I get a huge amount of questions these days about what makes barefoot running so special (and yes it helps when wearing FiveFingers to work). So just thought I would share my experience of transitioning from the most highly supportive, to arguably the most minimal shoe.
We are a Vibram FF family… 🙂
Over the last 5 years, I would say I have tried pretty much every type of shoe you can think of. When I first started running I was plagued with that condition that almost every runner I talk to seems to get – shin splints (ugh I even hate typing or saying it). Any more than 15kms a week and my interior shins would become inflamed to the point of making me hobble, and enforce a 4 day rest (at least). To say this was frustrating would be a massive understatement as I constantly felt like I could improve greatly if only my lower legs would cooperate!!! So, with that in mind, some of my shoe choices over the years were (in chronological order):
Nike Air Max
Nike Zoom (including Orthotics)
Asics Gel Kayano
Brooks Beast
Nike Free 5.0
Vibram FiveFingers Speed
Vibram FiveFingers Bikila
Inov8 f-Lite195 (x4)
Now there is an obvious point here where I decided nothing was working and it was time to try something drastic. Up until that point though, it had been a couple of years of sheer annoyance. The theme was support, more support and even more support until i was quite literally running on the outsides of my feet, and not only did my shins still hurt but now I had some whopping foot blisters in my arches for company.
So, it was around this time I began to hear talk of “barefoot” running. How it supposedly improves biomechanics, promotes the way we are supposed to run, discourages smashing down on your heels when your run, doesn’t cover up running technique inadequacies with cushions on our feet etc… Hmmm interesting – could this help me?
Ok – now a little closer to present day, and “minimalist shoes”, “barefoot running” and “zero drop” are fairly common terms – and many people now ask the question, is barefoot running just a fad – a term to sell minimalist shoes or encourage some sort of running snobbery? Does it make any difference? When answering that I simply give the stats: I now run an average of 100kms a week, often more. I have zero shin pain and am rarely injured. For me – its not a fad – it simply works.
The differences between using minimal/barefoot style shoes and a more conventional shoe are really driven home the first time you try a pair of Vibram’s FiveFingers. Understand at this point I was already running marathons and would have considered my self a reasonably fit runner with a marathon PB of around 3hrs 30mins – not earth shatteringly quick, but when you frequently get injured while training, not too bad. A 10km training run was fairly routine at this point and did not really require any recovery time.
So, after trying and purchasing some FFs from my favourite store – I laced up the Vibrams for the first time (yes, the Speeds have laces) and planned to do a nice easy 5kms. On beginning the run, things felt weird – the shoes were so light and unrestrictive and felt fantastic, but I just couldn’t plant my foot as I normally did – and landing on my heel sent shock waves up my spine straight into my brain. Eventually I settled into a comfortable mid foot strike (not forefoot, I found it just too alien) and finished my 5kms. No problem right? WRONG.
For the next day or two, my calves were in searing pain, almost as if they had never been used before, and the realisation of just how much assistance is given to your lower legs by modern running shoes was quite honestly, just astounding for me. It took a good couple of weeks to build up to running 10kms in the Vibrams but after that my legs adapted somewhat, my gait had certainly changed (in a relatively short space of time I might add) and I was on my way to that place where people really enjoy their running.
So fast forward to today… This year I have run the North face 100, Gold Coast Marathon, Hunter Valley Marathon and Sydney Marathon – I still have The North Face 100 Hong Kong coming up in December, and am deciding on Melbourne Marathon this month (yep need to decide quickly). Training for these events is intense, puts a lot of strain on the legs, but still my shins hold up. I would also say that even though I run upwards of 100kms most weeks I currently have no issues with knee/ankle joints – can this also be attributed to improved biomechanics? It’s possible and likely, but I can’t say for certain.
I would strongly recommend anyone who has issues with recurring running injuries to give this approach a try. It takes time to adapt, and in all honesty, may not terribly comfortable at first. I cannot say it will be so miraculous for everyone – we are all different and in the fitness industry this is why opinions are divided on EVERYTHING. However, ultimately it worked like a charm for me, and if it works for you too – fantastic, you’ll be running without pain!
Just with regard to shoes…
I still like to run shorter distances in my Vibrams – they are superb shoes, amazingly comfortable and as lightweight as you can get. However i’ve found some new faves in the form of Inov8 shoes. I will review these along with other shoes in future posts, but suffice to say they are, like Vibrams, super light, comfortable, breathable and feel incredible on your feet when you are running. Here are the Inov8 f-Lite 195s in all their glory, I am always searching, but to date, have not found a finer running shoe yet:
