NCR: Vibram Five Finger Shoes

[Punt]

Ricky Bobby

 

I've switched over to these recently. While I haven't run in them yet, I do all my normal walking around in them.

 

The best advice I can give is to first ditch the shoes completely, then slowly start learning to run barefoot. There's a big difference between running in Vibrams, and running in normal shoes. But there's also a difference between running barefoot and running in Vibrams. My plan is to build up mileage barefoot, and then start using the Vibrams for racing and really long distances.

 

There's plenty of research out there on the topic of running barefoot, and the more reading you do, the more facts you'll uncover and the more sense it'll make to you. There are plenty of podiatrists and biomechanists and physios out there who'll tell you that it's a fad (like the article posted above). But what they all fail to mention is this: you wouldn't replace someone's heart with a mechanical one at birth, because nature got it right. So why would you then say nature got it wrong with feet? They've adapted in the same way! If anything, the running shoes seen in the last 30-40 years are the fad, a fad that's cause more injuries than people can count, and been around far too long.

 

Just take your time, do your research (sites like www.runblogger.com, www.sciencerunning.com, etc. are great) and sit down and think about things for yourself. That's what I did, and I'm realising new cool stuff every day Everyone's got an opinion; "try this", "stay away from that", "wear this but don't wear that". In the end, yours is the only opinion that counts for you.

 

However, for the love of Pete, don't go buy these and then try to run 5km in them the first month... you'll get hurt and it'll be your own fault

[Punt]

Interesting article there but it comes short on facts, it's not actually a study but an opinion or many opinions given in the article based on logic.

I am of the opinion that it's this kind of logic that often throws thought provoking articles out there and often these articles are to be read as fact.

I will say that barefoot running is not without any fault or injury, but I will also say that the injuries associated with normal running far outweighs those you get from barefoot running.

 

The good doctor even contradicts himself or he simply can't distinguish the difference between walking and running.

 

From the article:

 

when your heel hits the ground -- your leg from the hip down is aligned for optimal function and is stabilized during normal walking.

 

 

the lack of heel strike on unnatural surfaces is not mimicking the way the foot would perform barefoot on natural surfaces. For this very reason, these shoes will eventually come up short, as the foot requires either cushioned heel strike on an unnatural surface or minimal heel strike on natural surfaces.

 

What the good doctor fails to mention is that when you forefoot strike the impact is far less he also neglects to mention that the metatarsal pad offers better cushioning than any shoe available on the market today.

 

+1

 

Opinions like this are all over the place, and they come short when you start considering facts. I for one won't go near a podiatrist again. Only saw one once, paid a fortune, and it led me straight to ITB.

[chris_w_65]

There are MANY positive arguments for the minimilist shoe.

I have had my fivefingers for nearly 3 years now and they are still going strong.

I do not run in them mind. This is because my right foot over-pronates and it looks like I am trying to do the twist when running (my ankle practically touches the ground). Therefore the Inov8 shoes are better for me because they offer more support.

Also remember that you cannot put on a pair of fivefingers or inov8 and crack a 4 minute mile. You need to 'wear your feet in' so to speak. We have been wearing soft,spongy shoes all our life.

 

Drifters in Cape Quarter and Sandton City stock both brands.

 

If you do not fun in your 5 fingers then what do you do with them? Dance?

[chris_w_65]

I thought the faster running times/records these days were partly due to advances in technology of running shoes. Are people smashing these records now with 5 fingers?

[The Drongo]

Thank all the saints.

 

Does this finally mean an end to CROCS ?!!

 

{And for all of you who are mocking The Dangle, have y'all seen how fast a Chimp runs? }

[Bos]

Whilst there seem to be some runners on this thread..

 

In your minds would mid foot strike have any effect on shinsplints? In my brief 2 years of triathlon participation I have had a problem with shinsplints Ive ran in 4 different shoes and not had much luck. I know I should go see a guy like Tim Noakes, which I plan on doing, but Ive thought of getting the Newtons..some of my experienced running mates are raving about them.

 

 

 

http://barefootrunningshoes.org/newton-running-shoes/

 

 

cool website about barefoot running.

[Capricorn]

I'ma give the Newtons a bash too Bos. I'm curious to see how their tech can simulate barefoot running. I see the local reseller only has the one color. Will they arrange for a color of your choice? Lazy question as I could always just mail them myself

[Bos]

I Have no Idea, like you said, mail them yourself you lazy bastard hehe.

