Let me start this post by saying that this is not a sponsored post. I bought these myself and wanted to share some hard, objective data with you to potentially help you with your own weight loss/fitness journey!
A few months ago when I reignited my fitness journey, one of the first conscious decisions I made was to take a risk and try something different. I have very flat feet and have been wearing orthotics for the past decade… ever since I stopped my intense training in the martial arts. With my arches so flat, I always felt at the end of the day like I had been walking around Disneyland for the past 13 hours; even if I hadn’t walked that much. So, I sought out a podiatrist and began looking into picking up some prescription orthotics. Eventually, I picked up a pair and it was heavenly! Though it was pretty harsh walking on plastic footbeds (with padding on them), my feet weren’t sore like they were before. That is how I was fixing the problem of dealing with my flat footedness. Conventional wisdom. Conventional medicine. Like I said though, this time around I was going to try something new.
Minimalist Shoes and the Hype
Back to present day: When I decided that it was time to do better, it wasn’t a whim that lead me to the notion of going with barefoot running and minimalist running shoes. I’d heard about VFF’s, as they’re called by the minimalist faithful, roughly two years earlier and had been following the research and headlines off and on since then. They looked pretty cool (I have a thing for camo) and at the time I first found them I was looking for water shoes not knowing that Vibrams were so much more than that. So, the day I decided I was getting back into shape I immediately ran out to REI and picked up a pair of Vibram Five Fingers’ TrekSports. It was love at first run! My calves were sore but I could feel them getting stronger and as an added bonus, I could actually see them getting stronger. There was just one nagging concern in the back of my head… hype. One of the claims of the barefoot and minimalist running evangelists is that running shoes actually weaken arches and the supporting muscles in your feet and by running the way that nature intended, you will actually strengthen those atrophied muscles. A large part of my decision to go the minimalist route was various posts I’d read by large guys like myself who were now running without shin splits or knee or hip pain, thanks to Vibrams. I was 250lbs and figured that if other 250 or 300lb guys were seeing results then it was probably not too far fetched that I could as well.
Vibram Five Fingers and the Foot Scanner
Being the nerd I am, anecdotal evidence wasn’t enough for me. I decided that around the 3 or 4 month mark I would have my feet rescanned to see if my new running posture (I’ve been using the Pose method), which I attribute to the wearing of the VFFs, had yet effected the muscles in my feet for the better. That meant that I should also see an improvement in my arches. During this time I also wore my VFFs at work, for short walks around the neighborhood and to work out in. In other words, I practically lived in them. They’re so comfortable that I wanted to wear them all the time! The only time I didn’t wear them was when summer got into full swing and I started wearing flip flops. This week, I went and had my feet rescanned, the results of that scan are below, along with my baseline scan which shows how my feet looked prior to wearing VFFs.
The scan above is my baseline scan. This is what my feet looked like after having worn prescription orthotics. I wish I had scans from before I began wearing the orthotics, but I don’t. The right side of the page shows what healthy feet should look like and the left are mine.The dark areas of my foot are where the most pressure is being placed on the contact surface. Notice how different the arch on my right foot looks than the left? My right arch is pretty collapsed, which means the left side of my body is doing more work. This can lead to lower back pain (and it has), very tight thigh muscles (IT band issues) and sore, tired feet. I’ve experienced all of the above.
This scan shows my feet today. Notice how balanced my arches are now? That’s because my right foot actually has an arch now! I thought it was a pretty dramatic difference myself. I could’ve had the doc send my scans to the lab to have them pour over them with precision and give me hard data for the improvements in my arch, but I figured I’d save the doc and myself the expense since the pictures are fairly striking. I can tell you that I’ve been running now for four months, averaging 3-5 miles a week, and have had no shin splits, no lower back pain and no running associated knee pain (they’ve been a little tender but that’s because I’ve also been doing a lot of squats).
So, there you have it! Let me make one thing clear though. I’m always asked by people, “how do you like your Five Fingers?” I tell them that I love them and how much better I “feel” having worn them but I’m also careful to let them know that the shoes themselves aren’t a “magic bullet.” Vibram Five Fingers didn’t do this to my feet, running with no cushion, on the balls of my feet like a sprinter did this to my feet. Walking around in them all the time, did this to my feet. Not pushing myself too hard and injuring my feet (people are seeing instances of plantar fascitis and top of foot injuries from overuse) did this. The shoes, as awesome as they are, were the catalyst for all of this though. If I hadn’t stumbled upon the site while looking for water shoes years ago, I may not have stumbled upon the barefoot and minimalist running movement and added one of the most important tools in my fitness journey to my toolbox.
The 10 Most Scariest Things About Washing Machine 10 Kg Washing Machine 10 Kg
Nine Things That Your Parent Teach You About Shopping Online
Site Clothes shopping online site clothes (deprezyon.Com)
11 Ways To Completely Revamp Your Personal Injury Lawsuit personal injury lawyers; fmuzic.ru,
20 Things You Should Know About Bentley Continental Key Programming bentley Flying spur key (http://8prw0a.net/home.php?mod=space&uid=14439116)
5 Clarifications On Locksmith Near Me Auto Automotive Locksmith Nearby (Cameradb.Review)
What’s The Job Market For What CSGO Cases Have Butterfly Knives Professionals?
spectrum 2 case [Leif]
The Most Hilarious Complaints We’ve Received About
Cheap Online Shopping Sites Uk Cutting And Routing Accessories
What’s Holding Back From The Motor Vehicle Legal Industry?
motor vehicle accident
The 10 Most Terrifying Things About Nissan Key Replacement Prices
Nissan Key Replacement – https://Scientific-Programs.Science,
10 Simple Steps To Start The Business Of Your Dream Semi Truck Litigation Business Union Semi Truck Accident Law Firm
Why Do So Many People Want To Know About London Online Mobile Shopping
Sites? 40gbps Network cable (vimeo.com)
Guide To Car Key Spares: The Intermediate Guide For Car Key Spares car key spare
Why Top Personal Injury Law Firms Is Your Next Big Obsession personal injury lawyers
near me – http://images.google.ga/url?q=http://funsilo.date/wiki/3_Reasons_3_Reasons_Why_Your_Personal_Injury_Firm_Near_Me_Is_Broken_And_How_To_Fix_It,
Double Glaze Repair Near Me: The Secret Life Of Double Glaze Repair Near Me secondary double glazing near me
Guide To Bmw Key 1 Series: The Intermediate Guide The Steps To
Bmw Key 1 Series bmw Key 1 Series, https://www.corems.org.br/,
A An Overview Of Replacement Nissan Key Fob From Beginning To End Nissan Juke
Key Fob (Klavsen-Mygind-2.Technetbloggers.De)
It Is The History Of CS GO Weapon Case In 10 Milestones case skins –
Niklas –
20 Best Tweets Of All Time Panty Vibrator For Sale Dildo Panty
You’ll Be Unable To Guess Shopping Online Uk To Ireland’s Tricks shopping
online uk to ireland (Rhea)
15 Great Documentaries About Accident Lawyer Accident Attorneys
9 Lessons Your Parents Taught You About Replace Mazda Key
replace mazda key
15 Shocking Facts About Treadmills For Sale treadmills on sale (genomicdata.hacettepe.Edu.tr)
The Three Greatest Moments In Avon Sales Leadership History avon sales Leadership – 0522445518.ussoft.kr,
What’s The Current Job Market For Car Key Lost Professionals?
Car Key lost
15 Gifts For The Therun Under Desk Treadmill Lover In Your Life http://Www.Hometreadmills.Uk
15 Best Filter Coffee Machine Bloggers You Must Follow Best Filter Coffee Machine
14 Misconceptions Common To Cars Keys Replacement remote car
key replacement – Florida,
Searching For Inspiration? Check Out Bunk Beds Double Bed Double Deck Bed
It’s The Next Big Thing In Birth Injury Law Birth Injuries
The Reason Private ADHD Assessment Is So Beneficial During COVID-19 how much does a private adhd assessment cost
The People Closest To Injury Case Have Big Secrets To Share Injury Attorney
Why You Should Focus On Enhancing Upvc Windows Repair upvc window repairs
Why Everyone Is Talking About Erb’s Palsy Lawyers Today erb’s palsy lawsuits
The Biggest Issue With Upvc Windows And Doors And How You Can Fix It repair upvc window
7 Simple Tricks To Making A Statement With Your Double Glazed Units Near Me Double glaze Units
Why You’re Failing At Shopping Online Long Range Shooting Scope (Libby)
Why You’re Failing At Luton Double Glazing luton Window
How To Determine If You’re In The Right Position For
Double Glazed Door Repairs Near Me Double Glazing Repairs
5 Best Online Shopping Uk Clothes Projects For Every Budget Vimeo.Com
Upvc Windows Near Me Tips To Relax Your Daily Life Upvc Windows Near Me Trick That Everybody Should
Learn upvc windows near me, Joeann,
What’s The Reason? Planet Spa Shea Butter Is Everywhere This Year planet spa shea butter
The History Of Private ADHD Clinic In 10 Milestones private assessment for
adhd near me; Teodoro,
What’s The Job Market For Average Compensation For Mesothelioma Claim Professionals?
average compensation for mesothelioma claim
See What Audi Key Fobs Tricks The Celebs Are Using
audi key Fob
9 Things Your Parents Taught You About Double Glazed Window Suppliers Near Me double glazed window suppliers near me
The 10 Most Terrifying Things About Online Shopping Stores List Online Shopping Stores List
What To Say About Car Accident Litigation To Your Mom Car accidents
The Top Repair Window Is Gurus. 3 Things repairer
How To Explain Best Car Accident Lawyers To
Your Boss car accident lawyer Columbia sc
It’s The Next Big Thing In Car Accident Attorneys legal