I succumbed to the hype and bought some Vibram FiveFingers

[Tobit]

Well, after serious debate and considering walking on a trail in my off-road Crocs is more comfortable on my troubled feet than either my Leather Asolo's, Vasque mids, or Inov-8 trail-runners, I've succumbed to giving the barefoot/semi-barefoot movement a try.

Thanks to Matt's patience with me at the Manchvegas EMS, I just came home with a pair of Vibram FiveFingers Bikilia's. I am going to wear them around the house for the rest of the day and then see how they do tomorrow on my local trail where I do my daily 2.5 to 3.5 mile walks. If they do well on my feet, I am going to take them with me next week when I hike Mount Wachusett. I'm not stupid though, I will pack my trail-runners as backup just in case. we'll see how the rest of the week goes locally.

I'm not too keen on the color but the black Evo and Evo Trek models were a tad too narrow for my feet. The Bikilia model fit the best.

 

[Little Rickie]

I'm a bare foot walker around the house and for exercise stair walking. I don't know if I would do an extend walk but am thinking I might try these for neighborhood walks and trips around town. I wear sandles a lot.

We're about the same size so I'd be interested in how your feet hold up to the weight.

 

[Tobit]

Yeah Rickie, I'm going to be cautiously optimistic. The trail around the pond here is well groomed and I'm going to listen to, and watch, my feet carefully during my walk tomorrow. I'm not expecting instant success nor will I ever hike a really rough trail in these but I am going to give them a fair shot.

Other than some arthritis in my ankles, X-Rays and Ultrasounds find no problems with my feet and my ankles don't bother me.. it is usually stiffness on the top of my feet or under my arches (both feet respond the same) that forms after 3 or 4 miles of walking (regardless of type of terrain). No real pain associated, discomfort yes but I wouldn't call it pain. Cortisone injections and custom orthotics don't seem to help and, often times, more arch support tends to make the problem worse which has led me to try barefooting it.

If this doesn't work, I guess I'll try to find another podiatrist.

 

[kevinmac]

U.S. Army Bans Vibram FiveFingers

Thought you would get a kick out of this article:

http://gearjunkie.com/us-army-bans-vibram-fivefingers

 

[DougPaul]

Tobit:
The FiveFingers seem like a reasonable thing for you to try. Minimalist (ie with a minimum of padding and support) running shoes (or moccasins*) might also work for you.

* I have no idea if anyone makes moccasins with with a hiking-shoe rubber bottom surface.

However, one should note that barefoot (or quasi-barefoot) walking/hiking is not good for everyone--there are some foot conditions, such as plantar fasciitis, which are likely to be aggravated by the lack of support.


<a random thought>
It is also possible that your foot simply needs to spread (or lengthen) under pressure and the main problem with shoes is confinement rather than support. Presumably a loose shoe would allow spreading, but would be too big in the store and loose and sloppy on the trail.
</a random thought>


FWIW, I just read that a number of people have been injured by using rocker soled "toning" shoes. Not all fads in footwear are good ideas...

Doug

 

[Tobit]

Minimalist (ie with a minimum of padding and support) running shoes (or moccasins*) might also work for you.

Yeah, currently my Inov-8 RocLite trail-runners have been the most comfortable but not quite and, although close to minimalist, they aren't as minimalist as what you are referring to. I wish I could figure out what I did with my Inov-8 X-Talon 212's I tried a couple years ago. Those seemed to work well IIRC. Hmm..

However, one should note that barefoot (or quasi-barefoot) walking/hiking is not good for everyone--there are some foot conditions, such as plantar fasciitis, which are likely to be aggravated by the lack of support.

Agreed completely. Don't necessarily do as I do, I am just sharing MY experience as I try to turn my feet into the hiking feet I would like them to be.

 

[Tobit]

<a random thought>
It is also possible that your foot simply needs to spread (or lengthen) under pressure and the main problem with shoes is confinement rather than support. Presumably a loose shoe would allow spreading, but would be too big in the store and loose and sloppy on the trail.
</a random thought>

Which could be why my beefy off-road Crocs are so comfy. A year or so ago while visiting in California, I hiked a few miles down and up a steep desert-like trail in my Crocs and, although sloppy, my feet were no worse for the wear. However, the trails there are much different than here.

 

[brianW]

I bought a pair 6 months back. Primary to wear during karate class since the concrete floor was beating my feet up. Love them. Have gone on numerous hikes, trail runs and just bumming around town with them.

Take your time using them. My feet and lower legs got sore the first few times out. After a few weeks I was fine.

 

[Little Rickie]

Thought you would get a kick out of this article:

http://gearjunkie.com/us-army-bans-vibram-fivefingers

Those shoes that feature five separate, individual compartments for the toes detract from a professional military image

Not as much as this statment.

 

[Little Rickie]

Yeah Rickie, I'm going to be cautiously optimistic. .

Keep us/me posted.

FYI I walked house stairs, two flights up and down, bare foot today while carring a 60# sand bag on my shoulders. I'm curious how my feet and calves will feel as I build up reps. I can tell you this it get the heart rate up! It feels like interval training. Sometimes if I walk stairs for more than 30 min, without my sand bag, my feet get real crampy later in the day but nothing lasting and no injuries.

