Going Barefoot…almost! My barefoot experience and is it right for you? Part II

Well, it has been 1 1/2 weeks with my going barefoot experiment. As you may remember in my original post (here), I was given a pair of shoes from Tune Footwear to try. They have a negative heel and try to recreate what it is like to walk barefoot all the time. After 1.5 weeks, the soreness from accommodation has gone away but I am not totally convinced that I feel better with them on as compared to wearing my orthotics. I have three days to go and on Monday, the lower and upper back tightened up, which may be due to the lack of support on my asymmetrical body style. Stay tuned for my completion of the week two report.

I also received my Vibram 5 finger shoes which also simulate barefoot walking however, I have been told only barefoot running is barefoot, however, these shoes make you run with a more midfoot strike than a heel strike as found in a traditional running shoe. I went on two runs on my treadmill with these, the first being about 1.75 miles and the second being 2.25 miles at a 9-minute mile pace. I did not push too far and too fast because the legs need to accommodate to the new style of running.

Here’s what I noticed

1. I have a heavy midfoot strike and the banging on the treadmill is quite loud as compared to running shod with a regular running shoe.

2. Lots of soreness in the front and back of the Achilles tendon toward where it attaches to the muscle.

3. The feeling that if I continued, I may experience abrasions due to movement of the shoe that even if it is slight, can cause a blister. Do I need a 5 fingered sock?

While I had no problem with a 9-minute pace, the fact my ground impact is so hard concerns me since this is how injuries may occur from running. I will do one more run like this however, I think for my body style, running shod with orthotics may be a better choice.

What do you think? As always, I value your opinions.