I love vff's but my main problem is that I get stone bruising when running on rocky stuff, which was the reason that I got them as I was getting stone bruising when barefoot running on rocky stuff! The treks look good, but I think I'll wait and see what inov 8 come out with next year. I would be happy with a shoe similar to say Rocklite but with a completely flat sole and perhaps just one level of cushioning - my feet are feeling tender from all this bruising.
I think the " ultimate fellracer" will be what your looking for.
Barefooting is great on smooth or grass but for most folks you will need some underfoot protection to go off-road and most certainly for fellrunning.
Interesting post taken from a barefoot/minimalist forum.
Running in Minimalist Footwear in Saint John, Virgin Islands
For nearly two decades my family has run (pun intended) a specialty
running store with the philosophy that less is more. We have preached
that too much support makes for weaker feet and that people should use
the least supportive footwear combination for their particular
situation and work towards strengthening their feet as much as
possible to avoid future problems. Support shoes and orthotics might
be a great short term fix, but they’re definitely not a long term
solution and only lead to weak feet and arches, dependence on them,
and future injuries. In my 18 years of working at running specialty
I’ve had a chance to see many various people and their injuries and
successes over the years. One common trend I have seen over the years
is that the runners who keep their feet strong and change things up on
a regular basis seem to be the most successful (my definition of
successful is being able to run and stay healthy in body, mind, &
spirit).
We brought in Vibram Fivefingers to our store originally after we had
a customer that could not shake his shin splints regardless of what
traditional methods we tried. He had been through every shoe,
stability device, insole, stretch, etc. you can think of. He finally
decided to give the barefoot thing a try, and next thing you know
things were starting to improve. He got a pair of Fivefingers (which
seemed like a bit of a revelation when we first saw them!) and we’ve
been selling them ever since. The concept has slowly gained traction,
selling more and more with time as people relate their success stories
to their friends (most of whom think they are crazy). We have sold
over 100 pair of VFF’s every month in 2009 since winter waned. In
three plus years of selling these things, I am yet to hear from
someone who regretted their decision to buy them. That’s pretty
impressive considering the thousands of pairs we’ve sold!
It’s always been interesting how differently people take to the idea
of barefooting to strengthen their feet. Some just don’t want to go
there. Many are just creatures of habit and have worn the same shoe
for the last ten years and don’t want to change. Some say they
*might* give it a try some time. Others ditch their shoes all
together. Some just jump right in and go do ten miles in Fivefingers
the first day they have them (these people DO get sore!) When people
get a new pair of shoes, we often joke and say “no twenty milers on
these tomorrow” but some people really need to be told that!
It’s important to note that those who run too hard barefoot or in
minimalist / zero drop (no elevated heel) footwear for the first time
don’t generally notice that much soreness on their actual run. It’s
the next day when their feet are sensitive or their Achilles & Soleus
(lower calf) muscles are so sore that people are asking them why they
are walking funny that they realize they *might* have over-done it
just a bit and that they really haven’t used those areas as much
with traditional running shoes. That said, I think it’s really
important that these people aren’t getting injured, they’re just
getting really sore! The beauty of minimalist footwear and
barefooting is the bio-feedback your body gives you. Unlike in normal
shoes, your body lets you know that it’s had enough before it breaks.
I’d rather have my body telling me I’m overdoing it by making me sore
than be injured any day!
Also of note is to keep in mind that everyone is different. I know
people that have transitioned straight to minimalist footwear running
50+ miles a week and said they didn’t even really get sore! On the
other hand, I know people that have gone five minutes who were totally
sore the next day. Most of us fall somewhere in between (imagine
that!).
Often in the past and especially since we started selling FiveFingers
to runners over three years ago, people have asked me how to phase
barefooting into their running routine. I usually ask a few questions
to assess their foot strength and then make a recommendation based on
how sensitive they are and how strong their feet are. Since we are
broadcasting to the world, my minimalist friends and I have put three
programs together: One for weaker feet, one for average feet, and one
for people who feel they have very strong feet.
check out our site at http://www.barefoot-running.com for a detailed
training regime.
Terry,
Are you posting on Ted's forum like me? http://groups.google.com/group/huaraches?hl=en
I just received my 1st pair of the new FiveFingers Trek.
http://birthdayshoes.com/index.php/kso-trek/
When I'll have been able to get rid of a cold I'll be testing them. I'll report how it went.
Do you think they're going to be available somewhere in 2010?Originally Posted by Inov-8 Insider
Yes
Don't know about Terry but I am! Are you Luc pied nu?
Yes, I concur
Yes, I am Luc aka pieds nus.
Yep, I use the group. Some good stuff on there, apart from the fact I have an extra 100 emails in my inbox every morning
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote