that had roots and stones embedded in hard packed ground, for which by landing on our forefoot puts us higher off the ground and so better able to avoid them hurting our feet on these obstacles.
I fell in love with running with my vibrams. However I’ve been out for a week due to big toe pain. Any advice? I dont want to go back to heel striking in cushioned shoes
I just hate shoes! I ROLL MY NAKED EYES & LAUGH AT SHOES! I’m a gymnast & I’m ALWAYS BAREFOOT! Please check out my barefoot gymnastics videos & YOU’LL AGREE THAT BARE FEET IS BETTER!
I noticed something interesting a few weeks ago. I’m still going through the transitioning phase and one day I decided to run in my heavily cushioned shoes thinking of going heel-striking just to keep my fitness up as my distances is growing slowly as I’m having a hard time getting stronger calf muscles. I couldn’t run with a heel-strike. My legs were having none of that. They wanted to mid-foot strike and I just gave up trying to force the issue. So that was the last time I ran in those. I run barefoot indoors or with my Vibrams KS-EVO outside. So far I’ve done a 5k park run in my KS-EVO and I’m quietly confident of one day getting to do my first marathon. The longest I’ve run heel-striking (in my twenties) was half-marathon. So if everything goes according to plan I’ll be doing the Cape Town Marathon next year in Vibrams:).
Thank you for the tips old bean. I’ve been running barefoot for a year now and have no regrets.
I’m 53 now and plan to do keep doing this for a good while.
I think the best minimalitic shoe are vibram five fingers, since they have individual toe pockets they are the closest to barefoot that any other brand.
Brilliant video. I run 90% in vibrams and have had zero injuries. Love them too bits. My Altra paradigms are seriously cushioned and are great for 26 mile plus Ultras.
This is my first week of running in barefoot running shoes and its harder than I anticipated. I was able to run comfortably 6-9 miles at an average pace of 8:30 but was getting some knee pain and hip pain along with it. I thought it was my shoes so I bought new ones, still the pain was there. Got my barefoot shoes and the knee and hip pain went away but my feet, ankles and calves now hurt just like you said. I have worked my way up to three miles of running everyday and my times are the same at 8:30 per mile but with less effort and a much more consistent cadence. Thank you for your insight I will continue to watch and am becoming a believer!
Its taken me over 12months to get the condition to run barefoot and in minimalist shoes all the time. It’s not that hard! People need to stop over thinking it, just start with short runs and let pain be your guide… if it starts hurting, just stop and recover for a few days, resume when it feels right again. As I said, its taken me over 1 year for my body to adapt to longer runs such as 20kms. I’m now training for a marathon, still adapting for that one, slowly getting there is the key to injury free.
One must start walkin in bare feet for 1 yr Nd then start runnin. U r feet bones must get used to grnd. Cncrete n road are not natural. Dirt n soil trail running is natural.
I am plagued by proportionally short leg syndrome. My strides were already shorter than other people my height. But yeah I get how it’s more efficient.
How far must one to see results from this efficiency? Cause I’m interested but still kinda competitive.
“As nature intended…”
Oh dear. I like running barefoot, but after this I won’t even bother with the rest of the video. Might as well say that Zeus wants us to wear sandals.
2. Price… hehe, pretty much all minimalist shoe companies fail on this. I’m not sure if it’s because most of these company haven’t realized economies of scale yet or if they’re just ripping us off, but minimalist shoes sure are crazy expensive.
Hello! I used to love running but extreme IT band pain on the outer knee has forced me to stop. Every time I try to run again, the pain comes back within 2 miles. Would running barefoot fix this issue or do I need extra help?
I ran a rough trail in merrell vapor gloves, a stone went up the ball of my foot and messed all my shit up. It didnt cut but left me swollen and in pain when walking, and it is taking forever to heal. Can’t wait to get back out there
I’ve been watching these barefoot interviews and videos. Never once does the subject of running in a real winter or sub freezing temps come up! Goodness, that’s 9 months out of the year here in the north of NYS (almost Canada)! I’ll take my merino wool and Hoka One Ones, thanks. Much more enjoyable to mid-foot strike and fly in snowy and/ or wet conditions with warmth. Not everyone lives south of the equator. lol.
There are 2 or 3 cons which belongs on this list. 1. The length of time it takes to adapt to barefoot running. It could take months or years depending on how strong your feet and legs are and other factors (being overweight, not having access to suitable areas to run barefoot, not being able to afford minimal shoes, they are cheaper but still generally expensive, etc). 2. The potential for injuries. Unless you’ve been doing weight training or lots of jump rope, your calf muscles and feet will be pretty weak. Most runners will be pretty impatient to transition so injuries will happen. I’ve been trying to transition for about 18 months now. I kept injuring my left calf. I’ve now decided to do barefoot intervals (2 min run, 2 min walk) in my house on tiled floors until my calves and feet are strong enough to run outside. 3. I am yet to find a transitioning training program. Everyone just says “take off your shoes and run. Take it slow.” and so on.
