Sunday, July 17, 2011

run girl run

i knew from a very young age that i was born to run. i’ll never forget one time when i was about 8, i went to a local nursing home with my dad to visit someone and i was scared to go in so i stayed outside and ran up and down the side walk as fast as i could. there were a couple of residents sitting outside and they kept yelling at me, “run girl run!” i ate that up and ran faster. i was also the kid who when she got a new pair of running shoes, slept with them on her feet. not much has changed here 30+ years later.

i was recently contacted by Leslie at Onlineshoes.com to see if i’d like to try out a pair of the original barefoot shoes otherwise known as Vivo Barefoot running shoes.

Vivo boxed how cute is this? they come in a really cool box and individually wrapped.

out of the box! the lining fabric of these shoes is made from 50% recycled plastic bottles.

although i am not a true barefoot runner or even close to being one, i have read a lot of research that supports this movement and it makes a lot of sense to me. since i am in the midst of training for ironman florida, i am not allowed to try any new things that could lead to injury, so i was careful to not overdue running in these shoes, however, i did get to do a handful of 3-4 mile runs in them and i loved them.

running barefoot is a skill. if you aren’t used to running in minimalist shoes such as these Vivo Barefoot's, then you should start off conservatively and keep the mileage short and on softer surfaces before building up your miles and running on harder surfaces. the sole is an ultra thin 3mm, puncture resistant surface so there is a good amount of protection for your foot just in case you step on glass or rocks. i ran on the treadmill, golf course, and trails and they felt awesome. i can’t wait to put some more miles on them once i get done with my “A” race in november.

did you know that your foot has 200,000 nerve endings, 28 bones, 19 major muscles, 33 joint centers and 17 ligaments. that’s a lot of anatomy for just a foot! also, did you know that your foot and your brain work together? 70% of your brain’s information for movement comes from the nerves on the soles of your feet so the more you can feel the ground, the greater your body’s understanding of its surrounding environment and natural movement. in other words, the more you can feel the more you are one with the universe!

thanks again to Lindsey at Onlineshoes.com for giving me the opportunity to get my hands on these very functional shoes, that by the way, look great with jeans on too. please take a minute or two to check out their line of available Vivo Barefoot shoes. i have bought several pair of running shoes from them (K-Swiss Keahou II most recently) and have never been disappointed. what’s not to like when shipping is free, exchanges are free and you get 365 days on returns?

happy running my friends!

much love and peace out!

19 comments:

  1. I keep going lighter and lighter in terms of shoes and running longer and longer with them too. I can even see running a 1/2 mary of a 70.3 barefoot.

    I am also now at the end of a run walking home to cool down and also doing it barefoot so that my feet can get stronger.

    Great post on the shoes. Thanks for the review.

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  2. Looks like some kwell kicks KC. It seems I keep getting lighter and lighter shoes as well - even for long distance. I put on a pair of trainers last week that weighed 9.3 oz and it felt like I had bricks on my feet. Took 'em off and put on the flats.

    I am gonna call BS on you wearing jeans in the last couple of weeks -- too damn hot (-:

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  3. Jeff, only wearing jeans to work on jeans day fridays. and yep, i was sporting the Vivo's and they looked so cool.

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  4. Nice! I like 'em, and they might be my next shoe on the list.

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  5. I am so jealous that you got a pair of those! Soooo jealous!!

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  6. Sweet kicks! How does using them translate into your actual running when you race? Will it make you faster or what?

    Looking forward to finally meeting you soon Kristie!

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  7. How come no body sends me free stuff?
    I'm jealous also...
    I think it is age discrimination..

    Lucky

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  8. great review! i had some trouble in the minimalist ones i tried before so maybe i need a different style to give this another shot.

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  9. I love those shoes...even how they look!

    Good luck at your race, it is good to see that you are alive and well =)

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  10. Those shoes are very cool lookin'!

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  11. Those are some cool looking shoes! I would love to try out some lighter ones someday. Love that they are individually wrapped, like gifts for your feet :)

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  12. I so want to try those bad boys out!!

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  13. I was going to yell at you for trying out new shoes !!!!!!!! thank you for being smart and only doing a little bit.

    AFTER IMFL play with those things alright?! :)

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  14. Hey KC! I love the minimalist shoe..I got the Inov-8 Road lite shoe and I can probably say they might be the same feel as the vivo's. I was contemplating on getting those when shopping. Thanks for sharing!

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  15. Big fan... Haven't converted myself but as a pt I can see the possible be benefits and howf barefoot running might be berthed for those battling with lower extremity injuries

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  16. Great review! Those are nice looking shoes, even for just weekend wear.

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  17. They look awesome! Super cool that they hooked you up with those! Thanks for the great review!

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  18. It's neat to read your post about this, cause I've seen a lot about barefoot running and heard a lot of my friends talk about it. I still don't know if it's for me because I over-pronate so badly. I am a midfoot striker, though. I do wanna try it sometime

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  19. Nice shoes. After years of running with my self-described "clod-hoppers" I have recently switched (within the last year and a half) to much more minimal shoes. The change took some time to get use to, but my stride efficiency has greatly improved AND I am less sore.

    Very cool that you got to test those puppies out.

    HEY! I might be at IMFL this year... as a spectator. My cousin is running it as well. I will make sure I yell at you in every transition. You will pee your pants laughing. Which is okay, because I am sure you have practiced peeing your pants.

    Beer Good. Fire Bad.

    Mark

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