abebe bikila
Abebe Bikila, Ethiopian who trained for and won the 1960 Olympic marathon while barefoot.
The 100 Up is an easy and effective way to develop a more efficient and natural running style. Coined by chemist apprentice in the 1800s, it just might be the secret to developing strong feet, strong form and a brighter running future. Join us on our 100 Up Challenge at
http://NaturalRunningStore.com/100UpChallenge
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Invisible Shoes
Better-than-barefoot running!
Invisible Shoes®are a modern spin on the traditional barefoot running sandal — durable, stylish and affordable — and so light and low-profile it’s like you’re not wearing anything. Yet, you get a strong layer of protection, your feet and legs work the way nature intended, your posture can naturally realign, and you awaken your senses and stimulate your brain as you Feel The World™.
Thanks to Chris McDougall’s inspiring and exciting best-selling book, Born to Run, and research from Harvard’s Daniel Lieberman, people all around the world are re-discovering the magic of barefoot running and natural movement.
Many people describe how barefoot running has improved their running, healed old injuries, strengthened their feet and legs, turned flat feet into feet with arches, and much more.
One big worry about barefoot running, not surprisingly, is all the stuff on the ground that can hurt and cut your feet, plus all the dirt you have to wash off when you’re finished running. And most stores and restaurants won’t let you in without shoes.
That’s why you’ll want a pair of Invisible Shoes.
In his book, Chris McDougall describes huaraches, the running sandals of the Tarahumara Indians: a strip of rubber from an old tire and some string or lace to hold it on.
Invisible Shoes are a hi-tech update of huaraches. They’re lightweight — 3.4 ounces in a men’s size 9 — comfortable and flexible. If you like the feeling of being barefoot, you’ll love wearing Invisible Shoes.
Award Winning! Invisible Shoes won the 2011 Grovie Award for Best Huaraches Running Sandal.
“Invisible Shoes took innovation to the next level. The result is a powerhouse of a sandal that has no real apparent weaknesses.”
Backed by our 5,000 Mile Warranty. People ask us “How long will these last?” And, frankly, we have no idea! So far nobody has outworn the soles of their Invisible Shoes. But if you wear yours down to thinner than 1mm in under 5,000 miles, simply return them to us and we’ll replace them for just the cost of shipping and handling (more details).
Compare this to regular running shoes that tell you to replace them every 300-500 miles. You could save thousands by wearing Invisible Shoes. And then compare Invisible Shoes to other “barefoot” shoes, where these are clearly closer to barefoot and at a fraction of the cost.
For everyone and every thing. Over 12,000 people, ages 5-88, in over 62 countries use Invisible Shoes for everything from walking, to hiking, to working out, to hitting the beach, running, and even tackling 100-mile ultramarathons. They’re perfect for tossing in your backpack for camping.
Made for being barefoot. Our huaraches sandals are made with either our exclusive FeelTrue™ rubber or 4mm Vibram Cherry sole material. The FeelTrue™ outsoles are the only rubber outsole made specifically for barefoot sandals, developed with help from 2 former lead designers from Nike and Reebok. You can get either the 4mm Connect, for the closest thing to a barefoot feel, or the 6mm Contact if you want a bit more protection or a “smoother” ride.
Get a perfect fit. Unlike flip-flops, or even most shoes, Invisible Shoes are made to fit YOUR foot, no matter what size you wear or what shape your foot is. Wide, narrow, curved, or straight… short toes or long toes, your Invisible Shoes are made for you.
You can have fun with an easy and fun DIY (do-it-yourself) huarache project by getting an Invisible Shoe Kit, or you can have us Custom-make Invisible Shoes for you for only a bit more.
The Invisible Shoe Kit comes with complete instructions (which, actually, you’ll find here http://www.invisibleshoe.com/store/categories/DIY-Kits-to-make-Invisible-Shoes/ ) for making your own hi-tech huaraches.
For the Custom Invisible Shoes, you’ll provide us with an outline of your feet and we’ll take it from there, returning your “Barefoot… PLUS!” Invisible Shoes in just a few days. (Instructions about making the outline and submitting it to us are here.)
Express yourself with your Invisible Shoes. First, pick one of 9 colors of our nylon/polypropylene laces. These laces are strong, soft, don’t stretch, have no edges to dig into your feet, are waterproof, colorfast and, maybe best of all, look really cool. Plus, they keep your cost down.
Then, pick a lacing style — from traditional to fashion-forward. See some examples here.
