Winter Running
As the weather gets colder, snowier, and nastier in the North East I find myself struggling to run outside barefoot without getting numb. Since the purpose of running barefoot is the sensory feedback, being numb is dangerous. I’ve explored the options, and tried many of them, but still have much to learn. Here are the options I’ve tried so far and what has worked.
Barefoot/Shodless. Frostbite is a serious concern as temperatures drip into the 30F and below and snow settles onto the ground. Cities spray the roads with salt and other chemicals, lowering the freezing point of water and creating a more caustic environment for skin. These are serious concerns and should not be taken lightly. They should also not be feared without being understood.
Being barefoot in the winter takes adaptation, just like any other type of activity that your body is not used to. The trick is to adapt slowly. The question is, can we truly adapt to such a thing? At this time I don’t have an answer for you. My limited experience with running barefoot outside has involved numbness in ~30F weather. I promptly stopped, got inside, warmed up, and went back out slightly shod.
Perhaps I’m erring on the side of caution but the purpose of running barefoot is to increase the sensory perception and feedback. The moment things start to get numb, I am in a situation where I can easily overextend, over-stride, or simply overstep what I am capable of. Not to mention the heightened risk of frostbite.
Barefoot Rick has written some fascinating information regarding his barefoot running over the past 5+ years. The pictures are not for the squeamish and show him with various stages of frostbite and other injuries.
It’s definitely possible to run barefoot in the winter; the jury is still out on the duration, adaption time and risk of lasting injuries.
Socks. Pulling on a pair of running socks (or wool socks) and just going out for a run seemed like a reasonable idea. After all, it’s still pretty close to barefoot right? Well, not so much. The wool socks bunch in the front and felt extremely awkward. I had to take them off half way through 8 miles and run the rest barefoot. They did manage to keep my feet warm.
The running socks were no better. These provided very little warmth and the actual “sole” of the sock would have worn through after another 2-3 runs.
Just socks is not a viable option.
Vibram Five Finger Classics with Injinji Socks. The classic VFF have no strap over the top and are the most minimalistic of the Vibram options. Coupling these with the Injinji toe socks provides a warm and wicking solution. The actual running in “classics” is difficult since the elastic around the back pinches at the heel. If you remove this elastic the heel of the shoe is difficult to keep secured. Perhaps you will have better luck with this setup, however it is not feasible for me due to these limitations.
Vibram Five Finger Flow. Marketed as “ChiRunning in colder temperatures or crossing a stream with your kayak, the FiveFingers Flow provides comfortable barefoot protection”, these definitely kept my feet warm. The 1.2mm Neoprene lining and 2mm EVA footbed provide the thermal insulation and protection.
Despite having a thicker sole than I would like, these have proved the best solution for me, thus far. The feeling is as close to barefoot as I can simulate while retaining feeling in my feet.
Since the shoes cover the entire foot, they do not feel as though they are going to slip off, like the VFF classics which allows for a more natural gait. As long as you are used to running barefoot, your form should allow to adapt to these without too much effort.
Treadmill. Barefoot running on the treadmill should not be dismissed as a winter alternative. Even if you are going to adapt your feet to the cold, the treadmill can help.
I’ve used the treadmill to both log miles barefoot and to warm up before heading out the door. I find that having muscles loosened up and my body temperature higher helps me ease into the cold without stiffness.
Snowshoes. I have yet to attempt this. Once there is some snowfall here in Michigan I will be trying my new Atlas Run Snowshoe
Feedback?
So how do you run in the winter? What have you done to keep your little footsies from freezing solid? I’d love to read about your trials and tribulations.
References
- Injinji Socks – aka, the toe socks come in all sorts of heights, material types, and colors. I have used them with my classics and found they are comfortable, albeit expensive.
- Vibram Five Fingers
My feet began to get quite cold in my VFF KSOs around 55 (I am more of a wimp than most, having lived in California for many years now!). I bought some Injini merino wool socks and wore them with my VFFs and have done well so far. However, I don’t know what I will do in the rain and 40s or even lower.
Part of the problem is that I’m still recovering from nerve injury from disc herniation. This causes my left leg to get colder faster. It also means I have to walk more, which means my feet are on the ground more and my core body temperature not as high. I’m hoping once I am able to run non-stop I can withstand colder temps. I’m amazed when I see you guys running in the snow barefoot. But developing some heat from running probably has something to do with this.
Thanks for the post!
Clynton
Running Quest
Sorry but I still feel that common sense must always prevail. Running barefoot in the rockies where I live at 10,000 ft on snow and ice bare foot is just plain dumb. While a good pair of brooks adrenelines might not be barefoot my feet are still warm and well protected until spring when I can lose the shoes.
Thanks for the posts guys. I agree that common sense should definitely prevail, and I’m having a hard time running in no snow, let along on ice, etc.
One must be pragmatic, above all else.
FYI, I just found out you can get frostbite in temps as warm as 42 degrees if it’s raining and you’re out there long enough. Not what I wanted to learn the hard way:
http://southofthecliff.blogspot.com/2009/12/mistlefrostbittentoe-half-marathon.html
Wow, sorry to hear about your endeavor. I read through the blog post. I definitely don’t feel so silly for not having braved the cold. Pragmatism seems to win out.
And thanks for not posting pictures, frostbite is not a pretty sight. Do you think you would have still had the frostbite in the Vibrams since they got wet?
Re vffs, probably. I only have the classics which are the minimaliest. Maybe the KSOs have better heat retention? But it’s not much.
I think I know when it happened – there was a stretch with very cold gusts of wind around mile 11, and my fingers got very cold. I bet that wind took away my core heat (I was in polyester and cotton – no windbreaker. I was worried about overheating…), so all the blood left my extremities. I also should have worn a warmer hat. But really, I should have stayed home or ran just the 5k.
Everything is healing ok, and it’s starting to look less gross. The good thing is that the actual frostbite surface area is pretty small. The rest is skin damage from the blistering around it. Could have been worse.
My biggest worry is slipping on ice and wrenching my back.
Running indoors sounds depressing but it is dark when I leave for work and dark when I get home. Dang.
There are risks everywhere in life, I worry more about sliding with my car than I do my feet. Make sure you’re running tall and not pushing off with your feet.
I’ve been running barefoot in Baltimore, MD this winter.
The temperatures here have been down to -19F in January (we had our share of snow too). But it has not been a serious problem for my feet. Yes, the feet do get numb, but only at first. After about 10-15 minutes of running your blood starts pumping and you will feel your feet get warm. If anything, the uneven surface of the snow and slippery ice end up being good benchmarks for your running technique. I realised how much I was pushing off when my feet began shooting up behind me.
The only real problem has been the ungodly amounts of salt that people poured onto the pavement (what helps, though, is that other people walk in normal shoes and grind up the salt into dust, which doesn’t hurt as much). The snow itself also can be treacherous because you cannot see the glass that might be in it. Also my hands get really cold without gloves and the sweat starts to freeze on my elbows (too much info?).
It does help that the sidewalks and roads are cleared, but I don’t see that much of a problem running on packed snow. Yes, it does get cold, but running if VFFs has been worse for me in that respect than running barefoot. The snow starts to melt on them and just stays there.
I generally run for only an hour (I figure most people wouldn’t want to spend more time than that in the cold). I wouldn’t advise a session longer than that – do 2-3 runs instead of a long one.