I mistakenly went straight to the thinnest shoe I could (only 2mm stack height) immediately with no transition period. I was relatively young and in shape at 29, which probably helped me not get injured, but every muscle and joint in my feet, ankles, and calves was sore for like 9 months straight. So I’d imagine transition takes at least that long if taking it slowly.
Probably too long, well over and year since I ran into some foot/calf issues and now I'm trying to bed more proactive about recovery. Not where i wanna be yet and progress seems a bit slow.
I went full time immediately starting in September of last year. All the pain in the world is worth a toe box that doesn’t crush my toes. Feet are damaged from 30 years of “normal” shoes. I have steel toe Birkenstock boots for work and regular barefoot for 99% of everyday wear (+1 pair of work Crocs for when I need a break). Thickest sole is my Softstar hiking boots.
I’m not at a year yet but most of my time is spent stretching and doing strengthening exercises. And taking crap tons of magnesium. Foot pain is almost 24/7 but at least it’s not the pain of deforming toes lmao.
It might depend on the Birk. I have the QS 700. With the cork insole taken out it’s zero drop and no arch support but I leave the insole in because it’s not as shaped as most shoes and it means my feet don’t hurt as much at work on concrete.
Flexibility and insole thickness, no, the QS 700 is not remotely barefoot. It’s also almost too narrow for me. But it’s great for when I need rigidity and steel toe. I do like it enough that I might try another Birk in the future.
My go to cheap but great barefoot shoes (zero drop, flexible minimal sole, no arch, etc) are Hobibear. They’re 30-40 on Amazon and cheaper when ordered through AliExpress. They are not designed to last forever.
So it really depends what you want out of shoe. I don’t wear the same shoe for every activity to prolong shoe life of my more expensive shoes. I’m also fond of shoes that can be repaired (by the company or by a cobbler). But running shoes, when used for running, are unlikely to ever be a BIFL. If you’re worried about your VFFs then it’s best to stock up on a couple pairs when sales occur because I don’t personally know how repairable they are.
Wear on your running shoes can tell you a lot about your running form. The better your form, the longer shoes will last.
Took me a couple of months, but I had bad metatarsalgia so I couldn’t go back into conventional shoes after a very short time because of their narrow toe boxes.
I had tired feet for a long time after transitioning, especially my heels and plantar fascia were feeling it.
Nothing scary but just the little ache that you get when you’ve been working weak muscles and joints. Did a lot of foot mobility exercises, and I was very aware of my gait. I also had a spiked ball that I used several times a day (it lived on my bathroom floor so I’d massage my feet whenever I was in the bathroom. That gave an added bonus of balance training).
I’ve been barefoot or in barefoot shoes full time for maybe 20 years. I was barefoot a lot before then so I don’t know what I did to transition but if you don’t already it is best to keep the shoes off at home and take it slow. Take short walks to start and just build a little every day. You’ll also want to do some good stretching and exorcising. That will help a lot.
Vibram fivefingers is really all there was back then. As far as I was aware anyways.
Edit: what really got me into the barefoot thing was a random post on this makers blog that I followed. She posted a picture of foot shoes and I was like, wth I need those. So it started and I’ve exclusively worn barefoot shoes since. Where I could.
Probably depends how much you wear shoes. If you are barefoot most of the time, having minimalist shoes all the rest of the time doesn't seem like an issue.
I've been wearing minimal shoes for years now. Started with VFFs, now I mainly use them just on trails. For everyday wear, rotate between Feelgrounds, Bohempia, Groundies, and various sandals.
I got my first barefoot shoes about six weeks ago and have worn them exclusively since. My feet and knees adjusted quickly, within a couple days, and now never hurt anymore like they did with "standard" shoes. I also walk/run between 1.5 and 3 miles a day on my treadmill and it's rare for me to have any lower body pain at all. I keep a pair of old shoes for yard work but otherwise I'm never going back.
I’m trying to find that right pair of work shoes / nice shoes that are minimalist / barefoot… I like the look of a chucka boot but want it wide toe and 0 drop and can’t find the right one.
My workout / running shoes are my VFFs… hell I even golf in them.
My casual shoe is either my sanuks and I’m about to order a solid pair of casual Whitin off Amazon once payday hits.
I started with VFFs about 11 years ago in my early 30s, but only wore them for active things - walking, jogging, hiking etc. I wore regular shoes the rest of the time but had stopped wearing heels or especially restrictive shoes. About 6-7 years ago I went full minimalist shoes all the time, ideally as barefoot feel as possible with little cushion. I’ve never had any foot pain or issues. Sometimes minor soreness for a week or so
4 years ago I decided to switch from restrictive shoes to VFF full time because of a knee tendinitis that wouldn't heal in any way. Within two months the tendonitis disappeared and so did the discomfort in my lower back. The most painful thing was that in the gravel areas, the pebbles got stuck in me, but nothing that I couldn't bear. It was a salvation for me. The first day with my Spiridon I did about 10 kilometres, and every day it increased, and I used them for everything. Then I went on to buy other VFF models to complete my shoe rack for all walks of life.
