So I’m entering week 9 of my attempted come back at running and today I decided to go to the local outdoors store and try these things on. I don’t know if it’s just my feet or what but the best fitting size was digging in hard to the webbing (for lack of a better word) next to my pinky toe. Granted after years of wearing spikes and race flats that fit like a glove my toes are pretty mashed together. The sales guy said that the VFF’s actually help correct and straighten your toes out over time.
I know a few of you guys run in these from time to time. Did they fit perfectly off the bat or did you have issues as well?
Took me a few runs to get used to them. More the “feel” and putting them on correctly (I found it actually helps to follow the directions. I know as a man I broke some sort of rule by doing so, but I figger if I have these goofy lizard looking things on, that ship has already sailed anyway…)
You might wanna put a smigeon of Body Glide wherever you are getting some rubbing, just as a precaution.
And, speaking of precations, it’s a good idea to START VERY SLOWLY w/ the run volume w/ these things (like, a mile or 2) and work up very slowly as well.
I got minorly injured when I bumped it up from 4m to 6m too quickly, and again when I tried a short tempo run in 'em, and I wasn’t quite ready for that yet.
Now I only wear them for short (3-5m) ez or ‘recovery’ runs. I do really think they help develop good run form, and strengthen your feet and calves.
YMMV. Good luck!
I bought a pair locally, and the sales guy confessed that while they were selling well, he didn’t own a pair because he couldn’t get his pinky toe to fit. I found at first that it was tricky getting my toes in the right spots, but now that I’ve worn them a few times, I love them. I’ve ran a few SHORT runs in them, and I can feel my posture changing almost immediately. After my runs, I’ve felt some soreness in my lower leg muscles as I’m using muscles I haven’t been using before. I feel like they are helping my improve my running posture. Having said that, I still run my long runs in my regular running shoes.
I’d certainly be interested in your impression overtime, and any other ST reviews. I’ve read that your foot will change structurally, as in a higher arch, etc.
I was just looking these up today. I’m going to order some on Mon. I have a wide foot, I hope they fit. They look cool to use on the boat/kayak/jetski as well.
By changing your form, did they encourage you to be more of a forefoot runner? I have had multiple foot problems in the past and keep adding extra padding, custom orthotics, motion control, stability… I know I’ll never be fast, but I’d like to run pain free.
I have no races planned so I thought now would be a good time to start over and build up my feet.
I mentioned the “Born to Run” book because the author goes into a lengthy explanation of how the more we protect our feet with fancy running shoes (guilty) the more we actually create running injuries.
Going as close to barefoot as possible naturally strengthens our feet and lower legs, as well as our running form. That’s the claim, anyway, and so far, I would agree based on my limited personal experience with them.
When I’m running in the Five Fingers, My feet feel more like the are scrapping across the surface of the road rather than stabbing through the road.
i own a pair but haven’t been able to run with them yet. i’ve found that they’re much easier to put on if you’ve been barefoot for a while or if you can “spread” your toes. putting them on right after i’ve had shoes with a narrow toebox on my feet is MUCH more difficult.
I have been using the KSO. I have had them for 6 weeks but have not run in them yet. I wear them walking around and have done a couple 3 mile hikes on rocky terrain and feel like my feel are strengthening just walking in them and hiking. I plan to try to start running shorter runs in them but am training for a marathon and my legs are abused enough with that (been running on lots of concrete… I hope that has been why my legs feel way more abused).
My bike shoes are a 45, my running (mizuno) are a 10.5 - my Vibrams are a 43. I am learning to love them more and more. I am not certain the model, but the ones with the upper and heel velcro are a PITA and do not fit as well as the pairs with the rear bungee system. I started in the grass and on trails with them but now wear them everywhere.
