Ok so i just joined this forum because i wanted access to information on helping me become a better marksman. I've never fired a gun prior to a year ago, and just purchased my first firearm (1943 Mosin!). I look forward to learning long distance marksmanship!
Anyways, browsing through this forum, i noticed too many threads regarding minimal footwear and questions regarding them. Seeing as i am quite experienced in this field, i decided to try and give back to the community and share my knowledge/experience.
I have been competing in triathlons for quite some time now, most notably in the Toyota U.S. Open. & a few ironmans. That being said, i've had the opportunity to try out all sorts of footwear.
All human beings are different. Some being bio mechanically efficient while running, and others not so much (requiring support shoes). I myself fall in the support category, but only suffer minimal inefficiencies without support footwear (overpronation/arch support). If a shoe fitter puts you in a support shoe by default, your experiences will vary. If you are neutral striking, your experiences may or may not be slightly better than mine.
Minimal footwear is amazing. Running barefoot is awesome. Period. Increased levels of proprioception, increased ground feel, and an overall better experience. If you're a biomechanically efficient runner, you will notice greater efficiencies & more power/faster pace. The drawback is this all depends solely on the ground you run on.
Humans were designed to run barefoot, true. But we were never designed to run on pavement. That is the simple fact of the matter. SOme people can train to put up with long distances on pavement wearing vibrams, but i guarantee you most will have serious problems. I personally suffered countless blisters, nerve damage, & stress fractures wearing vibrams. Because of this increased level of feeling & subsequently pain (in long distances), minimal footwear can force you to perfect your stride. Of course you will be limited by your biomechanics potential.
Next topic: Heel drop. Heel drop is defined as the height difference between your forefoot, and heel. All modern shoes have 8-15mm heel drop for reasons that boggle my mind. The lack of heel drop in minimal footwear reduces the potential for numerous injuries. This is because of the way the foot lands. You are supposed to naturally land on your forefoot on the lateral side of your metatarsles, and literally roll your foot until your foot is planted. If you feel pressure & force going through your heel, your doing it wrong, and likely are striking too far forward.
Truth be told, to properly adjust to vibrams coming from fully supported shoes, it will likely take a year or more. barefoot footwear is fantastic, but i belive it will be a fading fad in the future. People will realize the pain involved with distance running on pavement & want something more. But this movement is not a futile movement. There is a ton of knowledge shoe companies have gained, and more to be harvested. In my opinion the best thing to come out of this movement is the move towards zero heel drop footwear. Not everyone in the world can build the calluses required for pavement running with vibrams. Like many others, my feet are too sensitive and require cushioning for anything above 6 miles. Also, many people require support shoes so your feet may have worse experiences, such as sore knees & ankles, beyond the typical wear in for minimal footwear.
Thankfully, there is a company coming to this realization and have made a zero drop shoe with sufficient cushioning for pavement. http://www.altrazerodrop.com/ And for those that normally wear support shoes, they offer a support version. They also have minimal versions for those that can get by without cushion.
If you still want to try vibrams, i'll encourage you. Strengthen your feet and discover your limits. If you run more than 5 miles a day, you will likely find yourself wishing you had a wheelchair to use for the day because standing will be painfull.
I also encourage those interested in minimal footwear to check out birthdayshoes.com. They are a fantastic site that reviews minimal footwear. Keep in mind though, everyone that contributes to reviews are those that have strong calloused feet
Anyways, browsing through this forum, i noticed too many threads regarding minimal footwear and questions regarding them. Seeing as i am quite experienced in this field, i decided to try and give back to the community and share my knowledge/experience.
I have been competing in triathlons for quite some time now, most notably in the Toyota U.S. Open. & a few ironmans. That being said, i've had the opportunity to try out all sorts of footwear.
All human beings are different. Some being bio mechanically efficient while running, and others not so much (requiring support shoes). I myself fall in the support category, but only suffer minimal inefficiencies without support footwear (overpronation/arch support). If a shoe fitter puts you in a support shoe by default, your experiences will vary. If you are neutral striking, your experiences may or may not be slightly better than mine.
Minimal footwear is amazing. Running barefoot is awesome. Period. Increased levels of proprioception, increased ground feel, and an overall better experience. If you're a biomechanically efficient runner, you will notice greater efficiencies & more power/faster pace. The drawback is this all depends solely on the ground you run on.
Humans were designed to run barefoot, true. But we were never designed to run on pavement. That is the simple fact of the matter. SOme people can train to put up with long distances on pavement wearing vibrams, but i guarantee you most will have serious problems. I personally suffered countless blisters, nerve damage, & stress fractures wearing vibrams. Because of this increased level of feeling & subsequently pain (in long distances), minimal footwear can force you to perfect your stride. Of course you will be limited by your biomechanics potential.
Next topic: Heel drop. Heel drop is defined as the height difference between your forefoot, and heel. All modern shoes have 8-15mm heel drop for reasons that boggle my mind. The lack of heel drop in minimal footwear reduces the potential for numerous injuries. This is because of the way the foot lands. You are supposed to naturally land on your forefoot on the lateral side of your metatarsles, and literally roll your foot until your foot is planted. If you feel pressure & force going through your heel, your doing it wrong, and likely are striking too far forward.
Truth be told, to properly adjust to vibrams coming from fully supported shoes, it will likely take a year or more. barefoot footwear is fantastic, but i belive it will be a fading fad in the future. People will realize the pain involved with distance running on pavement & want something more. But this movement is not a futile movement. There is a ton of knowledge shoe companies have gained, and more to be harvested. In my opinion the best thing to come out of this movement is the move towards zero heel drop footwear. Not everyone in the world can build the calluses required for pavement running with vibrams. Like many others, my feet are too sensitive and require cushioning for anything above 6 miles. Also, many people require support shoes so your feet may have worse experiences, such as sore knees & ankles, beyond the typical wear in for minimal footwear.
Thankfully, there is a company coming to this realization and have made a zero drop shoe with sufficient cushioning for pavement. http://www.altrazerodrop.com/ And for those that normally wear support shoes, they offer a support version. They also have minimal versions for those that can get by without cushion.
If you still want to try vibrams, i'll encourage you. Strengthen your feet and discover your limits. If you run more than 5 miles a day, you will likely find yourself wishing you had a wheelchair to use for the day because standing will be painfull.
I also encourage those interested in minimal footwear to check out birthdayshoes.com. They are a fantastic site that reviews minimal footwear. Keep in mind though, everyone that contributes to reviews are those that have strong calloused feet
