By Shane Whitehead, Work It Trainer

One day I was out running Town Lake and I saw a guy wearing some strange camo print footwear, then as I got closer I saw that the shoe he was wearing looked more like a thick sock with a rubber sole.  Since I never saw or heard of anything like this before I went home and began my research on the internet.  After searching I quickly found that the shoes I saw were called Vibram Five Fingers (VFF) and they are the best alternative to barefoot running.

The Science

Now why would you ever want to run barefoot?  Isn’t it bad for my feet?  Well, the idea behind barefoot running is that it actually strengthens our feet and may prevent many injuries of the feet and joints.  When running barefoot you are forced to land on the ball of your foot then the heel touches down gently.  This is the way your body evolved to run.  When you land on the heel as shoes allow you to do, the shock is sent up your legs through your whole body which can lead to injury (shin splints anyone?).  Basically modern shoes have caused us to use poor running form with long, inefficient strides.

Think of your feet as a bow (like bow and arrow), the arch is formed by bones that articulate as we move.  Just like a bow has a string to keep it from going flat, we have a ligament called the plantar fascia which connects the heel to the front of the foot.  With traditional shoes our arch is supported so the plantar fascia doesn’t need to do its job; therefore, it can get weak and lead to plantar fasciitis.  Many doctors will give you custom orthotics to better support your arch which may weaken the plantar fascia even more!

My Review

First of all if you are even considering buying a pair of VFF go to www.vibramfivefingers.com and get as much info as you can about fitting them.  There is a video on the products page about how to size them.   I purchased my VFF at REI (right at 6^th and Lamar).  I recommend trying them on in the store so you can get the best possible fit.  Next, there are different models to choose from, I have the Sprint which are open top with a strap over the foot.  They also have the KSO which have a closed mesh top with a strap as well.  The KSO is said to be the best fitting of all the models, they didn’t have it in my size and I was anxious to wear them so I went with the Sprint.

As soon as I got home I put them on and went for a run, needless to say I was out for about 3 minutes and my achilles tendon had enough.  Needless to say I was disappointed that my run ended so quickly but it is normal so don’t worry if the same happens to you.  I continued working up my distance allowing plenty of rest between runs to fully recover.  My calves were extremely sore at first and my arches were a little tender as well.  Also, as I was able to go on longer runs I began to get blisters at the base of my big toes.  If you feel like you are getting a blister during a run stop immediately, this will allow the skin to toughen up much faster.  Another way to help prevent this is picking up a pair of Injinji toe socks which you can also purchase at REI.  The key is to ease into these shoes, pushing too hard too fast is not a good idea.  If you run a lot, alternate between these and your normal shoes until you feel comfortable in them.

After 2 months of running I notice that my normal running pace has increased and it seems to require much less effort than before.  The shoes show virtually no signs of wear which I didn’t expect since the sole is so thin.  The one problem is that they tend to smell bad which I decided to soak them in soapy water for 10 minutes and air dry every couple days.  Overall I am very happy with the VFF and I would recommend them to everyone.  If you have any questions feel free to post it here or email me.