What shoes can I wear so that it's not like wearing shoes at all?
January 11, 2010 12:48 PM   Subscribe

Inspired by the Mefi DailyBurn group, I want take my running a bit more seriously, but I need shoes! Nike Free or Vibram Five Fingers? Or other?

I have all sort of weird knee and ankle trouble from years of horseback riding and ice skating and from what I've been reading, it is worth giving 'barefoot' running a try. The VFFs seem to be closer to the ideal, but I worry that the toe dividers might get annoying.

Relavent factors:
- I work out both in gyms and when the weather is warmer, outside. When outside, I'd like to use these both on asphalt and the trail.
- I'd like to wear these for running, elliptical use and the various classes that I take at my gym. (Everything from cycling to dance.)
- I plan on hitting up my local running store to check them out in person, but I'd like to get some anecdotal feedback on how each model has worked / held up to abuse / etc.
posted by youcancallmeal to Shopping (19 answers total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
I have VFFs, and there's no way on earth I'm going to run with them on unpaved trails. Heck, I have to watch where I'm going when I walk on the sidewalk, due to sharp stones and the like.

VFF has come out with newer models that have thicker padding and "tread", probably at the expense of ground feel. They also cost considerably more.

Also, some clueless gyms will kick you out for wearing VFFs, even the completely closed styles.
posted by meowzilla at 12:56 PM on January 11, 2010


A friend has the Vibrams and loves them, but he uses them for running exclusively. Any pinching and rubbing he had from the toe sections has been eliminated by wearing their special socks with the shoes. I don't think just any toe sock will work, they have to be quite thin but still wick moisture.

I don't think they would be appropriate for cycling/spin class where you need a rigid soled shoe. Too much flex in the shoe will drastically reduce your pedaling efficiency and possibly hurt your foot. They may be okay for other applications like dance or yoga.
posted by slow graffiti at 1:02 PM on January 11, 2010


I found that the Teva Proton (can't find them on the site, I just hope they didn't discontinue them) -although they are water shoes- have a feel very similar to the Vibrams, without the weird. Extremely light and flexible and durable.

It is kinda amusing that an italian comes to this thread recommending american shoes in lieu of italian ones. On the other hand, until the VFF, Vibram mostly made soles for other manufacturers, and they are in my opinion the best ones.
posted by _dario at 1:29 PM on January 11, 2010


I have a pair of VFFs that I mostly wear for casual walking-around-town purposes. I've run on the treadmill with them a few times, and I like them. Normally I run in the same Asics model that everyone else in the world seems to run in, and I didn't have any trouble switching between the two shoe styles. You can feel the heat of the treadmill belt under your feet, which is kind of cool.

I wouldn't run outside in them, though, because the neighborhood in which I run is full of cracked sidewalks and sticks and broken glass and people who don't bother cleaning up after their dogs. If you have a less hazardous route, you might be okay.
posted by Metroid Baby at 1:32 PM on January 11, 2010


I'm a runner. I wouldn't go near those VFFs, but I'm thinking about buying a pair of Nike Frees for generally kicking around at the gym and running sprints. I don't intend to run distance in them.

The standard running footwear advice here is to go to a running specialty store and have the experts there fit you for shoes. If you have joint problems, make absolutely certain that your running form is good. There are lots of youtube videos to get you started.

I am not your running coach and this is not footwear advice.
posted by chrchr at 1:41 PM on January 11, 2010


I found the toe dividers to be the deal-breaker for me with the VFFs. Just squeezing my (deformed?) toes into those things was very difficult.
posted by cheapskatebay at 1:48 PM on January 11, 2010


Best answer: I run in them, about 5-10km at a time, on gravel/packed dirt/grass trails. They are awesome. I don't know if they'll work for you, but give 'em a go. I love feeling every single thing under foot. The sole is thin (5mm I think), but incredibly strong. Sharp pebbles will hurt. After running in them for the last few months, the sole still looks new. I've only tried Nike Frees, in the store (I think they were 7s). They still feel like shoes, where's VFF feel almost like running barefoot. Take it easy the first time you run, because your gait will gave to change to accommodate the lack of padding.
posted by aeighty at 1:48 PM on January 11, 2010


Best answer: I have a pair of Vibram KSOs and a pair of Terra Plana Vivo Barefoot shoes. I prefer actually being barefoot but when shoes are required (cold weather, gym) I prefer the Vivos.

Both the Vivos and even the Vibrams have sole that’s thick enough to dampen foot feel and feedback so that I still pound the pavement harder than I do barefoot. (It sounds weird, but running barefoot on asphalt -- with the proper barefoot technique -- is almost like a massage) The toe box of the Vivos is much wider than most shoes so my toes can still spread comfortably. With the individual toe compartments of the Vibrams, my toes feel constricted. They aren’t, they just feel that way with all that material between them.

However, I will take a pair of Vibrams over a pair of Nike Free any day. I tried on a pair in the past and found them to be too narrow. You want your toes and forefoot to be free to spread naturally on impact.

