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For a majority of your life, like many people, you've probably worn shoes, especially when doing anything that involves physical exertion or significant use of the feet. You say you've only been barefoot running for a month. So the most likely scenario is that you've unwittingly overdone it. From Naturally Engineered - Pain and Swelling in Foot From Running ...

Minimalist running shoes are shown to increase cadence and decrease stride length. Decreased stride length - many heel strikers become forefoot strikers. This usually allows for more efficient pace because the leg lands under the body's center of gravity. It also means the big muscles are being used for propulsion and the small muscles aren't "braking" ...

Your improvement makes complete sense. By switching to the Vibrams, you probably changed from a heel striker to a mid-foot striker. You've also traded the stability, cushioning, and restriction provided by the shoes for strength in your feet and legs. You are now stronger and have better form. If the shoes are the only variable you've changed and your ...

I actually run in vibrams, and when I first began my calves were extremely sore for the first week or two. I think this is due mostly to the fact barefoot running forces people to run as nature intended, on the ball of the foot, causing the calf to work harder in order to support the weight. This would also put more tension on the Achilles tendon since it ...

Calf tenderness is a common occurrence with barefoot/minimalist running. The achilles is in the back of the leg, from the knee to the back of the heel. It is NOT a shock absorber, but is a stabilizing muscle and propulsing muscle. It works harder when one runs barefoot. Barefoot running is something that needs to be very gradually introduced into a ...

First, kudos to you for cutting back your training enough that soreness was all you encountered. I see far too many people who say they cut back, but still overdo it and injure themselves. Here are three points and a personal anecdote to consider: You say yourself that your calves are looking better. What you have been doing, with somewhat constant, ...

It's an issue of depth: pushing off a surface that gives that much induces more stress on the entire chain, because everything has noticeably more work to do. IMO the pushing-off would have a greater effect than landing, but that's more "intuitive" than "true". Other than adjusting to the additional stress, I don't think there's anything intrinsically more ...

Kicking off the running shoes would be a viable alternative, but I'd actually go one step further. Don't wear running shoes for the cardio portion either. Better proprioception is better proprioception. Just like the elevated heel affects your lifting technique, it also affects your running technique, and once again, not in a good way. A thick heel ...

The website "Biomechanics of Foot Strikes & Applications to Running Barefoot or in Minimal Footwear" (yes, it's a long title) has links to research on how people ran before the modern running shoe and barefoot running. This is from their FAQ: What about surface hardness? Our ancestors didn’t run on pavement. A common perception is that running ...

No, it will not go away. Unless you do something about it. Since you've been running in Vibrams for "quite a while" your feet should have adapted by now, and you should be able to run without pain in your feet. The muscles in your feet should have gained enough strength after 4-8 weeks. The joints, connective tissue, and tendons might well take longer; ½-1 ...

I too have had to look at ways to combat the odor. First, I just ignored the problem and continued to wear my VFF's while running and working out at the local gym. It was until one day a trainer recommended OxyClean detergent. She kindly made the comment about my VFF's could be washed using this detergent. I've been washing them once a week, and it seams to ...

Had a very very similar injury. Was running for months in the Vibrams and then all of a sudden had similar pain. Probably because I increased the mileage too fast week to week, from about 20 to then 25mi/week. Diagnosis ended up being an inflammation and to just rest and take prednisolone (pill form) for 2 weeks. Almost no improvement in 4-5 days, and ...

I have extremely flat feet and have been barefoot running several years, usually on dirt trails. Although I can't say that the flatness has been affected, I do notice less soreness and faster recovery than when I ran with shoes. At one point I had trained up to three miles at a stretch, then tried a ten mile race on pavement, which gave me sore achilles and ...

I've been doing some barefoot running on pavement as a way to help with flat feet and pronation. For awhile I tried to increasing the distance but then I started to feel some minor aches under my foot and on the outside of my ankle. My biggest fear was developing a stress fracture so I've since limited the barefoot run to 5 or 10 minutes as a warm up and ...

You say that you've started running barefoot, how recently? If it's very recent, your feet are not accustomed to that sort of serious strain. No callouses have been built up, they're as soft as a baby's because of the foot coffins we wear all day long. Start out slow, work up to the distance you can normally run while wearing shoes. Consider this a 'new ...

I have very flat feet, and i have started barefoot/VFF running a couple of years ago. I have no problems running 10-15 miles on concrete and or pavement. In fact, it is easier for me after the winter, when my feet get tender and feel all those little rocks and roots too much. I may carry my VFFs or Altra Adams in my fanny pack in case the surface gets too ...

If you're running short distances I don't think it'll be much of a problem, especially if you can choose your route. Where it's really a problem is if you're running a long distance race with a fixed course and you're forced to deal with a slant on the path that only goes in one direction - that's hell on the ankles, knees, hips, and well everything. That's ...

Think of it this way, if you have poor technique and then correct it don't you think your performance will go up? Less wasted energy, better movement, etc. Do they force you into better form? they can, but you can still run with less then optimal technique wearing any type of shoe (or going barefoot).

My solution was to buy the KSO Treks, even though I don't like the soles as much. The kangaroo leather just doesn't stink up the way the synthetic materials do. Trek LS would also work, although again, same issues with the sole bein unideal. I'm not sure why they don't make a kangaroo leather model with their traditional sole. So far, and I've had my pair ...

Wow, VFFs are so environmently unfriendly if they need a machine wash so often, plus all that effort after the wash. I sweat well above average, and have experienced the same stink issues with my Komodo Sport VFF. I have hit upon an environmentally friendly solution that actually works, thanks to Grandma :) I just wash them in tap water after every use, sun ...

I wash in a low-water front loading washing machine every few days (1-2x per week). I also use a Tea Tree Oil liquid for the soap. I use a pre-wash cycle with the tee tree oil in both times and no other detergents. Once done they come out and go right in front of a fan to dry. I've been doing this for a year with my shoes as well as my two daughters' and we ...