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Feet can change, but its not quick. I would suggest choosing progressively demanding footwear over time, or go barefoot as much as possible. Or, go very minimal but limit how much time you spend in them to a few minutes at a time to start, just walking, and make sure you stay within your capacity for a long time until you know where that line is. Coming off serious injury, it took me a year to wear minimal shoes comfortably all day.

But going barefoot or with minimal shoes is not magic, you will need to do other work to get to your goal. Its best if you can do a little bit every day. If you just strengthen from where you are now, you'll just be getting stronger within the limitations you currently have.

So once you have a footwear plan, I think its required to improve involved joint functions, the hips, tibia, ankle, midfoot, big toe etc. Those joints moving correctly will better enable you to have the right body mechanics to reduce compensation, and restore more natural foot function.

Plus you can get helpful benefit in those joints WAY earlier than you'll probably see improvements in your feet. And getting those joints improved first will better enable your feet to improve later. Strong feet start with strong hips. Take a look at the figure 4 position, and maybe over time if you have improved hip rotation, look into the 90 90 position.

(take a look at functional range conditiong, or kinstretch to learn more about joint improvement. Also lookup controlled articular rotations, pails/rails, hip CARs, ankle CARs etc.)

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As for feet specifically, maybe consider this kind of work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OOJ9AQ1AEg

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I also recommend this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Strong-Healthy-Feet/dp/151872812X

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From my view, given these very few details, I would probably say that you should consider only running for a few minutes at a time while minimal or barefoot, for at least 3-6 months. Its so easy to do too much, too soon, and end up with a problem. And you'll have settled into some mechanics or compensations that will be much harder to switch later - as compared to getting some of that working in the right direction first.

Patience is your friend. Incorporate the right changes, work on your feet and joints, don't push too hard. For me I saw some first benefits in a few months, but it took a couple more years to really see the bigger changes come together.

I love my vivos! I've got several pairs.

Just bought these last week and they're lovely. Very happy with my purchase. They're office friendly, casual, comfortable, and really easy to slip on/off w/o compromising my foot.

These took me through the summer and I still wear them. They're not as quick for on/off, which is why I bought the other ones. I take off my shoes all the time - office, home, driving, etc - so I like something that's quick. They're still in decent shape though. Not amazing, but not bad considering I've been wearing practically nothing but them mid summer.

Plus you can find older styles on Amazon for great discounts, especially if your foot is outside the common sizes. I'm in CA so sandals are OK for me, but you can find warmer pairs as well.

Good luck!

I've only been wearing minimalist shoes for about a year, but came across spiked massage balls on Amazon about six months ago and since acquiring them run my feet on them quite often during the day while working at my standing desk and they feel great on the footsies. I also use them for tendonitis relief in my elbows/arms and they work great for that too.

These are just the set that I happened to buy because they were on sale and they seem perfectly fine to me, but upon retrieving the link just now I noticed there are some with better reviews etc.

I've read that Oxyclean is good for getting rid of stink. This is my routine for keeping them smelling clean:

1. You probably already know this one, but wash your feet before wearing them.
   
2. If you can afford them, pick up a few pairs of Injinji wool socks. They'll help keep your feet more dry than not wearing socks, and the wool is naturally antimicrobial. Their Run 2.0 socks are super thin and slick, so you might try those if you don't have much room. They aren't wool, but they're better than no socks at all.
   
3. Don't let your feet get too sweaty in them (socks help here); I air mine out as quickly as possible as soon as I start to notice moisture building up. Sometimes, it's just a matter of slipping my heel out for a bit if I'm wearing them at my desk at work. If using for running, put them in front of a high power small fan to air out faster when you get home.
   
4. Insert charcoal/bamboo deodorizer bags inside after they're dry. This is what I have, but I'm pretty sure I just bought that specific set because it was cheap at the time. I keep them in my shoes whenever I'm not wearing them.
   
5. Once a month or so (or more if needed), soak VFF in Oxyclean/water mixture for a couple hours, then let air dry. If it's summer, I let them dry in the sun, but in the winter I just use a small fan.
   
6. Set deodorizer bags and VFFs in back windshield of my car during a sunny week for a couple of days about once a month as well. The UV light is supposed to help kill bacteria and will "reset" the deodorizer bags.
   

