Topic: Barefoot training

[pk1993]

I train barefoot mostly these days, or with my Feiyues/volleys on. My touch has increased so much in a short amount of time. My feet and ankles have also become so much stronger. I used to struggle doing standing 9 foot precisions, but now I am hitting 11 solidly. I would fully recommend for everyone to at least train a barefoot for an hour a week. It really shows the flaws in your technique.

[pk1993]

Btw, any other people here also train barefoot?

[gravity]

i do fairly often though mostly inside

[Belhade]

Closest I come is in my Vibrams.

[NMPK]

The world record for a standing long jump is 12' if you're regularly hitting 11' precisions barefoot you should look into the Olympics 

Barefoot can be fun, and it's certainly a bit of an eye opener. It's probably a good idea to start on grass and work yourself up slowly though, don't expect to be able to do your normal routine right away. Also I think the "it helps feeling and technique" argument is a little overstated, it may be very helpful in getting the sense of a smooth landing but once you've developed it properly you can switch back to good shoes with almost no change in technique. That's all just opinion though take it for what you will.

[Ryan Anthony Vetter]

Fully recommend? You can't recommend that, climatic differences wouldn't allow for it. I live in Wisconsin, there's a foot of snow outside, and the temperatures are down in the twenties... Yeah, defnitely taking your recommendation.

[gravity]

Fully recommend? You can't recommend that, climatic differences wouldn't allow for it. I live in Wisconsin, there's a foot of snow outside, and the temperatures are down in the twenties... Yeah, defnitely taking your recommendation.

I'm pretty sure he ment he recommends it if you can, a recommendation is a suggestion not a order besides IF you ever train inside just go barefoot if the situation allows.

[Belhade]

Actually I need to revise my earlier statement; I have trained barefoot, in a gym, but even then I usually have my Vibrams on.

[pk1993]

Fully recommend? You can't recommend that, climatic differences wouldn't allow for it. I live in Wisconsin, there's a foot of snow outside, and the temperatures are down in the twenties... Yeah, defnitely taking your recommendation.

Nice sarcasm. I just meant if you can, its something great to do from time to time. Really shows your flaws in technique......

[Ryan Anthony Vetter]

Nice sarcasm. I just meant if you can, its something great to do from time to time. Really shows your flaws in technique......

Nobody appreciates sarcasm anymore, nobody!

[Brett Robert]

Barefoot training is great, and only takes the obvious common-sense precautions.  I used to train barefoot all the time, until I started dancing and found my feet were too torn up from training barefoot in nature for rehearsals.  Anyway, my dance "career" is over and I need to get back to it.  Thanks for the reminder.  I run barefoot or in VFFs and I spend a lot of time barefoot in the gym.  Nothing else feels like training barefoot in nature, I gotta get back to that.

Now for the off-topic bits:

Sarcasm is a form of passive aggressive behavior.  It punishes others for taking risks, without taking any real risk on behalf of the speaker.  Not a big fan.  I like goofiness.  With goofiness I take all the risk of looking stupid and do so at no one's expense, then we all get to laugh.  My $0.02 on that one...

The world record for a standing long jump is 12' if you're regularly hitting 11' precisions barefoot you should look into the Olympics 

It's almost 14' if I remember correctly.  Some Norwegian guy.  The whole country competes in standing long jump there.

[NMPK]

"The record is now held by Norwegian Arne Tvervaag from Ringerike FIK Sportclub, who jumped 3.71 metres in Noresund on 11 November 1968"

3.71 meters = 12.17 feet = 12' 2"

That's still huge, my point is simply that people tend to greatly inflate distances on here, and the ability to correctly "eyeball" distances is one I think is very useful especially for training parkour. Helps us give realistic comparisons between obstacles, and keeps us "honest" with ourselves and other traceurs.

[Ryan Anthony Vetter]

That's still huge, my point is simply that people tend to greatly inflate distances on here, and the ability to correctly "eyeball" distances is one I think is very useful especially for training parkour. Helps us give realistic comparisons between obstacles, and keeps us "honest" with ourselves and other traceurs.

I don't eye-ball distances, I use the length of my shoes (exactly one foot), and my height, 5' 6. I can use both of these to tell you the height and or distance of just about anything, not because they're exact but because that's rough carpentry.

[Alex Patterson]

I'm barefoot as much as possible. We don't wear shoes in the house so there's a time. Then I now wear my VFF almost everywhere, cept work and church and whenever my wife says I'm not going out with my hobbit feet on.

Oh and welding. Never EVER weld with barefeet.

[Brett Robert]

"The record is now held by Norwegian Arne Tvervaag from Ringerike FIK Sportclub, who jumped 3.71 metres in Noresund on 11 November 1968"

3.71 meters = 12.17 feet = 12' 2"

That's still huge, my point is simply that people tend to greatly inflate distances on here, and the ability to correctly "eyeball" distances is one I think is very useful especially for training parkour. Helps us give realistic comparisons between obstacles, and keeps us "honest" with ourselves and other traceurs.

1. I was wrong, my bad. 
2. I agree.  I know I'm pretty bad at eyeballing distances so I try not to throw 'em out there.  Getting a tape measure and measuring your broad jump is a good way to inject some reality and take a benchmark of where you're at.

[pk1993]

1. I was wrong, my bad. 
2. I agree.  I know I'm pretty bad at eyeballing distances so I try not to throw 'em out there.  Getting a tape measure and measuring your broad jump is a good way to inject some reality and take a benchmark of where you're at.

Well i just measured it with my feet. which is not very accurate probably. Was not trying to inflate anything, my bad. But my standing jump, has improved a good foot an a half. (my feet atleast)

[Mel Martinez]

I just started actually. Decided I'm going to train as much as possible with bare feet. First week and my feet ache, in an oddly pleasant way. But I'm worried that perhaps my feet aren't strong enough yet. Few days on concrete, and damn, I feel good, and I can land safely most of the time, but I see a lot of flaws in my technique. Also, I'm afraid I'm gonna smash my toes on the rails! (Still I do it, and it's fun)


Any tips for a budding spartan to strengthen his feet when (or possibly when he's not) doing parkour?

[gravity]

I just started actually. Decided I'm going to train as much as possible with bare feet. First week and my feet ache, in an oddly pleasant way. But I'm worried that perhaps my feet aren't strong enough yet. Few days on concrete, and damn, I feel good, and I can land safely most of the time, but I see a lot of flaws in my technique. Also, I'm afraid I'm gonna smash my toes on the rails! (Still I do it, and it's fun)


Any tips for a budding spartan to strengthen his feet when (or possibly when he's not) doing parkour?

start walking around barefoot inside, outside (if possible) and start running barefoot

[Gabriel]

  I always trained barefoot when inside or next home but I had always played soccer on the asphalt since I was 5 so...

  I feel more freedom when I'm barefoot but it's waaaay more comfortable to land when using shoes

[NICK DAGGER]

I train barefoot almost exclusively. I love the feeling  of having the closest possible connection to the environment around me, aside from being completely naked that is. I'll probably get into that someday.