

Running Goes Barefoot - cwan
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/the-roving-runner-goes-barefoot/

======
bhousel
I've started barefoot running and I have to agree that it really helps you
focus on running with proper form.

People interested in running barefoot should definitely start out slow and run
somewhere safe, like a soccer field or park. If you decide you like it, I also
recommend checking out the Vibram Five Fingers. I only just got a pair a few
weeks ago, but so far I'm having lots of fun running in them, and they give
your feet a bit more protection against debris.

~~~
chasingsparks
I run in Vibram Five Fingers. BHousel is right on when he says start out slow.
The first day I got them, I excitedly ran my usual w/ shoes length of time. I
spent the next two weeks with calve muscles and ligaments so sore that I had
trouble walking down any lightly sloping hills or escalators. That was three
months ago. I now run exclusively in these shoes. I used to have knee
problems; Now, no part of my legs ever are in pain during or after running.

Mmm, anecdote.

~~~
hyperbovine
Funny, I did the same thing. I was so thrilled with all the hype surrounding
barefoot running that I did 7 barefoot miles (on pavement) the very afternoon
I purchased my FiveFingers.

Holy fuck that was a bad idea. Bear in mind I am a semi-serious runner who has
no problem doing a long, slow 13-15 on any given day. I haven't had
significant soreness from running since I started, back in high school.

Well. That was before I ran for an hour on my tippy toes. I was partially
disabled for a week. Same thing--calves felt like they got hit with a hand
grenade, ligaments FUBARed, also some gnarly blisters on the soles of my feet
(turns out asphalt is hot in the summer).

In spite of this I definitely could see why it's better for you; heel striking
is just not an option and you sort of prance instead of planting. OTOH I am
among the lucky 20% who have never had a running injury because I tend to
tread pretty lightly anyways. I think it's still possible to have a healthy
stride in shoes, but going barefoot forces the issue: everything else hurts
like a bitch.

I have yet to try the anti-shoes out again. The buzz continues to crescendo so
I probably will, but let this serve as a warning if you're thinking about
trying it out: start slow on these, now matter how much of a badass you think
you are.

------
learnalist
I want a pair!

But...

Could this be an example of media hype? What do you mean?

Well, as already mentioned this is not the first time an article has appeared
on the HN. Not a bad thing. But lets look a little closer.

Like him or hate him Tim Farris has reviewed these. I used to like reading his
blog until I couldn't help feel 90% of his stories were there to push you to
buy something ( Lead Gen, no less from another article in the top 30 today )
or left you wondering if he was paid to write that story.

The New York times has ran at least two articles related to these shoes.

Wired has an article and a review.

There is a chance that they are being discovered on the merit for what they
may or may not be. I don't live in an english speaking country. Equally I am a
huge running fan. I am yet to see any here, not even in boutique shops. ( Oslo
Norway ) So I wonder how these amazing shoes are only being discovered in
mainstream tech ( type ) sites which are aimed at a particular market.

So I googled it a little. "vibram site:news.bbc.co.uk" - 0

"vibram site:guardian.co.uk" - more than 1.

Interestingly they first hit the guardian end of 2006.

"vibram site:dagbladet.no" - 0 ( main norwegian site )

"vibram site:abc.net.au/news" - 0 ( australian site )

menshealth ( us site ) - 0

menshealth ( australian site ) - 0

Clearly my searches are small subset of places I like to read, yet for me it
does hold some validity that this could be "new media marketing".

Would love to hear if any of you agree or disagree and why?

