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Summer Running
I am running somewhere in Utah or Arizona today so I thought I’d share a little more about my transition into minimal running shoes. I have been inching my way down to a super minimal shoe for a couple of years now and am running almost daily in them. So far I’ve had no injuries or pain and have been sooo happy to be running again.
The pair on top are Vivobarefoot Utra Pure runners. They are all rubber and look a little like Crocs but they were 40% off, so I grabbed them. I would rather have had them in white but, again, 40% off. These come without any sort of sock insert and so have rubbed a blister in one of my heels, but I’m getting used to them. Otherwise, they are incredibley comfortable while not being overly cushy or supportive. I feel like too-supportive shoes caused a host of problems in my feet and knees and so I avoid them.
Though I hate Crocs, I’ve been wearing these crazy pink shoes everywhere because they are so convenient. I tell myself they are not quite as loud as pink Crocs. They are not trail shoes so I do feel gravel and pebbles under my feet, which is good thing for mindful running. An added bonus is that they can be hosed down when dirty.
The blue runners are another pair of Breatho Trail shoes from the same company. I got my first pair for vacation last summer and loved them. They are light and are probably the only running shoes I’ve ever had to not rub blisters the first few weeks. They fit like a glove but have an outsole that’s rugged enough to handle very sharp rocks and slick slopes.
Nice shoes. Just a question; do they have arc support? I often have problems wearing flat summer sandals because of the lack of it. Crocs can be hideous but they are so comfortable that I own two pairs of the least ugly ones. I walk often in my Keds because the arc support they have. It's not a lot, but it feels almost perfect on my feet.
Not much Elena. My arches actually fell a few years ago and I began to have pain in my feet and knees. I got custom orthotics to put in all my shoes but I couldn't get over how strange it was for a woman in her thirties that is active and practices martial arts barefoot would have fallen arches. That's what got me reading about minimal shoes. I began exercising my arches, running with a different foot fall /gait, and wearing no shoes or flat shoes when I can. I no longer wear the orthotics and I don't have pain in my knees or feet. Like I said I transitioned very slowly but I believe it was all the super supportive shoes that made my feet weaken in the first place. They are much stronger now. I wouldn't know if that would help you, but sites about barefoot running like
http://www.chrismcdougall.com/barefoot.html
or
http://barefootrunning.com/
have a wealth of info if you're interested. Just be forewarned these sites can be a little odd.
Thank you for the information and the links. I've already started to check them out and I believe I can find there very useful information.
Glad to hear it! There's some info for everyone on those sites whether you want to go minimal all the way or just apply some of the principles.
My fiance co-wrote a paper about the marketing of minimal shoes. It was fascinating! I have become a runner because he is, but I don't run enough or well enough that I've thought about venturing into cool things like minimal running shoes. I do feel like my shoes affect my gait quite a bit, so if I keep up with the running, I may look into minimal shoes too. These are really cute, too, which is also incredibly important in a running shoe. 😉
Cute is very important! I think my daughter is talking about working out in college because she has cute new running shoes. I'd start small, just exercising my arches and walking barefoot as much as possible around the house, then move into minimal shoes for everyday wear and walking before running a lot in them.