Ok so I’m aware of the benefits of training barefoot, most site users here are. I train barefoot 99% of the time for my sport anyway but for running and lifting I was hoping to get some Vibrams or at least some similar shoes that will fit my activities. I’m sure there’s a bunch of reviews out there but I think I might be able to getsome better feedback here. I’m sorry if this topic is brought up routinely. Anyway…
I was looking at these:
http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/products_kso_trek_m.cfm
There are a bunch of variations of Vibram’s and I wanted to know which one would suit my needs. My instinct is always to go for the most rugged option (which I think will still work in my case) but, I’d love to get some opinions on whether they’re even an option in my case.
Ideally I’d be using them for:
a) Lifting
Primarily compound lifts. Deadlifts they’re perfect. Squats I squat widestance PL style so I’d love to know if these have enough grip and what not for when I’m pushing my knees out. I’d hate to slide into the splits with 405 on my back. Also I love oly lifts. I don’t have oly shoes and I perform them currently in chuck taylor’s (I have very flexible ankles- Thanks Jiujitsu) but I’m not sure if Vibrams would be too much stress or not
b) Running
I do some distance running (never over 4miles) every now and then which they’re obviously suitable for. Terrain I run on changes a lot. I run by a railroad track, over a ton of grass, through some rocks, and along a street for like the last mile so I need something that I don’t have to worry about being jabbed in the foot super hard. I’m curious if these actually won’t hurt MORE cause of the terrain. Also I’ll be running a bunch of sprints and doing some jump training in the coming year, would these be ideal still?
c) Parkour
This is my preferred form of “roadwork” (cause running just for distance is fucking boring). I was a gymnast for a large part of my life and still maintain some of my old agility and skill work. If you’re not familiar with Parkour here are some good examples:
Essentially this is pretty adjacent to inquiry (b): running (and jumping) for the most part. I just keep my heart rate monitor on an make sure I stay above 165… Obviously I’ll be absorbing more shock with my musculature and joints using vibrams (not that regular shoes help that much anyway to be honest) but I was hoping someone here might have enough experience with vibrams and maybe jumping from some height with them to give me some feedback on their possible parkour usage.
d) Miscellaneous other (adventure) sports
bouldering, hiking, capoeira, yoga, trail running, pick up games (basketball), jumping rope, etc. I stay pretty active (keeps the BF low and I meet a ton of chicks) so if I could just use the one pair of shoes for this too it would be very nice.
Thanks for any and all help pointing me in the right direction for some shoes!