Hello Everyone:
I haven't run for about two years, but when I was running, I ran no more than 3 times per week and no more than 3.5 miles at a time. I want to get back into it and have recently ordered a pair of luna sandals in an attempt to implement a forefoot strike. Do you think it is appropriate to use the Luna sandals in conjunction with the 6 week beginner program on the site? If not, is there a shoe that anyone would recommend? Thank you for the help.
- Chad
Comments
I have two pairs of Lunas and have faced a learning curve when utilizing them for training. I transitioned to a forefoot strike using Saucony Kinvaras and vibram five fingers. I am sure that if you have chosen the correct Lunas, you can use them in a similar way. What I didn't know when I got my first pair of Lunas was that each style is geared toward a different kind of running. My first pair were Equus and turned out to be too thin (3mm) for any of the uses I had for them. I also struggled to get the lacing system to be comfortable and tried three different options. Finally, since I wanted to run on trails, I got a pair of Leadvilles with ATS lacing. These have worked well for me and I currently wear them on the trails on my barefoot days.
I have used Eric's drills and info from the Natural Running Center to make the running transition. I have also tried approx. 10 pairs of shoes ranging from Inov-8, five fingers, New Balance minimus, to Merrill. Looking forward most to Eric's new shoes (b2r) and have enjoyed my Inov-8 and Leadvilles the most.
Good luck with the transition. It is well worth it.
Don Moore
I have heard a little about Luna Sandals and I've heard they are a very good. They are light and the sole is flexible and thin for maximum ground feel and protection. I purchased VivoBarefoot Evo II which I love. I spent an extremely long time researching shoes, and advise you do the same. Some are better trail shoes, others better road shoes. Whatever you do, hope you enjoy them!
I don't know much about Luna Sandals so I can't write about them. I just did a google search and they look very interesting.
That being said, I also want to try the 6 week training program so I recently purchased Vivobare Ultra shoes from amazon. I've been walking in them for about 2 weeks now just to see how I like them. You can still feel the ground beneath you and they are very comfortable. They have a "built-in" removable sock that can be worn with or without the shoe. And you can wear the shoe without the sock. The sock and the shoe have a "mesh-like" design so you're feet breath, which is nice. The only down-side is that they seem to run a bit small so I should have ordered one size larger than my actual shoe size. All in all, they are good shoes and they are helping to not heel strike because I can feel it when I do.
Good luck in your training.
Leah M.