Finally, if you like, you can personalize your Invisible Shoes and make them your very own with our pendants, charms and beads.
Support the Tarahumara (Rarámuri) — When you buy Custom Invisible Shoes we donate 10% of the profits to The Tarahumara Childrens Hospital Fund (TCHF) to support the indigenous people of the Copper Canyon.
We ship Invisible Shoes and kits all around the world. Your actual shipping cost is calculated and shown during the checkout process.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER ONLINE, BY PHONE, BY MAIL, OR BY FAX
http://www.invisibleshoe.com/store
You’ll be taken to our Invisible Shoes store to select the product(s) you want (the store looks like the image you see below)
Custom made Invisible Shoes with FeelTrue outsoles
Price: $39.95
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Barefoot Running: The FAQ’s
by A MANLY GUEST CONTRIBUTOR on MAY 17, 2012 ·
Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Shaun Daws from Beginning Barefoot.
For millions of years, our ancestors spread around the globe, treading the earth barefoot over all manner of terrain. As we walked and ran, our feet developed an intricate web of nerves, matched only by those in our hands, which allow us to sense the smallest deviations in the ground. They became capable of withstanding fierce heat and blistering cold by altering the flow of blood and fluids found in our soles.
Over the past two thousand years, as we have moved from a hunter-gatherer society to an agrarian one, the importance of using the full advantages of our feet has been forgotten, in exchange for the comfort and ease of wearing padded shoes.
With the resurgence of walking and running as leisure activities, the importance of healthy feet is once again becoming a serious issue. On average, runners today can expect a 30-80% chance of injury, and this rate hasn’t changed since people started wearing running shoes. In contrast, most of the running injuries seen in the West are nearly non-existent in cultures where shoes are not habitually worn, such as Kenya and Ethiopia.
Recently, people around the globe have been rediscovering the benefits of running barefoot. Even Nike, whose shoes kicked off the jogging revolution nearly half a century ago, has started to release shoes that are designed to mimic barefoot running. For the most part, these have taken the form of “barefoot” shoes that promise to allow your feet to work as they were intended, without extra padding and motion control features to add weight and change how your feet contact the ground.
Despite the increase in popularity of barefoot running, it can be quite daunting to try to weed out what the pros, cons, dangers, and benefits are. The more you search online, the more contradicting opinions, facts, and anecdotes you will come across. So, to set the record straight and give you the most important stuff in one place, I’ve created this Barefoot Running FAQ.
1. Why barefoot running?
The barefoot running movement seems to have sprung up almost overnight a couple years ago. It was around this time that a book called Born to Run was published by author Christopher McDougall, who chronicled his search for an injury-free way to run. The book takes the reader on a journey through the Copper Canyon in Mexico, where a tribe of runners called the Tarahumara live and run incredible distances completely barefoot (or in simple sandals).
The publication of the book coincided with a Harvard study by Prof. Dan Lieberman, which showed that people who grow up running without shoes run differently than those of us who run shod. Though the study did not speculate as to whether barefoot running was better or worse than running in shoes, it did demonstrate that making the switch resulted in softer landings and reduced impact force.
The conclusion that many barefoot runners take from all this is that running unshod reduces the chance of injury from impact and repetitive stress. At the moment there have been precious few studies on the effects of running with and without shoes, but the hope is that the anecdotal evidence of the barefoot community will be borne out as more people become available to be included in studies.
2. Doesn’t it hurt?
If you do it wrong, then yes, it will hurt. If you do it right, however, it will probably still hurt a bit, but it will ease off as you get better at it. The reason for this is that when transitioning to barefoot running, even if you’re running in “barefoot” shoes, you’re changing how you run. This means that you’re using muscles that have likely been underused for years. It takes time for your body to get used to the change, and if you rush through this bit, it can take even longer to adjust.
Interestingly, the most common site for pain in new barefooters is not the soles of the feet as would be expected, but in the calves and Achilles tendons.
If you run in shoes, then you likely land heel-first every time you take a step. Heels aren’t meant to absorb the impact of your stride—only the padding of modern shoes allows the heel-first landing—and the shock goes up the leg to the knees and hips. When you transition to barefoot running, you will learn to land on your forefoot, which allows you to use your body’s natural shock absorbers: the arches, Achilles tendons, and lower legs. This transition takes time and as you get used to the new style of running it can be very easy to overdo it and find yourself needing to take a few days off to let your limbs recover.
One of the great things about barefoot running is that it’s unforgiving. The pain that you feel is your body’s way of letting you know that you’re doing something wrong. By listening to the pain, you can adjust your form, and before long, you’ll be running with excellent form, and pain-free. This is why a lot of barefoot running gurus say to start out on rough gravel instead of grass. The more pain you feel at first, the quicker you will learn to adjust, and the less likely you will be to develop bad habits.
3. How do you transition from running with shoes to running barefoot?
When you start using any muscles that have been dormant for a long time, it takes a while for them to get built up. It’s the same as if you’ve been a couch potato for years, then decide to go out for an afternoon of football with the boys. If you overdo it, you’re going to feel it.
You can lessen the amount of discomfort you feel during the transition period by taking several steps to get your body ready for running barefoot:
The 100-Up
An excellent preparatory exercise is called the 100-up, which is an exercise that has been used by track and field coaches for decades.
The exercise itself is simple: Take your shoes off and stand in place. Now lift one leg up to knee height, then place it back down, being sure to gently place it down, forefoot first. Now repeat with the second leg. Start slowly and work your way up to 100 reps (50 each leg). When you can do 100 of these back-to-back, try doing the same exercise, but faster. The point is not to do as many as you can, as fast as you can, but rather to take your time and focus on doing each repetition perfectly. Here’s a video showing how it’s done:
This deceptively simple exercise works nearly all the muscles involved in barefoot running, and lets your body start to build up the areas that will get the most work when you run. By mastering the 100-up before your first barefoot run, you will dramatically reduce the chance of overdoing it.
Stretching Your Achilles
If you’re a heel-striker, you will probably find that your Achilles tendons have grown tight from years of underuse, so when you finally get out there and start giving them a workout, you will likely induce micro-tears and even tendonitis. To avoid all this pain and aggravation, it’s important to stretch out your Achilles tendons and calves for a few days or even weeks before you do your first barefoot run. Simply stand with your heels hanging off of a step, and dip your heels down, then back up onto your tip-toes a few times. After a week of this, you should be much more prepared to make the transition to running unshod.
Ease Into It
Start your journey into barefoot running by doing a couple of short walks in bare feet or tacking a couple hundred meters of barefoot running to your usual run. Then slowly increase your mileage. Taking the first few weeks slowly will save you a lot of discomfort and make the transition process much more bearable.
4. Will my feet become calloused?
Your soles will also take a little time to adjust to being in contact with the ground. You may experience blisters at first, but this is not because your feet aren’t “tough” enough, rather, your form is not perfect yet and you are creating friction between your feet and the ground. As you learn to run with better form, the amount of friction on the feet is greatly reduced, to the point where your feet don’t need to protect themselves from the ground by developing blisters and callouses. If you ever get the chance to meet a seasoned barefoot runner, ask them if you can look at their soles. What you will see may surprise you: on the whole, the feet of barefoot runners are callous-free and tend to have a slightly puffy sole, with lovely, healthy skin that is kept fresh and new from the constant contact with the ground.
5. What about dirt, glass, syringes, infections, etc?
If there’s one thing that stops prospective barefoot runners from taking their first unshod steps, it’s the fear of treading on sharp objects, such as glass and needles. There is a perception that the roads are littered with all manner of foreign objects just waiting to puncture your feet. The truth is that the amount of glass out there is not nearly as high as you’d expect, and what glass there is is often safety glass from car windows, which is unlikely to cut you. By keeping your eyes open and planning your routes to avoid any likely danger spots (such as bars and convenience store parking lots), you will miss the vast majority of what’s out there.
The great thing about running barefoot is that even if you do happen to step on something sharp, your step is so light, and your foot so pliable, that though it may hurt a little, it’s unlikely to break the skin. The thing to remember is that the human foot evolved out there in nature, where there are all manner of sharp rocks, thorns, and sticks, so the debris found on city streets should not pose a significant problem.
6. Isn’t pavement too hard for bare feet?
Running in nature isn’t the lovely, springy experience that most people think it is. Trails can be incredibly hard, with all sorts of debris strewn about. In contrast, city streets are lovely highways that allow you to run farther and faster than you ever could in the woods.
Your feet are built to handle pretty much anything, and even in a city, the sensations underfoot are many and varied. As you start running barefoot, you will notice how many different types of terrain even a city block can include: pavement, grass, gravel, rough asphalt, sand…you name it. Running barefoot will greatly increase your awareness of terrain and you’ll never look at the road outside your house the same way again.