I get why less is better, but why do your toes have little shoes two?
I’m not gonna run barefoot in a city with all the trash and glass on the road. Shoes are like our tyres.
Another pro: All barefoot runners are really muscular somehow. The guy in this video, Barefoot Ted, Chris McDougall, etc.
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 came here for a subject I was genuinely interested in and I didn’t hear a single word that was said. What a fox
I have been doing barefoot light jogging on ceramin tiles for close to 3 months daily. Feels great and will continue to do so.
I like running with barefoot or minimalist running shoes. Truth is I don’t need to run with a forefoot. I put a full force instead of going from heal first. Minimalist shoes doesn’t have a cushion but you must develop strength and a grip; so to say grasp in running barefoot essence. I suggest trying it with water shoes. Its better to sacrifice something cheap during the summer sales anyway. Stepping on shards of glass, rocks, and needles are problem.
Hi, I am seven weeks into a stress fracture. After looking into causes etc, Bare foot running seems to be the way forward. What do you really think? Better or not?. Thank you.. Chris x
I’m enthusiastic about running barefoot, but I haven’t done much yet! I only go barefoot outside in good weather in the summer, and I like to make the most of it when the ground’s warm. B-) I know what you mean about social shunning tho; I always make sure no one else is around, and I always go for a cycle track at the far end of town from me which is quite quiet! I don’t like the thought of people who know me seeing me running barefoot, or knowing it’s something I like to do. It’s cool when you mention the calluses on your feet that your proud of! You’re very honest about it all:-) it’s cool seeing your dirty soles! I don’t want the pads of my big toes to get calluses, but I know it will happen if I run barefoot enough! I’m sure it’s possible to remove calluses tho. I know a young man who’s doing a lot of barefoot walking, and he said if he walks on very wet surfaces, his feet start to soften again, similar to the effect of using a pumice stone! It would be a bit pointless to make a habit of removing calluses I suppose, if I was gonna make a habit of running barefoot! I do exercises to try and lift my arches & strengthen my feet, but I’m not as flat footed as I used to be.
nice but we aren’t evolved that would imply that the theory of evolution that a guy made up was real.
I’ve been wearing these foam flip-flops for about 7 years now and whenever I do run in them it’s with my forefeet. I don’t like how heavy shoes can be. I didn’t know there were shoes made to help you feel like you’re barefoot. I love being able to feel the earth beneath my feet so I’m definitely looking into those types of shoes since rainy days suck with flip-flops. XD
Sometimes they look like heel strikes but the balance of the foot is actually on the toes. I.e, you can’t tell from your view 10-20 feet away that there’s a gap under the heel in the split second of impact between foot and ground, or even the toe and heel hit simultaneously but muscle tension in the legs concentrates impact on the toes as the heel gives way. In all cases, if people are actually getting injured running they will know and adjust on their own, or stop running, so that’s how anyone learns how to run and why these unsolicited diagnoses and prescriptions aren’t that helpful. Likewise, everyone saying she’s swinging her arms too much, who asked you for energy conservation advice? Like, there’s a chance she’s not running an ultra marathon in these clips, you think?
Saw a pair of 5 fingers and did some research. They didnt have my size. Next day I went to the park a just did it with no shoes. It was a high. Now I look forward to running.
Sorry GTN, but this video is quite rubbish. Talking with one “specialist” (hearing her, it’s quite obvious she is not as objective as should be) and you only did 2 short sessions barefoot? Grab yourself a pair of Vibram FiveFingers, like V-Run or V-Trail for some more cushion, of KSO Evo for a more minimalist experience, use them for a few months and see how it feels.
From personal experience, the largest benefit is injury prevention and recovery. I used to run in normal trainers, and over the last few years, I have suffered hamstring, Achilles and various knee problems, to such an extent that a consultant has told me not to run. I am now only running in VFF, and have no hamstring or Achilles problems, and my knees are improving all the time.
Ok I think a con of running barefoot is heat. This is only my first year of doing this but last summer when it was 83 degrees Fahrenheit and above It would be too hot but I started to run at night which was better but Im curious if you see this as a con or if your calluses are way harder then mine or something.
Barefoot shoes are great. You get to avoid pointy and sharp things.
I have run barefoot for 3 years. Now I coud say: I will never use cushion or drop again.
I tried barefoot running a few times until I stepped on a sharp pebble. I love barefoot running and I switched to minimalist running shoes like Vibram, and Xero. I love them.
