Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The Great Barefoot Running Hysteria of 2010

runningshoescore.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

171–180 of 211 posts

Re: The Great Barefoot Running Hysteria of 2010

#171

Post by JimDabell »

SapporoChris wrote: post #142
jyounker wrote: post #28

I'd alway been prone to avoiding shoes. I started running when I was 16 (1986). During high school I'd run 10-14 miles a night about five days a week, mostly barefoot. I didn't start regularly wearing shoes until after college. Since I started wearing shoes there has been a significant change in my foot structure. My big toes have moved outward by at least 10 degrees. Before then they were directly in-line with the b…

"I tend to not get splinters or glass slivers because I can feel them before I put my full weight down." This makes sense at a slow gait, but how do you manage this when running?

As you’re running, your foot lands, you put your weight down on it, then you push off. If you step on something sharp when running barefoot, you can’t avoid the first part, but you can avoid putting all your weight on it or pushing off hard. Basically just a little skip. You’re not going to be able to do much at a full sprint, but it’s fine for anything less.

Re: The Great Barefoot Running Hysteria of 2010

#172

Post by hombre_fatal »

bloopernova wrote: post #160
nunez wrote: post #158

Barefoot running might have died as a fad, but, fortunately, the biomechanical benefits from the minimalist footwear inspired by the movement haven't gone away. I only own minimalist footwear (zero heel to toe drop, wide toe box, no toe spring). Dress shoes, sneakers, sandals; all of it. They helped me get off of orthotics, which I've worn for over 20 years, while reducing stress on my knees (I have osteoarthritis in…

What footwear brands do you recommend?

Before you try expensive brands, definitely try the budget brand Whitin.

I have bunions which make wide toe box especially necessary for me with toe spacers, and I found these $40 running shoes to be more comfortable than my $120 Altras: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DD36GZG5 (zero drop + wide toe box)

It's pretty sweet when a cheap option is also your favorite option whether that's shoes or pants or bikes—you get to buy extras and it's no big deal if it gets scuffed/damaged. Meanwhile you'll probably baby your $120 shoes.

Re: The Great Barefoot Running Hysteria of 2010

#173

Post by layman51 »

heymijo wrote: post #117
ttoinou wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did your feet grow larger ?

My guess is that they experienced something like this and needed larger sized normal shoes to accommodate the more natural foot shape. https://www.reddit.com/r/BarefootRunning/comments/1ec5i5n/di...

Is having a wider foot a good thing for certain sports? It seems like it might be more natural and advantageous but I don’t know if I like the idea of having to buy wider shoes for regular purposes.

Re: The Great Barefoot Running Hysteria of 2010

#174

Post by [deleted] »

JimDabell wrote: post #170
kayge wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was pleasantly surprised by a brand I'd never heard of called Whitin. The ones I got[0] have a wide toe box and claim to be zero drop (I'm far from an expert on judging this). My criteria was a new minimal-ish running shoe, that would also look okay for casual wear with shorts, and cost less than $100 because I'm cheap :D [0] https://amzn.to/4iG2eAV

They look like a cheap knock-off of Skinners.

[deleted]

Re: The Great Barefoot Running Hysteria of 2010

#175

Post by hombre_fatal »

jyounker wrote: post #28

I'd alway been prone to avoiding shoes. I started running when I was 16 (1986). During high school I'd run 10-14 miles a night about five days a week, mostly barefoot. I didn't start regularly wearing shoes until after college. Since I started wearing shoes there has been a significant change in my foot structure. My big toes have moved outward by at least 10 degrees. Before then they were directly in-line with the b…

The nice thing about living on the beach is that it's socially acceptable to be barefoot at all times since you're walking on dirt roads or sand.

The only time I put them on is when I go into the supermart or airport.

Your soles thicken up so much that you forget how puny they are normally. So I'll accidentally lead friends through some stretch of area and they can't follow because of the hot sand or sharp sea shells, and the discomfort is very mild for me.

It's kinda sad going from that back to the city where your feet never touch the ground.

Re: The Great Barefoot Running Hysteria of 2010

#176

Post by kayge »

JimDabell wrote: post #170
kayge wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was pleasantly surprised by a brand I'd never heard of called Whitin. The ones I got[0] have a wide toe box and claim to be zero drop (I'm far from an expert on judging this). My criteria was a new minimal-ish running shoe, that would also look okay for casual wear with shorts, and cost less than $100 because I'm cheap :D [0] https://amzn.to/4iG2eAV

They look like a cheap knock-off of Skinners.

Might be! I'm definitely not an expert in the space but like I said I was pleasantly surprised, especially for the price. They've already held up to a few months of use (5-10km per week, plus lots of casual walking) and they still look and feel great.

Re: The Great Barefoot Running Hysteria of 2010

#178

Post by mrguyorama »

franktankbank wrote: post #55
iamacyborg wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Having barefoot connection with soil is definitely good for you Citation needed

Come on man. 1+1=2 citation needed?

1+1=2 in fact requires hundreds of pages of (kind of old school) math to prove.

Re: The Great Barefoot Running Hysteria of 2010

#179

Post by rurp »

delichon wrote: post #132
JackMorgan wrote: post #25

The whole mythos of running barefoot got me and my wife into running! We did actual barefoot just a little bit before switching to toe shoes. We ran in those until 2021. We only switched to Xeros because of the "grass stuck between the toes" effect when hiking and the ability to get slightly thicker soles with lugs. From when we started in 2009 to today, we both had to increase two shoe sizes. She just finished her f…

I resolved my plantar fasciitis by switching from hiking boots to thin soled trail runners. My theory is that it makes me take more care in putting my feet down, and makes me stretch them considerably more as they conform to rocks and holes. I was just stomping over everything in the boots. I read someone who said that walking barefoot was a religious experience for them, in which every step was a prayer. Someone res…

I've spent quite a bit of time in outdoor sports and don't think I've met a single person who did a lot of rough hiking and preferred heavy duty hiking boots over lighter trail running or approach shoes. I see quite a few of the old school heavy boots for sale in some stores so there must be a market but I have no idea what it is.

Barefoot hiking is also very niche from what I've seen, but I do think there is something undeniably nice about walking around camp or a yard in bare feet.

Re: The Great Barefoot Running Hysteria of 2010

#180

Post by MattSayar »

wonger_ wrote: post #83

Seems we've attracted all the barefoot runners in this thread and none of the common-footed people... Anyways, I'll add my experience with barefoot running: - Forefoot/midfoot strike is the most important takeaway. Heel strikes are for walking (slow, low-impact), not running (faster, higher-impact). - I used to get shin splints from sports like soccer and basketball. But as long as I do some barefoot jogging (1-2x/we…

I started running around this same time period because a coworker gifted me some Vibram five fingers. I would run 5ks regularly and never get hurt. Today, I own a pair of very cushy Brooks and I've been running 5ks with those.

I am typing this while icing my knees because I've developed a bad case of Runner's Knee. Causation? Possibly, but I'm more apt to blame being fifteen years older than I was.

Post reply on HN