<p>I’ve been swimming and recently added in walking on a treadmill for variety plus I can do it at home. I’m reading Born to Run by Christopher McDougall and without getting into the whole plot of the true story, he makes a good case for running barefoot. </p>
<p>I’ve started walking barefoot on my treadmill and so far, so good. I wondered if anyone else is doing this or even running barefoot or only wearing a foot glove?</p>
<p>In Florida there’s a guy who runs 100 miles/week in flip-flops:</p>
<p>[Life:</a> Catching up with the Flip-Flop Man](<a href=“http://www.sptimes.com/2007/10/04/Life/Catching_up_with_the_.shtml]Life:”>http://www.sptimes.com/2007/10/04/Life/Catching_up_with_the_.shtml)</p>
<p>I’ve started to wear Nike frees. Everything I’ve read states you need to do it gradually. Take a look at the runners world forums</p>
<p>I used to run on the beach barefoot (probably 4-5 miles). My feet ended up hurting so I started wearing running shoes. I gave barefoot a try for a number of times before switching to the shoes. </p>
<p>The shoes provide support to our already shoe-shaped feet after wearing shoes for so much of our lives and it also eliminated the problem of stepping on a shell or small stone.</p>
<p>I dont run, but I wear these several times a week for walking & I love them.
[[Vibram</a> FiveFingers at REI.com](<a href=“http://www.rei.com/gear/feature/search/Google/Vibram%20FiveFingers?s_kwcid=TC|13029|vibram%20five%20fingers||S|e|6743708765&cm_mmc=ps_google_OW-_-Category%20-%20Footwear-_-Footwear_Brand_Vibram-_-vibram%20five%20fingers&gclid=CPj50K-yjKoCFR5qgwodGEMg0w]Vibram”>http://www.rei.com/gear/feature/search/Google/Vibram%20FiveFingers?s_kwcid=TC|13029|vibram%20five%20fingers||S|e|6743708765&cm_mmc=ps_google_OW-_-Category%20-%20Footwear-_-Footwear_Brand_Vibram-_-vibram%20five%20fingers&gclid=CPj50K-yjKoCFR5qgwodGEMg0w)</p>
<p>I run barefoot a couple times a month and so far it’s been great. You get stares from people sometimes out and about, but I see it as a challenge of sorts to toughen up the feet. If you haven’t tried them, use Vibrams first to get a feel for how running barefoot is because the technique is different from with shoes. Less heel striking and what not. A couple words of warning: </p>
<p>You need to be very cognizant of where you are running, stepping on glass/sharp rocks obviously isn’t advisable. Also running of gravel or dirt trails is not recommended in my experience, the rocks hurt quite a bit. Mostly just start slow with a couple miles and work your way up. Also, if you have blood blisters, which I have gotten numerous times, tape them up or give them a rest for a week. </p>
<p>Overall I love the feeling of being barefoot and highly recommend it for those not afraid of dirty feet and some learning pains!</p>
<p>When I was a kid in 6th grade my school had a May Day outdoor play day. I ran barefoot in a race about a 1/4 mile on the hot asphalt road that looped around the front of the school. I got giant blisters on my feet that ended up putting me on my back for a week because I couldn’t even walk upright on the sore feet. It was one of the dumber things I’ve done in my life, but it did get me out of school for about a week. I’ve since wised up and I always wear shoes now when I run.</p>
<p>There’s a guy at my college that never wears shoes… Does literally everything barefoot. In Florida shoes seem less mandatory than up north.</p>
<p>He says his feet have gotten much stronger since he gave up shoes.</p>
<p>I took a walk around the block barefoot yesterday, reminiscing about my childhood when we ran around the neighborhood and /never/ wore shoes, and ended up with blisters all over the bottoms of my feet. I’m never not wearing shoes again.</p>
<p>When I was in grade school, would run around barefoot all summer, including playing german dodge on the hot asphalt volleyball court for hours on end. The first day or two, you’d get huge, painful blisters that would turn into callouses. No thorn or anything else could penetrate the soles of my feet the rest of the summer! Now, I wear slippers a lot (common in HI), but normally wear shoes for “professional attire.” Around the house, I always am barefoot.</p>
