Running in Vibram Five Fingers
Just like many other runners I have read the articles on barefoot running and the book “Born to Run” and been intrigued by the possible benefits. At first it sounded wacky to me because of all the hype sneakers get and how I’ve often read that most of us need running sneakers to correct our form (overpronation, etc) and for cushioning. But after reading “Born to Run” and then following that up with other reading I began to think there was something to it. I figured I would probably never become a full time barefooter but that doing it occasionally might help strengthen my feet, improve my form and make me less injury prone. So I took a couple 10 minute jaunts in my backyard in the grass. I liked it but I live in Texas and even where there is grass it is very stoney, we have fire ants and scorpions all over the place, and cacti grow like weeds so it scared me a little. I thought maybe I could try the barefoot alternative Vibram Five Finger shoes, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to invest $80 in shoes I would only use once a week. Well my birthday rolled around and my husband bought me a pair. I tried them on a couple of walks and used them as water shoes on vacation. Other people have said that you need to be very conservative when running in them because you could hurt yourself if you do to much to soon. So I put off going for a real run in them since I am training right now and did not want to get hurt. I went for a little run/walk with them on Sunday and did not feel any soreness the next day so I decided to go for a 4 mile run in them today.
I drove down to the Brushy Creek lake so that we could run on the gravel thinking it would be softer on our feet than asphalt or concrete, grass would have been a better choice. I could feel every little rock and that hurt, it took about three miles for me to relax my feet enough and take light enough steps to where this didn’t bother me. Other than that I really liked the feel of running in them. I felt light and free. A couple of people stopped and said “look at that”, which normally might have made me feel self conscious but today made me feel pretty cool. It was a fun experience and I want to do at least one little run in them a week. I did not feel sore at all after the run and I still don’t. My legs actually felt looser than before the run which is the opposite of how I normally feel. I ended up running 4 miles at an average pace of 9:21 min/mile. A little slower than I’ve been running lately but not bad for my first real run the the Vibrams. Have you tried barefooting or running in minimalist shoes? If so I’d love to hear your experiences.
You can check out vibram five fingers here : http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/
*******Update: the day after posting this my calf muscles were TIGHT and it was a bit painful to walk until I stretched and massaged them. The tightness lasted a couple of days but then went away completely.*******
Filed under: My Gear, Running Blog
I’ve just recently finished “Born To Run” and am similarly intrigued by the Five Fingers. I haven’t picked up a pair yet. I’m in marathon training, and feeling well, so I’m hesitant to change anything. Hmm, maybe I need to try a pair for a few easy days.
I did pick up a lot of inspiration from “Born To Run.” My new running mantra is EASY, LIGHT, SMOOTH, FAST, just like Caballo Blanco. I’m also really working on smlling into the face of The Beast. Was that the “Bruja” who talked about that?
(I follow you on Twitter.)
Great post! Like you, I’m training for a marathon, but couldn’t wait to try out the Vibrams – I’ve done runs of ~3, 7, and 5 (twice) in them and have felt better with each subsequent run. I actually find running on asphalt to be fairly comfortable at this point, and much less painful than running on rocks as you mention. If you haven’t already, wearing Injinji socks with them can make for a much more comfortable ride. You can read more about my Vibram experience here: http://www.runblogger.com/2009/08/running-in-vibram-fivefingers-first.html
Thanks for posting about this…I really got into wearing nike free’s when I was jogging a lot…few yrs back…of course I read too much, have overpronation issues & had a hip injury…
so then I went through couple years time trying structured shoes, shoes with medial posts, brooks, mizuno, asics, new balance…..$$$$…went to running shops where you run around the track or they put you on a treadmill….had inserts, pads etc…..special socks…..nothing was ever as comfy on my feel, legs, lower back than the nike frees….only problem is they wear out quickly on me and then the pronation in my foot gets worse w/them stretching out…
I’m just getting back into jogging and really want to try the vibrams…it just makes sense (and will work well w/kettlebells too)…hopefully I can try them soon…I’ve spent too much time & energy into all the structured stuff LOL
I’ve been looking at these things, a little bit for running but also for martial arts. I run on a lot of pavement and rocky dirt roads so not sure how good they’d be for a lot of my running. I’ll be interested in your ongoing experiences with the “five fingers.”
I’ve been running barefoot for a little over 2 years now, with the exception of harsh winter days (too cold, too snowy, or too icy), and I can imagine what your VFF experience is like. I found right away that my form adapted to the lack of shoes.
It sounds like you are taking a slow, conservative approach, which I think is best when going barefoot/minimalist. Because it feels so good, the temptation is to overdo it.
Awesome post. I may get on the VFF bandwagon pretty soon!! Everybody who has run in them say the same thing – light and free!!!
I’ve been running in Vibrams for about 5 months. I started out too fast and injured my Soleus (calf) muscle. Had to sit out for a couple weeks. Then I started again, very slow. I would wear my Asics for a few miles and then stop and switch to the FFs. I slowly increased the distances in the FFs. Now I can run 5-6 miles, all in the FFs with no problems. My legs feel much more “solid” for some reason. I used to have hamstring and knee problems but haven’t felt any pains anywhere in the Vibrams. I usually run at lunchtime so I’m limited in distance. I’ll probably try something longer during the long weekend. I’m really looking forward to it, particularly with the cooler weather.
I find myself wishing I could wear the FFs all the time. But I’m not sure how they would go with a suit and tie.
I’m about 2/3 through “Born to Run”, which is only confirming my interest in these funny looking foot covers….
Ive seen LOTS of people wearing these around lately. I’m not sure how i feel about them. I dont know if my toes would like being seperated but it sounds like you really liked them! Keep me posted on how much easier running gets in them! I’m curious!
Enjoy your weekend and great job running BAREFOOT!
First, big ups to the hubby for running out and getting such a cool gift to fuel your pashion! That’s awesome. Second, I’d be curious how to see pictorially how you run in your Vibrams versus your regular shoe. Can you see/feel a difference inhow you strike? I’m reading “Born to Run” too, and although I haven’t drank the Kool-Aid yet, I’m fascinated by the stories about barefoot and minimalist running.
Best of luck with it!
Chris you can definitely feel the difference. They force you to run on your forefoot (which I already do but they make it easier because there is no clunky heel trying to force you to heel strike), don’t allow for overstriding, force you to keep your back straight and core engaged.
Middalia, I loved this post… there was something that intrigued me about it. It was only last night that I realised that I went through High School running all my track and most of the cross country events barefoot!! I ran my fastest times barefoot and found wearing shoes constrictive and uncomfortable. I am amazed at how this sport continues to evolve…
Read my blog post “Memories of running barefoot” http://run2ny.blogspot.com/2009/09/memories-of-running-barefoot.html
I hope you keep up with it and I will look forward to future posts about it!!!
Hi Middalia.. I am a newbie to your blog and I just started VFF. I just got this as an early birthday gift from my wife. LOLl! I started very slowly last Friday and Saturday in the small park with “soft” trail. It was actually good. I ran 4 miles yesterday for the first time around the hood. I have to say that I loved it. I woke up this morning with soreness in the calf. I took a break from VFF today and ran in my Saucony Fastwitch3. Believe it or not, I still have the soreness which is the longest I have since I’ve been running for four years. I am leaning toward minimalist running as this is really a new arena to me. Great blog of yours!
Thank you all for sharing your experiences, so interesting to read.
Ted so funny that we both got VFFs for our birthdays
I’m currently reading Born to Run also. In the spirit, I tried to run just a few feet completely barefoot on my last run just to get the feel. OUCH – asphalt’s rougher than it looks!
I’m currently debating between VFF & racing flats for minimalist wear.