Vivos are almost twice as much as Vibrams, but they are well made and have a puncture resistant sole.
posted by studentbaker at 1:51 PM on January 11, 2010


Teva Proton, on Google Product Search - still available, or at least for sale from major outlets. Are they really that tight to your foot?
posted by filthy light thief at 1:52 PM on January 11, 2010


Best answer: I've run a couple hundred miles in the VFFs, both on the street (in all kinds of weather) and on the treadmill. I like them a lot. The toe dividers are no problem after you've put them on a few times.

They may be somewhat less durable than your usual running shoe. I'm on my second pair -- after long street use, I wore through the soles at the toes of the first pair. The elastic ropes that you use to tighten the shoe start to come apart, although for the most part it doesn't matter. Anyway, you're going to need to replace any running shoe pretty often.
posted by grobstein at 2:03 PM on January 11, 2010


One more quick thing about the VFFs: they're surprisingly difficult to put on at first. You'll have one empty toe-pocket and two toes trying to get in the other and you question whether you ever had five toes in the first place. I eventually got good enough to slip them on partway and then scrunch my toes all the way in without using my hands to adjust, but it took a while.
posted by Metroid Baby at 2:09 PM on January 11, 2010


Yeah, I came to mention the Vivo Barefoot. I think it has a kevlar sole. I tried (and think I liked them) - but I realized I'd have to convert all my shoeware to them.
posted by filmgeek at 2:10 PM on January 11, 2010


If you have knee and ankle problems, I really recommend you stay off the asphalt as much as possible, and try to stick to grass/tracks.

Seconding above thoughts that Vibrams will be much too thin for demanding outdoors running - and the Nike Frees, despite the promotion, won't give you the kind of foot action that you're really looking for in 'barefoot' running (e.g, they still have a big heel, which is a no-no if you're into this type of thing).

Try picking up some flats - and get em from a clearance store in case it doesn't work out. Adizero pros, Mizuno Waves, Saucony Blaze, Asics Onitsukha, New Balance 506 - these are some of the shoes you may wish to think about, and should give you a good idea about the *types* of shoes you should look for.

Personal anecdote: I switched to this style of running for about a year after persistent ITB issues. I was running in Adizero Pros and it made a very good, positive impact on both my form, performance times, and ITB troubles. I was running 10km very comfortably 50 minutes on a treadmill at 2.0 incline, and was running up to 20km on my 'long' run in about 1:15, in total about 130-150km a month.

Then I hurt my foot because I was pronating too much, the shoes had nothing in the way of padding and more importantly form-support, and I was unable to run - like, at all - for about three four months. I am now slowly, sloooowly getting back in to it. I ran 7km last night, including warm-up/cool-down, and it took nearly ten minutes more than it used to, but I was still so happy because it was the most I've run in 5 months or so.

If you have the money, see a podiatrist that specialises in runners. It's not mumbo jumbo. Take their show and form recommendations, and follow them. If I had done that this time last year, I could have saved myself a lot of heartache, and the $500 I subsequently dropped on othorthotics to fix my foot (they have worked, thanked god).
posted by smoke at 2:10 PM on January 11, 2010


Er, "shoe" not "show" recommendations. They have terrible taste in shows.
posted by smoke at 2:12 PM on January 11, 2010


Best answer: I got a pair of Jingas (two actually) after I read Born to Run - I too wanted a barefoot show but din' tlike the feel of Vibrams. They feel like you are wearing nothing, but don't have the toe. They run about $80 with shipping since they come from Brazil via the UK. I haven't run in them myself yet (awaiting temps here to break 25 degrees) but there are other reviews online. I'd wear mine every day all day if my work would let me.
posted by yeti at 3:03 PM on January 11, 2010


you need to just personally try shoes, any shoes, all shoes on and narrow it down the pair that make you feel as if you've had them for 100 years but support you and make you feel as if you are walking on a cloud....(even go in with the idea that money is no object, because we are talking about serious impact). that's my method, anyway. the first time i went looking, i was open to the price of whatever instantly "felt" the best to me, regardless of the brand, the $120 pair of whatever felt too flat and no support, the $70 pair of nikes were a dream. i was a total nike fan for years, but last two pairs have been Sauconys. they are wonderful and so currently, i'm converted. that is, until saucony starts screwing with fit, bells, and whistles :(
posted by foxhat10 at 3:04 PM on January 11, 2010


"shoe" not "show" for me too.
posted by yeti at 3:04 PM on January 11, 2010


filthy light thief: yes, to me at least they are a perfect fit, to the point of almost forgetting about having them on. I'm still through my first pair and I bought a second pair last summer just to have a backup since they're not that easy to come across here. (I liked the 2s better than the 3s, though: less flashy design - the 4s look good). One should try them in person anyway, especially given the OP's ankle/knee problems.
posted by _dario at 3:26 PM on January 11, 2010 [1 favorite]


to chime in if you need any more info, I tried the VFFs, but they simply were not comfortable for me personally in the toes area, so I got Nike Free 5.0s. I like them a lot, no knee pain, that I had with some other shoes. Very light and comfortable, while still being a shoe. I recommend them. Though they are not crazy durable, so just take care of them.
posted by pyro979 at 4:44 PM on January 11, 2010


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