When I lived in Dallas I ran barefoot in a nearby park, in an upscale neighboorhood where there was little chance of encountering sharp objects on the ground. When we moved to California, I was not so confident of the substrate, and got a bee-sting, to boot....so I purchased a pair of Vibram Five Fingers. I was disappointed to find that they had several disadvantages:
1. They look weird; not a huge issue but I just didn't think the separate toes added any functionality. See below.
2. They take time to put on...at least five minutes ( I wore the five-toed socks under them).
3. The soles are not really very well padded and small stones are painful. Might as well be barefoot.
4. They retain heat.
5. The toes seem to catch on grass and cause stumbles. This was a real problem.
6. They cost a lot more than nothing would cost
7. They are lightweight compared to shoes but they do weigh more than nothing
So while I don't begrudge the money I spent on them, they just didn't seem to me to have much in the way of advantages. Couldn't run on grass, or on gravel. Perhaps they would be more useful in the fall or winter.
I have also tried altering my conventional running shoes by "sandalizing" them, but they remain big, heavy and not conducive to a good running stance and gait.
So now I am back to barefooting. I run mostly in a very grassy park near my home in Mt. View, but I run a little bit on the street and on boulevards. I'd really like to try trail runs but I am afraid I will smash up my feet, not to mention the rest of my body. So I hope to toughen up my feet for a couple of months and then try an easy trail run.
1. They look weird; not a huge issue but I just didn't think the separate toes added any functionality. See below.
2. They take time to put on...at least five minutes ( I wore the five-toed socks under them).
3. The soles are not really very well padded and small stones are painful. Might as well be barefoot.
4. They retain heat.
5. The toes seem to catch on grass and cause stumbles. This was a real problem.
6. They cost a lot more than nothing would cost
7. They are lightweight compared to shoes but they do weigh more than nothing
So while I don't begrudge the money I spent on them, they just didn't seem to me to have much in the way of advantages. Couldn't run on grass, or on gravel. Perhaps they would be more useful in the fall or winter.
I have also tried altering my conventional running shoes by "sandalizing" them, but they remain big, heavy and not conducive to a good running stance and gait.
So now I am back to barefooting. I run mostly in a very grassy park near my home in Mt. View, but I run a little bit on the street and on boulevards. I'd really like to try trail runs but I am afraid I will smash up my feet, not to mention the rest of my body. So I hope to toughen up my feet for a couple of months and then try an easy trail run.
