Less supporting shoes, similar to Nike Frees - Page 2

Holy shit. I had these shoes in black/green webbing. I used to run in mine a lot also. They were ugly as hell though. I got rid of them and then Nike Free came out and it was like the same concept but 2x the price.

Vivo Barefoots are the ones I'm ordering right now, they're supposed to be very good as they have a flexible kevlar sole, I imagine it wouldn't quite be as much barefoot as the Vibrams but they should do a good job of it. I'll report on them once I've received them and then again after wearing them for a while.

www.vivobarefoot.com


I've used Vibram Fivefingers Surges, the soles have excellent durability, the upper has pretty crappy stitching. Everything I've read suggests that the Classics are the best model to get, and my bad experiences (just a few) with the Surges would likely not occur with the Classics.


I've got a pair that was a size up and they were actually fine, even though there was some space in the heel. With the way that the rubber wraps around the heel it actually doesn't turn out to be a problem... although this might actually change with the Classics, I'll have to see how that goes when the weather gets warmer again to make them worth getting.

Anyone have a site for the Dirk Bikkembergs that doesn't have absolutely HORRIBLE flash design?

You want a 'Nike Free' type shoe to strengthen your feet? In what way? And what do you plan on doing in the shoes, running wise?

Anything along the lines of nike frees are going to be entirely unsupportive for most anything. I have a pair of Nike Frees that I actually really like, but I only use them for work in the gym (i.e. eliptical, ergometer, essentially as an in gym cross trainer). I will also use them for foot work and agility drills when I need to, this is pretty much the extent of their purpose. I have used them for sprints, but you're feet will be sore at the end of the day, also used them for a run when I had nothing else and they hurt like hell.

I would recommend racing flats if you want something with relatively same flexibility and weight but with support.... that is if you want to run in them.

To those using or planning on the vivo's, do you intend to run in them? They don't look like that kind of shoe?

To the OP, if you are planning on 'strengthening' your feet, which I spose could mean tendon strength, getting them used to barefoot-esque walking, etc.. rock climbing would be a good cross training, also running in sand if this is possible....

Tarahumara sandals?

http://barefootted.com/2006/08/tarah...nts-contd.html

-Jeff

I'm not planning on running in them, just walking. I have run with the Vibram Five Fingers and haven't had any pain from it. I generally only do short sprints to catch the bus.

The reason your feet hurt like hell after you use the Frees, like they're meant to be, is because your muscles are actually being used and strengthened. I use my Frees for anything I do athletically that doesn't require a cleat/special shoe. I used to use them for basketball and now for our indoor ultimate practices and games which require a lot of cutting and fast footwork. I find that they work out excellently and, yes, I did go through that 'oh my god this hurts' period, which only lasts a couple of days, when I first started wearing them when they first came out. Your arms were sore the first time you lifted weights with them I bet.

Rock climbing is NOT the same as walking barefoot by any means. First, you scrunch your feet into extremely small shoes which drive power to only the big toe. Yes, there may be some toe/ankle hooks, but that doesn't do anything for barefoot walking.

Muscles soreness and legs being in pain are different. We are speaking of different shoes. The Frees I have are a 'training' shoe... and when I said they hurt on the one run I went on in them it was because they are not meant for extended runs. The Free Trainers are marketed on the website as a good shoe for 'lateral movement', not for long runs. You must have a pair with running stability, or then you are using yours wrong. Rock climbing is NOT the same as walking barefoot by any means. First, you scrunch your feet into extremely small shoes which drive power to only the big toe. Yes, there may be some toe/ankle hooks, but that doesn't do anything for barefoot walking. I didn't say it was the same at all, I said it would be a good cross training activity, to strengthen tendons. which it does.

I won't bother quoting that mess of mixed up quotes...
My Free's have no support. They're a 3.0...which is their least supportive model. It's an all mesh shoe that ties below the ankle and has the rubber on the bottom to protect my feet. There is not support in the shoe itself because the point of the Free is to mimic barefoot movement with lower model numbers having less support than the higher models. Very similar to these in a different color:
http://www.nike.com/index.jhtml#l=ni...US&co=US&la=EN
I had a pair of the trainers that you speak of and ran distances and played games in them too. I had no problems what so ever with regards to pain. The trainers are the running model + toe strap and a little support around the ankle. I don't see how I could not be using my sneakers properly, I use them. You walk around the gym, sit on a bike or stand on an elliptical, or MAYBE do a couple drills in them. You can do that in a $5 pair from Walmart.

The soreness in your feet was from doing too much too fast in the sneaker. It's similar to the feelings you get in your hands the first time you climb a few too many routes since you seem to claim rock climbing would do the same. Cross training implies that there is a benefit to the original activity, which is barefoot walking, but the only toe tendon that would be strengthened would be that of the big toe in the feet. Again, rock climbing shoes scrunch all your other toes so that power is driven to the big toe only. By putting on a shoe that restricts motion of the foot you are killing the point of strengthening the foot. Ankle tendons will get strengthened through a combination of the footwork and ankle/toe hooks.

The best way to get your feet used to walking barefoot is to....walk barefoot. And I have to say, racing flats that have support...I don't know what kind of racing flats you're talking about. Racing flats should hug your feet like a second skin which is not the same as support.

Forgive me Sir. Please do, for my mess, really. Im sorry. I shall acknowledge you know everything now...

Except seriously, racing flats have no support? 26.2 miles with no support?

But remember, I'm sorry.

I just got a pair of Feiyue los since my Vivo Barefoots haven't arrived yet. They're fairly loose but they're comfortable overall, I can feel my left foot pronating more than my right foot, which is difficult to feel with other shoes. I wouldn't use them for running, I certainly don't feel I can run as fast as in my Five Fingers, but that might be psychological as they do feel a bit loose. They're good enough to walk in normally, and they'll certainly be my fall back walking shoe to buy if I need a new pair but am short on money.

All Puma motorsport shoes have minimal cushioning so you can get good pedal feel when driving. Speedcats and Future Cats are both really durable (I've been wearing mine daily for almost 3 years already). My feet will kill if I'm on my feet for more than 2 hours a day. They also make a street version of their track flats, which has about 3/8" of foam as padding, which were even more painful.