Five years ago, when I was looking for new ways to keep my legs and joints healthy I bought some Vivo Barefoot shoes (I told you I was faddish). If you haven’t come across them they are completely unpadded shoes, with very thin soles which although puncture resistant offer no cushioning at all, so you can feel every bump in the pavement. The idea is to give you a completely natural walking experience while still wearing shoes.
I stuck with them for a while, but as they were lightweight and my trouser hems were that much closer to the ground I tended only to wear them in summer. And gradually I forgot to take them out of hibernation. Well now I have a new fad, that is project, and what better way to transition from trainers to tarsals than with the assistance of the Vivos.
Today I took them in to work ready for my first (nearly) barefoot run around Bristol Harbourside. How did I do?
Well apart from the very slappy noise, which made me relatively self conscious, they were comfortable and impact was not an issue. I’m used to running on the sometimes rocky and always hilly Mendips, which meant I’m often kept on my toes, literally, so I felt I could adapt to being on the forefoot quite well. The only thing I noticed was that my right thigh felt like it had done a lot of work. Maybe because of the smaller, more careful steps and the move away from the heel.
A good start I feel, and later this week it will be barefoot for real.
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