Maybe this post should be called 'Funny Feet', because I think these are pretty funny looking; they put me in mind of ape feet:
If you haven't seen them before, these are 'Vibram 5-Finger' shoes, all the rage in the barefoot movement.
They actually have a Vibram sole:
The sole is thick enough that it's no big deal to walk on gravel, but thin enough that I pay attention to where I'm putting my feet when walking on gravel.
I don't have to worry about glass or other sharps, but I still get the happy, care-free feeling of barefooted-ness. I'm hoping there's some truth to the idea that going barefoot can help your entire body stay in proper alignment. I sit on a ball when on the computer and it's much better for my back than a chair, so I suppose the same concept could apply for shoes (or no-shoes, as the case may be).
I just got these yesterday evening. I put them on right away and went tromping. I did my usual walk-loop, but made sure to wade through all the puddles instead of walking around them. Usually shoes feel pretty ick-y when wet and, with most sandals, my feet end up sliding around a bit. In these it actually felt GOOD to get them wet: no sliding around inside them.
They are definitely odd-looking, so if you don't want people staring at your feet, these are not going to work for you. I've had a few comments today, but they have been positive and curious comments.
I've been curious about these shoes for a long time and happy to finally have a pair.
So far, so good. Nothing negative to report yet, but I don't have enough time in them yet to tell how I'll adapt to them. I'll update in a few weeks...
I have a marathoning friend who couldn't get past the odd look of these 5-Fingers and ended up with another style of 'Barefoot Shoes.' (Okay, she called them -with vehemence - ugly, but I think they're more odd than ugly. However, it's very likely that my sense of style is warped non-existent.)
She's had them for a few weeks now, so maybe she'll jump on here and tell us how she likes them so far....
