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Never in a million years would I run barefoot.
I'm a maximalist when it comes to shoes...Hoka, baby...IN BEFORE THE LOCK
111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111I don't even walk barefoot outside the shower.
McDougall's take on barefoot running was pretty in-depth into the science behind it, how running barefoot causes us to adjust our stride, placement, etc in response to the foot sensitivity. Basically, if it hurts don't land like that. But he also ends up saying barefoot running isn't practical for most of us, but maybe letting our current running shoes wear down more in between replacements is.I can't do his descriptions justice but you might really appreciate reading those chapters again, assumimg you've read the book before.He also describes how his arches improved the more he ran as the foot muscles got stronger and recreated the arch shape. Again, his narrative is better than my summary.
I think the fad is going more towards maximalist these days. I am pretty sure vibram got sued over their claims re: barefoot running and I've heard pts and orthos say they saw a lot of stress fractures in the feet due to barefoot running. So, YMMV, but not a direction I'd personally go.
I'm partial to minimal-but-cushioned (I wear Altras). I did run in FF for a while... but I'm not a teeny lady and it was not doing me long term good. It did teach me how not to be a thuddy heel pounder and to be more aware of where I put my feet. I'd say your best bet is to see a really good physical therapist for a movement screen and a second opinion. Podiatrists make money on orthotics, and most of them only look at feet and ankles, but you need to consider the entire movement chain since a small change to the way your feet interface with the ground could wreak havoc all the way up your body.
I've seen 2 physical therapist, one is the husband of Vicky Huber. Neither of them picked up on my flat arches.
Assuming that barefoot running was a great strategy, couldn't you get the same or better results with targeted exercises to do the same thing? Specifically, strengthenand improve recruitment of some stabilizer muscles.
I envy the feet and ankles of people who can do that. It would hobble me.
I have orthotics now and boy would I love to not have them. If there was something I could have done to fix my feet without orthotics (or foot crack as I like to think of them), I'd try it first.
Why don't you like them?
I've seen barefoot runners suffer mid way through marathons on very hot asphalt and in very cold conditions. I've seen others be just fine with both. Not for me though. I like my Hookas.<boing>
But, it's possible the flat arches aren't the issue the chiro is suggesting.
1. Chiro's also routinely diagnosis leg length discrepancy even though you can't accurately diagnosis it on physical exam alone. No surprise that I would trust a good PT over a chiro, I suppose. That said - "fixing your arches" by barefoot runnin?
Because its a pain to find shoes that will fit them, when you do find shoes that fit them I find that they're tippy - I can't tell you the number of times I've rolled over on my ankle because of the extra height and instability they cause. Its a pain having to move your orthotic from shoe to shoe. And because your feet get trained to the orthotic, it becomes difficult to walk without them. I've become very limited in the types of sandles I can wear now - birkenstocks, some Nike's, Chacos, etc. Essentially only things that come with built in arches will provide the support I need. Crocs on the other hand work very well - if you can handle looking goofy. If you wear women's dress shoes you'll need a second pair - one for dress shoes and one for active shoes (runners). That would be another $300 or so for me up here.
I totally gave up on custom orthotics. I generally wear 7 - 7.5 in regular shoes and 8 or sometimes 8.5 in running shoes. I had to go up to 9 in running shoes! And my heels slipped even more (bigger shoe and sitting higher)I like the New Balance inserts, and the one I have been using worked really well in my old running shoes, but is not working in my newer ones - probably because the shoes fit slightly better, which puts my feet in a slightly different position on the insert. The inserts have never worked in my casual shoes, even those with removable insoles. They raise my feet up just enough...I hate my Birks. They are only sandals I have with metatarsal support but they are really hard and irritate the bone at the base of my little toe. And the suede rubs blisters in random places.
Dansko clogs?
The people who seem to benefit the most from bare foot running are the ones who do small amounts a couple times a week. Like a mile or two, then the rest of the time wear shoes. I had orthotics but prefer the Sole Heat Moldable insoles, work better than orthotics, imo. I am also a maximus shoe lover.
I'm a big boy, I did the barefoot running thing for a whole summer wearing 5-fingers and loved it. I never got hurt and to this day it changed my stride from being a heel striker to landing on my forefoot. My issue wasn't one of injury, in fact this was the only way that I never got hurt, instead my calves could not keep up with me and would cramp up. My feet got much stronger, and my arch increased with that strength. I also spent a lot of time walking around in the 5 fingers and really preferred them to shoes. That said, I run in Gel Kyanos these days. I would suggest just adding some very light running barefoot at first, half mile nice and easy once a week to start to strengthen those muscles before you do too much barefoot.Also, I would never trust a chiro to diagnose anything.
Back in first grade, I flunked my school physical due to pancake flat feet and a note was sent home to my parents. Running track in high school and college and landing on my forefoot, actually developed the muscles in my arch and I no longer have flat feet.I love running barefoot, but only do it on grass when doing striders.
Fascinating. I've had luck w/Kayanos and GT 3200. Thanx so much for your input. About how long did it take you to notice increase strength and arch after wearing the 5 fingers? I don't think I'd go 5 finger b/c I don't like that in between the toe feeling but I'm thinking maybe New Balance minimus. It all depends on what the podiatrist says on Tuesday.
It was like building up any muscle, slow and steady. Even though I was running 3 miles 3 times a week at the time I worked in the barefoot running like I was starting from scratch. Must have taken a month to really notice the difference, but when I noticed the difference was huge.I tried the minimus and HATED them, didn't fit right and felt like crappy shoes. I would suggest trying out the 5 fingers, after you have them on a few minutes you stop noticing them between your toes. But the real reason I recommend them if you are interested in strengthening your foot is I don't think you will get the same strength gains from the minimus. With the 5 fingers your toes kind of spread out and "grab" the earth (like your hands do if you where crawling in the sand) and this is what really strengthened my feet. (I think) You don't get that in a minimalist shoe.
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Topic: flat feet and barefoot running (Read 22984 times)