Good job on the video. The pros outweigh the cons if you ask me.
This video just lost you my subscription, since I lost all credibility I had in the channel.
Yeah, running with shoes made my knees hurt, transitioning to being completely barefoot ended that, I now feel better than before
But I have an Achilles tendonopathy that has been persistently aggravating and prevents me from running far before it flares up. I can’t toe strike for that reason. How do I transition?
It’s so good to have someone still talking about barefoot running. I Live in Guernsey, a small island in the English Channel. I’m a member of a couple of running clubs here and don’t know anyone else going completely BF. I get the strangest reactions. Mainly giggling. I’ve had a lorry driver shouting for me to “put some bloody shoes on”. I’ve replaced my knee, arch and shin split pain with a lovely tingly hum in the pads of my feet after a long run. It’s been about 18 months and I’ve been upping my BF mileage. 33% on grass and and the rest on man made surfaces. I use my Xero’s or traditional trainers only once or maybe twice a week now, just to give my feet time to recover. I can comfortably do 7 miles on tarmac at the moment and have signed up to a 10k fun run which I absolutely intend to do completely BF. Wish me luck. Keep it rolling mate.
Done it. Love it. I feel like I’m flying…but i decided barefoot running shoes would be just as effective and it works, for me
Well explained especially with cadence and posture/force through the body. Thanks
I had been running barefoot for almost 7 months not….. and it cchanged everything… I ran faster from 56 minutes down to 50 minutes for 10 km….I can even run on hard surface, sandy, rocky, asphalt surface.. I suffred a lot before having blisters..but all is gone…. no more and most of all, i enjoyed running barefoot.
I live in Hawaii and I’m almost always barefoot. Every hike I do I’m barefoot, I ride my skateboard downhills barefoot. Your feet get stronger the more you exercise them.
I do about 800m of naked foot running on grass. I don’t get tired as fast, but I feel that my knees are bending too much
One thing I oddly really like when running or walking barefoot is the reactions from children. Adults usually don’t care or pretend not to, but children will almost always say something like ‘mommy, he has no shoes on!’ when I’m still just within hearing distance.
Been doing barefoot running for the last 2 years, and still busy doing the transition. My aim is a half marathon barefoot. I have improved my parkrun from 18.45 to 18.30. I am 53 years old. You can teach an old dog new tricks.
So the way track spikes are built is that like the same as minimalist cuz i been a heel striker for most my life but I’m trying to switch for speed in the mile and 2 mile and I can’t see heel my current technique taking me far with running, all the greats run forefoot I wear flats even at track meets should I wear minimalists shoes or are track spikes good?
Here in New Zealand tons of people go barefoot all the time, I don’t really have arch pain or anything but I have noticed those who like going barefoot usually have wider feet
Running barefoot makes me feel morally superior to others too.
Wore my trail gloves for over two hours walking. Just before I got to my house I went barefoot on some grass. In that short time I managed to find a doggie present. Squelch!
So you slow down and step on the mid foot to reduce injury
So this does not disprove the value of a cushioned shoe for sprinting
Do the top sprinters wear flat shoes?
I think one way people should go about transitioning is by wearing barefoot/minimalistic everyday shoes. Of course if you just up and run in vibram fivefingers your body is going to protest LOL
“…can make some minor adjustments to their form and reap some of the same benefits”, well…yes, although their conventional footwear will resist to these adjustments, otherwise they wouldn’t need to make them in the first place… Instead of struggling with your footwear about whose form will prevail, why don’t you choose one that will “direct” you or “agree” to the proper form?..
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.
Wait is no one gonna acknowledge the fact that she called the vaporfly (vapor-fly) 4% “viperfly 4%”
Could your calves burn because you went from a 2% drop shoe to barefoot (zero drop). I think that would be great to cover, a sloped shoe vs. a zero drop.
Ok, I’m not even going to finish this video. I’ll start with a comment. We were born barefoot……we ain’t supposed to be wearing any shoes….or clothes for that matter but that’s off topic. No matter what any one person tries to tell you with statistics or data, we were born barefoot
Big problem in exercise science is stupidly assuming treadmills are equivalent to running. It is not. The ground doesn’t pull your leg backward for you.
The comments from the podiatrist seems quite strange about people having issues with the arch of their feet. I have been running with minimalistic shoes for 2 years now. I’ve done almost 3500km in Vibram five fingers in this period. The transition was done slowly with short 2-3k runs, gradually progressing to longer runs. A few major changes I noticed. First thing was that my calf muscles got much better definition and strength. The hamstring pain which used to accompany some longer runs vanished. My feet are a lot stronger and more flexible than before.. Fast forward to today and I feel much better balanced, a lot stronger and a lot happier while running. The important thing which I feel I did right was starting with short slow runs and progressively running longer and harder
I don’t get calloused feet, been running barefoot running shoes for a couple months now.
