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Birthday Shoes - Vibram Five Fingers Fans!

Chad T.
Chad T. Sendmail

Man my claves are killing me! Love these shoes though.

posted almost 2 years ago | Report

Just ran for the second time in my Bakilas. Am only able to go about 1.5 miles each time and man my calves hurt! I am trying to run in my Vibrams a little bit on my off days. Did 13.1 miles yesterday in my old running shoes. I love wearing these Five Fingers. Hope I can get used to them.

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  • Ben B.
    Ben B. Sendmail

    I've been inspired to run because of these shoes. My mileage is puny compared to yours but after 5 weeks of running in these "shoes" the calf pain is not nearly as bad as before. Keep running and good luck, just don't go too fast.

    posted almost 2 years ago | Report

  • Chad T.
    Chad T. Sendmail

    Thanks Ben. I tried running in my KSO Treks yesterday and I think I may like them better than the Bakila's. Not sure yet. They have much more cushion in the forefoot and it seemed to be a better strike on the pavement. We'll see. My calves are feeling better each day. I am taking it slow. Running very short distances in The Vibram's every other day.

    posted almost 2 years ago | edited almost 2 years ago | Report

  • Patrick Oscar B.
    Patrick Oscar B. Sendmail

    I really don't have this problem any more when I run barefoot or with the Bikila, but I don't think I just waited to get used to it. The trick, for me, is to keep the foot relaxed on footstrike. The forefoot touches the ground, and your calf should be as relaxed as you can be. Your heel will then gently touch the ground.

    It will be gentle because your tendons and muscles are springy and they have to be elongated. Secondly, your footstrike should be kept underneath you, and your center of mass will be moving over your foot, so the heel won't have much force pushing it down.

    This is the kind of advice you can read many places, so it may not be a useful contribution, but I found that working on these running form changes made the Bikilas and barefoot very comfortable.

    Good luck.

    posted almost 2 years ago | Report

  • William T.
    William T. Sendmail

    Thanks for that tip. I've been running unshod for a few weeks now and still trying to get my form down. For the most part everything feels good but I'm finding myself having to take 2-3 days off for my calves to no longer be sore.

    posted almost 2 years ago | Report

  • Anton K.
    Anton K. Sendmail
    in reply to what Patrick Oscar B. said:I really don't have this problem any more when I run barefoot or with the Bikila, but I don't think I just waited to get used to it. The trick, for me, is to keep the foot relaxed on footstrike. The forefoot touches the ground, and your calf sho... read more

    Thanks for the tip. I've only done one run with mine and I walked like a duck for 5 days! and that was after a month of soft sand running. I'm determined to get used to it because I strongly believe this will solve my past knee issues.

    posted 12 months ago | Report

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