 

[Tobit]

Well, I just returned from my daily walk around Dorr's Pond here in Manchester and wore the FiveFingers for the first time. I am pleased..

For the past two weeks, I've been trying to do as many laps as I can around Dorr's Pond each day. I usually do 2 or 3 laps, non-stop, depending on energy level and how my feet respond. I try to do it daily but, in the past two weeks, I have missed four days due to either hectic schedule that day or low energy/soreness from a previous days walk. Up until today, I have tried four different types of shoes from my collection to try and figure out why my feet get so stiff post-hike. They start to stiffen up, arches and top of foot, towards the end of the walk and really get stiff during the drive home. Sometimes when I get out of the car back home, I have to stand still for a few minutes before my feet loosen up enough to get in the house.

Today I wore my new Vibram FiveFingers and I am no where near as stiff as in previous walks and I did 3-laps for 2.7 miles. My feet, although a little stiff and tired feeling, feel probably 50% better than any other day in the past two weeks. I probably could have actually done another lap today for an additional 0.9 miles but I was feeling a healthy burn in parts of my legs I hadn't really noticed before. On both legs, my front quad and Tibialis anterior muscles have a good feeling burn to them that I haven't felt in a long time. I suspect this is due to a slight gait change with the new shoes.

The Dorrs Pond trail is a well known walking path here in the city of Manchester. It is 0.9 miles around the pond and the trail is hard packed earth but at one time was covered in small gravel. Most of the gravel has vanished over the years but there are still remnants here and there. In one marshy area you can either follow a long wooden boardwalk or ascend a decent sized hill at a roughly 40-degree angle and then quickly descend at about the same angle at the other end of the board walk. I naturally try and take the steeper path each lap and did so each time today. I had no problems ascending nor descending this section and it was fairly damp today. Descending was actually very easy in the FiveFingers compared to other shoes. I also didn't really feel the ground beneath my feet anywhere on the trail so comfort wasn't an issue at all.

So, a very favorable experience. I am pleased so far and, unless I become painfully sore later in the day, these could very well become keepers.

 

[J.Dub]

Well, I just returned from my daily walk around Dorr's Pond here in Manchester and wore the FiveFingers for the first time. I am pleased..

Go easy -- all the running BBS and articles I've read say to start with short outings and build up slowly, to avoid injury and allow your feet to build up the necessary muscle, tendon and ligament strength necessary for minimalist/barefoot running. The general rule of thumb is to take your weekly mileage and cut it down to 1/4-1/3 and then only increase the distance by 10% per week.

I bought a pair of FiveFingers about a month ago, using an old EMS gift card that I had lost track of until I cleaned out my briefcase. Haven't done any trailrunning/hiking in them yet, but have been wearing them round the house and running errands on weekends (much to the chagrin of SWMBO and the offspring, who keep telling me "Those shoes freak me out!")

Will probably start trailrunning in them in the fall, after my half marathon.

 

[Tobit]

Go easy -- all the running BBS and articles I've read say to start with short outings and build up slowly, to avoid injury and allow your feet to build up the necessary muscle, tendon and ligament strength necessary for minimalist/barefoot running.

I agree but I am also walking, not running. At the end of my first lap, my feet felt no different, second lap was the same so I figured a third lap would be fine. During the third lap is when my legs started to slightly burn and I decided it would be the last lap. I hear ya though man, thanks.

 

[Little Rickie]

much to the chagrin of SWMBO and the offspring, who keep telling me "Those shoes freak me out!")

The Hulk is barefoot.

 

[Tobit]

The Hulk is barefoot.

A little girl walking with her mother this morning said "look mommy, he has smurf feets". I guess that's a compliment.

 

[daxs]

After reading the Army statement if seems like you cannot wear the five toed shoes while in uniform which makes sense. CG has not issued any statements yet. I see plenty of AD wearing them in the gym when they are in civvies working out.

 

[Little Rickie]

After reading the Army statement if seems like you cannot wear the five toed shoes while in uniform which makes sense. CG has not issued any statements yet. I see plenty of AD wearing them in the gym when they are in civvies working out.

and are prohibited for wear with the IPFU or when conducting physical training in military formation

This doesn't sound like a formal dress uniform situation. I wouldn't think sneakers or boots would be dress uniform either but this is PT.

I wonder if the people making the rules have tried them?

 

[brianW]

I read the Army ban as being part of the PT uniform.

 

[Raymond]

What’s the point of the little holders for each toe? Couldn’t you just wear socks and accomplish the same minimalist thing?

 

[Tobit]

What’s the point of the little holders for each toe? Couldn’t you just wear socks and accomplish the same minimalist thing?

Separating the toes is nothing new nor unique to these "shoes", toe socks have been around for a long time and I've actually been wearing Injinji toe socks for over a year now and really like the separation although it was very weird at first.

Many people claim it's like comparing mittens to gloves on our hands. The claim is that toe slots enhance dexterity, control and stability to deliver a natural walking motion. Other beliefs are that conventional tube style socks force your toes to work together as one unit creating heat and moisture build up, unprotected skin on skin friction and reduces healthy air and blood circulation to the foot.

I don't know if there is any scientific truth to any of this or if it's all bupkis but I now like the feeling of having my toes separated.. especially in the summer time.

YMMV.