Beware the Fake FiveFingers

As Vibram's exotic FiveFinger shoes have become more popular, a host of fake knockoffs have surfaced on the internet.  Luckily, birthdayshoes.com does a great job of helping the consumer steer away from the fakes...

General Rules of Finger:

1. FiveFingers are only sold at a limited number of retailers (who all have brick/mortar)... NO AUTHORIZED INTERNET ONLY DEALERS (stay away from zappo/ebay/etc.)
2. Pricing - Vibram's almost never go on sale... thrift is good, except when it's not
3. Logo & Coloring - pay particular attention to the logo (should be yellow), and the coloring (all colors should be listed on website.... so don't buy those funky colored fingers

Woe is me!! - (big ticket shoe purchase)

Couple days ago, I purchased my most expensive pair of shoes ever... the Vibram FiveFingers KSO Trek.  For those who have not heard, FiveFingers are the most popular 'barefoot' running shoes around, and are easily distinguishable by the 'toe compartments'.

I debated for awhile at the shoe store between the KSO Trek, and their specialty running model, the Bikila.  The reason I got the KSO Trek's were because I had been doing some trail running recently (which tore up my feet cause of the little pebbles and stuff), and the KSO Trek was specifically designed for trails (Bikila's are designed for road running).

This morning, I did my first run in them, and they felt very comfortable.  My feet got blistered a bit, but mainly from the adjustment to new shoes.  My giant blister from last week did not reappear (even tho the skin was extremely tender).  I felt a bit more arc-support than my normal aqua shoes.  Once the blisters heal, I'm going to be doing a lot more trail-running in these puppies.

Shoes for 'Barefoot' Running

As a clarification, the barefoot running movement has more to do with the mechanics of running, than the exact degree of nakedness appropriate for your feet.  With that in mind, here are a list of potential options for barefoot running:

• Nike Frees - these are basically 'advanced cloth running shoes'.  Nike makes Frees with various levels of support, so this is potentially a good way for those interested in barefoot running to gradually try it out.  One downside is that the older models I used to wear broke down quickly, and at $40-80, it is a fairly expensive shoe to replace

• Aqua Shoes - these are generic shoes often found at pools or beaches.  They often have rubber soles, without much additional support - perfect for developing the proper running mechanics.  I personally use these right now.  Another great benefit to these is that they can be purchased at Walmart (or any other major retailer) for approximately $10

• FiveFingers - these are the 'cool' barefoot running shoes.  Aesthetically, they're quite different from other shoes, and have been compared to 'gloves for feet'.  The major downside to these are the cost, typically costing over $80

• Terra Plana Evo - the Cadillac of barefoot running shoes, these puppies cost $150.  I don't really know much about them, although they claim to be the original 'barefoot running' shoe

• Hauraches - the running shoes of Tarahumara indians, these shoes are basically a piece of rubber, with a string attached.  From the linked website, you can purchase the shoes for $20-$50 (depending on level of assembly required).  Alternatively, it has instructions on how to create your own running sandal.

• Barefoot - after much practice, some people decide to forgo shoes altogether.  Not sure this is a good idea, particularly in urban settings (glass, debris, etc.), but there are some people that do it.  This is free (excluding potential medical injury costs).

Barefoot Running - Episode 4 (Day 18)

Did about 2-3 miles this morning... feet a little blistered up... calves feel much better than after prior runs...

one of my friend said something about barefoot running potentially causing the arch found in foots to disappear over time... will have to look into this...

Renaissance of Barefoot Running

http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/

The above study is what brought about the recent surge of interest in barefoot running.  I suggest anyone interested to take a look at the study, as it has some very interesting findings, and possibly paradigm-changing ramifications.

Summary Findings:

Our research asked how and why humans can and did run comfortably without modern running shoes. We tested and confirmed what many people knew already: that most experienced, habitual barefoot runners tend to avoid landing on the heel and instead land with a forefoot or midfoot strike. The bulk of our published research explores the collisional mechanics of different kinds of foot strikes. We show that most forefoot and some midfoot strikes (shod or barefoot) do not generate the sudden, large impact transients that occur when you heel strike (shod or barefoot). Consequently, runners who forefoot or midfoot strike do not need shoes with elevated cushioned heels to cope with these sudden, high transient forces that occur when you land on the ground. Therefore, barefoot runners can run easily on the hardest surfaces in the world without discomfort from landing. If impact transient forces contribute to some forms of injury, then this style of running (shod or barefoot) might have some benefits, but that hypothesis remains to be tested.

Barefoot Running - Episode 3 (Day 12)

Did about 2 miles last night.  Legs are sore again.  Nothing new to report.

My left knee has been feeling weak lately... been trying to rest it a bit more.  Feels OK as of this morning (though a bit tender still).

Barefoot Funning - Episode 2 (Day 4)

So I bought my 2nd pair of aqua shoes today from Walmart (my first pair from target was very bad, I would highly recommend AGAINST them), and I did about 1-2 miles at a pretty leisurely (slow) pace.

The shoes were wonderful (sorry, I could not find them on the walmart website - but they're called aqua shoes).  They were actually very comfortable to wear on the inside, and fit quite snugly, despite being one size too large.  I am definitely noticing that running primarily through the "balls of the feet" seems to work my calves significantly more than running through my heels.

I've been thinking more about sneakers (specifically running shoes) lately.  It irks me that the corporations have created foamy sneakers that render our natural gifts useless.  Then again, their marketing certainly has made the jogging market much larger than what it would have been 'naturally'.  I can't help but feel like I could create a shoe that can free people from this podiatry of oppression.

Barefoot Running - Episode 1 (Day 1)

I've been reading alot about barefoot running the past couple days, after hearing someone mention the infamous five finger shoes.  Tonight (early morning), I went for a run with my roomie at the gym at our apartment, and I tried it out for myself on the treadmill...

Distance:  1 Mile (walked probably 1/3 of it)
Pace:  10-12 minute mile
Pain:  Severe

As you can see, this was pretty miserable in terms of distance and pace.  I had to walk once my feet started blistering up.  As we speak (15 minutes after the fact), its almost impossible to walk around on the rough carpet without severe grimacing.  I will say though, it is definitely possible to feel the difference in the strides (ball-strike vs heel-strike) once the 'running' shoes were removed.  It was 'refreshing' (pain-aside) in that my feet felt much lighter, and the impact was very noticeably softer.

In any case, I think waterbreaks during work tomorrow will be quite an (painful) adventure.