As a side note, there was a local 50k trail run - the 4th place guy was in them on some very nuts trails (from horse poo, rocks, roots, boulders, streams and on and on)…he was at about 4:10 or so…
I had trouble w/ my pinky toe on my first few runs as well. I found that wearing the injinji socks was a nice precaution early on. Now the shoes are still a challenge to put on, but after maybe 4 runs I was able to drop the socks and have been irritation free ever since (I’ve had them for about 6 months). As far as distances and such, I’ve done plenty of 2-5 mile runs on roads and sidewalks without any problems whatsoever. You have to be a bit more aware of what is on the ground in front of you, but it’s not a big deal. I’m also doing at least one run a week on a treadmill (6-9 miles), and I’m always in the FiveFingers for those runs. Anything north of about 8 miles and I find that the bottom of my toes start to get a little raw, but I think that’s just because my feet are soaked with sweat. On the plus side, I suspect the raw spots on my toes are due to the fact that I’m actually engaging my toes while I’m running, which is sort of the whole idea. I love 'em.
These were my cure for Plantar Fasciitis. Took a couple months off and now I am running way more miles per week now in these then I ever was before getting PF. I have done 380 miles in my KSO’s in the last 57 days, including one 30 mile day.
classics…havent run more than a mile in them and dont see any reason to do so unless you are keen on injurying yourself…i think there exists a fine line between what is good / healthy for you and what is possibly a devastating injury. I dont want to push that line.
classics…havent run more than a mile in them and dont see any reason to do so unless you are keen on injurying yourself…i think there exists a fine line between what is good / healthy for you and what is possibly a devastating injury. I dont want to push that line.
I do not follow. Are you saying running in VFF can result in a possibly devastating injury? Even if I never developed Plantar Fasciitis, I hope I would have eventually discovered the Vibrams and began running in them.
sorry i should have been more specific. i think the upside to the vffs is definitely there - strength building in lower limbs and help with establishing proper form - but i also think that the majority of triathletes /runners here are more likely to get injured if they wear them all the time to train in. Specifically i think the vffs are dangerous for longer runs. We sell these out of our shop and they sell really well and i do my best to inform people about how to properly ‘build-up’ to them as in training. However anecdotally i have seen that there are a bunch of people who have issues down the road (no pun intended) while training in them. I think these is this mindset with some people that sneakers are “evil” and that barefoot running is much safer. Okay, but going for a 20+ mile run? I dont see an upside in the vff at that distance…
sorry i should have been more specific. i think the upside to the vffs is definitely there - strength building in lower limbs and help with establishing proper form - but i also think that the majority of triathletes /runners here are more likely to get injured if they wear them all the time to train in. Specifically i think the vffs are dangerous for longer runs. We sell these out of our shop and they sell really well and i do my best to inform people about how to properly ‘build-up’ to them as in training. However anecdotally i have seen that there are a bunch of people who have issues down the road (no pun intended) while training in them. I think these is this mindset with some people that sneakers are “evil” and that barefoot running is much safer. Okay, but going for a 20+ mile run? I dont see an upside in the vff at that distance…
You may have answered your own question. Strength and proper form. I was a midfoot striker before the Vibrams but my legs are much stronger now, and my form is much smoother then previous. I do believe that motion control shoes are bad negative for running in, and I have come to the mindset that minimalist running is safer for many reasons.
Very cool that you are selling these and so open to the idea. Also it is very wise to inform the buyer about easing into them slowly.
If they do not ease into them there is a risk of Too Much Too Soon. But there is that risk with starting up running or increasing mileage in regular shoes as well.
I have averaged 68 miles a week for the last few weeks in them, including many 14-17 mile runs, and one 30 miler. Totally fine.
I was considering starting out in these by wearing them to the gym. Can’t really wear them at work and typically don’t have shoes on when around the house. I figured walking around the gym and lifting would be a good way to get an hour or so in them at a time to get used to them at first.
Any thoughts on this? I am not lifting heavy weight where dropping giants plates on my feet is any sort of concern. I just thought it could be a good environment to initially test them out in.
No that is great. A lot of the time people will start out with simply wearing them around the house and gym. Doing yoga and other such activities in them.