United Kingdom
“We are challenged by fear!” The words of Chris Bull who is training to take his tightrope walking skills to this year’s Glastonbury Festival. Chris wears VIVOBAREFOOT shoes and in the video Chris talks about the VIVOBAREFOOT Gobi: “It’s basically a flat sole that feels like you’re walking barefoot”
The first thing to notice is the thin sole. Immediately, you feel close to the ground. The barefoot feeling can never be fully replicated in a shoe but if you need protection from the weather or the terrain, this is the alternative. The removable insole also allows you to choose just how barefoot you want it to feel.
The 4mm sole achieves a nice balance of allowing you to feel the ground whilst at the same time protecting you from stones and thorns with its puncture resistant sole. The lack of heel to toe height difference will take some getting used to for those unaccustomed to it and some runners may feel like they are slapping the ground as they run. However, with a sensible ‘breaking in’ [learn more about transitiong properly to barefoot] period the muscles of the feet and lower leg will relax and adapt to the new sensations allowing the foot to land in a more relaxed fashion. This is when you can begin to enjoy the feeling of running closer to how nature intended and start to use your VIVOBAREFOOT shoes as a training shoe.
“When I made the switch to barefoot running almost 4 years ago, I had no idea the impact it would make on my life – not just in how I ran but also in how I moved, how I lived and how I learned. Barefoot living has opened my eyes to just how many other areas of our life we take for granted and how many things we do because that’s what we’ve always done. I truly believe that people shouldn’t just make the switch to barefoot running but also barefoot walking, which is why I exclusively wear Vivobarefoot, whether I’m playing disc golf, lifting weights, running, or working in the office. Read more…
“I first discovered VIVOBAREFOOT when I returned from a 3 month teaching stint in Portugal. I tore my meniscus after successfully chasing down a purse thief. Upon returning to Colorado, my chiropractor suggested I switch to VIVOBAREFOOT for greater stability as I continued to parkour and crossfit train. I soon realized I had better tactile responses and was less injury prone.
Swap your trains for trainers this Friday (26 April) for the first global Run To Work Day. If you’re running to work in VIVOBAREFOOT shoes make sure you share you stories, photos and videos with us by posting on our Facebook Wall or tweeting us. You can run all or part of their daily commute, donating the money you would otherwise spend on travel and/or parking.
“Run To Work Day is not just an opportunity for runners around the world to ‘run for good’ it is also a chance for employers to encourage colleagues to create a healthy and active workplace. Further, we anticipate that many firms will agree to match-fund their employees’ charitable donations.” – Run to Work Day Organisers.
There’s more to ‘barefoot’ running than thin soles: technique is everything
April 17th 2013 by Jamie PageHow to run barefoot? Fresh from the Guardian’s Running Blog, here’s Adharanand Finn and Kate Carter learning the skill of barefoot running. They visited us at the VIVOBAREFOOT Training Clinic to learn more about why technique is everything.
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Here’s an Adharanand Finn and Kate Carter discussing the latest barefoot and minimalist shoes – and the VIVOBAREFOOT Evo features heavily in the review. Watch the full video.
