Running differences shod vs barefoot

[Henry]

I survived running on sandals with 2layer of socks on winter time. summer time when pavement is tooo hot cotton hand gloves w/ duct tape works so well. no way I can wear any kind of shoes running.

 

[dutchie53]

Henry, it does not get to -30 though in Toronto. How low can you go in the socks, and by sandals you mean flip flops?

 

[barefootandagile]

For me the only difference is the abrasiveness on the skin from the ground terrain.

 

[Bare Lee]

Henry, it does not get to -30 though in Toronto. How low can you go in the socks, and by sandals you mean flip flops?

For whatever it's worth Dutchie, I found the Moc3s add about 15-20 degrees F (about 10 degrees C) to my tolerance, and then with smart wool socks I get another 10-15 degrees tolerance, which basically covers all daytime temps possible here on all but the coldest days. So under ideal conditions--no wind, no moisture, & smooth asphalt--my thresholds are something like this:

20F (about -7C) - barefoot
0-5F (about -15C) - Moc3s
-10F (about -23C) - Moc3s plus wool socks

Haven't tried sandals, but I feel the cold first on my soles, unless there's wind, so maybe it'd be worth a try. Is there any advantage of using sandals over minimalist shoes though?

 

[NickW]

Haven't tried sandals, but I feel the cold first on my soles, unless there's wind, so maybe it'd be worth a try. Is there any advantage of using sandals over minimalist shoes though?

Lee, I use huaraches in the winter here. At least I did. For me they helped me keep the barefoot-ish feeling where minshoes do not. I also noticed as long as my soles did not touch the cold wet ground I was just fine, but like I said in an earlier post we do not get much colder than 30 deg F most of the time.

 

[Bare Lee]

Lee, I use huaraches in the winter here. At least I did. For me they helped me keep the barefoot-ish feeling where minshoes do not. I also noticed as long as my soles did not touch the cold wet ground I was just fine, but like I said in an earlier post we do not get much colder than 30 deg F most of the time.

Thanks for the feedback Nick, I might have to give it a try. I got some Luna Sandals that I keep in the car and use minimally (excuse the partial pun) to go into stores, so I could start with those. I also got some Pah Tempes, but they came a little big and so far I've been too lazy to cut them down a bit. It would be cool if I could run down to another 5-15 degrees F before I had to cover the whole foot. I'm not a barefoot winter maniac, but it is fun to test one's limits, within safe limits.

 

[NickW]

So I may have figured out the root problem or cause of my pf. I've been noticing my hamstrings are super tight and maybe short the last couple days. Seems when I bend over and touch my toes to stretch the pf seems to go away for awhile after that. Anyone have any insight for me in how to lengthen the hammies or any ideas just in correcting this problem? This would explain why shoes having a 11 mm heel to toe drop helps the pain go away.

 

[Bare Lee]

Nick, on my way out the door, but I've always thought your toes were attached, through a chain, to the back of your head, and any pain along the way is best met stretching out the whole chain, top to bottom, bottom to top. Stretch your feet, your calves, your hammies, your glutes, your spine, and your neck and back down again and see if that doesn't help.

 

[barefootandagile]

Nick,

Imo hamstring tension isn't a cause of pf...but regardless why are your hamstrings tight? In regards to increasing there range of motion I would recommend yoga.

 

[NickW]

My guess B&A is that they got tight thanks to my inactivity from 2 back surgeries and a desk job. Then the last two years I sit on my butt a lot being a stay at home dad and full time college student.

 

[Sid]

First, I noticed I have more joy being barefoot-barefoot-s-t-g vs being in minshoes. I attribute this, well, I don't really know to what, it just makes me happier.

Running barefoot makes me happier, too. For me, I think it's the freedom and comfort. Possibly like when going from briefs to boxers. More movement, less restriction.

 

[rickwhitelaw]

Thanks for the feedback Nick, I might have to give it a try. I got some Luna Sandals that I keep in the car and use minimally (excuse the partial pun) to go into stores, so I could start with those. I also got some Pah Tempes, but they came a little big and so far I've been too lazy to cut them down a bit. It would be cool if I could run down to another 5-15 degrees F before I had to cover the whole foot. I'm not a barefoot winter maniac, but it is fun to test one's limits, within safe limits.

Hey Lee, don't trim your unshoes. Give them some time to mold to your foot. I also think the material shrinks a little. There was a recent blog post on the Unshoes website about shrinkage.

One of the main differences I have noticed between minshoes and sandals for me is the sole stiffness. I like to pre-load my arch and this is hard to in some minshoes. Could be one of the reasons I got top of foot pain in VFF's. I just pulled an old pair out of the closet and noticed how stiff the sole is. All of my sandals have thin, flexible soles. So my strategy for the winter is:
barefoot to 25 deg., sandals to 15 deg., sandals with socks to 0 deg., below 0 stay inside and bug everyone on the BRS forum. Of course the temps are only arbitrary because many other factors come into play. Wind, snow cover, etc.

 

[Bare Lee]

Hey Lee, don't trim your unshoes. Give them some time to mold to your foot. I also think the material shrinks a little. There was a recent blog post on the Unshoes website about shrinkage.

One of the main differences I have noticed between minshoes and sandals for me is the sole stiffness. I like to pre-load my arch and this is hard to in some minshoes. Could be one of the reasons I got top of foot pain in VFF's. I just pulled an old pair out of the closet and noticed how stiff the sole is. All of my sandals have thin, flexible soles. So my strategy for the winter is:
barefoot to 25 deg., sandals to 15 deg., sandals with socks to 0 deg., below 0 stay inside and bug everyone on the BRS forum. Of course the temps are only arbitrary because many other factors come into play. Wind, snow cover, etc.

Thanks I'll have to check out the shrinkage post. Have you tried the Moc3s? Their soles are pretty thin.

 

[rickwhitelaw]

Thanks I'll have to check out the shrinkage post. Have you tried the Moc3s? Their soles are pretty thin.

I'll consider them. It has been so nice to to worry about minshoes, but I know winter is right around the corner. I'm thinking about socks. With me and two teenage boys, there is a hundred pairs laying around. Most just get a hole in the heel and get thrown away. I'll start saving them.

 

[migangelo]

shrinkage? from a cold shower or swim?

 

[Henry]

Henry, it does not get to -30 though in Toronto. How low can you go in the socks, and by sandals you mean flip flops?

when it goes -20 or lower I usually just go to a nearby hill and just hammer some hill repeats in sandals w/ 2layers of socks. that way I can choose a hill that is free of ice/snow. hill repeat makes me produce a lot of heat and sometimes I even take a layer of socks off. and when I'm satisfied, car or shelter is just nearby.
-10C is when I can go long commute / group run w/ sandals and i take off socks when my feet is warm enough. most of the time I wear shorts under my long pants, and when my legs gets warm long pants is out.