Alex Munk, just looking around.
I broke in my Vibram FiveFinger Bikila’s today with a quick 3.8 mile run on this route. I got them from Marathon Sports by Copley Square on Boylston Ave. There were three pairs of Vibrams in the store. One of them was exactly what I was looking for. Size 43 (10.5 - 11), white and red Bikilas. They were even returns, and a touch scuffed, so I got them for 85% of retail: $85 USD. Eighty-five dollars will be an absolute bargain if they last as long as people say they do. I got about 285 out of my Vomero 4’s, 375 out of my Mizuno Mushas, and they cost $140 and $90 respectively. I’ve heard, although no one’s had the Bikilas for long enough to know for this line, that people got over 1000 miles out of the old ones. If I get 500 I’ll feel well served. That leads me to my first run. I’ll tentatively say that I love these things. It’s NOT barefoot running. Let’s get that out in the open. I ran 2.8 miles barefoot yesterday, and 3.8 in my new Bikilas today. And it’s not, not, not the same. The Bikila has 7 millimeters of sole at its thickest point under the ball. And the sole, while flexible, is still one piece. If you think about your foot, it moves as if the ball were independent from the heel. Add a sole on the bottom, and it’s harder for your foot to control the downward pressure from the impact. Nonetheless, if going from Vomero 4’s (the Cadillac of running shoes, big floaty, like running on clouds) to Mizuno Mushas (“minimalist” runwear or “light weight trainers” where “light weight” refers to the thin sole) is a big step, then going from Mushas to Bikilas is a step similar in magnitude. It’s like the most light weight shoe I’ve ever worn. This is a very good thing. I’ve been running barefoot a lot, and I think it’s good for me. The issue I have with it though is that my goal is not to be a barefoot runner, and building up my foot toughness to match my endurance and the condition of the muscles in the rest of my legs. I’m trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon, not trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon barefoot. So my goal is to get value from running barefoot with as little disruption to my training as possible. It feels like Bikilas are going to help me do that. I really like that the Bikilas make me feel a lot closer to running barefoot. If not perfectly like barefoot, close enough for my purposes. My feet didn’t hurt at all. The general wear on my foot didn’t build up at all throughout the run. Usually as I run barefoot the pain builds and builds until I have to put my shoes on. I didn’t have to pay attention to rocks. I could feel rocks, but not enough that they hurt. so I didn’t have to spend large amounts of my precious little brain power avoiding rocks. Since I have a sole, I can increase my inches covered per stride. When I run barefoot the ground is like sand paper, and so to reduce friction, instead of striding, and pulling pavement under me, I have to move fewer inches per stride. My Bikilas don’t limit my inches per stride, and so I can run much faster. No laces. Ahhh. When I got back from running, I was feeling the strain right on my calves. That’s exactly what I was hoping for. Bikilas: 6 oz. each. Mushas: 7.8 oz. each. Vomero 4’s: 12.4 oz. each.

I broke in my Vibram FiveFinger Bikila’s today with a quick 3.8 mile run on this route. I got them from Marathon Sports by Copley Square on Boylston Ave. There were three pairs of Vibrams in the store. One of them was exactly what I was looking for. Size 43 (10.5 - 11), white and red Bikilas. They were even returns, and a touch scuffed, so I got them for 85% of retail: $85 USD.

Eighty-five dollars will be an absolute bargain if they last as long as people say they do. I got about 285 out of my Vomero 4’s, 375 out of my Mizuno Mushas, and they cost $140 and $90 respectively. I’ve heard, although no one’s had the Bikilas for long enough to know for this line, that people got over 1000 miles out of the old ones. If I get 500 I’ll feel well served.

That leads me to my first run. I’ll tentatively say that I love these things. It’s NOT barefoot running. Let’s get that out in the open. I ran 2.8 miles barefoot yesterday, and 3.8 in my new Bikilas today. And it’s not, not, not the same. The Bikila has 7 millimeters of sole at its thickest point under the ball. And the sole, while flexible, is still one piece. If you think about your foot, it moves as if the ball were independent from the heel. Add a sole on the bottom, and it’s harder for your foot to control the downward pressure from the impact.

Nonetheless, if going from Vomero 4’s (the Cadillac of running shoes, big floaty, like running on clouds) to Mizuno Mushas (“minimalist” runwear or “light weight trainers” where “light weight” refers to the thin sole) is a big step, then going from Mushas to Bikilas is a step similar in magnitude. It’s like the most light weight shoe I’ve ever worn.

This is a very good thing. I’ve been running barefoot a lot, and I think it’s good for me. The issue I have with it though is that my goal is not to be a barefoot runner, and building up my foot toughness to match my endurance and the condition of the muscles in the rest of my legs. I’m trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon, not trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon barefoot. So my goal is to get value from running barefoot with as little disruption to my training as possible.

It feels like Bikilas are going to help me do that.

  • I really like that the Bikilas make me feel a lot closer to running barefoot. If not perfectly like barefoot, close enough for my purposes.
  • My feet didn’t hurt at all. The general wear on my foot didn’t build up at all throughout the run. Usually as I run barefoot the pain builds and builds until I have to put my shoes on.
  • I didn’t have to pay attention to rocks. I could feel rocks, but not enough that they hurt. so I didn’t have to spend large amounts of my precious little brain power avoiding rocks.
  • Since I have a sole, I can increase my inches covered per stride. When I run barefoot the ground is like sand paper, and so to reduce friction, instead of striding, and pulling pavement under me, I have to move fewer inches per stride. My Bikilas don’t limit my inches per stride, and so I can run much faster.
  • No laces. Ahhh.
  • When I got back from running, I was feeling the strain right on my calves. That’s exactly what I was hoping for.
  • Bikilas: 6 oz. each.
  • Mushas: 7.8 oz. each.
  • Vomero 4’s: 12.4 oz. each.
Posted 2 years ago
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