The first thing I noticed about running in the Vibrams (this is while I was still in the store) was that I seemed to be coming down more on the balls of my feet, instead of on my heels. I’d read that this was likely to happen, but was surprised to see the change take effect so quickly.
But what’s truly extraordinary about the change is that it really has nothing to do with the shoes. The Vibrams have none of the padding we’ve come to expect in running sneakers; and while the inner edge of the shoe (where most people have their arch) is slightly concave, the rest of the sole is basically flat. The FiveFingers weren’t encouraging my feet to do anything other than to follow their fancy.
That said, I’m not sure that everybody would notice such an abrupt change. Prior to wearing the Vibrams, I’d been walking around barefoot for a solid six weeks. (I work from home, and don’t have to wear shoes during the day if I don’t feel like it. During the summers, I tend to go around shoeless. Also sometimes shirtless, and occasionally pantless. But we don’t need to talk about that … yet).
My First Run in the Vibrams
For my first run with the new shoes, I decided to run just one mile over pavement. I am extremely flat-footed and am an overpronator, so I wanted to ease my way into this drastically different shoe.
About 60 seconds after setting out, I noticed that I was absolutely pounding the ground with my heels – hard. Just really beating the tar out of the pavement. I probably hadn’t noticed this in the store because the floor was soft and padded, and because I hadn’t run for more than 30 seconds at a time. Regardless, it was pretty uncomfortable going for the first leg of the run.
But after just a couple of minutes, as I grew a little more accustomed to the shoe and the terrain, I gradually started to put more weight on the balls of my feet. By the end of the run, my heels felt fine – and I haven’t had a problem with them since.
Remarkable how the body adapts so quickly, isn’t it?
Subsequent Runs
Since that first run, I’ve gone on four others:
- A two-mile run in the Vibrams
- A second two-mile run in the Vibrams
- A 5.2 mile run in my regular sneakers (New Balance 1221s)
- A 2.7-mile run in the Vibrams
I’ve noticed so many fascinating things about my feet, my legs, and the way that I walk during these four runs that it’s hard to know where to start. I guess we can start with the thing that was the most unexpected: my hamstrings became incredibly tight.
Now, let me preface this discussion with the following: I’ve got some pretty nice legs. They’re strong, shapely, and lean, with just the right amount of muscle to look pleasing when flexed. If it were possible to do so, I would take these beautiful legs of mine out behind the middle school and get them pregnant. That’s how much I like them.
So it came as quite a big shock when, during my second run in the FiveFingers, I noticed more than a little pain in the back of my legs. Hold on a second: did I mention that I’m also extremely flexible for a guy? You won’t see me doing any splits, but I know my way around a yoga mat, and back in high school, I always scored in the 98th or 99th percentile for the sit-and-reach (which basically means that I’m really, really good at touching my toes). Again, I’m not a gymnast or a ballerina (ballerino?), but compared to most other guys my age, I’m frickin’ Gumby.
For two days after my second run, my hammys burned with pain with every step I took. Walking was bad enough, and running was out of the question. But I did my calf and hamstring stretches (they provided almost immediate relief) and after three days, felt like I could continue running in the Vibrams. After my fourth run in the Vibrams, the pain has lessened to mere discomfort, and is really only present in one of my legs (the left).
Bee’s Knees
After three runs in the Vibrams, I went for a longer jog (5.2 miles) in my regular shoes. Before I had taken ten steps, my knee pain was back.
Some quick background: one of the reasons I’m trying the Vibrams is because I’m tired of being injured, and no shoe I’ve ever worn has prevented me from getting sidelined. The injuries change, but they never actually go away. It’s always something, whether it’s pulling my Achilles’ tendon (my first running-related injury, in 1994) or developing patella tendonitis in both knees (my penultimate). Traditional footgear wasn’t working. Why not try something different?
While the knee pain had largely subsided before I started using the Vibrams (with many thanks owed to my physical therapist friend Julia), it was striking was how quickly the pain returned once I switched back to my New Balances.
On my first run in Vibrams after the 5.2 in the NBs, I still had some knee pain – probably residual pain from whatever I did to my knee the day before. But the near total lack of knee pain is an encouraging sign that the FiveFingers are really helping me to run in a way that’s better for my body.
On Beagle’s Wings
Another thing I noticed about running in the Vibrams is that I just generally feel lighter on my feet. More surefooted, more agile, and swift.
Could this be because I’m coming down more on the balls of my feet, and that this is a better way for me to run? Could it be because the shoes are physically lighter than my running shoes? Is it all in my head? Is it just the novelty of running in a way that I’ve never run before? Or could it be the fact that I’m used to running five, six and seven miles, but I’m running only one, two and three in the FiveFingers?
Some clues came during that first run in the old New Balances following my first three Vibram runs. Although I felt like my running was clunkier than it has been in the FiveFingers, the feeling of being quicker on my feet persisted. Dismissing for the moment the theory that I’m suffering from some kind of placebo effect, the persistence of this feeling tells me two things:
- The mechanics of my running style are changing.
- The change is strong enough that the shoes don’t matter (much).
I’ve Got Blisters on Me (Five) Fingers!
It’s not all handjobs and buttercups. There’s some bad news, too. But it’s not that bad.
Blisters
I didn’t know this was possible, but I have incipient blisters on every toe on my left foot except for the big one, and at least three on my right foot (including Mr Big). But then, the fact that I didn’t know this was possible probably tells you a lot about how coddled and pampered my feet are. I expect the blisters to go away once my feet decide to sack up and grow a pair.
They Just Kinda Hurt
After a run in the Vibrams, my feet are just generally sore. For a couple of hours at least, padding around the house without socks or shoes is a touch uncomfortable, and I kinda just want to get off my feet. By the next day, though, they’re fine. I also expect this to go away as my feet toughen up.
Your Review
I was reading through your review, and myself as well, am a very flat-footed individual. I have to say that my switch from adidas bounce shoes to five fingers was a positive one. Being in the military, your whole life tends to consist around running of some sort. I noticed that in my normal shoes I would, of course, run fast and all, but always have some sort of pain or injury. A lot of this would be on my 15 mile runs, I would notice a pain at aroud mile 3-4 in my knees. Once about mile 7-8 would hit it would either go numb or I would just stop thinking about it. The next day was always horrible. Lets not forget that terrible feeling (at least for me) you would get on the shins. I could never shake that one, and if I ignored it I would be out of running condition longer than wanted.
After my first run, I thought I could run like it was my normal show. Woops. I felt the same exact feeling you are describing. After a few runs everyting started to lessen. I also noticed that I was running a bit slower than normal, But I think this will change as time goes on. There is no doubt that I am more confident in my step now after the switch. I have yet to do a 15 mile run in them though. I find myself just increasing my runs every time (daily).
Overall, I think your review of the Five Fingers is great. With the slight troubles I was having in mine, I am glad to see someone else was also feeling the effects (another flat-footer). As far as the blisters go, I never had any. Probably because my feet are already ripped up from wearing boots all the time.
All in all, great review, great thoughts.
Thanks Joel!
Hey Joel,
Thanks for the comments! I’m happy to report that in the nearly 10 months since I posted that review, my calves have gotten stronger; my feet, more limber; and my running, better than ever. In fact, I haven’t been this fast a runner since high school. The shoes themselves aren’t making me faster, but they’re allowing me to run more miles more consistently, which has lead to faster running.
Check out http://somerunner.com when you get a chance. That’s my running blog. So far it’s just got the one post, but I hope to update it soon (once I find the time).
Thanks again for taking the time to comment. Keep us posted on your progress!
update?
Any updates on your experience with the Vibram Five Fingers? Also, which model do you use? I’m also very flat-footed and I overpronate significantly. I love distance running, but keep getting tendinitis in anywhere from my Achilles tendon to my ankles. I’m starting to wonder if bare-footed running would be a good solution for me. Thanks!
Nice 30 Rock reference. And
Nice 30 Rock reference. And nice review.
My experience
Thanks for the great reviews. I have to say that my brother that’s in the military recommended me to the VFF. I was also in the service and came to dislike running because of shins splints and knee pain. Did i mentioned I also have flat feet; and being in the military I was always in group A. Pretty much the fastest group but after running a long time I really felt the pain especially in my shins. Now with the VFF I have noticed the difference and started running 1, then 2, then 1, then 3, then 1, and then 5 miles. In the fith mile I have received pain, how can i describe this, in the left bottom foot towards the center in the left. It hurts everytime I walk and it has been going for two day. Hopefully it goes away and as I have learned, I need to take it slower with the VFF. Any tips or ideas?
Re: Your experience
Hey Tony,
I found that the key to breaking in the Vibrams is to take it slowly – jumping from three to five might have been a bit much.
I’d recommend dialing it back to a distance where your feet don’t hurt at all; increasing a mile or so; and staying at that distance until your feet stop hurting again. Repeat that process until you’re at the distance you want.
I would also recommend switching back to your normal shoes for longer runs. I followed Hal Higdon’s half-marathon training schedule for novices to break in the Vibrams, and for the first few weeks, I switched back to my normal shoes for the Saturday long runs. By the end of the program, I was able to run 13 miles in the Vibrams.
But whatever you do, the key is to listen to your body. If something hurts more than you think it should, back off. Everybody is going to have a different experience breaking these shoes in – make sure you tailor your break-in to what your feet and legs are telling you, and don’t be afraid to switch back to your normal shoes.
As for the injury you mention, I’ve never experienced pain quite like that. You could look up plantar fasciitis and see if that sounds like what you’ve got. Other than that, though, I’ve got no idea.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Maybe I did too much too fast
I have a similar sounding injury after overdoing it my first few weeks in the vibrams. After a week or so of easing into it with 1-1.5 miles every other day I got impatient and started doing my usual 7 miles twice a week. Big mistake. I experienced the expected calf soreness and the weird cracking ankles in the morning, but the real problem has been a dull sore pain in the bottom of my left foot that has lingered for probably 6 weeks now. My best guess is a small ligament tear from overstress, which might take a while to heal. Its almost gone, but I am going to keep off the running for a few more weeks and see how it feels. Bummer, I had really been enjoying running in the VFF. You definitely need to take it very easy when you start out in VFFs and do longer runs in your old shoes for a while.
Sorry to hear that. But yes,
Sorry to hear that. But yes, as I’ve told many people over the months and years, you really cannot take it too slowly. I heartily recommend using your old shoes for long runs until you’ve gradually built up to distance in the Vibrams.
Hope you recover from your injury.
As ugly as 5 fingers are,
As ugly as 5 fingers are, this is the first time I’ve felt like I wanted to jog/run/fly on my treadmill.
I got the “you must be very comfortable in our relationship to be wearing those” comment, whatever dude.
I’m not going to pretend I’m in great shape but I do exercise consistently, yoga, pilates, kundalindi, fast walking. I’m up to running 2 mins / fast walk 5 mins on the treadmill and my lower legs are feeling it big time. This pace is so slow but I’m hoping to avoid injury, especially avoid aggravating an old front hip injury.
Any other tricks/suggestions to help me pick up the pace? I’ll never do 10 km but hoping to do 2-4 one day.
ps: that’s 2 min running / 5
ps: that’s 2 min running / 5 min walking for 30 mins total.
I was reading throug
I was reading through your review, and myself as well, am a very flat-footed individual. I have to say that my switch from adidas bounce shoes to five fingers was a positive one. Being in the military, your whole life tends to consist around running of some sort. I noticed that in my normal shoes I would, of course, run fast and all, but always have some sort of pain or injury. A lot of this would be on my 15 mile runs, I would notice a pain at aroud mile 3-4 in my knees. Once about mile 7-8 would hit it would either go numb or I would just stop thinking about it. The next day was always horrible. Lets not forget that terrible feeling (at least for me) you would get on the shins. I could never shake that one, and if I ignored it I would be out of running condition longer than wanted.
After my first run, I thought I could run like it was my normal show. Woops. I felt the same exact feeling you are describing. After a few runs everyting started to lessen. I also noticed that I was running a bit slower than normal, But I think this will change as time goes on. There is no doubt that I am more confident in my step now after the switch. I have yet to do a 15 mile run in them though. I find myself just increasing my runs every time (daily).
Overall, I think your review of the Five Fingers is great. With the slight troubles I was having in mine, I am glad to see someone else was also feeling the effects (another flat-footer). As far as the blisters go, I never had any. Probably because my feet are already ripped up from wearing boots all the time.
All in all, great review, great thoughts.
_________
alon sobates from www.vacancetunisie.fr
Hey Tony,I found t
Hey Tony,
I found that the key to breaking in the Vibrams is to take it slowly – jumping from three to five might have been a bit much.
I’d recommend dialing it back to a distance where your feet don’t hurt at all; increasing a mile or so; and staying at that distance until your feet stop hurting again. Repeat that process until you’re at the distance you want.
I would also recommend switching back to your normal shoes for longer runs. I followed Hal Higdon’s half-marathon training schedule for novices to break in the Vibrams, and for the first few weeks, I switched back to my normal shoes for the Saturday long runs. By the end of the program, I was able to run 13 miles in the Vibrams.
But whatever you do, the key is to listen to your body. If something hurts more than you think it should, back off. Everybody is going to have a different experience breaking these shoes in – make sure you tailor your break-in to what your feet and legs are telling you, and don’t be afraid to switch back to your normal shoes.
As for the injury you mention, I’ve never experienced pain quite like that. You could look up plantar fasciitis and see if that sounds like what you’ve got. Other than that, though, I’ve got no idea.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Name: paigebertrand
Comapny: capsule cafe
Type of shoes
Which style did you buy? I am working on going barefoot but need something to protect my feet from the glass, dog mess and general detritus around!
Thanks
Yasmine
Thanks for you write-up. I
Thanks for you write-up. I have extremely flat feed and an overpronator. I think the initial problem is that you are all heel strikers. I switched from heel striking to forefoot running before I completed my first Ironman and had the same muscle pain. Also, I think you were initially wearing the wrong shoes. I am training for another Ironman and will try these shoes in my training.