By learning to use your body’s built-in shock absorbers, you’ll find that even the hardest or roughest surfaces can be managed with ease. When you leave your shoes at home, you are leaving behind an inch or so of padding, but you’re regaining the use of your body’s natural springs which more than makes up for it.
7. Should I get a pair of those feet-gloves?
Minimalist, or “barefoot” shoes are getting more and more popular every day it seems. Like regular shoes, they now come in a huge range of colors, shapes, and styles, and choosing the right pair can be daunting.
The best way to select a pair is to first try running without shoes at all. Give it a go, and see how you like it. You may decide not to buy a pair, in which case, you can spend the $100+ on something else. If you still want shoes at that point, then at least you have a basic understanding of how your feet should move and feel.
The best minimal shoes are those that most closely mimic the function of the foot. They may or may not have toes, but they should have very thin soles, be very lightweight (ideally less than 5oz), and not require socks. It’s highly recommended that you try them out in-store and not just take a chance online, as many of these shoes will fit differently from regular running shoes, especially as most minimals don’t require socks. This will also give you a chance to talk to a (hopefully) experienced salesperson who can ensure you have the correct fit.
8. How far can you run in bare feet?
How far and fast you can run barefoot is largely dependent on how much running you do. For a first-time barefooter, you may only be able to manage a couple hundred meters, but there are plenty of experienced barefoot runners, such as Ken Saxton, who have run full marathons at fast paces without any trouble at all.
Still have a question about barefoot running? Let me know in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer it!
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Shaun Daws has been an AoM reader since the beginning and has been closely involved in the annual Movember effort. He runs BeginningBarefoot.com, a site dedicated to helping people to transition into barefoot running safely and enjoyably. Follow him on Twitter or visit the BeginningBarefoot Facebook page.
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Safely Transitioning To A Minimalist Running Shoe
By Jeff GaudettePublished Jan. 4, 2013
Minimalist running has been all the rage for a while now as research continues to emerge about its potential benefits. Furthermore, proponents of the “less is more” footwear philosophy have become more vocal about their success stories.
So what exactly constitutes minimalist running? In short, it involves wearing a running shoe that doesn’t impede upon the body’s natural biomechanics. Traditional running shoes, on the other hand, are well-cushioned, may have denser midsole materials and built-in support devices to prevent excess motion at the ankle, and usually have a high heel to toe ratio — meaning the heel is elevated (10-12 mm is common) above the toe. Recent literature indicates that these safeguards and inherent support can actually weaken the foot over time — nor have they been shown to reduce instances of injury.
RELATED: How should your foot hit the ground?
Minimalist running on the other hand, promotes the natural motion of the foot. Over time, the foot gets stronger so that it can essentially support itself and act as a natural shock absorber by striking on the midfoot or forefoot. Theoretically, stronger foot muscles and lower impact rates will reduce the chance of injury.
It is not the goal of this article to persuade you one way or the other to try minimalist running. After 10 years of coaching and more than 15 years of running at an elite level, I’ve encountered scores of runners who’ve have been helped tremendously by traditional running shoes. I’ve also met numerous runners whose injury problems were seemingly cured by moving into minimalist running shoes. The decision on which shoes to wear is a personal one based on your own injury history as well as your goals.
This article will explain how to safely transition to running in minimalist shoes. In order to stay healthy, which is the number one goal, it is imperative that you properly prepare the muscles in your feet, improve your proprioception, and develop a solid foundation of strength and flexibility before transitioning to a minimalist shoe.
Building the Foundation
The first step in successfully transitioning to a minimalist running shoe is building a foundation of strength and balance in your feet, lower legs and hips. Think of this phase as pouring the foundation for your home. The stronger and larger you can build your foundation, the more resilient and sturdy your house will ultimately be. If your foundation is weak or has cracks, you’re in for a difficult and expensive remodel down the road. So, take the time now to ensure you have the proper foundation before you begin your transition.
If you’ve been accustomed to wearing traditional running shoes with lots of support, cushioning and a higher heel-toe drop, this process of reeducation and strengthening can take 8 to 10 weeks. Be patient. It will pay off in the long term.
Step 1: Developing flexibility
When transitioning to a more minimal shoe, it is critical that you have proper mobility and range of motion in both the ankle and the big toe, which can be weakened due to the “rocker effect” elicited by traditional running shoes. Without this flexibility in the ankle and big toe, your foot will roll excessively to the inside (overpronation) or the outside (underpronation, or supination), often causing a myriad of injury issues.
