barefoot/huarache

Good topic. Whenever I ran with something on my feet, boat anchors, FiveFingers, huaraches, even socks, my form changed. Lots of folks will tell you the same. I think this has to do with the lack of true feedback as well as the controlling nature of some footwear. Some people, however, are able to keep the same form from shoe-to-shoe. Why is this? Are they more in-tune with their bodies? Are they less affected by outside stimuli? Did they spend more or less time in footwear before taking up this new style of running? Why, I have wondered.
 
Great question.
Your form is the same. Invisible Shoes makes a huarache with a 4mm sole. It is by far the closest to barefoot you can get while still having something on your feet. Fantastic proprioception. You can still feel everything.
 
  • Like
Reactions: happysongbird
If I can't run bare I prefer to run in my thinnest huaraches. The form for me is slightly different as my foot strike tends to rotate slightly farther forward due to the lack of ground feel and not being able to tell just how hard I am letting my heel down. The over all form is very similar though to running bf. I've noticed the thicker the sandal or shoe the worse my form gets though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mike R
For those of us that learned to run barefoot, most experienced significant difficulties going back to any type of shoe.
Yes, definitely agree. After several months of bare, I put on the min-shoes for a run. Clobbered myself tripping over the raised edge of a sidewalk in the dark. Though I don't usually run on sidewalks, so who's to say I wouldn't have stubbed my toe running barefoot? However, I experienced the same thing when trying out Vibrams for the first time...
 
Thanks to all. I do have some 4mm invisible shoes but i find they flap a touch. i like the simple adjustability of Lunas and also the fit. I don't like wearing shoes at all really so prefer to stick with a sandal. Perhaps i just need to work harder on sandal form.
 
Thanks to all. I do have some 4mm invisible shoes but i find they flap a touch. i like the simple adjustability of Lunas and also the fit. I don't like wearing shoes at all really so prefer to stick with a sandal. Perhaps i just need to work harder on sandal form.
lacing and the tension on the invisible shoes takes a while to get right; also, it works best if you don't have lots of material up by your toes, just enough. once you have a decent fit and cut away excess, the flap should go away, assuming there's nothing in your form that makes it happen.
 
Thanks to all. I do have some 4mm invisible shoes but i find they flap a touch. i like the simple adjustability of Lunas and also the fit. I don't like wearing shoes at all really so prefer to stick with a sandal. Perhaps i just need to work harder on sandal form.
The flapping issue was my concern with the 4mms. I frequently run in the 6mm Contacts. They have a bit more stiffness than the 4 mm from what I've heard. I agree that it is completely different from being barefoot, but if you stay aware, you can keep your basic running form intact.
 
If you're willing to go with a shoe instead of sandals, SoftStar makes moccasins with just a 2mm sole: http://www.softstarshoes.com/moc3-runamoc.html. I only use them when it's really cold, so I haven't used them in quite a while, but as far as I can tell, my form remains the same when I use them.
These just seem so pricy to use every once in a while.....
.....most min options are that way however
 
These just seem so pricy to use every once in a while.....
.....most min options are that way however
I think it's cuz the elves are unionized. Need to get some Chinese or Mexican elves involved in the production process.

They really are the most minimal of the minimal though. You can even feel the acorn shrapnel a bit. They put the 6mm soles on the Lunas I have to shame, but I guess a 2mm sandal would probably flap around too much. And the Soft Stars are pretty good quality. I might consider the Invisible Shoes if they didn't have such a complicated strapping system, didn't look so Greco-Roman, didn't use anti-barefoot scare tactics in their advertising, and if I had read BtR. Other than that, they're pretty cool.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NickW
I think it's cuz the elves are unionized. Need to get some Chinese or Mexican elves involved in the production process.

They really are the most minimal of the minimal though. You can even feel the acorn shrapnel a bit. They put the 6mm soles on the Lunas I have to shame, but I guess a 2mm sandal would probably flap around too much. And the Soft Stars are pretty good quality. I might consider the Invisible Shoes if they didn't have such a complicated strapping system, didn't look so Greco-Roman, didn't use anti-barefoot scare tactics in their advertising, and if I had read BtR. Other than that, they're pretty cool.

hahahahaha.....nice.....

I'm still trying to decide what I am going to wear when its too cold to go bf...
I have a pair of vivobarefoot neo mesh shoes....however the sole is to thick for me I think...
Got them on the Clymb for 35USD so I cant complain
 
hahahahaha.....nice.....

I'm still trying to decide what I am going to wear when its too cold to go bf...
I have a pair of vivobarefoot neo mesh shoes....however the sole is to thick for me I think...
Got them on the Clymb for 35USD so I cant complain
I'm thinking of using the birthday money I get this week for some zemgear terras. I've read some great reviews on them and I'm not really finding much that fits. Still gotta read their terms and conditions before I order though, dang wide feet...
 
I ran for 4 months BF before buying my first VFFs. I think I go back and forth pretty seamlessly now after 2.5 years of mostly BF. I prefer BF, but really like having something for those circustances when nothing just won't do.

I've never run in any Min shoe but my Bikilas. I can say, however, that going from old worn out Bikilas to brand new from the box ones fresh for a race works just fine. Not like for conventional shoes that just might kills someone who tries that.
 
Whaaaaaaaaaat?????? :O

;)
I just meant that the recent trend towards running with sandals seems to have been strongly influenced by McDougall's report of this practice among a previously 'hidden tribe.' At least I don't remember hearing about it before, but then again, I didn't really participate in the wider, online running world until fairly recently. For all I know, recreational runners may have already been running in sandals for years and years. :rolleyes: