Running in Vibram FiveFingers

I’ve been running in my new Vibram FiveFingers running shoes lately. They’re funky looking, aren’t they? My son calls them “feet shoes!” Love that!

Surprisingly, they’re easier to get on my feet than I thought they’d be. Just wiggle my toes for a second and they’re on.

Running with Vibram FiveFingers

From FiveFingers: “No footwear comes closer to recreating this natural sensation [of barefoot running] than Vibram FiveFingers®. It allows you to land on your forefoot, directly below your center of gravity, resulting in optimum balance, increased stability, less impact and greater propulsion. Running inFiveFingers delivers sensory feedback that improves agility and equilibrium and allows immediate form correction. In addition it stimulates and strengthens muscles in the feet and lower legs.”

Now… in a previous life, I wore trail running shoes to run on any surface (try not to cringe, fellow seasoned runners – I LIKED IT!). I liked the stiffness at the time. I even ran the half marathon in those!

Then I branched out into lighter-weight, flexible running shoes, and wow, found out what I’d been missing. The FiveFingers Bikila EVO is the ultimate in minimalist footwear. I love the feeling of near weightlessness in my feet as I run!

There’s only the briefest bit of cushion in these shoes, so I like them for track or treadmill the best, and road surface as well, as long as it’s clear of debris (living in Connecticut, we have a lot of sand/rocks left from winter!). I found on a harder surface like cement sidewalks (which isn’t advisable anyway, but when I ran inside a gated community I kind of had to stay on the sidewalk or violate some rule!!), I personally wanted a bit more cushioning.

I could definitely feel the stimulation in my calf muscles wearing these shoes – and I usually feel nothing in my calves after running (I don’t get shin splints at all!). Being able to feel the ground so sensitively while running was a new and refreshing experience – that kind of sensation made me acutely aware of my stride and footfall and helped me concentrate on my overall form.

If you’re looking to go the barefoot runner route, this would be a great transitional running shoe. FiveFingers offers many different styles for various surfaces and activities from travel to trekking to running to water sports.

Vibram FiveFingers Kids’ Styles

Look! They even make kids’ styles! Our son’s always asking when he can wear his “feet shoes!” They’re a little big on him yet, but cute, right?

Kids’ feet take years to develop – even well into their teens and twenties! As their cartilage changes into fully formed bone, you don’t want them to be squished into shoes that are rigid and ill-fitting. That’s why we rarely put shoes on our kids until they were walking, because going barefoot is recommended for foot development. So after they need shoes, FiveFingers gives that “almost barefoot” experience!

The Kids’ Boys’ Speed pair we were sent has traditional laces that can accommodate a range of food widths and heights. I think though, because my son is so young, I’d love to see this in the toggle strap style closure for kids who can’t tie shoes yet! Still, a great shoe and fun for kids to wear. Plus you can machine wash! Very important with children!