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strollingalong
03-25-2012, 22:08
I've heard people have walked the AT barefoot, that would be too extreme I think?? but then shoes are causing my tendon problems at the moment, pressure on it causes it to flare up.....in flipflops (thongs) or barefoot I have no issues....
less than shoe shoes? what would be the options.....just weighing up choices if my shoes don't work

I understand the hilarity of this

strollingalong
03-25-2012, 22:22
maybe vibram 5 finger combined with barefoot?! just batting ideas around

ScottP
03-25-2012, 22:30
Hrm....
Well I'm working on the transition to more barefootery.

I'm going to try to do some hikes in these

http://www.invisibleshoe.com/

You could give those a shot.

Barefoot, I think wouldn't go well on the AT. Too many sharp rocks.

it's not the terrain we're evolved to run over.

strollingalong
03-25-2012, 22:37
I was just on that site.... I was at the beach recently and walked in flipflops up and over hills for a few miles each day.... not even the slightest small feeling in my tendon the whole time.... shoes....issues

Hawkwind61
03-25-2012, 23:07
I most often hike in 'Invisible Shoes'. Which was my conversion from hiking mostly in Teva Terra Fi's. I do best with the least amount of shoe/sole possible.

This year I have been doing a lot of my training hikes in Zemgear's. I have the Ninja 360's and like them so much I am going to buy a pair of them in the more conventional round-toe style one size larger for the days when I need my hiking socks. The only trouble I ran into last year with my 'Invisible Shoes' was in the Housatonic River area after the hurricane came through New England...the mud in that area built up between my foot sole and shoe sole and even with my shoes laced tightly I 'slid' all over the place causing a bit of blistering. I decided that I need to be able to keep mud out from between my foot and shoe sole...hence Zemgears. (Sorry I cannot post a link at this time...I am posting from my nook. )

Miami Joe
03-25-2012, 23:50
I've heard one can outrun a jungle pig with a pair of New Balance Minimus.

bflorac
03-26-2012, 00:10
You can read about the Tarahumara runners in a great book called "Born to Run". It seems the "invisible" shoe supports them which is odd because the way they are described in the book, they would not want any support.

Anyway, I have see numerous hikers, both thru and section, hiking in bare feet. In talking to one of them, this is more common in europe. The logic is the that wearing heavy shoes makes your feet and ankles weak by not using the muscles in them (like your arm does in a cast). It sounds like something you need to "work your way into". I may try this for short runs.

Personally, I can't imagine huffing a 40lb back in my bare feet or even minimal shoes. I don't need the support but just one sharp rock bruising the bottom of my foot would make for a real bad week. That said, the bare foot hikers I met all had very minimal packs and they didn't weigh much themselves. With a lot less pack (like none), it would be easier to watch where you plant your feet.

Hawkwind61
03-26-2012, 02:52
My pack last year was 37 pounds...I go about 160 since developing Hashimoto's...not so minimal. I have been a barefooter/ minimalist when it comes to shoes most of my life. I bruise more often in shoes with thicker soles due to coming down harder on my foot...when you are accustomed to bare or minimal your stride and foot fall is different. Btw..."Born To Run" is an excellent read for those interested in minimal footwear.

Bati
03-26-2012, 08:34
I met a man who was backpacking in Maine barefoot and doing just fine. But then, he rarely wore shoes in his non-hiking life, which also involved a bit of outdoor work.
I suspect that if you're not used to going barefoot, it might take a couple of years to develop the necessary calluses, and some people never would.

Flip flops are probably worse than barefoot, as they force your foot muscles to hold them on, which isn't natural and could start to have an impact after a few miles. An exception must be made if you're only planning to wear them for short distances, such as when crossing the broken glass on a roadwalk.

You'd want a different arrangment for bad weather (warm moccasins, generally), but there is no single solution that works for everyone.
Backpacking barefoot would never work for me, but I've seen enough to know that it does work for some people, but they need to break in their feet to do so.

RedBeerd
03-26-2012, 09:24
I've heard one can outrun a jungle pig with a pair of New Balance Minimus.

I love my minimus. Especially with wide sizes available. I think they were built for my feet specifically.

JJJ
03-26-2012, 09:40
I think the theory is that Support = Crutch. If we started toddlers out on crutches instead of walking their feet and calf muscles would never develop the strength to get along without crutches. So as adults, getting away from shoes(support) can be a lengthy process of changing a pattern that has been in place for 20, 40, 60 years. Some can adapt more quickly than others. Most people do well in shoes, but not everyone.
.02, please.

JAK
03-26-2012, 09:56
Depends so much on total weight on feet. I go barefoot occassionally, and minimal mostly, but I would need to loose a lot more weight before I can do alot of barefoot running and hiking. When I was a kids I went an entire summer barefoot. Kids running shoes should be where the focus should be on going minimal, but its just the opposite.

Good program last night on The Nature of Things - The Perfect Runner.
It talked about how the best distance runners end up competing in light running shoes, but start off in life spending most of their time barefoot, and outdoors, and very active. That's the key, is to condition your feet while you are young and lightweight, and to keep them conditioned, and keep your body lightweight and active.

Giantsbane
04-02-2012, 01:03
I started going barefoot as much as I can about two years ago. I went from wearing heavy boots all the time, to vibrams then finally to no shoes. The soles of my feet are very tough now. There is a large amount of broken glass on my campus, and sometimes I walk across it without noticing and have yet to cut open my feet. I usually hike in my vibrams when I am in a time crunch or want to do big mile days, but I also hike a lot barefoot.

rocketsocks
04-02-2012, 06:29
In the not so distant past,I was out of commission and pretty sedentary for almost a year.In that time period I did not wear shoes,mostly crocs.When it came time to get up and get moving again it was very difficult,and not something I would ever want to repeat again.My feet hurt pretty bad,It gave me an appreciation for what we all went through when we were,(thank gosh) to young to remember.......training shoes.All better now though!:)