Skeptical of returning to Vibrams.

Barefoot Gentile

Barefooters
Apr 5, 2010
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Fairfield, CT
Running strictly barefoot for the last five months, and with more months to go, I do realize winter is in the near future. I know at some point I will have to put on some kind of footwear, but very worried going back to Vibrams.

My reasoning is for some reason I know I will get injured running in Vibrams. I cut the grass in my KSO's now, but I decided to try them out for a little run, it was terrible. Complete loss of ground feel, and even though my KSO's fit really well, to many things are wrong.

Has anyone else gave up running in Vibrams once you started running completely barefoot?
 
I wish I could wear them for

I wish I could wear them for when times call for it, but with my neuroma problem, it may just be that I can't wear anything that encloses my toes or forefoot. We'll find out this winter when I try out some ZEMs and some huaraches. On this point though, it seems like an awful lot of people, not all though, say they lose all form when going back and forth between minimalist footwear and barefoot. I know I heel strike when I have even a pair of socks on my feet.
 
Try doing a gradual

Try doing a gradual transition, it's what I'm trying to do with my EVOs. I do one or two of my shorter runs each week in them and by the time I actually have to wear them I hope I'll have figured out how to run properly with something on my feet. It's a lot harder than I thought it would be though.
 
I know I get very frustrated

I know I get very frustrated now wearing shoes. It's like my feet are lumps all of a sudden and I can't tell what's going on. I am going try to tough out the winter months BF, not sure how it will go.

ps. my old martial arts teacher's teacher, Jon Loren, now deceased, had this amazing ability to keep his hands and feet warm to the touch. Not something I ever was able to do, but I can verify that it was real.
 
I just got my Bikilas about

I just got my Bikilas about 10 days ago and I don't think they've done anything to hurt my BF running. I use both in some of my longer runs, heading out BF and putting my VFF's on if my toes or soles start feeling tender. It helps to have my support crew alongside on her bike. I was strictly BF from when I started running again in May until Labor Day when I tried out my Bikilas for the first time. I am happy to have them if only because I know that there are some places too nasty on the feet to try to run through, so they give me the confidence to get out and try someplace new.

FWIW
 
Though I'm more of a

Though I'm more of a minimalist runner, I've found that my form stays pretty good in VFFs, and while I'm not as soft as I would like, I'm not getting hurt...at least at my mileage. I'm pretty sure you're running more mileage than I am, so small changes in form probably matter more.

Have you considered a different minimalist shoe for the winter to substitute for one you "know [you] will get injured" in?
 
I have heard this several

I have heard this several times before, that once you go to Vibrams from barefoot, your form can suffer. I started with Vibrams before I ever tried BFR...and in the short instances where I took off the shoes and ran barefoot, I didn't think my gait changed at all. It seemed comfortable enough. Of course, I will admit it did make me wonder: is it that my form just happens to be pretty good in the Vibrams, or that I didn't spend enough time barefoot to realize how BAD it is?? :p
 
I think it is different for

I think it is different for everyone. Throw me in the camp of anti-vibram...or any shoes for that matter. Good thing I live in a place where it's not that cold ever.



Maybe more training in them would help, but why when I can just go barefoot whenever I want?
 
I think its like this: If you

I think its like this: If you learn to run properly while barefoot you become accustomed to the level of ground feedback that provides and once you numb your feet with a pair of shoes or whatever you subconciously try to compensate for the lost feedback by landing with greater force. This is how it works for me at least, I have a hard time landing softly in shoes and how severe it is is directly proportional to how much ground feedback the shoes allow. I don't think you'd have these problems if you started in minimalist shoes though since you'll be used to a lower feedback level from the start. The thing is it's entirely possible to run with great form while wearing just about any kind of shoe, just look at any elite middle distance runner.
 
I ran barefoot for about two

I ran barefoot for about two months before going to vibrams. ( i started my transition in sept 09' I live in the east coast so was looking for something to get me through the winter).

Art: My new winter minimalist footwear will be Huaraches from invisibleshoe.com. I will wear socks with them during extreme winter temps.



Blind Boy: Nice post, and I agree 100% on what you said about the elites running smoothly in shoes. Honestly I never had a problem with shoes, I ran rather lightly in shoes as well. The only reason i started to run barefoot was I needed a new challenge, tried it and got hooked. I would run 100% barefoot, if it wasn't for winter, hopefully in years to come with more winter training I will be able to run in snow and extreme temps, I know it can be done.
 
Double ditto to what "he"

Double ditto to what "he" said.
 
 I don't think I can wear

I don't think I can wear them anymore. They just hurt my feet too much after I did a bunch of BF running this summer. I'm kind of sad, because they worked for me for a long time, but they hurt my toes and felt just terribly constricting all of a sudden.

I love my Lunas so far and will maybe try some socks with them when it gets cold, but that's not for quite a while around here!
 
So guys. I ran a trail today.

So guys. I ran a trail today. I was really wishing I had at least my vibrams. I literally stopped and looked at a rock that was pointing out of the ground. It was literally like a cavemans knife. I guess there are times when extra protection is not completely necessary, but preferrable.