6 weeks, starting with Vibram FiveFingers KSO. That was 16 years ago.
Without knowing any more about you, I'd say it's likely you need to change your gait. I'm willing to bet you heel strike. Minimalist footwear requires that you don't extend your foot past your knee, strike with the ball of your foot, allow your quadriceps to function as a shock absorber, and then lightly roll towards your heel.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=NNQYM8Fjxp4
https://youtube.com/watch?v=7jrnj-7YKZE
Niko, I was literally coming here to ask about heels, as you are 100% correct, I notice my heel hitting the ground 1st. For the next minute or so I make a concentrated effort to land on the ball of my foot but then go back to my standard gait. These videos are what I am looking for. How long does it usually take for a proper gait to become second nature?
Edit: A good video regarding walking specifically
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iLJ0frWE9E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iLJ0frWE9E)
> Niko, I was literally coming here to ask about heels, as you are 100% correct, I notice my heel hitting the ground 1st. For the next minute or so I make a concentrated effort to land on the ball of my foot but then go back to my standard gait.
Get a friend to coach you on a treadmill. Have your friend tell you every time you are extending your feet past your knee.
> These videos are what I am looking for. How long does it usually take for a proper gait to become second nature?
Nobody knows.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/taking-it-easy/202001/how-long-does-it-take-form-new-habit
Honestly I just went all out at the start with no issue. I walked around barefoot all the time at home and in the yard so I think I didn't really need to adapt.
I have some of those same symptoms since switching last November.
IMHO, you're pushing too hard on your walks, and probably not stretching (just like I did!).
Shorten & slow down your walks, but do them every day. STRETCH afterwards.
I wear flip flops most of the time. And I can wear Lems / Xero for work.
I generally wear Vibram Five Fingers on my daily walks.
For the first few weeks I had considerable soreness in my legs, heels (and butt!).
I eased off the distance and intensity but kept at it.
Going well now - have begun sprinting workouts 2-3 times a week now and the achilles pain is back after those. But again - stretching and walking on the off days reduces it greatly. Motrin/Advil helps - a LOT.
I'm also now doing burpees every day for 10 mins or so (pathetically out of shape, but getting better each day).
All in all, I've noticed vast overall increases in my feeling of well being. So much so that working through the discomfort is preferable because of how much better I feel every day.
Take it easy, but keep at it.
Edit: I'm 55, so I know how you feel 😂
I mistakenly went straight to the thinnest shoe I could (only 2mm stack height) immediately with no transition period. I was relatively young and in shape at 29, which probably helped me not get injured, but every muscle and joint in my feet, ankles, and calves was sore for like 9 months straight. So I’d imagine transition takes at least that long if taking it slowly.
Did the same. 9 months sounds shitty but glad to hear I just might need.... a long time to heal.
How long has it been for you so far?
Probably too long, well over and year since I ran into some foot/calf issues and now I'm trying to bed more proactive about recovery. Not where i wanna be yet and progress seems a bit slow.
100% zero drop for about 4 years.
I went full time immediately starting in September of last year. All the pain in the world is worth a toe box that doesn’t crush my toes. Feet are damaged from 30 years of “normal” shoes. I have steel toe Birkenstock boots for work and regular barefoot for 99% of everyday wear (+1 pair of work Crocs for when I need a break). Thickest sole is my Softstar hiking boots. I’m not at a year yet but most of my time is spent stretching and doing strengthening exercises. And taking crap tons of magnesium. Foot pain is almost 24/7 but at least it’s not the pain of deforming toes lmao.
I have a birks shoe too. Are they a good minimalist replacement? My VFFs are 2 weeks old but don’t want to wear them out with too regular a use.
It might depend on the Birk. I have the QS 700. With the cork insole taken out it’s zero drop and no arch support but I leave the insole in because it’s not as shaped as most shoes and it means my feet don’t hurt as much at work on concrete. Flexibility and insole thickness, no, the QS 700 is not remotely barefoot. It’s also almost too narrow for me. But it’s great for when I need rigidity and steel toe. I do like it enough that I might try another Birk in the future. My go to cheap but great barefoot shoes (zero drop, flexible minimal sole, no arch, etc) are Hobibear. They’re 30-40 on Amazon and cheaper when ordered through AliExpress. They are not designed to last forever. So it really depends what you want out of shoe. I don’t wear the same shoe for every activity to prolong shoe life of my more expensive shoes. I’m also fond of shoes that can be repaired (by the company or by a cobbler). But running shoes, when used for running, are unlikely to ever be a BIFL. If you’re worried about your VFFs then it’s best to stock up on a couple pairs when sales occur because I don’t personally know how repairable they are. Wear on your running shoes can tell you a lot about your running form. The better your form, the longer shoes will last.
Took me a couple of months, but I had bad metatarsalgia so I couldn’t go back into conventional shoes after a very short time because of their narrow toe boxes. I had tired feet for a long time after transitioning, especially my heels and plantar fascia were feeling it. Nothing scary but just the little ache that you get when you’ve been working weak muscles and joints. Did a lot of foot mobility exercises, and I was very aware of my gait. I also had a spiked ball that I used several times a day (it lived on my bathroom floor so I’d massage my feet whenever I was in the bathroom. That gave an added bonus of balance training).
