51 y/o first day barefooted

kalifornia

Barefooters
Sep 21, 2015
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Hi all. I am in good health, never having any problems with my feet. But while shopping for a new pair of boots I discovered this whole minimalist footwear "thang". I was all hyped to purchase the Rocky C4T boots, then ran into the Belleville mini mil boot then the Lems Boulder. I've mostly been wearing Crocs and I don't think Crocs have alot of drop, so I believe my feet are somewhat ready for the transition to zero drop shoes. I wore socks while taking a couple of short walks today, only because I don't know how dirty my feet are going to get. Does anyone wash their feet before entering their house or do you just wipe them on a mat like shoes? thanks
 
Welcome, Kali. I scrub bare feet off lightly on a mat, then give them a quick wash to get off the road grime and other accumulated dirt. Socks are fine also as you begin. The most important part of this process is to go slowly and gradually. You have a lot of adjusting to do, and it will take a while to get through it while building up strength and avoiding injury. Take your time. Glad to have you with us.
 
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Welcome, Kali! :barefoot:
 
Welcome Kali, don't be afraid to get your feet dirty the rewards are worth more than a little dirt.
 
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Welcome, Kali!

(As for cleaning, saw a poster here suggesting this. Now keep one in the shower. Sante! )
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Welcome. Take it slowly. As for wiping my feet before coming into my house - I have all tiled floors and 3 German Shepherd dogs living therein - one of whom is a 6 month old pup. She loves to dig in the red clay we have - and then trek it inside the house much to my wife's chagrin.

Soo - wiping my feet before going inside is superfluous and is akin to taking a shower before getting into a mud bath!
 
Welcome Kali,
i dont wash my feet :) if the dirt is thick enough it will fall down :) hahahaha
My wife will kill me if i dont wash my feet and step on the couch lol
i think the most of us cleans his feet bevor coming home, i run trough grassland to clean it before and at home a quick wash to, sometimes i use a simple Pumice stone to scrup persistent dirt.

Regards from Germany

Chris
 
Welcome...
I'm 53 y.o., and I can't stress enough the importance of transitioning slowly, slowly... (Did I say to do it slowly?)
I used to run barefoot or in minimalist shoes until about two and a half years ago.
Last spring, I decided to start running again, and thought it would be no problem to go minimalist again... I (re)started my running very slow, but even so, after about three weeks my achilles-tendons hurted like hell and I had to quit.

A few weeks ago, I had the courage to start running again, went minimalist again (Merrell Vapor Glove), and started even more gradual than in spring. But despite that, after two weeks, those tendons started nagging again.
This time I decided to run in 'normal' running shoes (neutral, not too much cushioning, and as little heel-to-toe drop I could find). Luckily, after ten days the pain has gone.
I guess I will continue running in those shoes for a few weeks, and then adding a short session of running minimalist a week.

(Note: Since I'm female, I guess it's possible that hormonal changes over the last three years have had an effect on bones and tendons that make me more injury-prone for a while than male over-50 y.os, but I was really mad last spring that for the first time in my - relatively short - running carreer I had an injury, because I had gone too far too soon... Hence my over-cautiousness.)
 
HI Kali. Welcome!! Glad you're BF now! I was about 48 or so when I went BF. Here's are my tips. I assume you can already 'run' or at least ambulate quickly. :) 1) Go cold turkey. No minimalist transition shoes for me. Just toss the shoes. 2) Short and slow. walk 30 seconds, trot for 30 seconds. Do this for five minutes total. That's your whole run. Five minutes. Repeat that every other day for about two weeks. 3) Walk/trot in slightly longer intervals, for a slightly longer duration. 4) Hard cement sidewalks are your friend. :) 5) keep on your toes. No heel striking. Enjoy!!! :)

Clint
Fort Wayne, IN
 
Welcome Kali. Enjoy the experience. I always wash at the hose before entering or I just put on some shoes or socks I leave at the entrance to my house. Then I scrub them quickly and lightly in the shower. Piece o' cake.
 
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