Did you catch the type of shoes that the reporter was holding in her hands?  That’s right!  It is none other than the Vibram FiveFingers Classic shoes!

I really wonder if one day these FiveFingers shoes will be as mainstream as normal shoes.  But for now I’ll be one of the “weirdos” sporting them around town.

No related posts.

For the past several weeks I’ve been running in my new Vibram FiveFingers Classic shoes.  I’ve reported on the very first run I did with the shoes and even my second run in the shoes.  Since then I’ve been running more in the shoes.  I can now run up to 3 miles in the shoes at a time without too much discomfort.  I still feel a little scrunched in the pinky toe area, but the pain is at least a little more manageable now.  Bottom line is running in these shoes is just more fun than plain old running shoes (like the difference between driving a manual car and an automatic transmission car).

Anyway, this past weekend I had the bright idea to combine 2 of my favorite hobbies together: exercising in my Vibram FiveFingers Classics and playing tennis.   So instead of barefoot running shoes, turning them into barefoot tennis shoes.

I was inspired to take my barefoot running shoes and turn them into barefoot tennis shoes after I read the history of Terra Plana’s vivo barefoot shoes.  The initial concept for the shoes started out when the designer discovered that playing tennis barefoot made his chronic knee and ankle injuries disappear.  I like to play tennis and have had problems in the past with blisters and ankle injuries so I figured now that I had a pair of minimalist shoes that it was worth a try.  Check out the video below:

The Good

The biggest difference you notice between FiveFingers shoes and traditional tennis shoes is just how light they are.  You feel (and look) more like a ballerina than a tennis player since the FiveFinger’s don’t have all the padding shielding you from the court.  In addition to feeling all the textures of tennis court the rubber bottom of the Vibram’s gives you great grip on the court.  I felt very agile on the court.  Moving is not an issue in these shoes.

The Bad

While moving around the court is not a problem what ends up being a problem is sprinting to chase down balls.  Sprinting in FiveFingers is easy, what’s hard (and painful) is slowing down quickly.  Tennis is a lot of stop-and-go and spurts of speed.  When you have padded shoes you don’t really notice how much you rely on your heel to stop or brake your movement.  However, when wearing FiveFingers you feel everything and I found myself taking more time to slow down just to ease the pain of stomping on the hard surface.

Conclusion

Playing tennis in Vibram FiveFingers is definitely doable.  However, depending on how intense you play tennis it could be painful.  While I know a lot of padded shoes, especially in the running community, get a bad rap since it encourages a less healthy running style (heel strike) in some cases it’s not such a bad idea.  I found myself less fast on the court with my barefoot shoes, but it definitely was a fun experience…even if I looked ridiculous.

Related posts:

1. The Story Behind Vivo Barefoot Shoes
2. Traditional Running Shoes Vs. Vibram FiveFingers Shoes – a Personal Experience
3. Best Barefoot Running Shoes 2009 Reviewed

• He first gets a female volunteer to see what type of arch she has.  They do this by dipping their feet in water and walking on paper to see how the volunteer, as well as himself, “roll” their feet as they walk.
• He discusses the differences between the normal arch, the flat arch and high arch and different types of problems associated with the different arches.
• He mentions the benefits of orthotics for some runners and walkers.
• They examine different shoes, including the volunteers and see how the shoe is worn down.  By seeing where the shoe is worn down, you can get a good idea of how you roll your feet when you walk and what type of arch you have.
• Plantar Fasciitis is mentioned as a typical foot problem possibly related to your shoes and how you walk.
• Doctor Oz then busts out a pair of Vibram Five Fingers Classics and demonstrates heel striking versus forefoot/midfoot striking.
• He mentions many times about how our ancestors used to run super long distances and how wearing the Vibram Five Fingers allows us to run like our ancestors ran.  He has had Chris McDougall (Author of  Born to Run) on his radio show in the past and mentions that he first found out about those shoes from him.

