I have wanted to try a pair of Vibram’s FiveFingers shoes for a while now, but have found it very difficult to get hold of them due to their popularity – nowhere had any stock.
These shoes are designed to allow you to achieve a “barefoot” feel when you are taking part in activities such as running, trekking, yoga, water sports, climbing etc. According to the Vibram website, barefooting “stimulates the muscles in your feet and lower legs which will not only make you stronger and healthier, it improves your balance, agility and proprioception”. Obviously, doing many these things truly barefooted would probably result in some nasty injuries, so the FiveFingers offer a very lightweight and robust covering for your foot that still feels like you are barefoot.
Yesterday, I finally managed to find a pair that I could try on, in REI’s flagship store in downtown Seattle. I grabbed a pair of the Injinji socks (that also have separate toes in them), and a pair of the FiveFinger KSO series in a black, gray and camoflage colour. I then proceeded to spend a few minutes feeling very weird as I slotted my individual toes into the toe sockets, first in the socks and then in the shoes. As weird as it was, however, they felt pretty good. So, the purchase was made and I am now the proud owner of some great new running/activity shoes.
The KSO in the name stands for “Keep Stuff Out”. The shoes have a thin Vibram sole, and a nylon and mesh upper that encloses your whole foot. The velcro fastening really keeps the shoe tight on your foot, and I can definitely see these being used in situations where you want to keep your feet covered and your shoes firmly in place – perhaps in the water, or when trail running etc. They do a number of different series that are suitable for different types of activity; see their website for the other options.
I took them for a 20 minute run on the treadmill at my hotel this morning. One of the big differences about these shoes is that you cannot run the way most people normally do – predominantly “heel first”. Your biomechanics have to change so that the ball of your foot is hitting the pavement first. Twenty minutes is a long time when you’re running on your toes. My calves have never felt so abused… However, they definitely felt very comfortable, and I felt like I’d had a really good workout after the twenty minutes were up. I’m really looking forward to a longer run outside.
