I posted last week about testing out some different types of shoes for workouts that mimic being barefoot more than they offer arch and heel support. I’ve probably had about 5 pairs of nike frees ship in and out of the house in this time, trying to find the right fit in something that isn’t too hideously ugly to leave the house in.
I have a pair of custom nikes on the way (awesome nike online store lets you design your own colors for lots of shoes). The ordered ones are one of the training models which have much more lateral support (which I think may be better for kung fu and kickboxing) but in the interim have decided to keep these from zappos:
updated review after the jump:
These are much less offensive looking on the foot than here. I was afraid they’d look too much like a woman’s shoe but they’re actually decent.
I did a few different things today including some overhead squats with a broomstick for warmup and some treadmill sprints for my crossfit workout. I can definitely feel some heat all around my calves, shins, and all over my foot. The feeling in my foot sort of resembles having walked around too long in shoes with poor support, which I guess makes sense considering the goal here is eliminating foot support.
On a normal day I’d say my feet need a rest and I’m going to be sure to wear more supportive shoes but I guess this feeling of having ‘active’ feet is what the goal is so from what I can see they are doing what they claim. I just hope the end result is a stronger leg and foot and not pain.
The nike site and shoebox insert suggest warming up to actually running in these over the course of 1-3 weeks and that you wear the shoe around the house and out and about a couple days a week before running in them. I didn’t actually do this because I’m struggling with the difference between walking around the house in a shoe that mimics something closer to being barefoot than wearing a normal running shoe and, well, being barefoot around the house.
I have read some similar questions on the net and claims that the shoes are a gimic and misleading. I don’t quite believe that and am still hopeful that they will offer longer term benefits. I do know that the warmup squats I did were 100% easier to do with proper form than when I do them in my sauconys, but I suppose a pair of DCs, pumas, or weight lifting shoes would have proven the same.
Just standing upright in these shoes makes me feel like I’m falling backwards slightly. I love this and it’s the main reason I was after one of these shoes. Typically this feeling means your foot is hugging the ground more. We’re used to being propped up on heels so this tipping back slightly feeling is normal if you’ve ever done any proper active standing in yoga, or been meticulously tought how to squat properly.
Either way, I’m still hopeful and the shoe is actually incredibly comfortable, lightweight, and breathable. My sauconys were comfortable but when I would take them off after a run it felt sort of like releasing my foot from a ski book – not as extreme, but definitely like I was freeing my foot from some form fitted device. I’m sitting here post workout in my frees and don’t mind them on at all.
I do consistently read good things about the five finger shoes but I am not there yet – my foot is not physically ready for the challenge and I am not emotionally ready for the ridicule. Stay tuned for updates!