It’s great that the shoes are getting more recognition in the main stream media and being promoted by people who are deemed medical professionals.  Although the shoes aren’t made for everybody, exposure like this will definitely be a positive thing as it gives people the option of trying a different style of footwear that could possibly benefit them.  It’s still true that there hasn’t been any conclusive medical studies that go through rigorous scientific methodologies to examine the benefits of running barefoot versus running with shoes, hopefully this will change in time.

Click on the image above to watch a video clip of the Doctor Oz Show!

Related posts:

1. Vibram Five Fingers Equals Life Changing Shoes
2. Another Awesome Vibram Five Fingers Act
3. Haters are now Lovers of Vibram Five Fingers

A few days ago on the New Balance website they released a statement which basically said that while there are barefoot running skeptics out there and how barefoot running may not be the most practical (having to use the port-o-potty while barefoot might not be the most sanitary) that New Balance is investing the resources to create shoes that could still appeal to both traditional shoe runners as well as minimalist shoe runners.

Specifically they mention that:

At New Balance, we’re committed to developing shoes with various levels of cushioning and support—from very little to plenty. And we’re continually exploring the human foot and the best way to accommodate it. We do this by working with renowned bio-mechanical engineers, podiatrists, and top-ranked ultra-marathoners—even barefoot ones. In this way, we’re able to offer footwear options for all kinds of needs—from the most minimal support on upwards. Unless of course you’re going barefoot. Then we’ll just cheer you on and offer another kind of support—the emotional kind.

You can read their whole statement at their website.

It’s a good sign for barefoot movement supporters when a large athletic company such as New Balance acknowledges that this barefoot running is not some crazy fad, but something worth taking a extra look at.   They already have done the MR800 Chi Running Shoes so hopefully they come out with some more great shoes!

Related posts:

1. Vibram Five Fingers Shoes Shortage: Be Patient!
2. Nike Free 5.0 V4 Versus New Balance MR800: Comparison

We recently introduced Terra Plana’s Vivo Barefoot Shoes here on the website.  What we think is cool about these shoes is not only are they eco-friendly and good for your feet, but they actually look like shoes you could wear and public and not be afraid of being laughed at (sorry FiveFingers).

For the times you can’t wear athletic shoes the Vivo Barefoot shoes are a great supplement to your barefoot lifestyle and for others a great addition to their wardrobe.

More interesting, though, than the great looks of these shoes is the story of how these shoes came into existence.   There is a great article about barefoot shoes and barefoot walking that was done by New York Magazine.  In that article they talk about Vivo Barefoot shoes and how they started:

in 2000, Clark…[owner of Terra Plana]…was approached by Tim Brennan, a young industrial-design student at the Royal College of Art. Brennan was an avid tennis player who suffered from chronic knee and ankle injuries. His father taught the Alexander Technique, a discipline that studies the links between kinetics and behavior; basically, the connection between how we move and how we act. Brennan’s father encouraged Tim to try playing tennis barefoot. Tim was skeptical at first, but tried it, and found that his injuries disappeared. So he set out to design a shoe that was barely a shoe at all: no padding, no arch support, no heel. His prototype consisted of a thin fabric upper with a microthin latex-rubber sole. It wasn’t exactly a new idea. It was a modern update of the 600-year-old moccasin.

Later the author of the article decided to try a pair of Vivo Barefoot shoes to see what the buzz was about. He discovered…

After wearing the Barefoots for a while, though, I found I really liked them, precisely because you can feel the ground—you can tell if you’re walking on cobblestones, asphalt, a manhole, or a subway grate. (Striding along that nubby yellow warning strip on the subway platform feels like a foot massage.) Of course, it’s not often that you walk around New York, see something on the ground, and think, I wish I could feel that with my foot. But this kind of walking is a revelation. Not only does it change your step, but it changes your perceptions. As you stroll, your perception stops being so horizontal—i.e., confined more or less to eye level—and starts feeling vertical or, better yet, 360 degrees. You have a new sense of what’s all around you, including underneath.

The author was not as concerned about the benefits of the shoes, but the experience the shoes gave him that other shoes didn’t allow him to have.  To him walking in these shoes was a “revelation.”  So if you are looking to have your own revelation (and maybe you aren’t buying into the whole barefoot is better movement) than the Vivo Barefoot Shoes are definitely worth looking into.

Related posts:

1. Barefoot Tennis Shoes?
2. Introducing Terra Plana’s Vivo Barefoot Shoes

After all the hype we have been hearing about Terra Plana’s Vivo Barefoot line of shoes, we decided to add them to our product lines that we promote and talk about. We have yet to review them (coming very soon!) but based on readers testimonials and reviews, we think it’s more than hype that the shoes have become a hit and have their own little cult following.

To give a brief overview, the company Terra Plana’s products are made with all eco-friendly (recycled) products and produced in a way that is environmentally friendly. Their shoes come in all flavors, colors and designs. They make boots, running shoes, loafers and many other styles of shoes as well. The reason they consider themselves, as we do, to be “barefoot style” shoes has mostly to do with their thin (3mm) soles. The soles are made with durable material so despite the thin nature of them, they much be quite tough. The thin soles all you to be “in touch” with the environment by feeling every flex on the shoe, plus the curves and crevices on the floor. To get a better overview of the shoes in general, check out our new Vivo Barefoot section.

Most of the Vivo Barefoot shoes were not created for long distance runners and heavy athletics. Some of them are more geared towards hiking and walking. Many people who we’ve talked to about the Vivo’s love the comfortable feeling. The 3mm soles also provide just enough protection from the environment without lending itself to heel-striking. So I wouldn’t call these shoes barefoot running shoes yet (More like barefoot walking or barefoot lounging shoes). There are reports of Terra Plana coming out with a running shoe called the Evo:

When this shoe comes out we will be sure to review it in detail to see how it performs and endures in long and short distance runs. For now we can enjoy the fresh and unique eco-friendly style that the Vivo Barefoot shoes bring. If they’re anything like the other popular barefoot running shoe brands, you better grab them while you can. These running shoes always seem to have “stocking” issues.  Browse here if you are interested in Vivo Barefoot Mens or Vivo Barefoot Womens.

Related posts:

1. The Story Behind Vivo Barefoot Shoes
2. Introducing the Newton Running Shoes

1. Style

Nike Free Runners:

The Nike Free Shoes have a simple style too them that make them not only great for running shoes but great casual shoes to to walk around in. That might be why you see popular celebrities wearing Nike, in particularly the Nike Frees. Although I personally like the simplicity of the Nike Free 5.0s which are by far the most popular style, the Nike Free Everyday+2 and the Nike Free Sparq ‘09 also look great. If it was up to me, I would rank the top 2 Nike Frees to be the 5.0s and the Everyday+2s.

Newton Running Shoes:

When it comes to the Newton Running Shoes, the styles do not change a whole lot between the different types. The consistency of the style between, for example, the Newton Running Sir Isaac and the Newton Running Distance or Gravity is what probably keeps it one of the most technically sound shoes in the market. They have a design that works for serious runners and that’s why there are many fanatics that love them. The actual look and feel is very generic, similar to the old Asics, New Balance and even some Nike shoes. Unless you’re hip to the running shoe game, you probably would not recognize these shoes off the bat nor do they stand out much. This could be a good thing or bad thing although many serious runners probably wouldn’t be concerned either way.

2. Comfort

Nike Free Runners:

The Nike Free’s are light weight and in generally very comfortable. There has been some complaints about finding proper width sizes but that probably comes with any popular running shoe out there today. Like I said in previous posts and reviews, the Nike Frees at times feels like you’re walking in slippers. The thick heel also allows you to feel more support when you are walking, although this can lead many to say that it also trains you to improperly utilize the heel more than you should.

