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Comment by beagle3 | Hacker News Reader

> It has all the unpleasant effects of exercise

That's subjective; I like running outside. It lets me clear my mind like no other form of exercise. (I hate running int he gym, though)

> it destroys your knees

Only if you do it wrong. Unfortunately, 99.9% of the people do it wrong. I had started to develop some knee pains (only while running) after a healed knee injury. And then I discovered the Vibram Five Fingers, and after two weeks the knee pains were gone for good.

They take a while to get used to, but they're worth it.

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It's not the shoe that's solving your problem, though. The trick is to run on your forefoot and roll back to your heel. That's it. That said, it's true that the key difference in the average running shoe and the Vibram line is the lack of heel-cushioning, which as a result encourages correct running, but I felt it pertinent to clear that up.

tl;dr run with an impact front-to-back, toe-to-heel.

That's right. I knew that long ago, but I was unable to maintain that pose while running 10km -- old habits die hard. After about one month of walking and running with the Vibrams, my step changed from heel-first to front-to-back, as it should -- and it stays that way even when I don't use the vibrams (I hardly use them at all during the winter -- they're not good for running in city puddles)

front-to-back toe-to-heel is the key. The vibram is a way to get there.

Wouldn't any shoe with no heel cushioning be a way to get there?

One required feature is the flexible toe-ball connection (so that you can comfortably use the toes to balance when the weight is on the balls of your feet), which not every shoe without heel cushioning will provide, though some probably will.

The other important feature is "high-resolution" impact transfer - you need precise ground feedback for your muscles to compensate for an uneven terrain.

If you have (as an extreme absurd case) a super-hard graphite/plexiglass sole, then you have no cushioning, but are not likely to avoid delivering impacts to your knees even if you run on the balls of your feet.

Supposedly, Vivo Barefoot, Nike Free and Newton are as good. But I only have experience with the Vibram FiveFingers, which is why I recommended it.

I own a pair of the Merrell True Glove trainers and love them. I thought they used basically the same sole as the VFF, although obviously not with separate toes. I just couldn't buy into having plastic between my toes, or not having option of wearing some liner/socks, also since mine look more "normal" or let's say less "goofy" I can confidently wear them in any environment.

Never heard of these - I will look them up.

> I just couldn't buy into having plastic between my toes

Me neither, but I just had to try, and I actually like it, even though I don't like "toe socks" inside a regular sneaker.

> or not having option of wearing some liner/socks

There are injinji socks; but I prefer the VFFs unsocked if I can properly wash and dry them (I use socks when I don't have wash-and-dry facilities).

> since mine look more "normal" or let's say less "goofy" I can confidently wear them in any environment.

That's a definite plus. (On the other hand, if you're looking for a conversation starter, the vibrams are hard to beat!)

+1 for the Vibram suggestion. I had a similar experience, and running barefoot-style is a world away from hammering along pavements

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