Who has quit barefoot running?

#21
I haven't totally quit

I haven't totally quit barefoot running, but I have to admit that when it's below 60 degrees or above 80, I really don't do it. I just have feet that are sensitive to temperature extremes, and I've pretty much given up on the idea of being 100% (or even 75%) barefoot.
 
#22
I wish I could run BF in the

I wish I could run BF in the winter. But here it is not happening. I cruise around in several pairs of aquas and for deep snow scubas I got from http://www.swimoutlet.com/Water_Shoes_s/356.htm

The O'Neills http://www.swimoutlet.com/product_p/18119.htm are epic-ly perfect for winter BF running. I will buy them forever but still have my first pair. Here is a review: http://birthdayshoes.com/winter-running-with-o-neill-reactor-reef-boots The author uses odd layering but you can go sockless down to -10 C and thick wool socks down to -30ish. Good in snow to 6 inches, great ground feel.
 
#23
Angie Bee wrote: I don't see

Angie Bee said:
I don't see how people can go back to shoes all the time. I take great pride in all the work I did to get where I am now as a barefoot runner.
Click to expand...

I think the answer to that is in your next sentence. If you take pride in being a bf/min runner than you aren't likely to be willing to put on shoes. I see no real pride in being a bf runner so I could care less if I have to throw some on when its helpful. Its fun and enjoyable and sure takes alot of work to transisition, but I care more about doing whatever I need to do in order to run as much as I can and get the most enjoyment out of it possible. Just like I wear a knee brace if I've over done the rowing and tire out my tendons, if I overdo the speedwork and end up with TOFP well I can wear shoes to keep going. If I can't handle my 16 mile runs over boulders I see no reason to suffer for the sake of saying I'm a 100% bf runner (I did try it once and it was miserable, so never again). I run because I enjoy it, I bf run when I can because I enjoy that more, but as soon as being bf hurts the enjoyment level I put on shoes be that minimal shoes or my frees. Just like when I realized my shoes were hurting my running I ditched them completely for awhile at the cost of my trail runs. I recognize not everyone can switch back and forth like this, but since I am capable of doing it I figure why not.
 
#24
There is a guy on the RWOL

There is a guy on the RWOL other BF forum who ran successfully barefoot and minimalist and then went back to regular trainers. I always thought his story was interesting.

I am more minimalist than I was last year when I was transition, mostly because I don't feel like I need the form tuneups as much and also because I am not running on the indoor track and on concrete sidewalks as often where going barefoot is relatively easy. The local asphalt trail tears up my feet. But hubby, Capmikee, has gone totally barefoot all the time and never wears his water shoes anymore. So it's not embarrassment or anything (you should see my psychedelic headbands - way more emarrassing than being barefoot), just been winter and haven't felt the need. I did take off my shoes to walk barefoot the other day for toughening. I'll slowly get back to it.

I am finding I am not hardcore about being completely bare, but all of the new crop of minimalist shoes are not minimalst enough for me. So I'm still frustrated.
 
#25
Abide wrote:Just out of

Abide said:
Just out of curiosity has anyone here run barefoot for a while then stopped and now primarily runs in shoes?

What were your reasons, or your friend's reasons if that's who actually quit?
Click to expand...



I did in the past 2 months but I totally quit as I don't want to suffer my feet from running without shoes on. I actually love barefoot running but it just that I can't stand it. However, wearing barefoot running shoes is the solution to my problem. So far, so good. I've never had any problems at all. I'm currently using Vibram Five Fingers and Zem shoes. I believe these shoes are two of the most popular shoes in the barefoot world.

Check it out here:

Vibram Five Fingers

Zem Gear
 
#26
I got sidetracked and stopped

I got sidetracked and stopped running, and then needed shoes to re-start in the snow-coated windtunnel I call home.

Now I had to stop completely due to the cold. (It exacerbated some medical problems - not running related.)

When it's warm enough to start again, I'll probably start in shoes and then transition out of them when it's warmer.

Barefoot running, for me, is all about not being injured. If the shoes I can afford fit and didn't affect my form, I probably wouldn't care about transitioning out of them, and I haven't spent enough time running barefoot to know if it will work out in the long term. That there are professional runners out there who can maintain proper form in shoes gives me hope that I'll figure out some way to run 'right,' now that I know that heel striking was bad for me, no matter how much or how little footwear I use.
 
