Anyone experiences with VIBRAM Five Fingers shoes?? (Page 2)

as I ran more and more with my VFFs and got used to the new gait that you are essentially forced into when barefoot running, I found that my stride got much shorter.  In fact, it reminds me a lot of spinning on my bike. I like to think about it as if I am trying to tap the ground with my whole foot...not just the ball of the foot....and DEFINITELY not with the heal...and then quickly lifting off again (rather than pushing off).  I have also found this whole motion to be much easier when I am really concentrating on keeping my back straight and my head up.  You will definitely feel this in your calves for a while.  It took me about 4 weeks before I was completing runs without calf soreness.

Although I have never studied the POSE or Chi running methods, I am told that a good barefoot running gait is much like these.  I don't know that for sure though.  What I can say is that now that I have worked up the mileage running this way, I can go much farther before fatigue sets in to the legs and back. 

As for blisters, I haven't had any but I wear the Injinji toe socks along with the VFF's.  These help me achieve a slightly tighter fit around my skinny toes and also cut down on the chafing as the feet sweat (lots of that here right now...104 in Fort Worth today).

Has anyone worn these for a Tri run?  My big concern is in the transition...getting the toes in the right sleeves aint easy when you are in a hurry!

Doug





Edited by Health_Doc 2009-07-09 11:01 PM

That would be interesting to hear.... I know that for myself, when I have issues with soreness in my feet and/or with a chronic ankle issue I've had for a long time, the thing that makes them feel best is to ditch my shoes and spend as much time as I can barefoot (around the house that is... they don't like it when you try to come into the grocery store with no shoes on!)