The whole mythos of running barefoot got me and my wife into running! We did actual barefoot just a little bit before switching to toe shoes. We ran in those until 2021. We only switched to Xeros because of the "grass stuck between the toes" effect when hiking and the ability to get slightly thicker soles with lugs.
From when we started in 2009 to today, we both had to increase two shoe sizes.
She just finished her first 50 mile ultramarathon using Xero thin soled shoes. It was half on the AT, and she had no issues with that.
I'm a less serious runner, just enough to be able to knock out a few miles on demand and the annual Broad Street 10 mile run.
We both hiked 1000 miles of the AT on a thru in 2022. We've also clocked around 3O00 miles of other small day hikes and overnight trips. All with Zeros or Altras, and with a 30lb pack.
Over the years, she's had some minor issues with plantar fascitis that went away when she added in regular stretching. She's had a few bouts of hip bursitis when ramping up mileage for the ultra.
I've had some issues with knee pain that started on the thru hike related to scoliosis. My one hip drops lower than the other, twisting the knee and causing issues on both. Regular single leg exercises and heavy lifting keeps that in check (hard to do on the trail unfortunately).
Neither of us have had any issues with ankles, calves, or typical runner knee issues. I'm not sure I can credit the shoes for all of it, but I'm very glad we started with them and neither of us have any reason to change. Regular thick foam trainers now feel very uncomfortable, it's hard to describe. They squish my toes (which are very wide). They change my gait which feels awkward.
It's funny, now I feel like I see lots of runners in my area using these thin soled shoes, like the Merrel Vaporglove, Xeros, or alternative. Maybe it's cohort bias? Either way I am glad I found them when I did!
I resolved my plantar fasciitis by switching from hiking boots to thin soled trail runners. My theory is that it makes me take more care in putting my feet down, and makes me stretch them considerably more as they conform to rocks and holes. I was just stomping over everything in the boots.
I read someone who said that walking barefoot was a religious experience for them, in which every step was a prayer. Someone responded that they weren't as religious, and for them every step was fondling the earth. Both work for me, and both work better with thinner soles.
I've spent quite a bit of time in outdoor sports and don't think I've met a single person who did a lot of rough hiking and preferred heavy duty hiking boots over lighter trail running or approach shoes. I see quite a few of the old school heavy boots for sale in some stores so there must be a market but I have no idea what it is.
Barefoot hiking is also very niche from what I've seen, but I do think there is something undeniably nice about walking around camp or a yard in bare feet.
Did your feet grow larger ?
My guess is that they experienced something like this and needed larger sized normal shoes to accommodate the more natural foot shape.
https://www.reddit.com/r/BarefootRunning/comments/1ec5i5n/di...
Exactly what I figured, wider, not longer. Some shoes (usually higher-end ones) have a width measurement (in letters) as well as a length (the usual number measurement) for this reason—you shouldn't need a longer shoe (larger number size) unless buying shoes that don't offer a variety of widths. In fact, getting a longer shoe for the extra width will result in a poor overall fit.
It's kinda like how some nicer brands offer a variety of size modifiers in addition to "small, medium, large" on their ready-to-wear shirts, like "slim", or Brooks Brothers' named fit-variants ("Regent", "Madison", et c)
Is having a wider foot a good thing for certain sports? It seems like it might be more natural and advantageous but I don’t know if I like the idea of having to buy wider shoes for regular purposes.
I have naturally wide feet, and it's no advantage for any sport requiring footwear. Soccer shoes, climbing shoes, ice skates, snowboard boots, the list goes on, mostly manufactured for average to skinny sized feet.
I see. The main reason I was wondering about this is that occasionally there’s people online who recommend going barefoot or using a special shoe for doing weightlifting. Maybe strengthening the foot arch is the point behind this trend rather than width.
Ice skates in particular are sold in different widths. But yes it’s the norm that the “regular” or narrow fit is the default.
Who makes wide skates? I have a wide foot and have yet to find a hard body skate that is wide enough. I always end up having to sit laps out at the track every 15-20 minutes at the track because my feet get so squeezed into my skates and after a while the pain is no good. And skates that are wide enough are sized up and just feel like boats on my feet or they don’t have low ankles so you don’t really get to lean forward as much as you like to overstep. Anyways I love skating so much I just wish i could find a skate that fits before next season as I want to skate the Elfstedentocht. Well at least the alternative.