How To Find Barefoot Running "transition" Shoes
If you would like to start barefoot running, but have always run in shoes
, then there are several types of "minimalist" shoes that you can get to ease the transition from running with shoes to complete barefoot running.
When looking for a transition shoe for barefoot running the term you are looking for (especially if you are serching on the internet) is "minimalist footwear" or "minimalist shoes." I will go into detail on the minimalist shoes I actually wore while training for barefoot running myself below, but you may find something else that works for you.
The minimalist shoe that wore while training to do my barefoot running (I am now 3,200 miles across America) are made by Vibram. They are called Vibram Five Fingers, and there are several different models of them. I don't call running in any kind of shoe barefoot running, to me barefoot running means "bare" and nothing else; however I do use Vibrams for training and to walk aroung when I am not actually running.
The Vibram Five Fingers I prefer for my barefoot running training are the KSO's (short for Keep Stuff Out). I have almost all of the models now, which I always wear now instead of shoes, while I am not actually barefoot running but just waling around. In fact, I don't wear regular shoes ever anymore, if I do they hurt my feet!
There will probably be other brands and options out there in the future, but at the time of this article there are a few different types of minimalit shoes out there, as barefoot running is just now starting to get "popular" among a small group of runners.
There are 2 other types of minimalist footwear I would like to mention here, the Newton Running Shoe, which I have heard great things about but not tried for barefoot running myself; and the Nike Free.
I have worn the Nike Free's myself for a few years before I started barefoot running, just because l liked the feel of them (and I really wanted to design my own shoe online!). But I haven't actually used them a lot for barefoot running training, just as I say wearing out and about. I designed my Nike Free's to look like the Flash's, BTW.
But shoes are not the only thing to consider as you are beginning barefoot running. The other thing you really must do is start off your barefoot running slow, both time-wise and speed-wise. You will be taking shorter steps when barefoot running, not long strides like you do in shoes. If you try to take long strides you land on your heel, and you cannot do that when barefoot running or you will get serious injuries.
I recommend five minutes barefoot running at first, for the first week. If you usually run five days a week, then do five minutes a day barefoot running, then put on running shoes and go out for your normal training run. Then you put it up to ten minutes barefoot running the second week, and so on.
If you use Vibram Five Fingers you can train in them in order to get the muscles and the tendons in your feet used to barefoot running. You'll find that barefoot running "loads" your lower calf a lot more than running in shoes with heel cushioning because you really can't land on your heels at all, whether you're in Vibram Five Fingers or barefoot...it also starts to wake up the nerves a little bit more slowly than barefoot running.
So that is rundown on transition and minimalist shoes you can use to start training for barefoot running. Try some and see how it works for you.
Important! Before you start barefoot running: Once you have the proper footwear you need to know about knee injuries and barefoot running as well as how to alter your stride to the correct running form (it's different than shoe stride).
by: Tellman Knudson
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