Newton Running Shoes:

The Newton Running Shoes are another pair of great light weight shoes. There’s not many that are as light as the Newton Runners and the Nike Frees. So in terms of weight they are definitely great. Because of the large variety that they come in, you can most definitely find a pair that suits your needs in any condition, helping raise their comfort points.

3. Performance

Nike Free Runners:

The Nike Free’s performance grade is about a B+. It’s great for training and assists you in properly running IF you choose to train in them for that purpose. They are also great for cross training and all around athletic activities. But in terms of increasing speed while running in them, they probably don’t help as much as the Newton Runners. CrossFit athletes love training in them because of the lightweight nature and the flexibility of the shoe, but in terms of a boost in performance and speed, this is debatable.

Newton Running Shoes:

The biggest plus to wearing the Newton Running Shoes is their claims to have a definite boost in performance. Although the actual results of studies may currently be lacking, the company promotes their shoe as a running shoe that can not only help you run properly and injury free, but also increase your speed in long distance races AND short sprints. They do this by training you to run in optimal form. Many say that more advanced runners that already know how they are supposed to run don’t need this extra training or design that “forces” you to strike the ground properly, but even in those cases when doing sprints (100-400 meters), wearing the Newton Running Shoes may help you focus on speed as opposed to being distracted by form. The racing version of the Newton’s, which are less padded in the front and designed for the more advanced runners are the ones that should be considered if increasing performance and speed is the goal.

4. Durability

Nike Free Runners:

Nike Free’s get a bad wrap when it comes to durability. The light weight nature of the shoe makes it feel as though it is shoddily made. This is untrue since the Frees were purposely designed to be lightweight. Because they were designed as running shoes, they weren’t made to last forever if you run in them regularly. So they are durable to the extent they were designed to be. That being said, the shoes do seem to wear out quickly after a month of hard running.

Newton Running Shoes:

The Newton Running Shoes are quite durable despite the light weight design. Many runners will put hundreds of miles on the shoes with the shoe holding up very well. I think from that perspective Nike can learn a thing or two from the team at Newton Running.

5. Cost

Nike Free Runners:

At the time of this writing, you can get a pair of Nike Free’s for 65-85, depending on where you shop and where the sales are. I personally think this a great price for the type of shoe you get. Sure they can wear out quickly but even as a casual good looking shoe I’d get a couple pairs just for everyday wear. If you’re lucky you can find the shoes on sale at some stores although the selection may be limited because of the popularity.

Newton Running Shoes:

Newton’s sell their shoes at a very expensive rate. The average shoes can range from 155.00 to 180.00. At this price you can get 2 running shoes. You can mix and match if you want and get a pair of Vibrams Five Fingers as well as Nike Free and on average you would pay around the same price of Newton Running Shoes.

6. Overall Analysis

Nike Free Runners:

Nike Frees, reviewed many times are always a tried and true choice for barefoot running shoes. They are cost efficient, comfortable and can double as everyday shoes.

Newton Running Shoes:

The Newton Running Shoes are the new hot items on many runner’s wishlist. They are also very comfortable but lack the recognizable style of the Nike Frees. They are seemingly more durable and more technically sound in developing your strike to become truly barefoot style. They also boast an increase in performance if you use them properly.

FAVORITE:

If money was not an issue, I would probably get a couple pairs of Newton Running Shoes to use when I work on my sprints and long distance running. Because I go through so many running shoes a year, I still say the Nike Free’s are my favorite when comparing these two shoes. I don’t think the Newton Running shoes will last twice as long as the Nike Frees if I run in them with similar frequency. And I currently feel that my running technique has been refined enough to have a need for such advanced trainers. If you are beginner runner that wishes to practice barefoot running with shoes, I’d say go with the Newtons. But for me, the winner are the NIKE FREE Shoes.

