I am getting into the scene and want to know what is a good shoe to transition into. Im thinking Vibrams Bikila or Asics Gel Noosa Tri-6 or the Speedstar 5 or a brooks, soucany Kinirva or NB 101. I know this is a lot but its exciting and all these seem really great! Thank you!
Best Transitioning Shoe
- Thread starter irish
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Welcome, Irish. You want to
Welcome, Irish. You want to transition from a traditional running shoe (TRS) to something more minimal, not barefoot? It would be best if you could learn a proper barefoot running form first before you go to other footwear. If you can, you will lessen the likelihood of doing too much too soon. Minimal footwear tends to make the runner think they can run as far and as fast as they could while running in TRSs, when in fact, it takes time to step down from 1-1/2" of foam and padding to near flat to the ground elevation. Your calves, Achilles, and plantar fascia has shortened by about 1-1/2", and if you were to pick up with minimalist shoes where you left off with boat anchors, you are pending serious injury. If you still decide to go from something minimal, please just take it slow and easy, and basically, start over from scratch. Relearn how to run, the right way.
With that said, a lot of people like the Vibrams. I don't know anything about the other two.
Glad you're here.
Welcome, Irish. You want to transition from a traditional running shoe (TRS) to something more minimal, not barefoot? It would be best if you could learn a proper barefoot running form first before you go to other footwear. If you can, you will lessen the likelihood of doing too much too soon. Minimal footwear tends to make the runner think they can run as far and as fast as they could while running in TRSs, when in fact, it takes time to step down from 1-1/2" of foam and padding to near flat to the ground elevation. Your calves, Achilles, and plantar fascia has shortened by about 1-1/2", and if you were to pick up with minimalist shoes where you left off with boat anchors, you are pending serious injury. If you still decide to go from something minimal, please just take it slow and easy, and basically, start over from scratch. Relearn how to run, the right way.
With that said, a lot of people like the Vibrams. I don't know anything about the other two.
Glad you're here.
Hey Irish! Welcome
To be
Hey Irish! Welcome
To be honest, I'm going to have to agree with TJ in that (for me personally) barefoot was the best transition. I did start out in socks on the treadmill (at the gym) and in Adidas Adizeros (racing flats) though I found my groove best when I ditched the shoes all together. Where are you on the globe? What's the weather like?
To beHey Irish! Welcome
To be honest, I'm going to have to agree with TJ in that (for me personally) barefoot was the best transition. I did start out in socks on the treadmill (at the gym) and in Adidas Adizeros (racing flats) though I found my groove best when I ditched the shoes all together. Where are you on the globe? What's the weather like?
I actually have been testing
I actually have been testing a shoe that I think is kind of awesome in terms of transition. It's from a company called ANK. It's a five toed shoe that has more of a sole to it than any minimal shoe but is just as flexible as any minimal shoe I've ever tried.
I personally am a supporter of transition shoes as long as they allow you to strengthen your feet. In my opinion if you build and strengthen the musculature of your feet then you will be better suited to handle the demands of minimal running when you do make the jump down to minimal shoes.
I also agree that running bare is a great, if not the best, way to learn good form but in terms of transitioning you can do yourself a lot of favors to keep the distances short to let your foot skin adapt and then use the transition shoes to build up the muscles. Then it all comes together at the same time as you go to thinner and thinner shoes along the way while building up your barefoot mileage.
The ANKs give you full foot functionality without forcing your feet into a super minimal environment and stressing the weakend muscles of foot that has been mostly shod your whole life. They are working on the design as right now all the models have patent leather on them (which I can do without) and the price is droppping drastically in the very near future. I actually got an email from them today saying they are offering 25% off the shiny shoes they have now to make room for the newer models they are making.
Beyond the ANKs my recommendations for a transition shoe are to find something that is flat. You want it to be without arch support and allows your foot to flex when you walk as this will let the muscles in your feet develop.
