sounds like a vibrator or a vitamin... ANyway, what's with all these "feet shoes" and such? Is this just a comercial way to make a buck or are people really that freaked out about going barefoot anymore? There are these sites on the web that are supposed to be about going bareoot but they are really shoe comercials. I'm not a runner, so I dont know about that part of it, but just walking around barefoot needs shoes? Can somebody explain this?
I have 7 pair of Vibram Five Fingers. Sometimes you simply can't be barefoot. Work, church, restaurants, are a few places for example, and these are the closest thing to being barefoot that i've found. They are terrific. they spread your toes and help you to correct years of shoefoot damage. I highly recommend them to anyone that wants to feel as close to the ground as possible and still be "legal". NYC is my favorite place to wear them. I've had regular shoes on exactly once this year and 4 times in 2009. Check out www.birthdayshoes.com
:toetap05: With vibram they tried to reach those people of society that would go barefoot but don't dare or just won't. Maybe it is a good step up to barefooting, but I think it makes people only more 'addicted' to shoes. I never tried them though. Imo you only need training to be able to walk barefoot EVERYWHERE (yes, in churches, in restaurants, at the doctors,...too) I put my shoes on only for teaching, and only to be able to get good enough results to become a teacher. For the rest I never put on shoes. arty: Wouldn't actually even want to wear those shoes (vibrams), nothing's ever better than barefooting. (although...sex comes close to it)
That actually wasn't the intention of five fingers. The man who designed them hiked the dolomites and found the terrain to be far too severe for barefeet 100% of the time. He sold the idea to vibram and they hired him to create the product after they had no takers for the idea. They would have been happy to just make the soles and farm out the rest. The original market was more on the lines of boating and kayaking, bouldering and climbing. They expanded the market greatly after guys like me and the members of Birthday shoes, started telling tales of how they were being used. I'm not an original ff wearer but pretty close as i've been wearing them for over two years. Like i said, unless you've tried them don't knock them, they really have a place for many people. And unlike being barefoot they actually do tend to allow you to walk more correctly. It's also difficult to find a happy medium when you live in a cold weather climate. On the subject of being barefoot all the time I have to take into consideration that you are 20 years old and i'm a 52 year old sales and service tech so barefooting 100% of the time isn't an option. Plus I really wouldn't be comfortable going barefoot in anyone's restaurant or church. Good for you though, when i was a younger man i had the same ideals but life has a way of beating the freedom out of you. Thanks. kevin
They offer no support, when it's hot or cold so are your feet. They are as wet as can be with the smallest puddles and they stink to high heaven. luckily they are machine and hand washable because you'll find yourself doing it often. If i wear mine without the socks (cold weather climate) i just take them off on the patio, squirt them with simple green, hose and hang on the line. You feel just about everything underfoot and the more they wear in the more comfortable they become. The constant ability to spread your toes becomes somewhat addictive as do the converstions on the street as people point at your feet. Kevin I am very biased because they have truly changed my life for the better. I'll post a pic or two when i'm near my desktop. Kevin
I saw some kid wearing them in the mall. Couldn't figure out why (don't kids wear flips?) It looked extremely ridiculous. I was barefoot at the time and think i looked way less dorky. It looked like a vital part of some halloween costume. If i really felt i needed to be shod somewhere i'd put on flips for the duration (or docksiders depending on temp) before i'd do those things. Churches and doctors i got no problem being barefoot but i agree restos and bars can be a bit diff. I always try shoeless first tho....lol.
Oh and by the way, these things aren't cheap. My least expensive pair was $74.00 and the most expensive came in at $125.00
I've got a pair and I wear them only when it's too cold for bare feet. They're quite comfortable. Even then, extreme (sub-zero F) cold is too much. This past winter I wore them on a flight back to Denver. Waiting in the steel jetway for my gate-checked luggage was too much. It was sub-zero F and the floors were indicative. As soon as I got in the terminal I put on my shoes and socks. I love barefoot freedom, but I don't want to lose my toes in the process.
