Vibram Five Fingers

Recently my store started carrying the Vibram Five Fingers shoes. There has been a lot of buzz about these shoes, especially as the barefoot/minimal movement grows. I wanted to talk a bit about the shoes, and more importantly how to run in them.

The argument is that the traditional running shoe promotes a heel to toe motion which may not be natural for us. That is certainly a good debate, but I won't be debating today. I do think there is a misconception out there about what minimal shoes do. They will not change your form by themselves. For the shoes to do what you hope they will do, you need to work on your form.

I have covered this in previous posts, but let me go over this again. With the barefoot/minimal form, the idea is you land on the mid-foot, and then lean forward towards the toes, almost like you might fall forward, but that motion is going to propel you forward. The shoes offer a minimal platform for your running. They are not heavily cushioned, and they have no stability.

Stability in a shoe works to reduce overpronation. I think people get it wrong when they call it pronation control. You still want to move naturally. The reduction in overpronation(rolling towards the inside of your feet), is to make your running more efficient, as well giving you some additional support.

The Vibram Five Fingers looks like a glove for your foot, hence the name Five Fingers. It has a rubber sole, and it encases your feet. There is no cushion. I recommend to customers that they slowly introduce the shoes into their running. I have seen/heard a lot about injuries, because people are not taking the care they need to learn and practice a new running form. This is NOT a shoe like the Brooks Adrenaline. This is a minimal piece on your feet, giving you protection from the hazzards of being barefoot.

For the record, I can't wear these shoes. They don't fit my small fat feet. They are also not for everyone. Not all feet can fit into them, especially the folks with the longer second toe.

Putting the shoe on takes effort. You got to be sure your toes go into each "sleeve" and that can take time. This is not putting on a loafer. I am told once they are on, they are comfortable.

I encourage people to try them on at their local running store and see what the buzz is about, but make sure you understand what the shoes do and don't do.

Charlie