First, welcome to the club!!

You sound like you're doing the fundamentals right. Running true barefoot (not even VFFs, not even mininalist shoes) and walking barefoot is a great idea. It'll help your feet adapt.

Expect pain as you build up calluses under your feet. The good news? They build up pretty fast, and before long you'll have your own dog paws.

If you want further reading material, I recommend this book for great barefoot-related, very practical advice. It served me very well.

TBH, I've been on the hunt for a long time, but I haven't been able to find anything since they discontinued the Merrell sandals I loved. I still have them; I've been wearing them daily and for long hikes for 7 years now. But they're going to fall apart eventually. And I only have them in black - I'd really like something in tan.

All the more popular brands I have looked at all look the same: a cheap, unmolded sole with lots of straps keeping the shoe on your foot. Sure, the construction itself is minimal - it takes almost no work from the manufacturer to put together the sandal. But that's not what I want. I want a sandal that fits to my foot and has minimal impact to how I walk.

If anyone is aware of a minimal sandal with a more structured sole, I would love to know :)

I have been meaning to make a long form post for some time. I have had quite the journey and learned a lot. I once went the orthotic insert route and it just made things so much worse. Unfortunately I am completely swamped with work right now but I am putting this on my to do list for this week and will get back to you.

Jaclean is just the brand of chi machine that I like the most (have tried a few models). It's amazing for a daily or twice daily unwind. I ALWAYS use it before and after any kind of physical activity. Here's the link. I recommend using it on carpet or a yoga mat (don't want to be on too hard or too soft of a surface). Don't use pillows or anything, just lay down and let it shake your body. Start slowly and work your way up to faster speeds as you loosen up. If you are too stiff and go too fast it can cause a little pain in the knees. The Jaclean model is great because it has variable speeds. I would start with 5-10 minutes at a time and if you feel good then go for the full 15 minutes (it turns off after 15 min). Good luck and I'll follow up soon!

Exactly this. It's not about toughening up the skin, but rather improving barefoot running form form. My feet are now more soft and supple than when I did everything shod.

To lessen the friction, try not to propel forward with your calf group, instead think of your femur being pulled posteriorly, thus moving you forward. The hamstrings and hip extensors are much larger and stronger than the smaller plantarflexors of the calf, thus more efficient, durable, and longer to fatigue. Springing forward with a toe-off will often lead to blisters of the forefoot. Also in effort to avoid a propelling toe-off, try to lift the foot off the ground all at once, instead rolling off heel first, then midfoot, forefoot/toes. You'll not likely fully accomplish this, but if you are focusing on this, and it sorta feels like you're doing this, then you likely are, but to a lesser degree than it feels like you are, but that can be enough. I try to make it feel like my fore/midfoot is just kissing the ground, focusing on that contact feeling like it's happening behind my me, expecting/hoping that in actuality I'm contacting the ground directly below me. The more the ground contact is forward from the point directly below you, the more friction and blisters will occur. Think of it this way...for every inch forward of the point directly beneath you the foot/ground contact will have a braking effect on your forward momentum, and this has to first be experienced as a sheering force of the skin and concrete, and you can attest to which deteriorate first. (an extreme visual is a pole vaulter jamming the pole into that hole in the ground).

In regards to the toe tip...in addition to the above, try to dorsiflex your toes upward as the foot touches the ground until it leaves the ground. Same thing, you won't truly accomplish this, but the intention and the "it feels like I'm doing it" means I probably am a little, and usually that's enough.

I run almost entirely on city streets and sidewalks with one rule that I won't compromise...never run with discomfort (joint, tendon/ligament, skin) from a previous run. I may try to run through a simple low-grade muscle soreness, but not often. There's a good reasoning to not involve any sort of weaning off of shoes, and progressively switching to barefoot (see Ken Bob's book linked below). I went cold turkey and it was almost completely without incident beyond the initial blisters from sloppy freshman form, and a little achilles tenderness from 45 years of mostly being on vacation. Now cardio is my only nemesis...well, also those damned half-eaten acorns the squirrels drop onto the sidewalk. I also learned to avoid street/sidewalks on recycling pickup days due to glass.
Ken Bob Saxton's book, Barefoot Running Step by Step is incredibly helpful in technique, and is very readable.