 

 

Im going to try finish these shoes I have at the moment then get them, Im trying to stop this "upgrading and getting new kit for the sake of having it." Its terrible!

 

But yes, I never get really running fit because I always start getting shinsplints before I get to strong.. Man I hate being afraid of the run in triathlons!

[Capricorn]

I used to get shinsplints from running too much cross country. Doc said the damage would have occured due to overtraining. I used to do training runs 6 days a week

But here's an interesting bit for you Bos:

 

Everyone has a different body, and each persons body mechanics differ slightly. One factor commonly implicated in causing shin splints is overpronation. Pronation occurs when the foot flattens out when weight is applied. The normal foot should flatten slightly, meaning pronation is a normal foot motion. Overpronation occurs when the foot becomes too flattened out causing the foot to roll inwards. This can cause increased demand on the muscle over the front of the leg and lead to complaints of shin splints.

 

and

 

Muscle trauma (exertional compartment syndrome) is often related to overtraining or excessive running on hard surfaces. Repeated use makes the muscles swell and puts pressure on the fascia that covers the muscles in the lower leg leading to pressure and pain.

 

Bone trauma to the lower leg can result in stress fractures. Constant pounding the leg bones may cause microscopic cracks and fractures in the tibia and fibula (lower leg bones). Rest is needed to repair these cracks, but without adequate recover, these cracks continue to grow and become a fracture. The result is acute pain and a long recovery.

 

Beginning runners are at increased risk of shin splints and stress fractures because they are not used to the high impact running has on the muscles and joints of the lower leg and foot. Running on hard surfaces (especially with worn, poorly cushioned footwear) increases stress on the muscles, joints and bones and is another cause of shin splints. Excessive pronation or other biomechanical problems can increase the risk of developing shin splints.

 

Other causes of shin splints include:

Improper stretching

Lack of warm-up

Training too hard

Increasing mileage too quickly

Running or jumping on hard surfaces

Muscle imbalance between the posterior and anterior leg

Worn out shoes that do not have enough support

Running on a tilted or slanted surface

Other biomechanical issues

[Wyatt Earp]

I thought the faster running times/records these days were partly due to advances in technology of running shoes. Are people smashing these records now with 5 fingers?

No true.

Zola Budd, the barefoot klontjie was fast, very fast.

Fast forward a few years and records are still being broken , why ?

The shoes ? No.

If you take a real close look you will find that most of the top runners wear what is known a s a minimalist shoe, these shoes are neutral and flat with virtually no cushioning, you will also notice that they are forefoot or mid-foot strikers, so to recap, no it's not the shoes setting the records but the people.

[Wyatt Earp]

I never get really running fit because I always start getting shinsplints

Heel striking is the biggest culprit here, especially on downhills with well cushioned shoes, heel striking puts an immense amount of impact on the legs and hips.

[bontie]

A couple of reviews if you googlit! Here's one :

 

I swore I’d never wear them. We called them the Five Fingers of Suck a few years ago and I was sure they were crazy. Friends, I’m here to tell you I was wrong. And I’m sorry.

 

Here’s my story: I ran a marathon a few years ago. I got plantar fasciitis and couldn’t run after the marathon. I worked through that inflammation but by the time I was ready to run again I had gained thirty pounds. Wham. Shin-splints. So I was a fat former runner with leg problems. The prognosis wasn’t good.

 

So I tried a few things – the elliptical, weight training, losing some freaking weight – but the thing that saved me were these shoes.

 

[PSGallery=a4jytbvh2x]

 

First, a caveat. I’m not a doctor, I’m an amateur runner and a bad one at that. Before you use these shoes, talk to a doctor. I can attest to what they did for me but I have no idea what they will do for you.

 

We are born to run. Heck, there’s even a book about it. Our first weapon, before fire and spears, was running. You see, animals like gazelles can run very fast for a short amount of time. They have great sprint speeds but they get tired easily. So we, as a pack predator, would get into formation and literally run animals to death. Then we’d eat them. We are good at running.

 

But we’re good at running barefoot. We’re not good at running in marshmallow-based shoes with padding, support, and protection. In fact, we get injured because of these shoes. There is some data that shows, in fact, that the more expensive the running shoe the worse it is for your feet and legs. I knew something was wrong when my feet would fall asleep while I was running. Something was up.

