Last week I finally picked up a pair of Vibram FiveFingers Komodosport LS's, and a pair of Injinji socks to go with them. I'll probably buy more of the socks, just wanted to start out with one to try them out. While I do like this new crazy footwear, I must be clear that I do still think barefoot is best, by far. However, I'm not too keen on having my bare feet freeze in the cold temperatures we're about to get, starting this week. I think the VFF's along with the socks will be just enough to keep the cold off my bare skin, while still allowing some degree of ground feel. I wore the shoes and socks all day long on Friday, sort of as a "break-in" exercise. Feet stayed nice and dry, and comfortable. But when I took them off Friday night I let out a big "ahhhhhh" I will still likely be barefoot most of the time while indoors, or perhaps in socks if my feet get a chill. Hopefully the tough plantar skin I've developed over the past 5 months won't diminish too much.
Perhaps you can help answer my question: Does wearing Vibrams (etc) lead to barefooting? I understand you personally BEGAN as a barefooter and chose to use Vibrams for protection and because it lets you maintain the "barefoot feel." Because minimal shoes are marketed as a way station to (or from) barefooting, I wonder what the transition to barefooting is? (and, yes, it's another way to make a buck)
Honestly I don't know. I know that lots of people are hearing all this new research and reports, especially in the running community, about how barefoot is better for you than normal running shoes, due to the changes in form that lead to less injury as long as you don't do too much too soon (TMTS) during the transition. And many people who want to go this route think that they would should use minimalist footwear as a way of transition. IMHO there are no such thing as "barefoot" shoes. You're either barefoot, or not. If the shoes don't have the typical support and cushioning of "normal" shoes, then they should be referred to as "minimal" shoes. If you peruse through the Runner's World Barefoot Running forums, you'll see that most of the regulars there highly recommend just going barefoot to start out. I, and others on that forum, prefer to see shoes as tools. Use them when absolutely needed (i.e. cold weather in my case, or normal shoes for protection on construction sites, etc.), but otherwise just go ahead and go full barefoot for at least part of your normal run when making the transition. Now I'm not a runner, not yet, but I just started going BF almost all the time back in May, and my foot, ankle, and leg muscles built themselves up quite a bit just from going BF during normal daily activities. I'm not sure how many minimalist shoes are marketed as a transition to full barefoot. I think most of them are just marketed as an alternative to both normal shoes and to barefoot, i.e. better for you than normal shoes, but also an option when you don't want to be fully BF. I prefer totally BF, but in some cases there may be times when it's just too hazardous, for my own personal comfort anyway.
Patrick you don't need to apologize for buying a pair of VFF's. Your comfort is your business and no one else's. Go barefoot as much as you want until you think its too cold. They're your feet, cover or uncover them as you see fit. Another alternative to VFF's is soft soled moccasins. Lots of craft stores sell kits that let you make your own. The kits have padded soles but you can throw them in the wash, pull them out, then peel the padding away. This is a great way to have some warmth and maintain a large degree of the barefoot feel as the only thing between your foot and the ground is a think layer of leather. Look at the pics in my profile to see what I mean. Good look with the VFF's and let us know how they work out.
Yeah, i have to agree the moc's are a good cold weather way to go. Warm but you feel every pebble just as if you were barefoot.
Still don't know why they're called Five FINGERS??? Did anyone see the tv prog last night about the development of the human body, where the extremely lovely Dr Alice Roberts was wearing a pair on a treadmill experiment? She said they made her "nearly barefoot" like our ancestors. Of course I sat there wondering why she couldn't just be barefoot!
I bought some of these too! hardly worn them yet though but planning to when it gets really cold. Theyre the best fitting shoes ive ever bought and the design of them really flatters the shape of the foot... I agree barefoot is the ideal though!!
my opinion is, that ludicrous footwear was christened by someone with a poor english vocabulary . can't tell for other langs, but us Italian call toes 'foot fingers' and vibram is an italian born company (Vi-Bram stands for Vitale Bramani, the inventor of the original vibram alpine boot sole).
That's it exactly, from what I understand. Isn't the word for "fingers" and "toes" the same in Italian? Plus "Five Fingers" just flows better when saying it, rather than "Five Toes", as well as VFF's vs. VFT's. Well today the temperature is nearly 30°F lower than yesterday, but I'm still here barefoot in the office. :2thumbsup:
