Barefeet or Nike Free or Flats?

[T SmallzXC]

What would you all train in a few times a week to strengthen your lower legs and feet?

[Dalau]

a tight pair of socks.

[jaguar]

Combo of flats with as little heel lift and midsole as possible (definitely not the Free's) and barefoot running. Also, get used to wearing street shoes/sandals with less heel lift and more flexibility.

[grahamcarter]

Nike Frees suck. The idea behind them is not bad, but they are terrible. I find that, if i need the barefoot running, i'll do a few barefoot strides on grass after practice.

[krazysteepler]

run barefoot. just make sure where you run there's no sharp things in the grass. i usually do about 3 miles sometimes on the football field. it's great for strengthening your legs and making you run more efficiently. anyways, shoes are too constricting :p

[AzN at LARGE]

run barefoot. just make sure where you run there's no sharp things in the grass. i usually do about 3 miles sometimes on the football field. it's great for strengthening your legs and making you run more efficiently. anyways, shoes are too constricting :p
i agree, but definetly make sure the fields/trails whatever surface you're running on are free of sharp objects. nothing like running barefoot, it also helps to improve form.

[Beanfontaine]

Nike Frees suck. The idea behind them is not bad, but they are terrible. I find that, if i need the barefoot running, i'll do a few barefoot strides on grass after practice.


i actually loved the Nike Frees. but also i remember it had a thing in the box that said that Frees might not suit well for some people. i loved them though :p

anyways yea barefoot strides on grass after practice are a great way to build up those muscles.

[Dragonsoul]

run barefoot. just make sure where you run there's no sharp things in the grass. i usually do about 3 miles sometimes on the football field. it's great for strengthening your legs and making you run more efficiently. anyways, shoes are too constricting :p

Hey! Great job on typing that smiley at the end of your post! I'm the only person on the Dyestat forum who uses that smiley a lot. I use it in about half my posts! Keep up the good work! Join the cult! :p? ;p~!!

[AsthenicAthlete]

Mike, teach him the Art of :p!

[Joe]

I do every cooldown from a race barefoot. One mile around the track. The first time your feet will sting, but they get used to it.

[MoMo]

From the Guardian of London:
David Smith and Denis Campbell
Sunday April 17, 2005

...According to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, up to 60 per cent of sports injuries are caused by worn-out or unsuitable footwear. Experts warn that the wrong trainer can do more harm than no trainer at all, a view that has fuelled a boom in shoes that replicate 'going barefoot'.

Thousands of Britons - including Cherie Blair and, last week, Jemima Khan - have turned to Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) trainers, whose uneven soles apparently encourage wearers to move in the same way as East Africa's Masai tribespeople walking barefoot in the sand. These trainers force wearers to engage core muscles to maintain balance, and are said to reduce back pain, arthritis and cellulite.

Aware that many great African runners began their careers training barefoot, sportswear companies have been exploring the technology's potential for years. A barefoot runner's foot hits the ground at a much shallower angle than if a shoe is worn, distributing the pressure more evenly and enabling the foot's 26 bones to interact. The latest innovation is the Nike Free trainer, which went on sale for £60 this month and has been used by Paula Radcliffe in her preparation for today's race. It has deep grooves and slices on the sole, heel pockets to allow more natural movement, and slices to make the top more flexible. It is intended as a training aid rather than a running shoe.

Mike O'Neill, a podiatric surgeon at Princess Margaret Hospital in Windsor, said: 'The idea of the Nike Free is that is has a very thin sole with deep grooves so your feet will act as a natural spring. It has hardly any stability or motion support and will be a bit like wearing a sandal. For someone light and biomechanically stable, it's probably OK for short distance running. I wouldn't advise anyone doing longer distance running to wear it.'

O'Neill said he saw many injuries caused by the wrong kind of trainers. 'A lot of people come in here with knee problems, shin problems, back problems. So many of them are wearing crappy trainers, I can't believe it.

'The London Marathon is a big problem for us. People will see it on Sunday and think, "I'll do it next year." They'll put on old trainers or buy some for £20 or £30 and start running. Or people can spend £70 to £100 but often the staff in the shop don't know what they're selling.'

The marathon will test some footwear - and bodies - to destruction. Dr Jonathan Folland, an expert in exercise physiology at Loughborough University, said: 'There are 10 or 20 injuries that are reasonably common among endurance runners. The marathon puts a big strain on the body, especially with all the training involved.'

Guardian Unlimited ©

[Gyro]

Combo of flats with as little heel lift and midsole as possible (definitely not the Free's) and barefoot running. Also, get used to wearing street shoes/sandals with less heel lift and more flexibility.
I think that it's important to realize that the Free 5.0 is a transitional shoe to get people started towards minimalism. I dont think that people can just go into the lower heal, and I'm under the impression that Nike agrees. From my understanding, Nike has a whole line of the Frees coming out. The 4.0 will have a smaller heel and lighter weight. I think eventually there'll be the Free 1.0, which will be the epitome of minimalism. Have you heard about that, Jag?