Source
r/BarefootRunning•
InvincibleBeagle

Looking for my first shoe

Hey yall im looking for my first minimalist shoe and looking to see if you guys could give me some help. Im looking at xero speed forces and merrell vapor gloves but dont know which ones to pick. Please share your experiences with shoes and which ones you reccommend. Im looking for a durable shoe to train for a xc season that is close to barefoot. Thanks for your help!! Edit: thank you all so much for your input and insight it was very helpful! Ended up going with xero hfs and has been a good choice so far.

Posted Jun 7, 2020, 1:13 AM UTC · edited

410
HuskyOps•

The Xeros have more material and durability than Merrells at the cost of slight loss of feel in my experience. I generally use the Xeros for longer road runs (bit more comfort) and workouts, and the gloves for light trail runs (better ground feedback) and bad weather days. It boils down to more shoe-like vs more sock-like, but Xero would be my choice if I could only have one. Also If you're feeling adventurous the huaraches are fun and a good way to train proper technique. GL!

2
WHERETHEHECKISROVER•

Personally I've had really good experiences with Vapor Gloves. They're closer to barefoot than just about anything.

2
ma-lar•

Vapor Glove 4 feeling is awesome but unfortunately they are not durable.

3
WHERETHEHECKISROVER•

That might be your experience, but mine was very different. I've had two pairs:

- First pair has lasted five years and is still going. Sole is slightly worn but that's to be expected.

- Second pair lasted three years and was in perfect condition, they had to be thrown out due to asbestos sadly.

Keep in mind, I would wear each pair probably 2-3 a week for exercise and regular outings. ime, Merrells have lasted much better than others in their price range.

1
ma-lar•

Look at your current shoes index on the running clinic site and start your transition. To avoid injuries your transition must be slow. Look here get help with your transition. The running clinic

2
Goodie2noshoes•

I haven’t tried Xero but my experiences with vapor gloves have been really great. These are also very versatile and the new thread make the grip much better and suitable for some trail running imo. But remember they are very thin.

2
RJ_4_the_win•

For my first minimalist shoe I decided to go with the cheapest option, Whitin style 1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/WHITIN-Unisex-Minimalist-Running-Barefoot/dp/B07KMVLMFZ/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=barefoot&qid=1591561159&sr=8-3

So far they are holding up well and I recently completed a 11k run and my usually painful Achilles is starting to feel better everyday.

2
Nachohead1996unshod•

Since nobody else is asking, I will be the one to do it.

Why are you looking for a barefoot shoe?

Trick question, at it consists of 2 parts.

First of all, why are you making the transition? Is there a specific reason for it (injuries? heard got stories about it? inspired by someone?)

Second of all, why specifically a shoe? Would you also consider VFFs? (Those 'weird gloves for your feet', which most people wouldn't consider to be shoes?)

How about completely going unshod? (If you are unfamiliar with the term - unshod = using no shoes at all)

We can probably give you better advice if we know your reasons behind asking the question :) (and the second one is just a fun, tricky question to consider, and lets us know whether us rare species called "unshod runners" can barge in with our arguments!

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InvincibleBeagleOP•

I really want to go unshod just my mom isnt letting me lol. Made the change bc i had a heel strike that i could not fix, sat out for a bit and decided to make the change. Heard it allows your body to run optimally and avoid injuries. I was considering getting vffs just didnt want them falling apart on me. Your arguments are very welcome and i need them to win my argument lol. Thank you very much for ur insight!

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Nachohead1996unshod•

Oh, in that case.... my parents also completely disagree with me going unshod. Basically everyone I know has accepted it, and some find it really interesting, but my parents? Hell no.

Either way, do you want the long version, or the short version?

#Long #version

I used to run a lot as a kid, playing football. Was always one of the fastest in the team, had great stamina (playing on the side-wings as a midfield player, because those positions requires the most running)

Then I finished high school, went to uni, and stopped playing football because it didn't fit my schedule, with the long trains to school and back. Started doing fitness / table tennis, didn't run much anymore.