On the list you mentioned I like the Bikila and do not so much recommend the Kinvara or NB101 so much. The Kinvara isn't bad but it's basically just a dumbed down conventional shoe and the same goes for the 101. The Bikila is pretty much fully minimal but a little more built up than the original versions of the VFFs.
I actually have been testing a shoe that I think is kind of awesome in terms of transition. It's from a company called ANK. It's a five toed shoe that has more of a sole to it than any minimal shoe but is just as flexible as any minimal shoe I've ever tried.
I personally am a supporter of transition shoes as long as they allow you to strengthen your feet. In my opinion if you build and strengthen the musculature of your feet then you will be better suited to handle the demands of minimal running when you do make the jump down to minimal shoes.
I also agree that running bare is a great, if not the best, way to learn good form but in terms of transitioning you can do yourself a lot of favors to keep the distances short to let your foot skin adapt and then use the transition shoes to build up the muscles. Then it all comes together at the same time as you go to thinner and thinner shoes along the way while building up your barefoot mileage.
The ANKs give you full foot functionality without forcing your feet into a super minimal environment and stressing the weakend muscles of foot that has been mostly shod your whole life. They are working on the design as right now all the models have patent leather on them (which I can do without) and the price is droppping drastically in the very near future. I actually got an email from them today saying they are offering 25% off the shiny shoes they have now to make room for the newer models they are making.
Beyond the ANKs my recommendations for a transition shoe are to find something that is flat. You want it to be without arch support and allows your foot to flex when you walk as this will let the muscles in your feet develop.
On the list you mentioned I like the Bikila and do not so much recommend the Kinvara or NB101 so much. The Kinvara isn't bad but it's basically just a dumbed down conventional shoe and the same goes for the 101. The Bikila is pretty much fully minimal but a little more built up than the original versions of the VFFs.
Barefoot, there is no such
Barefoot, there is no such thing as a transitional shoe. You need to fully release the training wheels, and stop looking for crutches.
Barefoot, there is no such thing as a transitional shoe. You need to fully release the training wheels, and stop looking for crutches.
You absolutely do not need to
You absolutely do not need to purchase shoes to "transition down". Regardless of what you do, you'll need to cut your mileage to go down in shoe while your foot strenght builds up.
In my past year on the interwebs talking about barefoot running, it seems that the people that have had the easiest times transitioning are the ones that didn't mess around and just went bare. They took the hit in mileage, but built back up to being a stronger runner.
I had an easy transition, but learning the limits of my body was an education. I had to learn that I could not abuse my feet and legs in the way that I did when I was shod. No matter how I felt, if I wanted to run, I had to run well at every step. I see my friends sprinting towards the end of our runs in their shoes, with body parts going everywhere, and landing at odd angles. I can't do that bare. Ever. A year later, I'm a much stronger runner for it.
You absolutely do not need to purchase shoes to "transition down". Regardless of what you do, you'll need to cut your mileage to go down in shoe while your foot strenght builds up.
In my past year on the interwebs talking about barefoot running, it seems that the people that have had the easiest times transitioning are the ones that didn't mess around and just went bare. They took the hit in mileage, but built back up to being a stronger runner.
I had an easy transition, but learning the limits of my body was an education. I had to learn that I could not abuse my feet and legs in the way that I did when I was shod. No matter how I felt, if I wanted to run, I had to run well at every step. I see my friends sprinting towards the end of our runs in their shoes, with body parts going everywhere, and landing at odd angles. I can't do that bare. Ever. A year later, I'm a much stronger runner for it.
You absolutely do not need to
You absolutely do not need to purchase shoes to "transition down". Regardless of what you do, you'll need to cut your mileage to go down in shoe while your foot strenght builds up.
In my past year on the interwebs talking about barefoot running, it seems that the people that have had the easiest times transitioning are the ones that didn't mess around and just went bare. They took the hit in mileage, but built back up to being a stronger runner.
I had an easy transition, but learning the limits of my body was an education. I had to learn that I could not abuse my feet and legs in the way that I did when I was shod. No matter how I felt, if I wanted to run, I had to run well at every step. I see my friends sprinting towards the end of our runs in their shoes, with body parts going everywhere, and landing at odd angles. I can't do that bare. Ever. A year later, I'm a much stronger runner for it.
You absolutely do not need to purchase shoes to "transition down". Regardless of what you do, you'll need to cut your mileage to go down in shoe while your foot strenght builds up.
In my past year on the interwebs talking about barefoot running, it seems that the people that have had the easiest times transitioning are the ones that didn't mess around and just went bare. They took the hit in mileage, but built back up to being a stronger runner.
I had an easy transition, but learning the limits of my body was an education. I had to learn that I could not abuse my feet and legs in the way that I did when I was shod. No matter how I felt, if I wanted to run, I had to run well at every step. I see my friends sprinting towards the end of our runs in their shoes, with body parts going everywhere, and landing at odd angles. I can't do that bare. Ever. A year later, I'm a much stronger runner for it.
barefoot ramzev wrote:Adam G.
+11 If you want to go barefoot, you have to jump in and go barefoot. Even if you want to go minmalist, going barefoot might be the best way to start. Once you start as a barefoot runner, you realize most of the fears were ungrounded, but you do have to go slowly.barefoot ramzev said:
In order to avoid digital
In order to avoid digital flying tomatoes I want to say these are in no way minimal shoes, BUT I find the nike frees to be nice shoes to run shod in while building up barefoot miles if you lack self control and can't cut back as much as you should when transitioning.
I'm not at all contradicting people who are saying totally cutting out everything except barefoot is the best to go. But as a realist if you can't do that safely because you know you'll try tmts then I think the nikes are a nice shoe to use for shod running. They allow your foot to strike in a very similar fashion to bf while not being a minimalist shoe and allowing you to hurt yourself. They also build up some of the ankle and calf muscles you need for bf running. They are definitely a crutch, but its better than stress fractures from tmts or running shod for the rest of your life so you don't have to cut miles.
And FWIW I think I've had a very easy transition so far. No real injuries (a few bruises and blisters), no fractures and 30-40 bf mpw out 50-60 total doesn't seem bad for 3 months :-(? Not quite as bad@ss as some of the people here with their 60-70 bf mpw, but I'm content with it. Anyways, I'm totally on board with not using minimal shoes until you can do it barefoot but I'm not sure I agree about regular shoes (which again I consider the frees to be a very very good "regular" shoe).
In order to avoid digital flying tomatoes I want to say these are in no way minimal shoes, BUT I find the nike frees to be nice shoes to run shod in while building up barefoot miles if you lack self control and can't cut back as much as you should when transitioning.
I'm not at all contradicting people who are saying totally cutting out everything except barefoot is the best to go. But as a realist if you can't do that safely because you know you'll try tmts then I think the nikes are a nice shoe to use for shod running. They allow your foot to strike in a very similar fashion to bf while not being a minimalist shoe and allowing you to hurt yourself. They also build up some of the ankle and calf muscles you need for bf running. They are definitely a crutch, but its better than stress fractures from tmts or running shod for the rest of your life so you don't have to cut miles.
And FWIW I think I've had a very easy transition so far. No real injuries (a few bruises and blisters), no fractures and 30-40 bf mpw out 50-60 total doesn't seem bad for 3 months :-(? Not quite as bad@ss as some of the people here with their 60-70 bf mpw, but I'm content with it. Anyways, I'm totally on board with not using minimal shoes until you can do it barefoot but I'm not sure I agree about regular shoes (which again I consider the frees to be a very very good "regular" shoe).
TheRunningClinic wrote:Hi
Really? Are you going to Spam the entire site? You missed some threads, do you want links?
TheRunningClinic said:
Really? Are you going to Spam the entire site? You missed some threads, do you want links?
