Comments on: Could running barefoot be good for you?

By: From the Editor: Changing Tides

From the Editor: Changing Tides — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:11:35 +0000

[...] love is for strong first-person viewpoints that bring readers into the shoes–or cleats or bare feet–of the sports enthusiast (or sports loather) writing for [...]

By: Review : Vibram Fivefinger KSO Trek

Review : Vibram Fivefinger KSO Trek — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 20:57:09 +0000

[...] feels great, like being barefoot…which is why after several hours, especially tromping on concrete, your feet hurt like a [...]

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:12:56 +0000

I LOVE my vivo barefoots! I started working last summer at a retail job where I stood/walked for 6 – 10 hours every shift, and my feet in my “normal” shoes where killing me. I literally had to call in to work because I could not walk (I am TWENTY-FOUR! This shouldn’t be happening!) I did a LOT of research, and basically had come down to a choice between super orthopedic shoes and the vivos. What made me decide on the vivo was the fact that I could not find ANY bad reviews about them other than the sizes are funky and sometimes people don’t like “barefoot” lifestyle. My unbelievable pain immediately stopped once I started wearing them. I now have arches on my strong feet, and I have never looked back. Also, these things are constructed so well! I have wore these shoes for EVERYTHING and they look beat up, but if you look close not even the tread on the soles are faded. I am planning my next vivo purchase soon! (But I do walk barefoot w/o shoes whenever I get a chance. Let’s face it, shoes are still shoes and not barefoot! )

By: Sue

Sue — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 13:46:18 +0000

Several years ago my husband & I were hiking the Grand Canyon (rim-to-rim in one day) & there was a young fellow RUNNING BAREFOOT. He didn’t have ANYTHING on his feet & was running the trail &, if I remember correctly, was doing the rim-to-rim as well. We talked to him for a short period of time & he told me of a web site about running barefoot that had people from all over the world as “members” or contributors (can’t remember the site now).

Don’t want to offend anyone, but he was a young, white American (from U.S.A.) male.

The trail is a combo of powdery dirt, rocks that shift under your feet (hard on my knees & ankles so I wear knee & ankle braces!), large puddles of mule piss & piles of manure (sorry, but true!), rarely any plants (like cacti) on well-maintained trails but rocks can be sharp…

I wear shoes recommended by podiatrist w/orthodics made from casts formed by podiatrist as I have had surgery for plantar fasciitis on my left foot performed by that podiatrist. I have a predisposition to plantar fasciitis & heel spurs as my father had them (though not as badly as I did as he got them from just walking while I got them from running & playing tennis extensively).

Surgery for plantar fasciitis is rare (& was much more complicated when I had it about 20 years ago–there is a newer, easier procedure now; but I went through a year of trying to get it under control w/physical therapy, ultra sound, cortisone shots {OUCH!!}, wearing that huge “boot” even to bed, but I could not function w/out the boot on {so couldn’t drive my stick shift car as it was my left foot} & my hip was starting to get affected by walking w/that boot on all the time & my husband was bruised by my accidentally kicking him at night w/the boot).

I didn’t know what the pain was at first; it felt like I had a tack in my heel. I kept running & playing tennis despite the pain until it became unbearable. That’s why I had damaged it so much I needed surgery & now w/the shoes & orthodics I can run, but I do stretch afterwards & ice (both feet as have it is right foot but not as severe as to need surgery) religiously. The surgery was a great success. Walking barefoot hurts, though. Walking in any other shoes for long hurts so the running shoes & orthodics help somehow to protect me from putting undue pressure on my foot.

I’ve also had 2 knee surgeries for torn cartilage (arthroscopic) from overuse– again from tennis.

I’ve just had surgery for severe carpal tunnel (tennis again; guess my body is not made for tennis or at least as much tennis I was playing) on right hand (so severe I ended up in the ER in pain & had to be on morphine pills before the surgery; right hand was the WORST pain). I’m going to have surgery on the left hand in a few weeks as the right hand is healing well & the pain reduction is so wonderful (not completely gone as I have some nerve pain but off morphine pills).

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 00:26:39 +0000

Great article! If you don’t want to take the leap straight to barefoot (or even if you don’t want to go straight to “barefoot shoes”), just change the way you run – switch to just running “on your toes” (i.e. stay off your heels) to simulate the same running style that you’d run in if you were barefoot. This is especially helpful if running through questionable city areas with broken glass or vomit all over the streets.

If nothing more, I think you’ll find that it’ll improve your times! It definitely has for me.

By: Adam Roy

Adam Roy — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 17:10:56 +0000

Hi Binya,

Thanks for your comment. We certainly strive to be sensitive to issues like this, and take complaints seriously.

I felt that “indian” was not an inappropriate term to use, for a couple of reasons. In my personal experience, “indian” (“indio”) is the most commonly used term in most Latin American countries for a person of native ancestry, much as “white” (“blanco”) is the most commonly used term for a person of primarily European ancestry. It’s not considered offensive, and in some countries is even used in the names of government agencies that deal with indigenous issues (like Brazil’s FUNAI).

All the best,
Adam Roy
Editor, Matador Sports

By: binya

binya — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 05:56:49 +0000

interesting article but please don’t refer to an indigenous community in Mexico as “Indians”. it is a racist term that isn’t (or at least shouldn’t be) used anymore.

By: From The Editor: Digging Deep in 2011

From The Editor: Digging Deep in 2011 — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 18:51:01 +0000

[...] Dakar: The Most Dangerous Race in the World? February:Could Running Barefoot Be Good For You? March:Behind the Scenes of Big UP’s New Indoor Climbing Film April:Everyone Wants to Watch [...]

By: Max - The IT Pro

Max - The IT Pro — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 08:21:21 +0000

Oops, my bad Eido!
I meant about 700 metres (2300 feet) for average elevation. Heck, Nairobi alone is close to 6000 FEET above sea level.

By: Eido Cohen

Eido Cohen — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:33:08 +0000

Maxwell,

I invite you to check again your figures where you say that in Kenya the “average elevation above sea level is around 7,000 metres”. As shown here the heighest elevation is Mt Kenya which stands at 5,199 meters. Even if the were running the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberdare_Range" Range you’re only talking about 3350 meters on average. Did you mean to say 7,000 feet elevation?