Hauraches are better than shoes IMHO, no shoes at all is best. I wear Xeros DIY style hauraches, but only when the asphalt becomes too hot, or a race course involves some hateful gravel sections.

I don't think I will ever go completely barefoot but I use skin shoes. You can get them for average $5. I posted a link for some that are on Amazon. I put duct tape on the bottom for a little extra protection and so they will last longer. I did my longest run ever today wearing them. It was a slow 14 miles. Mostly on grass in parks. The furthest I ever went before in those skin shoes was 3 miles. That is what I planned today but I felt good. Once I got to 10 miles I decided to do my longest run ever (ran 2 half marathons in past). Feet fell great. Had planter fascittis in past when I ran with shoes. I'm not nearly as fast because I think you get an extra bounce from those cushioned shoes but overall this minialist running is way better on my joints, etc. Kind of wish they had minimalist shoe races. https://www.amazon.com/JIASUQI-Womens-Classic-Barefoot-Exercise/dp/B072176GY3

In the Barefoot Running Step by Step book, Barefoot Ken Bob talks about a friend who uses Plasti Dip to coat the bottom of his socks. Plasti Dip is just liquid rubber so once it dries the socks will have a light layer of protection/padding on the bottom.

Apparently these allow for a more barefoot-like feel of the road as compared to VFF or Minimal shoes and they allow you to run in the winter while still being as close to barefoot as possible. The best part is you choose the socks that fit you best or that you want to use (can even use toe socks). The book suggests wearing the socks when you coat them (use a foam paint brush) which means hanging out in a well ventilated area for 45 min. or so.

For less than $10 you can get a jar of Plasti Dip and a pair of socks, and the jar will last for multiple pairs of socks. Sounds like a good deal to me, I've been thinking about trying it.

EDIT I missed the part where you can't wear the VFFs at work and are looking for a replacement. The rubber coated socks probably aren't a good solution for your problem.

That's a great deal for the Bikilas! I've been running in mine for about a year now and I love them. As long as you start slow and get used to the new form, I think they're really good for you. I had some pretty bad knee and shin issues when I was running in traditional shoes, and all of that went away with my Vibrams.

If you haven't already checked it out and are interested, you should check out Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It's a really interesting book for a runner.

I live/run in a city too. I have these and love them:
http://www.amazon.com/Merrell-Mens-Ascend-Glove-Trail-Running/dp/B00B98NFAE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425785059&sr=8-1&keywords=Merrell+ascend+glove
They have a bit more padding than some other minimal shoes (6mm, so still not a ton) and find having just a bit of padding is nice. I'm also considering getting a pair of Merrell vapor gloves (zero padding) which I've heard good things about. I'm a lot newer runner than you but I find these (Ascend) to be super comfortable up to the half-marathon distance that I've done.

Great article. Jason Robillard is an excellent runner as well as great writer.

• The Barefoot Running Book Second Edition: A Practical Guide to the Art and Science of Barefoot and Minimalist Shoe Running
  
  

the easy way to fix this is to concentrate on placing your other foot gently, your body automatically should take care of lifting the other foot off of the ground.

most of the running form questions are covered in barefoot ken bob's book Barefoot Running Step by Step

good luck

Barefoot Ken Bobs book has a lot of good advice about barefoot running form. The basic thing I got is to lift your foot almost the instant it lands, and also to curl the toes up before landing.

In practice both of these are nearly impossible or at least very difficult to do, but they're a useful mental cue.

I used to get the same thing, but lately with focus on using lean for forward movement, and the above two prompts (aiming for minimal to no horizontal friction on the foot during the ground phase) I don't have this problem anymore.

This video is also a nice summary of good form, and inspiring barefoot running - https://youtu.be/zSIDRHUWlVo

Just chiming in as another vote for vivobarefoot. I've owned 6 different pairs over the years and they're well worth the investment IMHO.

They can wear out a tiny bit faster than some shoes, but only because they're thinner by nature. I suggest saving and buying multiple pairs so you can alternate them. I find that extends their life significantly.