Agreed. You have to listen to your feet. It happened to me in my driveway. I stayed out too long and man could you feel the cold come in. The trick is to keep moving, once you stop, yer dead. I have two pair of VFF treks that i wear in cold weather, mostly to work. They're leather and have a thicker sole. It's cold in CT in the winter time so as long as it's not too wet i'll wear them with injinji nuwool socks. You lose most of the barefoot ground feel but maintain the flexibilty of the bare foot. It's a reasonable compromise for me. It was a rather dry winter this year and I wore them every day.
I have 1-pair of Classics, my first pair and i find that they look a little too feminine for me. 4- pair of KSO's, obviously my favorite 2- pair of KSO Treks The biggest negative about any FF's is that the material between the toes allows water to come in quickly. I've tried all sorts of waterproofing but nothing works. The Trek has a sole with deeper grooves so you are a little higher off the ground allowing you to stay warmer and dryer. They're also made from kangaroo leather instead of mess so they insulate better. When you're outside in 30 degree weather and step in a puddle it doesn't matter how hard core of a barefooter you are. Fun over! One positive i enjoy is the fact that once you put these on there is no need to adjust them again for the entire day and they are so comfortable that there have been times that i actually forgot to take them off. They're also very durable. My first and favorite pair of KSO's are beat up with the toe seam ripped and a hole in the bottom. The color has faded from tons of washing and there is no indication that these will ever be ready for the trash. The sole is so thin that you really do feel very close to barefoot and the velcro still sticks well I'm aware that this is a barefooting site and i'm shoeless at every opportunity but as far as an alternative these are as close as i've gotten to the ground. Due to weather constraints and the fact that i need to work, shoes are needed from time to time. As far as the looks are concerned I happen to think that these are quite cool. When i see a young woman with long jeans, small feet and a pair of colorful FF's on it reminds me of the old days when more people wore soft sole mocs. It's a nice, relaxed look. I'm kind of surprized that these aren't more popular than they are even though the company has tripled it's sales in a very short period of time. If you happen to be shy you might want to get ready for tons of conversations regarding your feet. I'm a sales rep and these things are gold when it comes to opening dialog. Many people ask about them and i find people in lines behind me having conversations about them. I was surprised not to see any when I went to San Francisco. When I wasn't barefoot i was walking the hills with these on. I was the only one i saw that was barefoot or with FF's when I was out there, even if it was just for a few days. I was disappointed that i was the only barefooter on Haight. My timing must have been off. Boston and NYC brings out lots of conversation. the staff at Dana Farber would bring new people in to see my shoes each time i visited with my wife for chemo. It's actually pretty fun being the guy with the wierd shoes. Several miles in NYC and you feel as if you traveled the city barefoot, feeling everything underfoot. At the end of the day your feet are tired but nothing like the discomfort of shoe feet.
I understand all this. Appreciate the comments. BUt only BAREfoot is barefoot. Too cold or too hot or too whatever---wear these. Fine. But can the human species agree that ONLY BAREFOOT is barefoot? Otherwise, it's a con! You know, a lie.
Have some old Clarks and sneakers. The point is, I never claimed that wearing a new-type shoe was the same as going without shoes. God knows shoes have evolved over the decades for all kinds of reasons (fashion, usefulness)---just say your wearing shoes. Only bare feet are bare feet, right? I just think those web sites are misleading---or maybe thats the only way they know to advertize to people who like to be barefoot.
Good points. I think there are a lot of people out there that would love to be barefoot but wouldn't ever consider shedding their shoes. So the buzz is more about a barefoot alternatve for someone that may want to try it out without actually being barefoot. I'm a coffee guy and bristle at idea that the crap that comes out of the cappuccino machines in 7-11 is actually anything close to one. However as a fellow barefooter i would like to ask you to at least try these things on. Size off the website and shop locally. Try the KSO's. They have changed my life. Really. Your Clarks will never be worn again. And if by chance you're a 44m then i have a pair you can have. They do size almost exactly so you have to be a 44
I wear my self made soft-soled mocasins, but only when I need to, and till now that was only in freezing cold weather. :snowkiss: Otherwise I do not have to, as i do not chose to do it. (but that is entirely my own philosophy- and a bit of the buddhists)