Begin with basic calf stretches. Next, move to dynamic stretches such as knee pointers, single leg pointers, and toe pointers.
To perform the knee pointer, stand with your toes 2 to 3 inches away from a wall. Keep your weight on your heels. With your heels on the ground, slowly bend your knees until they touch the wall, counting for 5 seconds on the way down. Without resting your knees against the wall, hold your knees in the bent position for two seconds and then return to the starting position. Repeat the process, but this time move your knees at a thirty degree angle to the right. The movement should come from the ankles and not by rotating your feet or twisting your hips. Repeat a third time moving your knees at a thirty degree angle to the left.
Once you’re comfortable with this basic knee pointer exercise, progress to performing the exercise on one leg. Finally, step further away from the wall and balance on one leg. Try to touch your outstretched foot to touch the wall, which will require a greater range of motion from the ankle.
Step 2: Strengthening your support muscles
Strengthening your support muscles and developing a better sense of balance will help your feet, lower legs and hips prepare for and absorb the slight changes in form and foot strike that occur during the transition to minimalist running.
First try the Toe Yoga exercise, which strengthens your big toe. The big toe provides nearly 85 percent of the support to your foot when you land while running. To perform Toe Yoga, stand barefoot and raise your big toe while keeping your other four toes on the ground. Hold this position for five seconds then relax. Next, raise your four other toes while keeping your big toe on the ground. Hold this position for five seconds and relax before repeating.
Next, implement some basic towel exercises to help strengthen the plantar fascia. the band of connective tissue that connects at the base of the heel and supports your arch. While sitting in a chair, put a towel on the ground (preferably a slippery surface like a hardwood floor) and scrunch the towel together using only your toes.
Finally, get started on hip and core stability exercises to help keep your posture strong and provide power through the running stride.
Step 3: Learning how to land
The last component in the minimalist transition is learning how to properly land on your feet without shoes. While landing might seem trivial, learning how to land properly helps develop your spring mechanism and movement patterns. Developing the ability to land and control your foot strike will help you land softly rather than pounding the pavement. Moreover, it’s essential to helping you develop the proper movement and proprioceptive patterns that help you land on your midfoot or forefoot as opposed to heel striking.
Begin by incorporating some basic sprinting drills into your post-run routine. My favorite is the A-skip, detailed here, but the rest of the drills outlined along with it are also effective.
Progressing Your Mileage
It should go without saying that you need to cautiously progress the amount of running you do when switching to minimalist running shoes. Begin with some short 20 to 30-second accelerations in your minimalist shoes after an easy run in traditional trainers. Once you’re comfortable in your new kicks, progress to 3 to 5 minutes of minimalist running every other day and slowly add 3-5 minutes each week, focusing on landing softly with an efficient midfoot strike.
When transitioning to less of a shoe, begin your run in your chosen minimalist model and after your allotted time is up for the day, switch to your regular training shoes. This will help transfer some of the feel and landing patterns to your stride when you return to traditional shoes.
Most importantly, listen to your body and be patient. I can’t stress this enough. Changing movement patterns takes time. If you feel a part of your lower leg or foot become excessively sore, back off from your minimalist shoes for a day or two, or take an extra day of rest. If you progress slowly and remain patient throughout the transition process, you’ll be running without worry in minimalist shoes before you know it.
http://running.competitor.com/2013/01/training/safely-transitioning-to-a-minimalist-running-shoe_64030
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Luna Sandals
Luna Sandals son lo más antiguo en tecnología para correr, si como lo lees… nosotros no buscamos tecnología innovadora que cambia cada año y nos engañan diciendonos que la suela de este zapato o de aquel va a acabar con nuestros dolores de rodillas, nos hará más rápidos, no quitará el cansancio, etc. Al siguiente año resulta que la tecnología que nos costó tanto dinero es obsoleta y hay algo más nuevo que hará basicamente lo mismo por ti, prometen hacerte un super humano.
Luna sandals son sandalias inspiradas en una tribú de super humanos reales, los corredores TARAHUMARA personas que tienen haciendo esto cientos de años y con la misma tecnología que ahora está disponible para ti (bueno siempre ha estado ahí). La tecnología de tus pies, irrepetibles, única, invaluable, auto-reconstruible y con la piel de la más alta elasticidad y calidad.
Conoce más sobre nuestra filosofía y las sandalias, creenos te vas a enamorar de ellas y quizá de paso te ahorremos unos miles de pesos.
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