<p>I always walk barefoot around the house. Never owned a pair of slippers. Walking barefoot on the streets and in the yard = really, really bad idea (there are some parasites that burrow into the skin on the feet - ewwww).</p>
<p>I just finished reading the book, too. Since there isn’t a singe drop of Raramuri blood in my body, I prefer to run in my Brooks.</p>
<p>ewwww, hadn’t thought about parasites you could get barefoot, but that makes a lot of sense, especially with all the pets & other critters that roam about. heck, they make pretty comfortable footwear & that’s all I wear, forget fashion!</p>
<p>I do a percentage of my running in minimalist shoes. I prefer NB Minimus to the Vibrams because the Vibrams are so hard to get on. The Nike Frees are not a minimalist shoe, but I like them. The key is in the drop from heel to toe. You DO need to start gradually- if you do not have VERY efficient form (espec if running) you can easily get stress fractures or other injuries. Walking might be better if you are not pretty light and efficient in your stride. Calves get stretched when you go down to lesser drop from heel to toe. Nike Free is a good place to start for a less supportive shoe, but it is nothing like Vibram Five Fingers.</p>
<p>My son attended a summer cross country running camp at Grand Valley State Univ., one of the top Div. 2 teams in the country. They introduced him to running barefoot and he loved it. He tried to duplicate it back at home, but the team couldn’t find an area they felt safe going barefoot.</p>
<p>Chris McDougall has made the sports docs rich! I think there is a lot of truth to what he advocates, but the reality is that we have been raised wearing shoes and only a percentage of us can truly make the transition to barefoot running/walking. I have a number of running friends who do all their running in Vibrams or the like- or even completely barefoot, but that is the minority. Most add in a few miles a week to strengthen feet and lower legs. Every manufacturer is coming out with a minimalist line. Merrell, New Balance, Saucony (their Hattori looks like the old aqua-socks and I like the shoe very much).</p>
<p>I wear shoes, but I don’t have any problems with the feet up to the hips, (knock wood), and subscribe to the if it ain’t broke theory of life.</p>
<p>However, I met a guy at the coffee place a month ago, and he was wearing the vibrams. he was dressed for a normal day, not running, and I asked if he just wore them or ran in them. It turns out he’d had a horriffic accident and been rehabbing and that the vibrams were really great for him. Since he’d worn them, his leg had improved exponentially and faster than before.</p>
<p>But he said they were causing him back problems, now.</p>
<p>(Past a certain age, what can you do? 
)</p>
<p>I have worn my Vibrams to work a number of times. After everyone finishes laughing, they want to know where to get some and how they fit. It did help me get over one of my upper hamstring/butt injuries by keeping me in better posture.</p>
<p>“Born To Run”, besides being a terrifically compelling story, was really interesting in terms of the barefoot running issue. I’m not a runner, but found myself fascinated by the idea that barefoot is better. S, a true runner, immediately took it to heart. But learned the hard way that barefoot doesn’t work when running long distances in New Orleans :)</p>
<p>i love my vibram fivefingers (hence my username.) i wear them to run in and go to the gym with them. i actually plan on traveling with them to europe this fall. they are super comfortable and make your calves stronger if you run the proper way.</p>
<p>I am intrigued by the Vibram fivefingers. For those who use them, are they hot and binding? The toes portion is what concerns me. I actually like walking barefoot and wear flip flops everywhere until it’s too cold, which is probably not good for me according to my marathon running H!
barefoot - I smile at the image of you travelling in Europe with the fivefingers. The looks you’ll get from Europeans who already think we Americans are too casual with our sneakers…</p>