3 ms·

I agree. I found that Vibram Five Fingers and other "minimalist" and thin "zero drop" shoes are the best thing between my feet and the ground. They promote a na

I agree. I found that Vibram Five Fingers and other "minimalist" and thin "zero drop" shoes are the best thing between my feet and the ground. They promote a natural foot strike (e.g. it hurts if you heel strike).

GFK_of_xmaspast 11y ago
They also promote stress fractures.
- js2 11y ago
  No more so than a hammer promotes broken fingers when you use it to smash them. Vibram probably should have been more careful in its marketing, but ultimately, it wasn't the shoes causing those stress fractures, it was runners doing too much too soon in them.
- GFK_of_xmaspast 11y ago
  For the doubters, here's an article: http://regressing.deadspin.com/the-scientific-case-against-vibrams-fivefinger-running-1575132888 http://regressing.deadspin.com/the-scientific-case-against-v... and here's a study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24357642 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24357642
  - rlonstein 11y ago
    Interesting findings. I've heard it before but hadn't seen the study. Personally, I found that I have less pain in my shins and knees wearing minimalist footwear than I did wearing various other kinds. I only run 400-500 miles per year and rarely longer than 10 miles, most are 4-6 mile jogs, and I only do one long run per week. I do several other activities for exercise. Maybe it's a matter of intensity.
eru 11y ago
I used to own some Vibram Five Fingers, but are prefer proper barefoot these days.
- rlonstein 11y ago
  > I used to own some Vibram Five Fingers, but are prefer proper barefoot these days. Where do you run? How did you build up your soles? I run on NYC sidewalks and in parks and my feet wouldn't last more than a few hundred yards before I stepped on glass, gravel, or chestnut or sweetgum pods.
  - eru 11y ago
    Cambridge (Cambridgeshire), then Singapore and now Sydney. I pretty much only wear shoes either for social events, or when I am leaving the house over noon: the pavement and streets are too hot, and I would burn my feet. You can train up against gravel, if you are hardcore enough and care enough. (I didn't bother.) Even rough concrete used to be a bit painful, but I got used to that.

GFK_of_xmaspast 11y ago

They also promote stress fractures.

js2 11y ago
No more so than a hammer promotes broken fingers when you use it to smash them. Vibram probably should have been more careful in its marketing, but ultimately, it wasn't the shoes causing those stress fractures, it was runners doing too much too soon in them.
GFK_of_xmaspast 11y ago
For the doubters, here's an article: http://regressing.deadspin.com/the-scientific-case-against-vibrams-fivefinger-running-1575132888 http://regressing.deadspin.com/the-scientific-case-against-v... and here's a study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24357642 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24357642
- rlonstein 11y ago
  Interesting findings. I've heard it before but hadn't seen the study. Personally, I found that I have less pain in my shins and knees wearing minimalist footwear than I did wearing various other kinds. I only run 400-500 miles per year and rarely longer than 10 miles, most are 4-6 mile jogs, and I only do one long run per week. I do several other activities for exercise. Maybe it's a matter of intensity.

eru 11y ago

I used to own some Vibram Five Fingers, but are prefer proper barefoot these days.

rlonstein 11y ago
> I used to own some Vibram Five Fingers, but are prefer proper barefoot these days. Where do you run? How did you build up your soles? I run on NYC sidewalks and in parks and my feet wouldn't last more than a few hundred yards before I stepped on glass, gravel, or chestnut or sweetgum pods.
- eru 11y ago
  Cambridge (Cambridgeshire), then Singapore and now Sydney. I pretty much only wear shoes either for social events, or when I am leaving the house over noon: the pavement and streets are too hot, and I would burn my feet. You can train up against gravel, if you are hardcore enough and care enough. (I didn't bother.) Even rough concrete used to be a bit painful, but I got used to that.