Barefoot shoes/boots

[Man of Tanith]

I've been experimenting with some factory seconds of the vibram five finger shoes and am convinced enough that i'm looking into purchasing some more barefootshoes.
Im after somethin i can wear for work as well as when out and about.
What does the collective mind recommend?

 

[bopdude]

Never really thought about them as more than a gimmick, what's swaying you in favour ?

 

[Toddy]

How much of a bargain were the factory seconds ? and how did you get hold of them ?

I admit I'm tempted, but I walk about barefoot most of the time anyway, just that this muddy winter and spring means I've had to find shoes even just nipping out to the bins

M

 

[daveO]

Did you see this thread? Looks interesting if they're cheap enough

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=138781

 

[Man of Tanith]

How much of a bargain were the factory seconds ? and how did you get hold of them ?

I admit I'm tempted, but I walk about barefoot most of the time anyway, just that this muddy winter and spring means I've had to find shoes even just nipping out to the bins

M

Ebay Mary
I'll ping you a link shortly


Whats convincing me is a lack of knee aches, quieter steps and a lack of sweaty manky feet at end of day

 

[sausage100uk]

Couple of my uber fit friends use them (were talking qualifiers for world obstacle race in the usa)...they love them but you have to go easy at the start or youll knacker your ankles and calves as we are so used to havong our feet completely supported. One of them regularly does 15k trail runs in them.

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[GGTBod]

I'm a recent vibrams fivefingers convert, i've never been able to run due to pains in knees and ankles, after my knee blew out in january i was researching all things regarding leg health and strengthening exercises to hasten my recovery and got onto stuff about running barefoot and barefoot running shoes, the best explanation i got was to think of a child learning to walk and how quick they are sprinting about barefooted and then you stick them in their first shoes and they are clubbing about like Herman Munster until they relearn to walk in shoes, the extra support from regular shoes negates a lot of supporting muscles in the lower legs making the legs weaker.

I personally was what is commonly called 'a heel striker' when i tried to run, i know now this is and was the cause of all my problems, i started using the treadmill barefoot and you quickly realise you can't land heel down and rolling through the foot without suffering shockwaves of impact pain shuddering up through your limbs, we are meant to run on the balls of our feet more like an ostrich or a veloceraptor runs, heels are for standing still on and for balance, well after running half a mile in this fashion all these old unused muscles come to life and for 3 days afterwards i could hardly walk feeling like my lower legs had ran a marathon, once recovered i done it again and this time the hurt did not last as long, i decided to give the vibrams a shot, fast forward 2 months since blowing out my knee and i am running 4 miles in an hour and only feeling appropriate pains in my legs afterwards which are good strengthening type of pains through all those little muscles and ligaments getting a workout, each run my lower legs get stronger and i find it easier to run on the balls of my feet and toes and each run i feel more and more powerful and ostrich like, yesterday i just bought my second pair of Fivefingers, personally i really really love them and running barefoot and with barefoot shoes has transformed the structure of my lower body, knees are stronger than ever now and getting stronger everyday.

I am still amazed i can now run 4 mile in an hour and i know this will increase week by week, this might seem nothing to folks who can run but i have never even managed to run a mile in my whole life without intense pains afterwards for however far i got any time i tried, even as a kid and i had always blamed being a little fatty as the cause, well i am still 16 stone now and i can run, losing weight steadily week by week too

 

[GGTBod]

My first pair were a pair of Fivefingers Sneak which are a little more supportive than some of the others types of fivefingers,

they were on for less than half price at Sportpursuit they are regularly on sale on here so if you fancy a pair i'd join up and keep an eye out, it's one of those group buy sites, they list a sale for 7 days and when the sale closes they buy from manufacturer and send them out and you save a pretty penny on normal retail prices

Yesterday i coughed up and got a pair of Komodo Sport LS which are the top of the line latest technology fivefingers, like i mentioned above i am very impressed with what they have done for me

 

[MountainGhost]

I spent a winter running 4+ miles to and from work in 5 fingers. Great shoe. Only problem was the lack of grip, especially when hitting a cattle-grid in the dark in sub-zero temps. I then moved on to sandals. Sinner full leather were awesome. But like all sandals the toe hold pulled through eventually. That can be a pain when it happens half up a hill. I now am the very proud owner of a pair of Xero sandals.

The transition is important. But if you're young and fit it'll be mostly muscle tear in the calves and swollen tendons in the feet and ankles. Heel raises daily, walking on the balls of your feet around the house etc will help speed up the process. Also this: http://hundredup.com/learn-georges-100-up-running-exercise/ Absolutely invaluable exercise regardless of what you wear, or even if you run at all.


People went barefoot or close to that for millennia. Even just a hundred + years ago in the highlands of Scotland children often didn't own shoes. The freedom gained is worth the effort.

 

[GGTBod]

Thanks for the 100-up share, it seems easy when you read about it but i only made it to 60 raises with each leg before i had to stop, i was doing the one where you don't let your heel touch the ground between lifts, gonna make sure i do it before every run just after my stretches, i've already done today's run and cycling so my calf muscles were already twitching before i even started, tomorrow i'll fit the 100-up in the right part of my daily exercises.

I'm definitely still transitioning, after a lifetime of wearing regular shoes my legs had none of the muscular, tendon and legament structure you develop from barefoot and minimalist running, like you said trying to walk on the balls of your feet as much as possible definitely helps

 

[GGTBod]

2nd attempt i made it to 100 each leg, at my current fitness levels it nearly counts as a workout in itself

 

[Dave Budd]

my housemate has been wearing barefoot shoes for several years and recently got some nice brown "leather shoe" looking ones for working in an office. When the lazy scrote wakes up, I'll ask him where from and what they are called

 

[Man of Tanith]

I bought some vivobarefoot Gobi's.
Sound a bit like the description of your housemates ones Dave

 

[Stew]

I've had Gobis as my smart work shoes ofr a while. Love them.

Other than that, VFF for running and a couple of merrell trainers for day to day.

I've just ordered some freet boots of sports pursuit but I'm now told the build quality i rubbish.

 

[uncleboob]

How much of a bargain were the factory seconds ? and how did you get hold of them ?

I admit I'm tempted, but I walk about barefoot most of the time anyway, just that this muddy winter and spring means I've had to find shoes even just nipping out to the bins

M

Had a quick look on the bay, couldn't see any that were much cheaper, any chance of a link?




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[MountainGhost]

2nd attempt i made it to 100 each leg, at my current fitness levels it nearly counts as a workout in itself

It's not an easy exercise to be sure! I think the vast majority of folk would struggle to do it without heel contact, due to the lack of awareness, activation and strength of the posterior chain. The core, arm and spine position, the breath, the mechanics of the breathing cycle and the intent can all be worked. It's a fantastic exercise that just keeps on giving. And I suspect will keep a person quite spritely if done consistently in to our later years.

For anyone who finds it difficult start with a 10 up, or whatever is good for yourselves, at slow and controlled pace with heels in contact with ground. If it takes you a year to progress to the full 100 it will be a year well spent. Just a few minutes a day.

I've long wanted a pair of brain tanned mocs and now have finally got on to preparing to make this year. Still cutting and playing with the pattern from felt at the moment but will post something once I have basic design fixed.

I also like the look of these and some friends state side who know about these things have only good things to say: http://www.softstarshoes.com/running-moccasins/adult-moc3-runamoc-black.html

Ideally I want to reach the point where I know I can run/walk in any environment at any time of the year without having to regularly spend a small fortune on protection for my toes.

 

[Dave Budd]

He got out of bed and has confirmed what Man of Tanith suspected, it was indeed vivo barefoot apparently. The shoes were priced at a couple of hundred quid, but they ended up at about £100

 

[GGTBod]

It's not an easy exercise to be sure! I think the vast majority of folk would struggle to do it without heel contact, due to the lack of awareness, activation and strength of the posterior chain. The core, arm and spine position, the breath, the mechanics of the breathing cycle and the intent can all be worked. It's a fantastic exercise that just keeps on giving. And I suspect will keep a person quite spritely if done consistently in to our later years.

I ended up doing a full 100-up twice more before going to bed, started to get a nice steady marching style rhythm going halfway through my second set, really makes all the joints from your hips to your toes feel great, thanks for sharing that i'd never heard of it

 

[bob_the_baker]

In the office I wear vivobarefoot Gobi or Ra. Despite the thickness of the sole they are incredibly hard wearing. My Ra are 3 years old now and still going strong

 

[andybysea]

Ive been wearing vivo barefoot trainers for yrs, not because i run etc i just find them some much more comfy than those over stuffed padded every were trainers with whats almost a 1 inch heel to toe ratio.