I have given a lot of thought to these shoes based on the discussions that are inevitable when podiatry students and doctors start taking notice, and I have ideas about their function (but I haven't yet set up studies to move beyond theory). This being the case, I'll start with a description and anecdote: Had tried running barefoot after a marathon in San Diego keyed me to the idea. Unfortunately, after the first half mile, the skin under my metatarsal heads would be gone, and by the end of a seven-miler, I would be skin-free, have to call for a ride home, and would barely be able to walk around my place. I gave up on barefoot running at that time, and did not start again until a year or two later, in Utah.
Vibram is a company that makes the rubber sole for good quality hiking boots. I liked my boots (and their logo) so much that I decided to see what else their company made. This was in 2007. On their website was the Vibram Five Fingers (now called the "Classic" model), basically a rubber sole with individual digits and enough elastic to keep the sole on the foot. They were closed from behind the heel with a drawstring. These were minimal shoes, designed to protect the feet of people during activities where they would otherwise be barefoot. They were originally designed for people racing sail boats, I believe (you can check their site to be sure that this is correct). I started wearing them, and eventually did use them to run.
The shoes come with a statement warning about the importance of avoiding a sudden transition to five-fingers from traditional shoes, as they are little more than a glove for the foot, without any support mechanisms. I wore them around the office at first, then began using them on short walks, gradually picking up to longer walks and eventually runs. The shoes are good for preventing cuts and abrasions, but your body does the rest of the work by learning to support itself. The hardest things were learning to put them on (it's surprising how difficult it can be to move individual digits that are used to being stuffed into a sock together; I had to use my fingers to point my toes the right way at first and it was still hard), and to keep enthusiasm in check so that I could transition into my activities without hurting myself. Feet that are used to being held in place by supports do not immediately react by taking over when the supports are gone.
Fast forward a couple of months after wearing my "Gorilla Feet", as my coworkers took to calling them, and I definitely felt that my feet were stronger, and that my ability to move was enhanced. The thin sole allows a lot of feedback from the ground to make it to the brain, and my reactions to ground contour and obstructions (like pebbles, uneven ground, etc) were sharper. I could see the muscle bulk in my feet grow considerably (though I didn't measure how much), and when I looked at them from standing, I was more upright.
Downsides: The rubber curves up along the front and a bit over the top of the toes, and this led to some painful drags at first when I would catch a toe and flex it past its normal range when I was walking. Another thing is that with the toes all free and covered in sticky rubber, I caught my fifth digit on a couple of doors when I was not paying attention, and instead of sliding by, it made pretty good contact and directly on the one digit. After a couple of months wearing the shoes, though, my body had grown used to supporting itself, and I remember once connecting my fifth digit with a coffee table and being surprised as the table spun away, while I only broke stride to right the furniture (it didn't hurt at all). The "Classic" model of the shoe did tend to come off when I would run hard, but was fine for distance runs, especially on trails or in parks. My current shoe, the "Sprint" model, has a strap across the top and two along the heel, and I think these are a great improvement in function. The shoes don't dry as well as I would like after walking in a stream, and I don't know how this will be addressed.
Overall, I love wearing these shoes now, and honestly feel a bit oppressed by conditions that require me to don more traditional footwear. The shoes are very light, and I enjoy feeling the ground I walk on, and I learn to soften my movements because without cushioned soles thundering down on the ground is not a comfortable option anymore. Instead of crashing down, I pick up my feet before too much weight settles. The minimal distance between my foot and the ground makes me feel more stable, as there is less of a lever to twist my ankles on. If one is free from a pathological deformity, is reasonably fit, and is willing to ease into the shoe without overdoing it, they're wonderful. Currently, I would say they are my main shoe, but with a traditional shoe as an adjunct. When I start to feel sore, I then use the supports of my traditional shoe like the crutch that they are.
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