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| One of my FiveFingers after a run on a rainy day. I liked the way the picture looked with minimal color. |
I’ve never been bombarded with so many questions about an outfit than the first day I wore my Vibram FiveFingers to school. Every time someone glanced at my feet, I was either stared at awkwardly or asked one of three questions,
“Are those shoes?”
“Why are you wearing socks to school?”
“What the heck are those?”
I tried to explain as best as I could that I was indeed wearing shoes, and they were shoes made to replicate a barefoot experience. Most kids still looked back at me with blank stares as I kept walking.
Similar stories occur every time I try to wear these shoes out in public. My peculiar choice of footwear never fails to garner the attention of numerous outsiders. Despite the constant questioning being sort of annoying, my pair of Vibram FiveFingers is still my go to outdoor shoe.
Vibram FiveFingers, whose company slogan is “Discover the Alternative” were developed out of the idea that over time, our legs and feet have been weakened as a result of excessive cushioning in modern shoes, and the idea that being barefoot is actually healthier for our bodies by providing a more natural foot strike with the ground. Their popularity skyrocketed after being named a Time Magazine invention of the year in 2007, and after barefoot running gained press with Christopher Mcdougall’s book, Born to Run.
I purchased my pair of FiveFingers this summer, while at a small shoe store in Santa Cruz California. Immediately after putting them on, I knew I had to take them home. Being someone who loves being barefoot, they were a perfect solution to wanting to be barefoot all the time. The model I purchased was the KSO, which stands for “keep stuff out.” This model covers your entire food with a thin layer of material. Other model’s are more open, or tailored to specific activities such as running or hiking.
After about three months, I’ve put in somewhere between thirty and fourty miles running with my FiveFingers. Although it takes a little while to get used to, I’ve found that they have drastically decreased my shin pain while running, and provide for an overall better experience. You can feel the road, the heat, and the bumps and running becomes much more of a full body expereience than in regular running shoes.
In addition to running, I’ve gone hiking, swimming, and done lots of exploring in my FiveFingers. They have been great for everything I’ve used them for so far, but obviously have limitations if one plans on trekking over difficult terrain. My Vibram FiveFingers are the most fun pair of shoes I’ve ever owned, and wouldn’t hesitate to buy a second pair.
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| A close-up view of my version of FiveFingers, the "KSO" model. |