Just looked at my Merrells. My heels are pretty worn out. Ugh….I’m heel striking in these aren’t I
Great video! I’ve been running barefoot now for two months and gave been training at the gym barefoot for around 4 months. It has been game changing for my strength, legs and running ability. Thanks for the info. I am training to run 100 Mile’s barefoot. Slow and steady.
I’m Flat footed and it’s so painful for me to run using trainers but When I run barefoot it’s Not that Painful Or no pain at all. Am I the only one?
One of the biggest positivities of barefoot running is the mental stimulation. There is something about barefoot running that makes the brain incredibly happy.
And “barefoot running” means no shoes, socks, or footwear whatsoever ever. It helps my ADHD massively.
I bought minimalist zero drop shoes a few weeks ago. I use them for short runs max 5K. I found that wearing them for these short runs not only improved my posture but also improves my ankle mobility and makes me stronger when squatting (crossfit). Would recommend it to everyone, good shoes are very cheap, I have Merrell Vapor Gloves for 65 euros.
We were born without condoms. So, we should all be having unprotected sex!
Great video. I’ve been running fully barefoot since 2012 and I completely agree with you. It’s way better, way healthier and I can run way faster, undoubtedly. And to be honest, I don’t really care about what other people may think or not, I’m following my path in life and that’s the best feeling someone can have, without any doubts. 😉
Honestly at this day and age it should be common sense that you’re not supposed to land on your heels, it jus makes no sense. When I began running I did landing with the fore-foot from the get-go, I don’t think I needed any kind of tutorial to know that that’s the right/better way to do it or whatnot, it just felt like the most natural and ituitive movement to me (landing with your heels hurts, can’t imagine how some people sprint landing on their heels…ouch xd). In any case, people should do some research before deciding to sacrifice their knees and lower back by heel striking
Asking podiatrists about barefoot running is one of the most predictable things you can watch. It is always the same.
How we gonna take advice from someone with your running form?
so 80% land with non heel strike. 60% land prominent forefoot, and half heel strike. is it 190% reason to remember the name?
8:22 you know iron overloading is for many people a problem, because it is a serious cause of inflammation. So could barefoot running make dump iron out of your body?
That the first thing I was thought when I started running…you run with your forefoot not your heel. Infact you gain more speed and leap when you run with your forefoot.
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
I don’t have arc support, would running barefoot cause greater injury?
Think of your opening comments. You say that a lot of people blame injuries on the shoe but in reality it is the running style. Now turn that around, some people saying that normal running shoes are causing injuries so they should try barefoot running. Maybe in the same way as before, it’s not the shoe but the running style and the thousands of others contributing factors that may cause the injury. Some of these videos are starting to sound like the flat earth movement.
One problem is that so many people are overweight. Its much harder to land on the ball of your foot and spring off if you’re too heavy. Its all about your power to weight ratio. Barefoot/minimalist is the only way to run you feel like a kid again. But you have to be quite lean or have some terrific calf muscles. But these muscles need to be gradually trained. For most runners it takes months to adjust well. So be patient and ease into it. Start with as little as 1/4 block. Whatever it takes to job or sprint barefoot. To toughen up your foot find some very smooth, rockless, pebbleless concrete you can practice on, bit by bit. It takes many months to really toughen your feet.
All I learned from this video is how uneffective running on a treadmill is. The slow motion really helps picturing how little effort is needed to run on a treadmill vs on a non-moving surface.
I’ve been a runner for many years. When I get old my knees started to hurt. More expensive shoe, orthotic, physiotherapy does not appear to help. One therapist said that some of her patients reported that their knees pain goes away after slowly moving to minimalist shoe. I thought it was worth a try. My knees pain got worse for the first few weeks, I almost gave up on it until the knees pain started to go away. As long as a run on zero drop minimalist shoe, I don’t feel much knees pain. However as soon as I started to increase cushion or heel-to-toe drop, I started to feel knees pain coming back. I would be happy to help any researcher find out why if they’re interested.
I have also run all all shoes across the board. Altra and Hoka are some of my favorites but I tend to lean towards Altra. You mentioned a very good point about Hoka’s being like “running on trail” that I had never really thought about, helps that Hoka’s only have about a 5mm drop too. I will be switching up between my three types of shoes after watching this. Thanks!
I don’t run. I clicked on this because the gal in the thumbnail had pretty legs. Shallow, I know.
Lady, you may strike the ground right, but your arms flail around like fish.