Related posts:

1. Newton Running Shoes: The Land Lever Lift Concept
2. Introducing the Newton Running Shoes
3. Nike Free 5.0 V4 Versus New Balance MR800: Comparison

About 3 days later I decided to go on my second run in the Classic shoes.  I wasn’t feeling 100 percent, more like 50%.  But I felt good enough to run, though calves were still sore.  For some reason this time when I put on FiveFingers my pinky toe felt more crowded and squished than my first run in these shoes.  I thought it might be my nails so I trimmed them.  It felt a little better after this, but still not perfect.  Maybe I just have abnormally long pinky toes?

Like I’ve mentioned before I’ve been trying to change over my running style from heel striking first to midfoot striking first.  Since I was still a little sore from the previous run running in this manner was slightly painful.  I’m running on concrete too so you feel the impact more since you don’t have the cushioning you ordinarily would have.  Anyway, about 3/4 of a mile in I couldn’t take the pain anymore so I started walking.  Overall it was a pretty weak run, but I guess all the stuff that says how you should “ease” into barefoot running kind of make sense.

Right now my calves are still sore and I have this pain on the outside of my ankle/shin area.  Could just be soreness from not being accustomed to running barefoot…hopefully it’s not something else.  My pinky toe also is kind of sore, mostly due to being squished.  I’m not sure how Vibram accommodates for different toe sizes as it seems they take a one toe box size fits all strategy.  So the best advice I would give is if you are considering getting a pair to try a pair out at a store to see how they fit.  If you like them order a pair online. Most likely you’ll get a better deal and you’ll save on sales tax.

I still like the Vibram FiveFingers Classic (despite the soreness), but I still have to get adjusted to the whole running barefoot thing.

Related posts:

1. First Run in Vibram FiveFingers Classic
2. Traditional Running Shoes Vs. Vibram FiveFingers Shoes – a Personal Experience
3. Barefoot Tennis Shoes?

One of the hardest things to figure out when reading stuff on the internet is if the story or thing they are writing about is legit or not.  There are so many people selling and promoting random stuff online that it’s often hard to separate truth from fiction.  When I heard about barefoot running I was a little skeptical (as I think most people should be at first), but after reading more stuff online and doing my own research I was convinced that barefoot running had a lot of merits.  Of course this was my opinion at the time, but yesterday Harvard Researcher Daniel Lieberman, Professor of Human Evolutionary Biology, published his results to a study in Nature studying exactly what everyone is wondering: are shoes or barefoot better for you?

The quick answer is yes, barefoot running, or more specifically barefoot running with a mid-foot strike (meaning your mid-foot hits the ground first as opposed to your heel first) is better for your body.  The longer answer is that running with shoes or without shoes generates the total peak stress on the lower body.  However, the stress is more spread out over time when mid-foot unshod (no shoes) running. With shod running and heel striking first, the sudden impact of the heel hitting the ground first creates a lot more stress at that moment which the researchers hypothesize is what leads to everyday running injuries that many experience.

SciBlogs got a hold of the paper and summarized how they came to their conclusion:

In order to come to this determination, the researchers looked at three primary groups of people – those who have always undertaken endurance running using athletic footwear (1), those who grew up running either barefoot or minimally shod but now use running shoes (2), and those who grew up using running shoes but now run barefoot or minimally shod (3).   They also compared two other groups of people – those who have never worn running shoes (4), and those who have grown up habitually wearing them (5).

What they found was this:

Groups 1 and 5 (the habitually heavily shod, as it were) generally hit the ground with their heels, both when running with and without shoes.

Groups 2 and 4 (the originally unshod) generally landed on the balls of their feet in both situations, and occasionally used mid-foot strikes (when shod in group 2, and unshod in group 4)…

“This image compares two Kenyan runners from our study at the moment just prior to foot strike plus representative force traces below. The subject on the left has been shod most of his life and lands on his heel (a rear-foot strike)l, causing an impact transient: a rapid, large collisional force within a few milliseconds of impact (not unlike being hit on the heel with a hammer with a force several times one’s body weight). The subject on the right has never worn shoes and lands on outer the ball of her foot before bringing down the heel (a fore-foot strike). This kind of landing is comfortable without shoes because it avoids any collision. The paper explains why forefoot and some mid-foot strikes avoid collision forces at impact.“

Dr. Lieberman has even setup his own website where you can learn all about barefoot running.  From there you can watch these videos to see the difference of heel striking stresses and mid-foot stresses.  I’ve included those videos below.