#27
Out of curiousity, could you

Out of curiousity, could you further clarify why you couldn't "have fun" and race up and down hills sprinting all over the place in your Invisible Shoes?

I have Invisible Shoes, and I live in Boulder, Colorado, and we have some pretty intense trails that are rediculously steep and twist and turn and have twigs all over the place, as well as some with intense gravel and rocks... so it surprises me that you say you couldn't do trail runs in your Invisible Shoes...

I'm not an evangelist, and weather somewhat dictates what I wear more so than terrain (although my track spikes are for the track, and yes, I also like the Nike frees, am a Saucony Kinvara fan, Invisible Shoes fan, and not a fan of the Merrell true glove-- but then again I ran xc and track for 5 years for FSU NCAA D1, and we were sponsored by Nike, so I have a slight Nike minimalist bias-- I also like the lunar racers as well) ... but yea... I'm a wuss when it comes to the cold and I know you eventually will adapt going BF in the cold, but right now, I prefer minimalist when it's cold, and Invisible Shoes/true barefoot/my track spikes for the track when it's warmer.

What was goin on in your Invisible Shoes on the trail that you could do in your frees and couldn't do in them?

Best,

Ange
 
#28
Oh I did a long trail run in

Oh I did a long trail run in them awhile back and it really just flat out hurt. The first 10 miles or so were fine. But the last 6 killed me. In another few years maybe I'll be able to but at the moment it just hurt to much so I decided no more long trail runs in them.

The fireroad sections of it were what killed me actually. I expected that to be the easy part, but it has lots of large boulders on ground that doesn't have much give and it bruised me up pretty bad and gave me terrible TOFP. I do occasionally do shorter runs out there but my long trail runs I need more protection for. I love them for running on the gravelly paths, nasty asphalt, and "cold" (quotes due to the fact that it never really gets THAT cold here). Thats what they get used for most of the time.
 
#29
Well I kinda quit running all

Well I kinda quit running all together over the winter, if that counts. Swim team really killed my running schedule, and now I've been too busy/lazy to get back into it. I went on like three runs since november, barefoot, huaraches (because my feet were going numb, but I really, really needed a run), and then barefoot again. I really did a terrible job of transitioning to the cold, but I'm hoping to do better next year. Right now, I really just need to get my ass back in shape.

I would kinda like to get better at running in my huaraches though, because I get tired so much more quickly in them, and sometimes they might be useful to finish up a run, or if shoes are required for a race.
 
#30
When I first started, I had a

When I first started, I had a great time for the first few weeks and had every intention of taking it slow. But one day I was having so much fun that I made a few completely wrong turns on my 3mi route and ended up having to go about 5 miles to get back. I injured my metatarsals and could hardly walk for a week or two - I couldn't even push off the wall in the pool to do a FLIPTURN! (I'm a swimmer).

After that incident in October, I didn't go barefoot for a long time. Actually, I only ran about 3 times during the winter (with shoes) and just focused on swimming instead.

I started back up again in February and am loving it. I've only worked up to a few miles at a time though because I start getting metatarsal pain.

I never want to go back to "normal" running shoes. I might try some minimalist shoes in the future.
 
#31
Hi, Smiley Foot Jamie, You

Hi, Smiley Foot Jamie,

You should consider running in Invisible Shoes-- then your parents will let you run a 5k because you're "wearing" something but you still get the benefits of feeling barefoot plus!

They are also probably the least expensive of all possible minimalist products: http://www.invisibleshoe.com/.

How's the top foot pain going? Try icing your foot often and just taking things slower vs jumping up to 5 miles all at once ( I know you got lost and it wasn't your fault), but hopefully this time around, if you keep your progression to higher mileage BF style, you won't get injured this time around or any top foot pain.

Best,

Ange
 
#32
Tamara Bialle wrote: I

Tamara Bialle said:
I actually love barefoot running but it just that I can't stand it. However, wearing barefoot running shoes is the solution to my problem.
Click to expand...

I have no clue what you are trying to say here? Troll?
 
#33
I haven't been barefoot since

I haven't been barefoot since mid January. Frost bite put an end to my winter adventure. I've been running in Kigo Edge. I like them. I tried BFTed's Luna sandals too but they are dangerous on icy sidewalks. My bare feet have only seen the gravel bucket. Waiting for Spring weather to kick in. (probably another 4 weeks before that happens in Ottawa).

I agree that you should wear whatever keeps you safe and running. This is not an adventure in ego. It is one of inner search. Running barefoot keeps you in touch with the earth. Running, shod or barefoot, keeps you on this earth longer.
 
#34
I took all last summer off,

I took all last summer off, but only because I was working out a runner's knee so I went barefoot everywhere until the fall - it worked.
 
#35
Abide wrote:Tamara Bialle

Abide said:
Tamara Bialle said:
I actually love barefoot running but it just that I can't stand it. However, wearing barefoot running shoes is the solution to my problem.
Click to expand...
I have no clue what you are trying to say here? Troll?
Click to expand...



It's a spammer, if you click on the link it links to a website selling VFFs and Zems, not the actual VFF and Zem site.
 
#36
  Well Abide,   I haven't

Well Abide,



I haven't totally quit bfr. Due to my MT problem in my right foot, I just cannot make running on hard surfaces work for me with bfr. However I do have luck with my thin soled vff's, that works for me. I still do all of my trail and gravel running barefoot! I do all of my hikes barefoot, and I pretty much do all of my shopping and go everywhere except to work barefoot. The only things I don't do barefoot is running on hard surfaces and going to work. The thing with MT is this, if I keep trying to run on it i get bruised under the second toe, and if i keep doing that the podiatrist says it will eventually cause a stress fracture. So, I aint a riskin it! But, anyway, that's my two cents worth on this topic. I really wish that problem didn't exist, because i love the feel of it so much in my left foot. It's just a shame both feet can't be the same?
 
#37
I love to run BF, especially

I love to run BF, especially in the pouring rain on a trail with only shorts on. Fun. FUN. Really, especially the stare you get from shoddies who are in as much rain gear as possible.



That said shoes were invented for a reason and i have no problem putting something on my feet to run. They just need to be zero drop and archless. My biks work as well as huaraches. If i get serious about racing or find i need more protection i may look at something else but for now those two, wait, three options work for running. I just focus on form all the time and only worry about shoes when the soles are beat up but the rest of my body is screaming for a run. Kinda like now as i stare out the window at the pouring rain.



Mike
 
#39
nature runner wrote:  Well

nature runner said:
Well Abide,



I haven't totally quit bfr. Due to my MT problem in my right foot, I just cannot make running on hard surfaces work for me with bfr. However I do have luck with my thin soled vff's, that works for me. I still do all of my trail and gravel running barefoot! I do all of my hikes barefoot, and I pretty much do all of my shopping and go everywhere except to work barefoot. The only things I don't do barefoot is running on hard surfaces and going to work. The thing with MT is this, if I keep trying to run on it i get bruised under the second toe, and if i keep doing that the podiatrist says it will eventually cause a stress fracture. So, I aint a riskin it! But, anyway, that's my two cents worth on this topic. I really wish that problem didn't exist, because i love the feel of it so much in my left foot. It's just a shame both feet can't be the same?
Click to expand...
My friend, you are singing my tune. I am pushing through, however, and am making progress. It is slow, though, 1 year in, still not up to shod mileage.
 
#40
Lizc0002 wrote:Just out of

Lizc0002 said:
Just out of curiosity Abide, why are you asking? You aren't giving up are you?
Click to expand...



No I'm not giving up, I can't even magine going back to what I used to wear. TRS and even a lot of minimalist shoes are so terribly uncomfortable for me I am amazed that some people can bounce back and forth.

Although I may switch my preference to running races in my vff's from now on and go barefoot everywhere else. I don't really see a benefit to racing barefoot anymore?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Support Your Club

Support Your Club! Purchase through the BRS!

Forum statistics

Threads
19,158
Messages
183,644
Members
8,705
Latest member
Raramuri7

Latest posts

Share this page

Share this page
Top Bottom
Back
Menu