I came here for the thumbnail, and couldn’t have been less disappointed
Thank you for the video. Here is a cool site with lots of minimalist shoes http://magneticfirstimpression.com/sitemap.html
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”
I really enjoyed your video. Check out these vegan shoes: http://27outfits.com
I like running in minimalist shoes or so to say barefoot running. Even running about 195 pounds I lost a lot of pound by changing my shoes and minimal comfort it offered. I don’t have a Vibram 5 Fingers or Merrell trail gloves, I mostly conditioned myself with using water shoes. But I love the fact its light weight, cheap, and my recommended workout shoes OTG (on the go). My calf and my quads are becoming toned from running with water shoes.
Thanks for the video. Check out these minimalist shoes: http://pinterestdiaries.com
I am running barefoot on my treadmill, in order to get used running forefoot, because my knees are so ruined I dont have any other choice, (being 48yrs old). I wish I would have known earlier about this issue would have saved me from a lot of pain.
Shoes are like tires. There’s no way I’m walking or running barefoot on concrete with all the little rocks and pieces of glass everywhere.
Barefoot girl’s got half of what it takes to be my perfect wife: she just need to be pregnant now.
I really enjoyed your video. Check out these awesome shoes: http://pinterestdiaries.com
I just came here to look at your feet and touch myself.. Is that ok? I promise to not disturb you
I’m sorry what did you say, I was only watching because your hot!
Where did you get this
Video? This is at Senca Park on 55th in Chicago and Solorio HS. My old running grounds! The only hill in the area: )
it’s a bs test. Lab conditions, speeds, distances, surfaces don’t reflect reality
Great video. Check out these minimalist shoes: http://haloeffectrevealed.com
Do you think that getting foot cramps while weight lifting is a result of weak feet?
I am 40 years old and more of a swimmer. I haven’t ran for years and aimimg to run again (for sprint triathlon may be olympic at some stage, so distance of 5k primarily and may be 10 one day). I am walking in barefoot shoes for 2 years and so I am well adapted to walk barefoot. Now for running, how gradual should I be? Any advice would be welcome. I started with 1 min walk 30 sec run, adding 5 secs of run every workout, so 15 secs everyweek. Plan is to do that up to 3mins run 1min walk and then I will start to reduce the walk part. Is this a good approach? Any advice welcome thanks!
minimalist shoe are the biggest finesse in the shoe industry
I walk barefoot on beach every second day and run with trainers the other second day.
Works well for me
There is also the lack of protection for your toes. If you ever broke a toe you know how painful that is.
great video!
I came to this conclusion as well and rotate between minimalist shoes (Merrell Vapor Glove 3 and VivoB. Primus Lite) and something with a little bit more cushion (Altra Instinct 3.5 and Saucony Freedom ISO2) but still with a low drop since I prefer that.
It all depends on how the body feels. If I feel like a more quick and responsive run/feel or if it’s more of a slow relaxed run.
Been looking at the Bondi 6 and Paradigm 4, thinking about trying the other end of the extreme as well.
Let me know if you try the Paradigm 4 and se how it is compared to the Bondi:-)
Blessings
What happened if you stepped on a sharp objects??? Did you made that study too?
Hi,I have just decided lunch time to take my shoes off and run back to work barefoot, not a long run but I suppose it is better to start short at first no? Well the result is I can feel my carf and the tip of my feet are burning, quite a nice sensation. I was wondering because I did not feel any extra pressure on my knees in fact I thing it is quite the contrary, is barefoot running better for the kenees as well! I am looking forward to my next run, I just love running but this is a new thing and I love changes in my life, I do not care about what other people think, I switch to a raw plant based diet 3 years ago so I know all about what people and familly think of you. http://www.sens-en-eveil.fr my website I may include barefoot running to the activities if I really get on with it.Thank you for your advices, as far as I am concern the cons are not cons to me. Love and light
Looks beautiful but the problem with running/walking barefoot on grass is PARASITES. Ringworms especially..
It’s hard in my city as it has become infected with heroin….
I’m gonna stop wearing shoes and running on Rock, road, dirt, sand, and more! I wanna strengthen my feet up so I can run faster and surprise people with my talent!
I can’t run barefoot in my country (India). There’s shit everywhere!
“going from shoes to barefoot needs study” Are you serious?!? How about hundreds of thousands of years of evolution?!?
Hi, I just transitioned into barefoot running in february 2019 and I absolutely love it. I just ran 5 kilometers for the first time. It still hurts when I run on bad asphalt, and I do not see any progression the skin under my feet is still soft. Any ideas on how long it taskes for the skin to toughen up and form calasses?
