this post was submitted on 08 Mar 2025
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BarefootRunning

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Hi! I transitioned to barefoot shoes and I can get by without issues in my daily walks. I am not ready to run on barefoot shoes yet, so I got the thinnest Altras I could find and off I went.

Probably I overdid it on the first runs, but I got some pain on the outer part of my calf. Not the full calf, just the outer part. I believe this is the part that powers the toes. That pain may be normal, but I wonder if my forefoot striking technique is wrong. Is this supposed to happen?

TL;DR: Beginner's pain in outer calf. Is it supposed to happen or is my forefoot striking technique wrong?

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[–] lemonuri 2 points 5 days ago

Try not to run on tiptoes. You can land flat or front to heel, whatever comes naturally. The heel needs to touch the ground with every step, though. It's a typical beginners mistake to misinterpret forefoot strike as running on tiptoes only. Small steps high cadence, land right underneath your body with each step, run as if stepping over hot coals.