Here’s barefoot running with heel strike:

Here’s running with heel strike in shoes:

And finally running barefoot with mid-foot strike:

More interesting than those videos is a special Nature did about barefoot running and Daniel Lieberman’s research.

What’s great about him is not only does he talk about the results of his study, but the fact that when he started researching barefoot running that he decided the best way to see if this style of running was good or not was to just do it.  He’s been running ever since.

Did you notice what shoe Dr. Lieberman had on his table as he was talking?  That’s right, none other than the Vibram FiveFingers! Looks like the KSO.

It’s not surprising considering that part of his research was funded by Vibram.  However, don’t despair and think that his results are biased.  His research doesn’t even look at Vibram and instead is just looking at barefoot vs traditional athletic shoes.  So the chances that he would make this up are pretty slim (since there’s no real advantage).

Related posts:

1. Study Shows Running Shoes Cause Damage to Knees, Hips, and Ankles
2. Heel Strike Running Vs. Forefoot Running Videos
3. Best Barefoot Running Shoes 2009 Reviewed

I never have or been a ninja, but if I were to imagine what running around like a ninja would be like I would guess it’d be similar to running in FiveFingers shoes.  It’s a very different feeling.  A very liberating feeling.  You don’t feel isolated from the road or ground and instead you feel much more connected with it.  I would say it’s akin to driving a convertible versus a regular hard top car.

All the barefoot running guides out there all tell you to slowly build up endurance when you first start barefoot running.  I’ve never really officially ran barefoot (other than a few times just messing around), but I figured if I was going to do this I was going to just jump in and see what happened.  I went for 2 miles.  The first thing I started noticing was how the temperature of the road seeps into the shoe.  You would think with its rubber sole that you would be more insulated from the road, but that wasn’t the case.  It was a chilly night and I felt that cold.  Later about a half mile into my run I stepped on a stone and I definitely felt it.  Like I said you feel a lot more connected with the road.

One of the running techniques I’ve been working on is trying to run with more mid-foot strike versus heel strike.  I tried this technique with the Nike Free 5.0’s, but I had trouble maintaining the form throughout that run.  However, with the FiveFingers Classic running mid-foot / forefoot strike was very natural and didn’t take much if any forcing.  It was like you were meant to run like this.  Running in this fashion only increases the ninja-like running feeling.  You kind of feel like you are shuffling forward as you run.

I did feel some aches and pains, but different from previous running outings.  About a half mile into my run my left calf started to feel some pain and both of my Achille’s heels seemed fatigued.  The Achille’s heel was probably due to not being used to running with the mid-foot strike, but I’m not sure about the left calf.   A mile later the balls of my feet started hurting mainly due to the repeated thumping they were taking again due to the new running technique.  Even with these slight aches and pain I plodded through.  It was bad enough where I had to stop.

After the 2 miles I did a half mile walk and that’s where the real fun began.  It’s such a surreal feeling once you stop running especially since I wasn’t used to running barefoot.  I was walking all funny and felt like I was floating.  I felt a my calves a lot more tired than they ever get while running.

Overall, the run felt great and it was fun to experiment with these shoes and a new running technique. I’m definitely looking forward to putting some more miles on these shoes and seeing how I progress.  The Nike Free’s were pretty good, but I definitely like these Vibram FiveFingers Classis more for running.

Related posts:

1. 2nd Run With Vibram FiveFingers Classic
2. Traditional Running Shoes Vs. Vibram FiveFingers Shoes – a Personal Experience
3. Spring 2010 Vibram FiveFingers: Speed, Bikila, Performa Jane