Nice review, I also have flat
Nice review, I also have flat feet and was a little hesitant to try VFF- but I’m feeling like they might be worth a go (going to REI after work to snag a pair). I have had issues with runners knee, seems to dull but never really goes away and rears its ugly face after my longer runs. Injuries are so discouraging, but I started hearing alot about VFF and have been seeing them on some of my runs and why not? Thanks for some tips and insight! I’ll stop back by in a few months and let you know how it goes =)
Awesome! Yes, definitely give
Awesome! Yes, definitely give us an update and let us know how it goes. Good luck!
Really nice and informative
Really nice and informative review. While I’m not flat-footed, I do somewhat over-pronate. After some research, I think I might take the minimalist plunge - I’m no longer accepting the bad news podiatrists have pushed at me concerning running barefoot.
When I visited my podiatrist for another foot issue, he informed me that I over-pronate slightly. He recommended I try a shoe with high-stabilization (he was “on the fence” with custom orthotics for me). I’ve tried numerous stabilization shoes and I’ve yet to find any that actually feel good. Low Super Feet inserts (I didn’t want to dish out $600 dollars for orthotics that were “not entirely necessary”) felt awful. Everyone told me I just needed to get used to them. Though after six months I should think I would have been fairly adjusted. Instead, I’ve found that I actually ran less due to the discomfort of having a wedge under my foot, and I had more injuries and knee pain than ever! I couldn’t ignore the fact that I felt better in my old neutral running shoes. And sure enough, after trying a few new pairs out, I found a pair of neutral mizuno shoes that felt much better.
Overall though, this whole scenario came somewhat as a shock to me, as I had gone to the podiatrist for a completely non-running related inquiry. The podiatrist told me I probably have mild discomfort walking barefoot. This couldn’t be further from the truth. For my whole life, I’ve always walked barefoot at home/in the garden and I feel great. I love running barefoot on the beach and have even hiked on dirt/gravel paths barefoot. I’m going to give these Vibrams a try.
Ive been reading all your
Ive been reading all your guys reviews and I been thinking about buying some vibrams for jogging and Ive heard that if our second toe next to your big toe is longer than your big toe then they are unfit and uncomfotable for running. Is this true?
I have alien toes too...
I have alien toes (the second toe looks like ET’s fingers…), especially on the right side and I wear VFFs with no problem. Love them heaps, my shoe size has actually shrunk, and I don’t wear orthotics anymore. Just try the shoes out in a store if you can and make sure the size is right.
Thanks for sharing your
Thanks for sharing your experience about the body adapting to the shoes more quickly than we expect. That in itself, the change of what parts of the lower body/feet are being used is already a benefit to prevent injury from repetitive stress.
As the other reader commented, it would be good to shift to your regular running shoes from time to time. It’s like what a few baltimore personal trainers keep reminding me, that I need to modify my workout routines from time to time.
Tired of damned stress fractures...
So, as a second/third season flat-footed runner, I’ve already experienced some injuries. Namely, stress fractures that keep ME out for at least 4-6 months at a time. (Not the alleged 6-8 weeks medical professionals insist on) I’ve bought my share of ‘stability’ shoes and inserts, stopping just shy of orthotics when a running buddy of mine (also flat-footed) developed an irreversible arthritic condition directly correlated with her orthotic use! (rolls eyes) So, in my search for a treatment that 1) won’t leave me with a stress fracture at the midway of every season and 2) won’t leave me unable to run any distance worth bragging about. Last year, I started running in the Newton Motus. That shoes has helped, as it promotes a fore to mid - foot strike. That success was only short lived, because the shin pain is back; It just took a little longer to start back up. I am currently searching for the best type of minimalist shoes and building my repertoire of foot exercises to strengthen my arch.
I am SO glad to read of other flat-footed people who are having success in the barefoot/minimal shoe running. My running buddy has already chucked her orthotics after some of the research we’ve done. Thank you!
It is worth noting that in my research, ‘relearning’ how to walk is also essential, especially if you (which most do) convert to a barefoot/
minimalist shoe wearing lifestyle.
Thank you again for the information and a great review!
Best improvement I made to my
Best improvement I made to my fivefingers was adding a set of injinji toe socks. Blisters, a thing of the past!
6 months on the vibram hustle
Great posts on this thread…I read this along with many other things before deciding to purchase the vibrams myself. I also had a lot of trouble with running when I got them, experiencing the dull pain in the arch of my feet some others have noted. I still get blisters in my shoes and I’m a little surprised since I’m pretty much fully accustomed to the new natural stride.
I’ve definitely noticed that my feet are smaller now due to my arch getting higher…which is crazy!! Also I do a lot of weight lifting in the vibrams…it’s so much better doing squats and deadlifts on an even surface and not the built up heel of regular shoes.
Definitely a fan…never going back
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