As someone who transitioned
As someone who transitioned to VFFs & flats because I was stubborn about my mileage, then hurt everywhere at some point for 2+ months because of too-much-too-soon, and only then went fully to Bare- I sooo wish I had skipped the VFFs and gone straight to the soles.
As someone who transitioned to VFFs & flats because I was stubborn about my mileage, then hurt everywhere at some point for 2+ months because of too-much-too-soon, and only then went fully to Bare- I sooo wish I had skipped the VFFs and gone straight to the soles.
I agree that loosing the shoe
I agree that loosing the shoe is the fastest track to finding your best form. It may seem slow but you will actually find that because of the best feedback you will get from your bare feet you will learn faster.
You have to let go of your expectations of running a certain amount of miles for a while to gain the benefit. That seems to be peoples biggest hang up.
I agree that loosing the shoe is the fastest track to finding your best form. It may seem slow but you will actually find that because of the best feedback you will get from your bare feet you will learn faster.
You have to let go of your expectations of running a certain amount of miles for a while to gain the benefit. That seems to be peoples biggest hang up.
Hi Group, I just found this
Hi Group, I just found this site and this is my first post. I've been running barefoot since April. I have Vibram 5 Fingers that I carry as "hand weights" should I need them in an emergency or when I go into a store that requires shoes (btw...I can usually get by with asking for 2 plastic shopping bags, tie them on my feet, then enter the store
I did my research before proceeding down the BFR path. Starting barefoot was the best advice I ever received. Everyone I know who started with minimalist shoes had problems due to too much, too soon. One other piece of advice that helped me...I no longer run with music. I heard Michael Sandler talk at our local REI and everything he said made sense and felt right for me. I'm now much more in tune with my body, connection to the ground and the zen of running. BTW, I'm running my first barefoot marathon this December.
Hi Group, I just found this site and this is my first post. I've been running barefoot since April. I have Vibram 5 Fingers that I carry as "hand weights" should I need them in an emergency or when I go into a store that requires shoes (btw...I can usually get by with asking for 2 plastic shopping bags, tie them on my feet, then enter the store
I did my research before proceeding down the BFR path. Starting barefoot was the best advice I ever received. Everyone I know who started with minimalist shoes had problems due to too much, too soon. One other piece of advice that helped me...I no longer run with music. I heard Michael Sandler talk at our local REI and everything he said made sense and felt right for me. I'm now much more in tune with my body, connection to the ground and the zen of running. BTW, I'm running my first barefoot marathon this December.
Barefoot all the way but if
Barefoot all the way but if you must wear something socks are a much better choice than any other footwear..imo.
Barefoot all the way but if you must wear something socks are a much better choice than any other footwear..imo.
Mj, Welcome to the BRS! I'm
Mj, Welcome to the BRS! I'm thinking that if you feel like you stand out in a crowd when you are barefoot, you probably really, really stand out when you are rustling around in plastic bag footwear. But I think plastic bags are pretty darn minimal. ;-)
Good luck w/your marathon!
Mj, Welcome to the BRS! I'm thinking that if you feel like you stand out in a crowd when you are barefoot, you probably really, really stand out when you are rustling around in plastic bag footwear. But I think plastic bags are pretty darn minimal. ;-)
Good luck w/your marathon!
At least they aren't calling
At least they aren't calling them VFFs. What's with the second strap? I tend to think that the straps and tightening that goes on with some of the minimalist shoes can also cause TOFP. It's best to keep that stuff loose. Especially after running for awhile and your feet starting to swell, they can end up being too tight, but you're too busy running to know that you should stop and loosen them.
At least they aren't calling them VFFs. What's with the second strap? I tend to think that the straps and tightening that goes on with some of the minimalist shoes can also cause TOFP. It's best to keep that stuff loose. Especially after running for awhile and your feet starting to swell, they can end up being too tight, but you're too busy running to know that you should stop and loosen them.
