> I think some people might be reading "Born to Run" and jumping full on into barefoot running and VFFs without taking the time to get their feet used to the minimalist style!

There is often an evolutionist explanation for it that goes something like "the human leg and foot evolved to run barefoot", but isn't there a flaw in the explanation that running usually happened on dirt, grass, and not on the paved streets of New York? In other words our feet won't do well running barefoot on concrete or asphalt.

I am not a runner but just wondering, how many people use VFF for marathons successfully without injury? Is it a high number or it is still very very small minority?

I transitioned in a few ways. One, I intentionally changed my stride for distance training while wearing Nike Air Free Everyday trainers. Two, I did short runs on the sidewalks barefoot to toughen up my feet. (It's gross.) Three, I started wearing the VFFs everywhere else where possible.

I trained for years (12 yo+) as a middle-distance (10k) runner, so the biggest adjustment was to eliminate my "make this stride as long as possible," technique, which lends itself well to heel-striking.

Now that I run on the road in VFFs, I definitely know for days afterward if I tired enough on a run to fall back into old habits. I can barely walk and have to roll my calves and shins. Mind you, I'm too close to 40, and I think I could have pulled it off pretty easily when I was 15-20.

> but isn't there a flaw in the explanation that running usually happened on dirt, grass, and not on the paved streets of New York?

This seems intuitive when considering the difference in impulse between a sidewalk and a grassy lawn, but I'm not sure it actually makes any difference if you have good form - the idea there being that your calves take all the impact (remember impulse, again), versus your knees. Muscles can develop - whereas joints and bones can deteriorate. There's a good illustration of this in the following link from Harvard, which elaborates on the mechanics of foot strike with pretty charts showing the force generated in different scenarios: http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/4BiomechanicsofFo...

I started running in VFFs in September, 2009, but didn't seriously commit to running in them until January of this year. I've since logged 1,200 miles in them and haven't looked back. I've done numerous 20+ mile runs in my Vibrams, including a marathon within the past month. There were 2,700 entrants at that race, but only two runners (including myself) wore VFFs. I haven't had any stress fractures or other injuries since I've started wearing them, even when logging around 60 miles per week. (This is not to say that I disagree with the other comments in this thread.)

I'm pretty passionate about barefoot running. I love to see others joining the movement, so I try to encourage best practices to those making the transition. If any of you have questions about how to take the plunge, feel free to follow up here or contact me via email.

Am on mobile at the moment, but I wholly agree, and mentioned that in the guide I linked to next to the Five fingers site link. Good to emphasize though, and I will add that soon.

Update: fixed that section with a proper warning

Agreed. During my first two or three weeks of VFFs, I was icing my calves after each run. I'm comfortable now, but it took some time.