It is a trend that can be seen all over in the running world—barefoot running. I hate wearing shoes, so this concept intrigued me. Just about every shoe company offers some sort of “natural” or “minimalist”. A few months ago, I decided to take a spin on the minimalist bandwagon. I got a pair of Vibram FiveFingers and gave them a try.
The VFFs took some getting used to at first. They felt kind of funny on my toes at first, a bit tighter than I am used to. As shoe wearers, we are not used to having anything between our toes. I started wearing my Vibram around the house and then on errands. Once I got used to having something between my toes, they began to feel natural, like wearing nothing at all. I even wore them walking around the Magic Kingdom one day in October in Walt Disney World.
I tried the VFFs one day for a 30 minute run. I will report, I am not a barefoot running convert. As an over pronator, the shoes did not offer me enough arch support. I did not feel the usual spring back in each stride that I usually experience when I wear my Asics 2160’s. For now, barefoot running is not for me. I will continue to wear my VFFs in my day to day activity. I also like to wear them when weight lifting or taking Pilates classes, as I do find then comfortable. While I appreciate the science behind barefoot running, I am not a fan.
Have you tried barefoot running? What did you think of it?
A dream is a wish...
--Amy