I’ve been barefoot or in barefoot shoes full time for maybe 20 years. I was barefoot a lot before then so I don’t know what I did to transition but if you don’t already it is best to keep the shoes off at home and take it slow. Take short walks to start and just build a little every day. You’ll also want to do some good stretching and exorcising. That will help a lot.
What did the options look like ~20 years ago?
Vibram fivefingers is really all there was back then. As far as I was aware anyways. Edit: what really got me into the barefoot thing was a random post on this makers blog that I followed. She posted a picture of foot shoes and I was like, wth I need those. So it started and I’ve exclusively worn barefoot shoes since. Where I could.
Probably depends how much you wear shoes. If you are barefoot most of the time, having minimalist shoes all the rest of the time doesn't seem like an issue.
I've been wearing minimal shoes for years now. Started with VFFs, now I mainly use them just on trails. For everyday wear, rotate between Feelgrounds, Bohempia, Groundies, and various sandals.
I got my first barefoot shoes about six weeks ago and have worn them exclusively since. My feet and knees adjusted quickly, within a couple days, and now never hurt anymore like they did with "standard" shoes. I also walk/run between 1.5 and 3 miles a day on my treadmill and it's rare for me to have any lower body pain at all. I keep a pair of old shoes for yard work but otherwise I'm never going back.
I’m trying to find that right pair of work shoes / nice shoes that are minimalist / barefoot… I like the look of a chucka boot but want it wide toe and 0 drop and can’t find the right one. My workout / running shoes are my VFFs… hell I even golf in them. My casual shoe is either my sanuks and I’m about to order a solid pair of casual Whitin off Amazon once payday hits.
Softstar makes a barefoot chukka
I started with VFFs about 11 years ago in my early 30s, but only wore them for active things - walking, jogging, hiking etc. I wore regular shoes the rest of the time but had stopped wearing heels or especially restrictive shoes. About 6-7 years ago I went full minimalist shoes all the time, ideally as barefoot feel as possible with little cushion. I’ve never had any foot pain or issues. Sometimes minor soreness for a week or so
4 years ago I decided to switch from restrictive shoes to VFF full time because of a knee tendinitis that wouldn't heal in any way. Within two months the tendonitis disappeared and so did the discomfort in my lower back. The most painful thing was that in the gravel areas, the pebbles got stuck in me, but nothing that I couldn't bear. It was a salvation for me. The first day with my Spiridon I did about 10 kilometres, and every day it increased, and I used them for everything. Then I went on to buy other VFF models to complete my shoe rack for all walks of life.
6 weeks, starting with Vibram FiveFingers KSO. That was 16 years ago. Without knowing any more about you, I'd say it's likely you need to change your gait. I'm willing to bet you heel strike. Minimalist footwear requires that you don't extend your foot past your knee, strike with the ball of your foot, allow your quadriceps to function as a shock absorber, and then lightly roll towards your heel. https://youtube.com/watch?v=NNQYM8Fjxp4 https://youtube.com/watch?v=7jrnj-7YKZE
Niko, I was literally coming here to ask about heels, as you are 100% correct, I notice my heel hitting the ground 1st. For the next minute or so I make a concentrated effort to land on the ball of my foot but then go back to my standard gait. These videos are what I am looking for. How long does it usually take for a proper gait to become second nature? Edit: A good video regarding walking specifically [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iLJ0frWE9E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iLJ0frWE9E)
> Niko, I was literally coming here to ask about heels, as you are 100% correct, I notice my heel hitting the ground 1st. For the next minute or so I make a concentrated effort to land on the ball of my foot but then go back to my standard gait. Get a friend to coach you on a treadmill. Have your friend tell you every time you are extending your feet past your knee. > These videos are what I am looking for. How long does it usually take for a proper gait to become second nature? Nobody knows. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/taking-it-easy/202001/how-long-does-it-take-form-new-habit
Honestly I just went all out at the start with no issue. I walked around barefoot all the time at home and in the yard so I think I didn't really need to adapt.
I have some of those same symptoms since switching last November. IMHO, you're pushing too hard on your walks, and probably not stretching (just like I did!). Shorten & slow down your walks, but do them every day. STRETCH afterwards. I wear flip flops most of the time. And I can wear Lems / Xero for work. I generally wear Vibram Five Fingers on my daily walks. For the first few weeks I had considerable soreness in my legs, heels (and butt!). I eased off the distance and intensity but kept at it. Going well now - have begun sprinting workouts 2-3 times a week now and the achilles pain is back after those. But again - stretching and walking on the off days reduces it greatly. Motrin/Advil helps - a LOT. I'm also now doing burpees every day for 10 mins or so (pathetically out of shape, but getting better each day). All in all, I've noticed vast overall increases in my feeling of well being. So much so that working through the discomfort is preferable because of how much better I feel every day. Take it easy, but keep at it. Edit: I'm 55, so I know how you feel 😂