Winter barefoot running question - Skin color/tone of feet

Barefoot Gentile · Jan 16, 2012

I have been succesfully running barefoot the last two weeks in between temps of 25-28 degrees. Average time around 40-45 minutes or so. Being this is my third winter experimenting running barefoot, I have been feeling very comfortable with these temperatures. To add this all dry road running.

I notice it takes about 10 minutes for my feet to adapt and get comfortable. My feet get a pinkish/redish tone to them, I can't remember where exactly I heard this, I think from Michael Sandler, but I thnk this is a indication that the feet are safe and generating sufficient heat and blood. If the feet start to turn white that is a warning sign?

Can some of winter barefoot runners confirm this, correct me, or add anything?

Cheers!

NickW · Jan 16, 2012

If the skin changes color to

If the skin changes color to white stop and get them warm. If they starting turning blue or worse you may have waited too long. Theres no sense in trying to be mr tough so it's better at the first sign of trouble stopping. Better to live to run another day in my book.

Barefoot Gentile · Jan 16, 2012

Thanks for the input. I

Thanks for the input. I carry Vibrams with me now, this is a great tactic to increase your tolerance to the cold. No matter what the conditions are I make sure I run some it barefoot.

Barefoot TJ · Jan 16, 2012

My feet turn pink when I'm

My feet turn pink when I'm running in the 20s and 30s farenheit, and I've never had any frostbite, so I'll bet you're okay as long as they don't start turning other colors or white.

JosephTree · Jan 16, 2012

If you start leaving splodges

If you start leaving splodges of red, that means your feet have gotten a liitle overdone.

Truly, though, my feet go to different temps from one end to the other. My insteps can run hot while my little toes are OK and my big toes are really cold. They don't any of htem slow me down much, just an observation.

We've had pretty damn cold here lately, IMO, and I don't want to run BF in the low 20's, dry or not. I have been able to run my favourite trail these last couple days. Wouldn't go near it BF, it's got this wicked crunchy ice in the soil developing, but in my Bikilas it's fun. Noisy, but fun.