RE: this thread will put an end to "minimalism" and vibram forever

Chico state's fastest guy (low 14's 5k, sub 24 8k) wore vibrams at their conference meet this year and won. I'm not a proponent of vibrams, just sayin

I started running in 1972. I was always injured, the question was whether or not I was too injured to run. Shoes got better (more support) my injuries decreased.

In 1984 I got orthotics, the only overuse injury I've had since them is when the Dr gave me someone else's orthotics by mistake.

I now where light, flexible shoes with orthotics that let my foot have it's normal motion with "over doing it". No injuries, running happily.

I don't understand why some people feel threatened by what someone else wears on their feet. Get a grip.

Threatened by vibrams- HA! It's the same reaction to the fuelbelt- douche!

There was this one African

Won the Olympics

Go figure

Heard these advertised on the radio the other day and they were pronounced VEE-brams. Is that correct?

Yep you nailed it, minimalism is now dead, nice work op, nail in the coffin.

yea it is pronounced "vee-brum"

yupppp wrote:

yea it is pronounced "vee-brum"

Thanks.

o.O wrote:

There was this one African

Won the Olympics

Go figure

Four years later he wore shoes and destroyed his time from the previous Olympics. The OP has great intentions trying to end this lame debate. But it won't end for about four or five years from now after the statistics come out showing more runners get injured with the minimalist approach than not. If it really did help runners with getting faster, Ritz, Rupp, and all of the top runners would be doing it. It is a fad that does nothing but make those runners stand out in the crowd at the local race by being different. Still slow, but different.

johnnyb1610 wrote:

Ritz, Rupp, and all of the top runners would be doing it

If you think they do NO barefoot/minimalist running, you are sadly mistaken.

i agree to a certain extent. the elites arent out there doing minimalist running on a daily basis as their only training runs. they probably wear flats for tempo runs and speed work, and maybe do barefoot strides on a grass (or fake grass) field.

the thing that bugs me the most are the people that are out there every single day running in them doing that lame short choppy, almost like they are prancing, stride. and the people that buy them because they think that the vibrams are going to make them a faster runner. they are typically the couch to 5k kinda person.

vibrams suck wrote:

the thing that bugs me the most are the people that are out there every single day running in them doing that lame short choppy, almost like they are prancing, stride. and the people that buy them because they think that the vibrams are going to make them a faster runner. they are typically the couch to 5k kinda person.

Why does that bother you? Are you that insecure?

I agree people mainly use Vibrams because it's a fad or to stick out and appear different, but some people can benefit from them. I used to always get plantar pain in normal training shoes and in college made the full-time switch to flats and pretty minimal shoes. It works for me, so that's really all that matters.

please don't lump vibrams and minimalism into one thing

wilfredo wrote:

please don't lump vibrams and minimalism into one

thing

I 2nd this.

If you look at elites today, many of them train in "minimalist" shoes, aka racing flats, as their everyday running shoes. Racing flats != FF.

Also, almost all elites do some kind of barefoot running, but as SUPPLEMENTAL to their regular training and in MODERATION to help STRENGTHEN their feet/leg muscles, and help reduce injury. They find a good balance that works for them.

Running is about BALANCE, and each runner must find the right balance for his or her running, no matter what aspect we are talking about.

Maybe I didn't get the "memo' but I consider barefoot/VFF different than minimalist. I want the "minimum" shoe possible that my mechanics and body allow.

I just ran a marathon this weekend in the same 6oz flats that I train in everyday and had no issues....yes, I qualified for Boston with many minutes to spare.

Yeah, this. Vibrams have nothing to do with minimalism.

I guarantee most elites looking to run a good marathon are running a good chunk of their mileage in flats. Good luck running 26.2 miles in new shoes if you aren't.

Vibrams are a minimalist shoe. To think otherwise is farfetched. However, they are stupid. But to my accordance, I don't run in any minimalist shoe, so my opinion on the matter is degrading.