Have you ever considered trading in your hi-tech running shoes and taking a leap of faith into the world of barefoot running? Let me reassure you, if you’re brave enough to try it, you’ll never look back!
My name is Zak, and I’d like to take you on my journey, from how an obsession with finding the perfect athletic shoe eventually led me to the Vibram V Run trainers, and how they’ve levelled up my running game - big time!
Firstly, I should probably mention that I have a rare eyesight condition which has left me with severe vision loss, being declared legally blind since the age of 18. During this period of my life I had to come to terms with a lot of loss and grief of the things I was once able to do with ease. One of which was being able to leave the house alone without a friend or carer. Anxiety and depression hit hard during the first few years after my vision loss, but after discovering meditation and the boost in self-belief and acceptance that came with my daily practice, I began to venture out of the house and walk along the routes I used to take when I could see.
It was an adjustment getting used to my new way of seeing the world - mainly bright lights and shadowy silhouettes. I felt hopeful and knew it wasn’t time to give up yet. I quickly realised that my other senses were filling in for my lack of vision, and I began to trust and rely on them more. A huge player in this was one I hadn’t even considered - my feet! Being able to feel the ground, the terrain, tree roots, potholes, those bumpy things on the pavement that let you know where to cross the street; all of it was a wealth of information to the soles of my feet. And I wanted to feel more! The thick-soled, boxed-in, cushioned trainers I had always worn were holding me back, I was stumbling quite literally through life thinking - there’s got to be something better out there.
Fast forward a few years, as if by divine guidance I stumbled across an article about barefoot shoes. Having a 2 year old son by now, I was eager to get him into barefoot shoes as quickly as possible to preserve the development of his precious feet. And with that, my seemingly never ending quest into the barefoot world began.
At this point, I had been going to the gym for a while so began searching for the perfect gym shoe. And when I say perfect, my obsessive nature often drives me and those around me a bit crazy over truly finding - the perfect shoe! Over the year I tried a few different brands, all of which had the epic Vibram Sole. Until finally, after the birth of my daughter a year later I quit the gym. My confidence with leaving the house and getting to know my home-town streets again had given me the confidence to take up running. And the best part of it being that I could take my kids along for the ride (in their running-pram of course).
Only now, the shoes I had been wearing in the gym weren’t holding up on the streets. So I delved back into searching for something new, the most barefoot of all the barefoot shoes I could find. I wanted it. I was ready for it. And with that came the best discovery of my life…the Vibram Five Fingers V Run!
They make running fun, like an adventure!
That alone was enough for me. They give me confidence with every step, so much so that since my first pair of V-Run’s from Barefoot Junkie I have been running further and faster than I ever thought possible. At the age of 32, I was half-way through training for my first Half-Marathon when I switched to the Vibram Five Fingers V-Run, and finished with a time of 1 hour 41 minutes.
Having trained with a local-running club, wearing only my V-Runs for the next 12 months, I recently completed my second Half-Marathon with a time of 1 hour 29 minutes. I know this 12 minute improvement is at least in-part down to the V-Runs and how they make my senses come alive, helping to bring focus to every movement. They bring a sense of wholeness to my training allowing me to move through nature freely, on all Earth’s terrains and truly feel present with every step.
I wouldn’t swap my V-Run’s for anything, they have helped me so much on my journey not only on the streets but also in finding my passion and purpose in life. And now I am literally a barefoot junkie….addicted!