2 years later, I wanted to pick up running again, because I used to really enjoy it (and I wanted to lose some weight - for which you need cardio, going to the gym doesn't help much). So I went running a few times, but...

I had lost it all. I had expected my stamina to be gone, and start off with 2-3km runs. But... I also just couldn't run far anymore. My ankles would be sore for a full day after, my knees would hurt as well, and my brain just went "What the hell? I've always been a good runner, and now I'm... THIS??"

So I stated looking into running techniques / tips / advice, and that (obviously) lead me to the book of Born To Run, by Christopher McDougall (the most sold running book worldwide, so yeah, logical find)

Read the book (for free! yay for torrent e-books!), also watched his TED talk and 1hr presentation at Google. (Both are great watches!)

From then on, I got recommended lots of running stuff on Youtube, and got fascinated. Marathons, ultramarathons, bizarre runs in snow, desert, all kinds of stuff. So I was 100% set on going running again.

So... how to prevent knee / ankle pain? Well, the main cause is usually heel striking, which in turn is usually cause by over-striding (landing in front of your centre-of-mass. (Your steps are too far forward --> your leg is too stretched --> your knees get hammered, and your ankles get a big blow as well)

That is fixed by, well, taking shorter steps and not landing on your heels. Both of which are things that are quite easy, but definitely not doable in running shoes. Their heels are heightened a bit, because of cushioning / springs / whatever fancy stuff to help make heel-striking easier and soften the blow.

So... now comes the

#Short #Story

To run with less risk of injuries, there are 2 things you need to ensure: Do not over-stride.

Huh? But that is 1 thing?

No, it is not, because if you want to use a midfoot strike, or forefoot strike, regular running shoes won't work out well for you. Which is point 2: You need a different type of footwear. (Go unshod, get zero-drop shoes, or get VFF 'foot gloves')

I looked into zero-drop shoes, and found something funny - the most popular shoes brand in the world, Nike, has those (duh), and they were called.... BAREFOOT SHOES.

They are supposed to simulate the way you would run on your bare feet, as it is the most natural way of running.

Yes, that sentence above. It is bullshit. It makes no sense. If you want to simulate barefoot running... why not actually go barefoot?

Pros: (Will say (B) behind it if the Pro / Con also applies to barefoot shoes)

  • Very cheap (no shoes = Almost $0!. Almost, because you will need soap more often to wash your dirty feet, and pumice to maintain the callus you will build up, so... $2?)

  • Your calf muscles will love you ^^see ^^Cons

  • Better for your ankles due to no heel-striking (B)

  • Less chance of knee injury due to no over-striding (B)

  • Faster recovery times, to run more often (Only your muscles / energy need to recover to be ready for a new run. Your ankles / knees needing rest will no longer be an obstacle) (B)

  • Can go for spontaneous runs (mostly a personal thing, but when I visit friends I can just casually join them for a run. Sure, I need to borrow running shorts, and a towel afterwards for a shower, but... most people do have multiple running shorts (so you can borrow one), and their sizes are variable enough that its no issue. You can't, however, just borrow someone else's running shoes and expect to run comfortably.) - Running unshod? No shoes, no problem!

  • Your feet will strengthen, both in terms of muscle and form (Applies to both, but the more natural, the better, so unshod wins)

  • BEACH RUNS! They are lovely. Too hot? Dive in to cool down, then continue running!

  • Compliments (wow you are so brave / that is so cool / you look like a spartan warrior (the long flowing blonde hairs help out!))

Cons:

  • Weird looks from people (barefoot and in gloves both, not sure which one gives more weird looks)

  • Takes a long while to get used to. (Especially unshod, you are thinking about maximum 1km runs in the beginning, especially while still building up callus. (assume 2-3 months to get back up to your old pace / distance)

  • Your calf muscles will also hate you (in the first 2 months or so)

  • Less availability of shoe options

  • Complaining parents / friends / everyone, lmao

  • Insults (you're an idiot / you're bizarre / WTF bro)

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