Equally would love to hear how as consumers we can read thru the lines of
"hidden marketing" and "real" reviews.

~~~
nunb
I would normally be suspicious of something that keeps cropping up like this
(ref. PG's "The Submarine"). However, sometimes something comes up because the
truth will out.

I think the "discovery" of these shoes being American is not an accident.
Other markets are too small, and the USA probably has the biggest contingent
of foot-damaged runners in the world. Although I live in Italy, Vibram keeps
its Five Fingers shoes out of the market (they are available in Germany, even
though Vibram is an Italian company). Part of the reason is, people _already_
prefer flat-soled shoes here. Nike style sneakers are almost non-existent.

Some alternatives to VFF: Closer to home for you, perhaps, is the Feelmax
Planka, and the UK has Vivo Barefoots which may be a bit overpriced. I don't
suppose thin soles will perform well in a cold environment though!

As for me, all through summer I wore what in a different age would be called
"canvas plimsolls", and I am now dreading having to wear winter boots. If
someone could make a waterproof canvas hi-top, I'd rest easy. So yes, I do
think these articles are coming out because people experience the sheer joy of
wearing minimalist shoes (perhaps explainable by the sensory organ density of
the foot?).

These are almost identical to the shoes I wore.
<http://www.seejackshop.com/images/uploads/ASOS-plimsolls.jpg>

------
tom_b
I'm not a runner, but recommend "Born to Run" as a fun read (it's mentioned in
the article and clearly inspired the article). I've always thought ultra
endurance athletes were a little off - in a fun way - and the book tells some
good stories on these folks, including the Tarahumara Indians, who run
barefoot or with minimal gear for incredible distances as a social activity.

~~~
smmcbride
A friend of mine from our jogging group just finished "Born to Run". He now
starts every sentence with, "You know the Tarahumara Indians..." :) He's also
showed up to run for the past few weeks in sandals!

------
ash
Abebe Bikila won 1960 Olympic marathon bare-footed:
[http://hubpages.com/hub/Interesting-Olympic-Moments--
Abibe-B...](http://hubpages.com/hub/Interesting-Olympic-Moments--Abibe-Bikela-
The-Man-Who-Ran-Barefoot)

------
inglorian
I've never seriously run barefoot, but I can confirm that it improves your
balance and form to walk barefoot as well.

When I had issues with my hiking boots on the Appalachian Trail, I took up
barefoot hiking and noticed an immediate change in how I stepped: more on the
balls of my feet and less on my heels. And you'd be amazed what your feet can
get used to; the first two weeks were hell, but about a month later the rocky,
sharp, debris-covered ground didn't bother me at all and in fact I had LESS
foot fatigue than I experienced while wearing boots.

You do get some serious calluses though, which as a female I was less than
happy about...

------
delackner
This is turning into a recurring topic on HN. Last time it appeared I
commented that some traditional japanese split-toed shoes I have are super
comfy to walk in, and someone responded that they might make really good
running shoes. Well I haven't tried running in them, but I recently danced on
a hard packed dirt field three days straight, 6 hours, then 8 hours, then 12
hours, in these shoes with a split toe and sole about 10mm thick if that. And
aside from my calves aching for the next few days, my feet were very happy. In
normal shoes my feet would have been in agony by the end of the second day.

~~~
kingkawn
Please describe the circumstances for dancing on hard packed dirt for 26 hours
in three days.

~~~
cpach
The Burning Man festival?

------
redcap
While I've always run heel first when using shoes, when running barefoot
perhaps unconciously I've always gone ball/toes first - I guess it really is
what comes naturally.

There was also another article a while back that perked my interest with a bit
about runners in South or Central America who would go ultra-long distance
running with only a thin slice of rubber strapped to their feet.

~~~
cr0tus
heel-striking is bad no matter what you run with. you will suffer injury if
you continue to heel-strike

------
cr0tus
you have to be careful where you try this

your inclination might be to try this on trails. wrong. trails are full of
rocks and tree roots. if you run barefoot or in vibram toes, you will have
broken toes. any trail runner seriously bonks their toe box once per run. this
is why trail shoes have toe boxes that are rock hard

i don't understand what the fascination is with barefoot running, and i say
this as someone with 50+ marathons under my belt. its not something that elite
runners do and novices aspire to...its more like the token town freak who
shows up to the marathon in cutoff jeans. there is always one.

~~~
latortuga
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barefoot_running#Prominent_bare...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barefoot_running#Prominent_barefooters)

Seems to indicate that this _is_ something that (at least some) elite runners
do.

------
metra
Why is this a topic on Hacker News?

