Last month, I bought a pair of Vibram Five Fingers shoes. These shoes are touted as “barefoot technology” to allow you to enjoy the benefits of being barefoot while still having basic protection for your feet.

What’s so great about being barefoot you ask? According to the company, these are the reasons:

1. Strengthens Muscles in the Feet and Lower Legs – wearing FiveFingers will stimulate and strengthen muscles in the feet and lower legs, improving general foot health and reducing the risk of injury.

2. Improves Range of Motion in Ankles, Feet and Toes – no longer ‘cast’ in a shoe, the foot and toes move more naturally.

3. Stimulates Neural Function Important to Balance and Agility – when wearing Vibram FiveFingers, thousands of neurological receptors in the feet send valuable information to the brain, improving balance and agility.

4. Improves Proprioception and Body Awareness – those same neurological receptors heighten body awareness, sending messages about body mechanics, form, and movement.

5. Eliminates Heel Lift to Align the Spine and Improve Posture – By lowering the heel, our bodyweight becomes evenly distributed across the footbed, promoting proper posture and spine alignment.

6. Allows the Foot and Body to Move Naturally, Which Just FEELS GOOD.

Now I’ve been running with them 3 times a week for the last month. I must admit, I was a little concerned at first because I’ve always been told that we need great shoes for running to protect your knees.

The first time I ran with them, it was a very weird feeling. The first obvious reason is that they are so light that it feels as though you’re not wearing anything. But the sole of the shoe is made of pretty strong material.

The other thing is that the sole has wave like grooves that are laser cut. This allows your feet to bend and arch naturally. Also, the toe design allows me to even pick up stuff with my toes! Weird!

The first time I ran with them, I found that I was very noticeably running differently. I am not banging my heel on the ground and its almost like I’m running on the front of my feet first.

The Verdict?

I must say, I’ve grown quite attached to my Vibrams. I feel great running in them and using normal shoes just makes me feel like I’m wearing clumsy flippers.

Also, the first week of using them caused my shins and calves to ache a lot! So I guess it is true that you will mobilize muscles that you don’t normally use with normal running shoes.

So far, my knees feel fine (not that I’ve ever had any problem with my knees). I’m not nearly as concerned as I was originally that reduced padding may cause more strain on my knees.

I do recommend these shoes if you are after a different running experience and if you don’t mind the weird stares from your fellow runners.

They are also great for walks in the park if you really want to feel connected to the earth! :)

Technorati Tags: barefoot, shoes, vibram

Tags: barefoot, running, shoes, vibram