Can anyone recommend a barefoot running shoe that feels EXACTLY like barefoot running?

I've spent lots of cash over the last 10 years trying different types of minimalist shoes. The only one that has ever felt like running in bare feet are the vibram five fingers. I find these are the only ones that allow me to replicate the same feel and stride as running in bare feet, but also give a little protection against sharp objects etc. Give them a try - you won't be disappointed.

Have you tried the Trojan Magnum XL? It feels very natural, lubricates your feet and is ribbed give you extra running pleasure.

Zem shoes.

No shoe feels like barefoot, since when running barefoot your feet are, err... bare.

ddnbb wrote:

I highly recommend the New Balance Minimus HI-REZ for this -- it is essentially a rubber sock. I wore them twice a week for a 4-mile second run, and I can confirm that they are basically just like barefoot. You can roll up the shoes.

I also love wearing them on boats, where you want to be barefoot with just a little extra grip.

They are probably very close to barefoot. Bear in mind they are pretty narrow, though. I also found them to wear out a bit quickly on the front, exterior part. But that was maybe a consequence of them being too narrow for me.

+1 for Feelmax (Osma). I doubt the sole can be made much thinner. One needs smooth surfaces to run on in these, obviously.

About pain in the Achilles, I don't know exactly what the OP suffers from, but it must be repeated that switching to zero drop shoes puts an extra stress on calves that takes weeks if not months to adapt to. In thin soled-shoes, on hard surfaces, attention must also be paid to the metatarsals. It is certainly better to start on soft surfaces (and maybe even stick to that).

Whoops that was actually a typo. The only time my achilles doesn't hurt is when I DON'T have shoes on. I know it may seem odd, but I've been practicing running barefoot all through high school and my calves can handle the barefoot running. They never get sore really. But for some reason when I wear shoes my achilles is shortened which ultimately makes it worse. Thanks to all for the suggestions. Keep them coming!

this might be the dumbest question ive ever seen. i hope its a joke

AJJ wrote:

Whoops that was actually a typo. The only time my achilles doesn't hurt is when I DON'T have shoes on. I know it may seem odd, but I've been practicing running barefoot all through high school and my calves can handle the barefoot running. They never get sore really. But for some reason when I wear shoes my achilles is shortened which ultimately makes it worse. Thanks to all for the suggestions. Keep them coming!

The same for me, actually the shoe's hard heel counters pushing into, constantly rubbing and putting pressure into my achilles as I'm running. The modern running shoes are crap, ladden with expensive worthless gimmicks that only serve to hurt feet. In the 1970s the heels were simply soft materials that moved with the person's feet and didn't put pressure on them. The shoes were much more flexible, lighter and longer lasting then too.

R2D3 wrote:

Have you tried the Trojan Magnum XL? It feels very natural, lubricates your feet and is ribbed give you extra running pleasure.

big enough to fit me though.

fisky wrote:

Start with a sock. Attach a strip of duct tape down from the ball of foot over the heel and up to the back of the ankle. Fold the end of the duct tape over a shoestring to hold the shoestring in place behind the ankle. Wrap the shoe string around your ankle and tie it. This keeps the sock from pulling off as you run. The duct tape will wear through on the ball of foot after 10 miles or so. Just put another strip across the ball of boot where it is wearing through.

This sounds goofy and looks even worse, but it's as close to barefoot as you can get while still having some protection from glass, etc on the road.

Great idea! Thanks for sharing. :)

You could use duct tape instead of the shoe string as well.

J.R. wrote:

The same for me, actually the shoe's hard heel counters pushing into, constantly rubbing and putting pressure into my achilles as I'm running.

I had that problem with my NB MR00v2, so I put a small nearly vertical cut close to the black band in the middle. I think it helps. And importantly, the shoe doesn't fall apart after receiving this treatment.

Warfish wrote:

I have run in these

http://xeroshoes.com/

Just enough protection from glass etc. Feels like running barefoot across a dense rubber mat, never tried on a track but would imagine they would work well.

I have tried those and they are extremely flimsy, just a rubber shoe with a makeshift string through it that's supposed to keep the soles to your feet but does not. Basically as long as you run slow you can manage to keep them on for awhile, but try anything fast and you'd likely trip up and break an arm or your neck.

J.R. wrote:

The same for me, actually the shoe's hard heel counters pushing into, constantly rubbing and putting pressure into my achilles as I'm running.

grox wrote:

I had that problem with my NB MR00v2, so I put a small nearly vertical cut close to the black band in the middle. I think it helps. And importantly, the shoe doesn't fall apart after receiving this treatment.

Great idea. I've thought of cutting vertically right down the middle of the back through the counter, is that what you did?

Whoops, the shoe string can be untied, so that's better.

Flippers

AJJ wrote:

I do run barefoot, but I need a shoe for many reasons. I can't run barefoot on a track, it hurts my feet. I do run barefoot on the infield BUT my coach told me there could be broken glass so I can't do that anymore. Also, when I wear spikes in my race in track it hurts my injury, Achilles Tendonitis. The only time my injury doesn't hurts is when I wear shoes. It's very odd. SO I need a good barefoot running shoe.

You find it odd that "The only time my injury doesn't hurts is when I wear shoes?"

And yet you keep running barefoot?

newname wrote:

You find it odd that "The only time my injury doesn't hurts is when I wear shoes?"

And yet you keep running barefoot?

AJJ wrote:

Whoops that was actually a typo. The only time my achilles doesn't hurt is when I DON'T have shoes on. I know it may seem odd, but I've been practicing running barefoot all through high school and my calves can handle the barefoot running. They never get sore really. But for some reason when I wear shoes my achilles is shortened which ultimately makes it worse. Thanks to all for the suggestions. Keep them coming!

J.R. wrote:

J.R. wrote:

The same for me, actually the shoe's hard heel counters pushing into, constantly rubbing and putting pressure into my achilles as I'm running.

grox wrote:

I had that problem with my NB MR00v2, so I put a small nearly vertical cut close to the black band in the middle. I think it helps. And importantly, the shoe doesn't fall apart after receiving this treatment.

Great idea. I've thought of cutting vertically right down the middle of the back through the counter, is that what you did?

I made one cut of less than a cm starting from about 3 mm on the inside and towards the central band (in the hope that if the crack was going to enlarge by itself, it would be stopped at the band, and not `open up' the shoe by extending all the way to the bottom. It turned out to be pretty stable).