Barefoot runners/exercisers: how are your knees?

[neatski]

I've really taken to barefoot exercising, because counterintuitively, my previously cranky knees have been absolutely pain/ache/creak free no matter how much impact is in my workouts. My feet and ankles have gotten a lot stronger, and I'm wondering if that is contributing. I do lots of plyo work including tuck jumps and the like.

I had to quit running a few years ago because of my knees and although I've resigned myself to that, it would be incredible if I could do it again. I was wondering if anyone noticed any positive effects on the knees after beginning barefoot running (including those Vibram shoes) or exercising.

[beyond.omega]

Well, I don't have knee problems, but do have ankle problems. Last summer I walked ~2 miles/day (up and back down a steep hill) in Five Finger shoes for my cardio and I really loved it. I do think it made my feet stronger, however, I think I am still adapting to them, as I always had to be sure to stretch my calves out, and had a lot of tension in my feet. The first time I walked in them, I got a cramp in my foot that lasted a week. But after that, I really liked walking in them. My lower back would release naturally while I walked and I think I developed my proprioception (and helped my general balance problems) since you can *feel* so much through the shoes. One thing I did notice though is that I *had* to stretch after exercising, because my calves got very sore/tense, as did other areas of my body. If I stretch though, I was fine. Not sure how this applies to your knees...but there you are.

[mle777]

Neatski, I don't have a direct answer to your question, but can point you in a direction Mark at marksdailyapple is a huge believer in working out barefoot. He has several blog posts on his site about it that you might find interesting. Many of them discuss the knees and the positive effects that going barefoot has on them.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/baref...harvard-study/

FWIW, at home, I never wear shoes when I work. Turbofire, barre, CLX, Jillian. I don't wear shoes for any of them. The only time that I wear shoes is when I'm walking/running outside and that is more due to rocks/dog poop.

I hope someone else can give you a better answer

[Mary09(b)]

I have never worn shoes for exercise and have never had any knee problems, but I don't run.

[Lizzo]

Neatski, other than wearing Nike Airmax to the gym, I exercise exclusively barefoot in my apartment.

I've never had knee problems, so maybe I can't answer your question there, but since exercising barefoot, my plantar fasciitis and shin splits are almost entirely gone. Back in September, I got into doing high impact exercises, like Turbo Fire and Insanity, almost exclusively and it just worsened my already PF-prone feet. As it got colder, I would have flare ups in the middle of the night, making it difficult to fall asleep. It started affecting me in my every day life. When walking to work from public transit, my feet would be killing me. I invested in two pairs of trainers and some Dr. Schols inserts before realizing the benefits of exercising barefoot. I'm sure you are wondering why I didn't just quit high impact exercises, but I like them so much and I was too stubborn to admit that they were the root of the problem.

I've probably been exercising barefoot for about a month now. I use 1" thick puzzle mats, which help me with impact. I'll admit that it is a little awkward on the puzzle mats since they do move occasionally, even when I use heavy objects to weigh them down. It has taught me, though, to be graceful on the balls of my feet. If I'm not careful with how I distribute the weight on my feet when I land, the mats move. If I am careful, they don't.

I find the shoes vs barefoot debate interesting, but my recent discoveries make me lean more towards the barefoot camp.

[creatrix]

Lizz, are you still doing high impact, only barefoot? I am curious because I am pf-prone too and avoid impact because of it, even with my expensive custom orthotics.

[andtckrtoo]

The book "Born to Run" goes into a lot more detail as to why proponents of barefoot running say that it's easier on the knees. Chi-Running is also into barefoot (and alternative strides).

Basically it comes down to the whole notion of running heel-toe. If you run across your floor barefoot, you'll find that you strike the ground mid-sole and not on your heel. Your stride is different as well. A typically running shoe artificially raises your heel so you strike heel-toe. This stride creates much more impact and stress on your knees and hips and is the main cause of most runners knee issues. (If you think about it, it's logical - any time we change the way our body naturally reacts, we mess up our alignment and can create issues - the extreme case is high heels).

Now that being said, I have run barefoot (well, in Vibrams). I love trail running in Vibrams (yes, even over rocks). Street running, I prefer a bit more substance under my feet as I hit a lot of concrete which has no give at all. But because I trail run in Vibrams, my stride, even in more cushy shoes with an elevated heel, is more natural - I hit mid-sole. I can run further and faster now. My street running shoes are Nike's Free runners - the ones with the least amount of cushioning, but I can maintain that stride even in my AirMax.

One major caveat that I found is that I did an 11 mile hike with little prep - and my feet felt wonderful afterward. My calves were sore as all get out, but my feet, which traditionally hurt on long hikes, have gotten stronger.

Word of caution, though - if you are thinking of trying barefoot running or even Vibrams - start SLOWLY! Even though it is better for the body over all (in my opinion), your feet have been cushioned and pampered for so long that you can't just go out there and run barefoot. That's how you get stress fractures. Go gradually and preferably start on a softer surface - dirt, grass or one of the new tracks I see at the high schools now.

[Kyra]

I do pretty much everything except running (and biking) barefoot. (In the gym, I wear Five Fingers.) Given where I run and what I run on, I don't consider running barefoot - even with Five Fingers - an option, although I'd love to try it. I've never had any knee problems.

[Lizzo]

Originally Posted by creatrix

Lizz, are you still doing high impact, only barefoot? I am curious because I am pf-prone too and avoid impact because of it, even with my expensive custom orthotics.

Yes, I am. I have to do some modifications on the puzzle mats if it involves lateral movement, but I can still jump as high barefoot as I can with trainers on.

[Cuddlebug]

I was hit by a car while crossing a cross walk about 18 years ago and the bumper of the car hit me right in the knees. Even after my knees fully healed, they would ache if I went on long hikes, and high impact moves or running were totally out of the question.
That being said, now I walk around all day barefoot (I'm a SAHM) and I've always exercised barefoot. While I don't do a lot of high impact moves, I have noticed that my knees really don't hurt or ache anymore, regardless of what I'm doing. Like another poster mentioned, my calves will get really tight so I have to stretch them after I exercise. My ankles also feel more stable then they used to be. HTH