My favorite so far are these, but I'd also recommend these or these.

If you buy the slip-ons keep in mind that vivo shoes run wide by nature so you might need to size accordingly (so they don't slip off).

I suggest you check out The Barefoot Running Book. It is a quick read and has most of the best no-nonsense advice I have seen on any book on the topic.

That said I agree with the books author that it is best to start on a hard surface like concerete or asphalt and start totally barefoot. If you really feel like you just have to have shoes after you get the form down and your body makes the necessary adjustments then go try some on and pick one after that. Soft terrain with lots of natural surfaces and obstacles only makes learning the form harder and is harder on your body since the softer ground will eat up some of your energy with each step.

I am of the school of thought that people feel they need transitional shoes because they were brought up from babies with the idea that they need shoes. Basically, I think the market for minimalist shoes is mostly social and phycological. People either don't want to stand out and get some merrals or they do and the get some vibrams, but mostly they get shoes because they are afraid of rocks and broken glass and such; none of which are a big deal if you have a little practice and don't distract yourself with lots of thinking or external stimuli.

I regularly run on asphalt trails in the middle of the night with only the moonshine to light my way and if I ever step on anything my foot just curls around it. In those conditions I am not really able to see small objects on the trail so even without my sight to help I have never cut or punctured my bare feet.

I've worn Merrells, trail glove I think. They all seem to have a slight arch support thing going on. Eventually I found: Vivobarefoot Men's Stealth 2 Walk Shoe https://www.amazon.com/Vivobarefoot-Mens-Stealth-Walk-Black/dp/B00TRQ7CMC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1464794190&sr=8-2&keywords=shoe+stealth

I can feel a post it note on the carpet in these things. Completely flat, no support at all. Nice looking. I've run a few miles in them and coming from the Merrells I have to actually get used to it. Not as bad as going from regular to fivefingers but still an adjustment.

I run 3 miles and then wait till it doesn't hurt anywhere, then rinse repeat. Eventually all will be well.

I applaud all this hard-won knowledge about foot anatomy and true, long term PF treatment but you really should mention the undisputed "address PF quickly and get back on the road" treatment - The Strassburg Sock!

This bit of fabric provided me with near-immediate relief from significant PF pain which has been permanently cured by gait and foot strike changes as well as the massage techniques you have highlighted.

If your a book reader check out "Born to Run"

Its entertaining, educational, slightly biased, and loaded with hyperbole, but its worth the read for sure.

I used leather and a strap I got from amazon to make a pair of sandals. I love them, have been my only footwear outside of work all summer. Only real complaint is they can be slick in wet conditions.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PGB74X6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DP528YH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Update: I have bought the Merrell Vapor Glove 4 in size 9.5 and 10 (I'm usually a 10). Free returns with Amazon so win-win!


https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07DYML1QD/ref=twister_B07DYD27MK?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

being a dedicated barefoot runner myself, two things I can recommend:
Born to Run (a book) by Christopher Mcdougall
Swiss Protection Socks

Oh, I meant running in minimal shoes and wearing regular shoes when I'm not running. My bad.

My motivation: general fitness. I want to stay slim but I could really use some exercise. My legs won't get bigger from running a little, right?

I have a pair of these shoes but I haven't trained myself to run in them yet. Would it be fine to run in these and wear Converse when I'm not running? Thanks.

I wear Vibrams on the treadmill all the time. The KSO EVOs are the thinnest I'm aware of - https://www.amazon.com/Vibram-Mens-KSO-Cross-Training/dp/B00DYXLWOS?th=1


I actually prefer wearing my V-Runs though (tougher sole, breathable mesh upper). https://www.amazon.com/Vibram-Running-Black-Yellow-9-5-10/dp/B0114CI4AK


Merrell is another popular brand, and more normal looking. https://www.merrell.com/US/en/vapor-glove-4/36209M.html Someone else will have to chime in though, I'm not really familiar with them.

http://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Running-Step-Shoeless-Technique/dp/1592334652/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318434334&sr=1-1-fkmr0

There you go. Barefoot Running Step by Step, written by Barefoot Ted himself.

Born to Run, by Christopher McDougall is a book about Barefoot/Minimalist running that talks about this tribe a lot.