Vibram FiveFingers: First Impressions

FiveFingers at the leg-press.

This holiday my son Ryan and I were treated to Vibram FiveFinger shoes. We went to the local REI and looked through the rack at multiple choices including slips-ons, standard, and booties. Within the standard model, there are more choices to make and the size varies from one style to another. Along with the other customers, we kept the salesman running back to the supply area for more boxes. Eventually I picked the KSO and my son the KomodoSport.

I have worn them around the house after work for the past few days and once to the gym. My initial impressions:

1. Your feet feel like they are getting a massage. I don’t know if it is the snug fit of the shoes, the thickness of the fabric on the KSO, or what. Nevertheless, the shoes feel much different than regular shoes. 
2. Your toes participate more in walking. In a regular shoe, the toes seem to have little role. In the FiveFingers, the toes have more to do and you sense a bit of connection to our Paleo ancestors.
3. You walk straighter. This was a pleasant and a bit surprising finding. Of course, it shouldn’t have been. After all, we were not designed to wear shoes.
4. The one downside, and hopefully only a temporary one, is that they are a bit fussy to get on, especially the 4^th and 5^th toes. Hopefully, this will become second nature over time.
5. They make sense. There seems to be an inherent logic to the shoes. Yes, our Paleo ancestors didn't wear Vibrams. However, their feet were toughened to the terrain ever since they began to walk. FiveFingers seem to allow the foot to work in the way it was designed and yet keep it protected from cuts and scrapes.

Vibram FiveFingers come with AEGIS Microbe Shield, a permanently bonded antimicrobial barrier. A 2 mm insole and rubber outsole “protect the feet from hot surfaces and rough terrain.” You can learn more about FiveFingers here.