Barefoot running 100% decreases your risk of getting a hole in your socks
Nicely covered; encapsulating a lot of critical aspects in such a short video. It’s helped me move closer to deciding on the type of shoes I want. As I saw in this and some other videos as well, it is important to know what one wants. Not wanting to wear high drop shoes doesn’t need to imply minimalist or barefoot shoes. That’s a huge leap and may have negative consequences. I think I am looking at low drop or zero drop shoes with adequate cushioning; with more mindfulness towards foot strike and running form. The ‘pose method’ so to speak. As a corollary, my limited experience has been that when I wear low drop shoes or shoes with limited cushioning, I am more aware of my running form and tend to pay more attention to technique. When I wear elevated ones with lots of fancy foam, I don’t do so and tend to just let myself go, especially so when running on a treadmill. The combination of the two is probably a major factor that has affected knee pain in my case. I have now come to believe that it is easier to get injuries on a treadmill as compared to running on Mother Earth. It’s easy to push oneself beyond one’s limits of speed on a treadmill. On the road or track, it’s way more difficult to do so. In future, I plan to restrict treadmill speed to what I achieve during road running and go beyond only in a planned manner for short durations, with specific objectives like improving stride length.
All in all, a nice video. It got me thinking on the right track. Pun intended!
We’ve evolved over millions of years to run in shoes. If we were meant to run barefoot how come shoe shops exist?
Lawns are unnatural. you should be running barefoot on rocks, twigs, torns, bones, seashells, and animal feces
Ha, I have flat feet and numerous issues stemming from the Army. I went to minimalist shoes, heel struck a couple times, learned that was uncomfortable, never did it again. It is what we call a “self correcting issue.” If you keep running with that heel slamming against the ground then you probably aren’t real bright.
The interesting thing is that all 4 cons are solved by wearing shoes that have very little padding. Not that they’re big problems anyway, but yea.
And all 4 pros stay in tact too. Or just for extra benefits one could have barefoot locations and then when they go to places that are not so great for bare feet, wear super thin shoes for those occasions.
I transitioned about a year ago and it’s the best thing i ever did.
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 never seen someone run heel first, this is the first time I’ve ever heard of it. This is not common this is a useless video, she just wanted to see herself run in slow motion half naked.
6:39 she is over striding therefore breaking resistance and therefor not running asefficiently as she can:-)
I’ve been running in Fivefingers for a decade, and I’ve been running barefoot once or twice a week for the past few months. Though I’m still not as fast when barefoot, I can say it’s definitely worth the initial discomfort. My gate did change a bit at first, but now I’m starting to take longer strides, and I’m getting faster. I’m not sure if I’ll ever stop wearing shoes completely; I still like being reckless on longer runs.
It takes adaptation before just doing all of your running barefoot. But one way to start is cheap and simple.
Just get a pair of those watersocks at Walmart for $5 and wear those as much as possible when out and about and go barefoot otherwise. Or, they have a wide toebox version for $10.
Continue training in shoes for the most part while incorporating more time barefoot though.
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.’
dat ass doe… would hunt down barefoot even if the floor was lava!:P
i tried “proper” running and got friction burns on the balls of my toes
Hi, I agree with everything you say regarding running barefoot. Ive been running barefoot for 2 years now. I wear VFF when it’s really cold and have zero sandles for when it gets really tough underfoot. But mostly I just carry them now as my feet are really tough and strong. I’d add that running totally barefoot does tend to focus your attention on where you’ re placing your foot. Yes, there is nasty and sharp stuff about but you look out for it and avoid it. Running on grass is the most risky as you can’t see all that’s hidden there. And since taking up barefoot running I’ve not had any injuries at all. One more thing, I couldn’t care less what others thing about me running without shoes, I know I’m doing the right thing. Keep up the great work. Best wishes.
I’m a gymnast, and I cant understand why almost all sports are done with shoes. I hate do anything athletic shoes, it’s such a hindrance.
Collage campus..she must be running away from a “straight white male that’s about to RAPE her.
>Be me
>see this video
>decide to try barefoot running
>go outside
>stepped on nail
>hospital
>rust infection in my foot
>tetanus shot doesn’t work
>lost my foot
So my first experience going outside was pretty fun! How’d you’re day go?
who cares about ankle pain as a caveman when your life expectancy is 30 amirite
I use to wear water shoes all the time don’t it hurt to have yer heel hit first they should try runny in the woods an not on a path
Humans evolved barefoot. Shoes are unnatural. My only issue with being barefoot these days is in urban areas. Stepping on a dirty needle or glass.
So is she heel-striking in this video? I always hear that term but never get a visual on what they mean. I run in running shoes & land more on my forefoot than she does, so I don’t think I heel-strike.
I am from a different time, so I don’t understand why women in this time period run wearing a bikini and without shoes?
Get a pair of mini mill boots I’m getting a pair and they look like they’re best of both
So when I switched, it shocked me how hard it was to reprogram my brain to switch running styles. Heel strike, with a long forward reach, was what I was brought up on.
What I did was run on sidewalks with grass medians, or next to parks etc… and I would run on uneven grass, where it’s natural to run forefoot to protect the ankle. Then I’d go back to pavement, and every time I’d heel strike, I’d go back to uneven ground. I’d go back and forth until i retrained myself.
Now I don’t even like shoes with heels for walking.
Big disagree. The point of minimalist running is to run with a forefoot strike which reduces impact a lot more than a cushioned shoe because your calves are much better shock absorbers than some foam that just sends the shock through your knees, hips and lower back.
You are not taking a soft surface with you on the run, you are extending the length of your heel to a point where a heel strike becomes easier to achieve than a forefoot strike, exposing yourself to knee wear.
Love the video. But okay what’s going on with the bananas? What are you doing with all those bananas???
Great points. Can you do pros and cons of having a maximalist beard?
Agreed. Always good to have varieties. I use the Bondi 6 three times a week and once or twice on the VFF. Thank you for sharing the video.
ok so, podiatry and structural foot problems are one thing.
Yes you build up callous’ and your body adapts, and it is more efficient… blah blah blah
we wear foot protection because there are some pretty nasty little critters in the soil. bacteria, parasites, and virus’
you can run in barefeet all you want. but when shit goes down and you have a foot rotting off due to a common bacteria normally not scene in infections, well best of luck to you.
hint it normally isn’t seen in the western world because everyone wears shoes, but if africa you see this kind of stuff all the time.
It is the same idea as legalizing pot… society has forgotten why it was made illegal in the first place. People are not productive when smoking pot. It is not that it is unsafe or bad for your health. What happens to your society when 1/4 of your population smokes weed every day? well they sure as hell don’t produce 11 billion in agriculture sales. That would be north dakota, a whopping 190k people work in the ag industry and produce that much money…
people have forgotten why we wear shoes. It is because the outside is dirty. not filthy dirty, but bacteria dirty.
It’s all about $. Of course thick expensive sneakers are recommended by doctors, cause they’re being paid to. Sneakers are meant to be protective and flexible. I injured my left knee with Nikes. Now I wear cheap canvas shoes. No problems
I like your conclusion, both have upsides.
I think cushioning in itself is not the main problem though. Many shoes compress your feet so that it loses its ability to absorb the impact of landing and soles with a high heel drop expose your heel. Which makes it hard not to heel strike and increases shocks.
I guess cushioned shoes can have a wider toe box and no heel drop to let the foot absorb some of the shock. The hoka seems to have zero heel drop?
For a casual runner who owns a single pair like me, I guess avoiding maximalist shoes is best, while minimalist shoes wouldn’t be a problem if I trained for it.
I believe that the most important thing is zero drop. The thickness of the sole isn’t the main issue. I have been runing in zero drop very thin shoes….and now I feel that i need some cushioning….now i’m running 21km.
It’s not helping to see the details of how she runs when the frame is skipping back and forth, spinning around and other really anoying effects. It’s like the person whoedited this is more interested in showing his/her cool editing trix instead. This person who edited this should of course be made to run 20k bare feet!
Excellent video, makes a lot of sense. I’ve been watching a lot of videos for an answer and this video gave the most convincing explanation. Thank you!!
Great video. Check out these awesome shoes: http://pinterestdiaries.com
Nice analysis, I would like if you can analize or tell us about their durability under stress, that’ll be awesome, thanks for the review, I also follow your other channel called Sweet Natural Living, or Unnatural living as you said haha, your last video about that you are still experimenting and trying new ways to improve your food have changed my concepts in many ways, my food nowadays is combined, I eat everything, but I tried living only with bananas and eggs for 1 month and let me tell you that I found the perfect nutritional combination eating both, eggs and bananas, eggs contains “all” the aminoacids that your body needs, and bananas were my favorite and most complete carbohydrate, during that month my health stayed awesome, I ate 2kg of bananas daily and 8 eggs, but later I missed all the other flavors of other foods so nowadays I eat everything I must say, I live in Peru South America and weather here is mostly cold in my city, cheers dudes!!!!
The research is not in favor of one type of foot strike vs another. Over striding or the act of having your foot land in front of your center of mass can happen with any type of foot strike. Also when runners run at higher velocities cadence is about equal for heel vs non heel strikers. Lastly heel striking increases your chance of injury for anterior muscles of the leg and knee, and forefoot striking increases your chances of calf or plantar issues. Bottom line run the way that works for you.
I’ve heard that running naked is best. Please do a video on that.