 

I don’t want to get into a religious argument – this is like arguing for veganism or onanism and you eventually fall into the hippie trap of equating something to “freedom” – but it makes sense. I bought the best shoes I could find for the marathon. And the shows – and the marathon – beat me down.

 

So I tried the Nike Free, a thinner soled shoe with separate compartments on the bottom for increased mobility. This got rid of most of my foot pain but I still had ankle pain. I ran a little in regular shoes and then read Born to Run and decided to go naked.

 

The thinking is this: we can run without injuries barefoot. It’s our natural mode of transportation and by wearing shoes we are weakening our bodies.

 

However, running barefoot in Brooklyn is a bad idea. So I ordered the Five Fingers Classic for about $75 – I bought 44 for my size 11.5 foot and they fit very well – and waited. I ran. My knees were screaming. My ankles hurt. Then, a few minutes later, all the pain was gone. I was running normally and, thanks to the light weight and comfort I could run longer than I ever could. I could run without stopping, which was a big change for me. I could run for quite a while. The only limitations were the blisters I got during the first few runs. Even those went away.

 

So I’m a Five Fingers convert. The shoes give your ankles a workout rather than a coddling. I felt my ankles get stronger and my feet get more resilient. I felt some of the pounds drop. I felt good.

 

They say we need lots of arch support but for most of our biological history we didn’t even know what an arch was let alone how to support it. While these shoes look ridiculous I’m happy to report that they work and they’re now my go-to running shoes.

 

Bottom Line

 

I’d be interested in hearing about your experiences with shoes and these shoes in particular. They make you look like an absolute doofus but they’re also absolutely great.

 

Reminiscent of the 29er debate it seems, those who ride know...

[bontie]

I've read the book 'Born to Run' - was brilliant and provides lots of food for thought! i'm also thinking of getting a pair of Vibrams and have also been advised by my bio not to just go out there and run a 5km! anyone got ITB and tried them???? would be interested to know if it helped! i'm still suffering with my right knee

 

 

Rest/Stretch - but not the infamous "ITB stretch" - Runners world had a article on the ITB a year or 2 ago and spoke to Benita de Wit about stretching... she said to get your nose on the table. That worked for me...

[Guest agteros]

So I’m a Five Fingers convert. The shoes give your ankles a workout rather than a coddling. I felt my ankles get stronger and my feet get more resilient. I felt some of the pounds drop. I felt good.

 

At school, I used to run barefoot (middle distances), even on synthetic tracks. My ankles were virtually unsprainable. The first time I sprained an ankle, was after school when I started running in shoes (only kids run barefoot!), and when I started cycling. Makes you think ... maybe starting to run in shooz and cycling was an evil combination which led to two ankle sprains. The last sprain made me turn around just before an op to get it fixed, and to this day I still have problems with that ankle. This all after I could just about deliberately demonstrate how I CANNOT sprain my ankles

[Punt]

A big contributor to shin splints, and indeed overpronation, is heel striking. Think about when you're running, and you get tired (say after 7 or 8 km). Your foot starts to slap down on the tar with every stride (so you land on your heel, then the rest comes down and makes a helluva noise). The whole time, your shin musculature is trying to keep your foot from slapping down so hard, but there's so much force on it that it basically tears the muscle away from the shin.

 

I moved to a mid/forefoot strike and haven't had shin splints since, and I used to suffer big time with them.

 

Two more interesting points:

1. There are actually 2 kinds of pronation. One occurs in the forefoot, and the other occurs at the heel. They type of "overpronation" that you hear about when you talk to guys trying to sell you running shoes is actually the overpronation at the heel, which is not so good, but is caused in part by the footwear you're using, in part by weak muscles and in part by poor running technique. The other kind of pronation, at the forefoot, is totally normal and is a necessary part of the running motion.

2. There's actually no hard scientific evidence to support the theory that overpronation leads to injury, at least not from the research I've done. That's why the whole concept of stability/neutral/motion control shoes is slowly beginning to crumble. See this interesting article: My link

[MAXwills]

I got a pair of Vibrams for my fiance (Bikila) and I (Speed) and it is the only shoe we run in. If you are not used to any barefoot walking or running you do need to take it easy at first. But I definitely recommend buying these shoes.

 

I bought her "born to run" and we will defintely be purchasing some Luna sandles.

 

@Dangle I saw that photo on the 5finger FB page you famous! Send me a PM sometime to chat

Edited January 20, 2011 by MAXwills