Thank you for the great content your logic is impeccable I am definitely going to rotate my footwear and my style
My concern is because I’m 67 active and I have high arches!! Any comments? Thanks
I really enjoyed your video. Check out these vegetarian shoes: http://www.kstylery.com
Its true that we wernt designed to run with shoes but we also wernt designed to run on concrete
What does it mean to run on your forefoot? For beginners this video is confusing. I’ve played sports my entire life and now that I’m trying to change my form videos like this seem great but do not explain HOW to make those changes. Can you do a more detailed video on How to run barefoot or with minimalist shoes/socks???
I have Hookas but after 35 years of use of Nike and Asics runnings shoes and then later Hookas I developed Bunion as a 50 year old Male. used running shoes maybe 12 hours a day, at work, on the bike, walking, running, at the gym etc. Then I looked at my hookas and my asics they are pointed (just a fashion thing, a foot does not look like that) and squeezes the toes together. At the store the told me I pronated, but that was probaly becuse my bunion and weak arch I understand now, but they sold me Asics kayano with pronation thing. Also the Hookas and Asics have Toespring, so all this narrow toebox, elevated heel, Toespring will make my natural foot to a unatural foot, so after many years people could get alot of foot, knee, back problems. So for now I use Altra and fivefingers and I train my feet alot and using toe spreaders, and I have much less pain. I dont use my Hookas anymore because they will squeeze my toes togeheter and they have a toespring, not god for anyone, they will alter Your foot in a bad way. One can read more here https://www.correcttoes.com/foot-help/its-a-shoe-problem/?fbclid=IwAR1npDdPxWdhDzK025GPjRbIP90Z7UsZxvrFPY-Ygi3Wk6Og2EmFNQxbIOc
but studies show that more cushioning makes your body experience more impact forces. It seems paradoxical, but look into it, it’s true.
Who says run on a soft surface like trails? Barefoot runners run on pavement. I run barefoot on pavement and it’s way easier on my feet than running barefoot on trails.
So good!!!, thank you,….I only have barefoot shoes,. Play basketball in them but don’t run long distances, max few k
Being barefoot is not just about running. Spend more non-running time barefoot and you’ll be improving the health and strength of your feet.
As a quick, power athlete I’ve never been a heel striker but noticed it when running lazily or during any running that wasn’t sprinting. Heel striking seems so counter intuitive to fast twitch muscle fiber related activities, especially jumping. No shock absorption what so ever.
If people think that wearing maximalist shoes gives their feet a rest, then I don’t think that they are doing minimalist properly. Minimalist running is not something that you can do once or twice a week.
The argument between minimalists (the ultimate minimalist is barefoot) and maximalists, is a bit like that between vegans and non vegans.
You can’t know what it’s like to live vegan, without living vegan.
You cannot know what it’s like to run minimalist without being barefoot most of the time.
Imagine having a discussion about vegan food with someone that claims they are a vegan most of the time, and only when they eat animal products are they not vegan (say, one half hour each day). You can recognise that this would be a bizarre discussion. Same same with minimalist running/walking.
Unless you walk around bare feet much more than shod (some shops and work places don’t allow bare feet)and unless you run barefoot when you run: you will not be able to truly gauge what true minimalist running is.
Simple as that.
You can guess what it is like, but until you put the work into getting your feet and body ready so that you can run around barefoot, you will not know.
And once you know: I guarantee, absolutely guarantee you will never have a discussion about this again.
The only discussion you may have when running somewhere new that may have ground that is very unsuited to bare feet is: barefoot or minimalist shoe. And hey, if you buy the right minimalist shoe, they will easily scrunch up into a pocket.
Sorry, gonna keep banging on about this, because shod runners are missing out on so, so, so, so much. Indeed, shod people in general are missing out on so, so much. I feel sorry for them. Oh, my, the beauty of the ground directly on your feet: bliss!
minimalist running is just so enjoyable! my own minimal running career was sadly put to an end by several feet injuries and finally a stress fracture. even though I was fully aware of the risks and got into it really slowly, building it up over months and years. even though I´m still in love with the minimalist idea I needed to draw a conclusion from this experience. my current strategy flips things around: now I´m using minimalist shoes almost all the time in everyday life to train and strengthen the feet. BUT Im using cushioned shoes when the impact on the feet is at a peak = while training/running (especially, since I live in a big concrete jungle). after all the body adapts to what you do most of the time and not just on occasion (a few hours a week). great video, keep it up!
Alternate between 3 different Altra for different sessions, King MT with low stack hight for rough trails,Lone Peak with medium stack hight for trails and gravel roads and Duo with a high stack hight for roads. Don’t have had any big issues alternating between these shoes so far.