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I wear my KSO as my everyday shoes. I also run in them. I absolutely love walking and running in them. I won't buy another pair of running shoes again. And I wish I could wear them when I dress up.
The only downside is when you wear them with pants. The pants seem to assume you are wearing footwear that puts you up about 3/4". So, when I wear VFF with pants the pants drag behind my heel.
I've heard good things too and was thinking about getting some. I went and tried them on and didn't think they were comfy at all.
Is that how they are supposed to feel? How do you know if they fit right?
They're not comfortable at first. I think that's the whole point of it, that they're different from what you've been doing, so they will take some getting used to.
Go to a place where the salesperson knows something, and can help fit you.
Fellas, anyone tried washing the five fingers?? I've been rinsing it in water, but I'm getting bored of the drill. Can a washing machine damage it? Anyone tried it?
Proceed with caution if you're thinking of running with Vibram's. Especially if you're used to a heavily-padded & supportive shoe like ZigTechs. And if you weigh over, say, 170 lbs. and have a history of any type of knee, ankle or lower back problems, I would recommend you forget all about Vibrams.
Yeah, the "minimalist" running shoe craze is all the rage these days, spawned most significantly by the book "Born to Run" which was a national bestseller last year. (I won't go into the details of the book unless one of you guys asks me to.)
A ton of runners went out and chucked their running shoes and ran barefoot or bought the ultra lightweight shoes like Vibrams and Nike's Free. And a ton of runners primptrly wound up with plantar faciitis, shin splints, IT Band syndrome, runner's knee, etc.
My advice would be to ease into running in your Vibrams if you buy them. At first run only maybe a mile or two in them, at a slow pace (maybe a 10 mninute mile) on a good surface, like a track or grass. See how you feel the next day and then proceed from there.
Too: ask oyurself what you hope to gain from wearing them? To look cool? They're not gonna do anything for you if oyu've been running just fine in regular shoes for years! The original premise of using minimalist shoes or going barefoot that was put forth in "Born to Run" was that these uber-padded, supportive running shoes we've been buying for years actually contribute rather than prevent running injuries, as they cause us to strike our heel heavily on the ground, rather than run on our forefeet or the balls of our feet like nature intended.
But ya gotta remember that those TaraHumara (sp?) Indians in the book that ran barefoot did it for their whole lives.
So if you've been running in normal shoes and have not experienced any injuries, why switch?
If you go out and get your Vibrams and end-up hurt, all I ask is that remember this post. I'm sure guys like Lao who love their 5 fingers are gonna rip my post, but as a former college track guy and longtime runner and personal trainer, I'm gonna standby every word I've written here.
Be careful, guys!
I have Vibrams and love them. I don't care how goofy they look, they are life savers!
I have had an arthritic ankle that will flare up on me if I'm on my feet too long since I was around 16 years old. That ankle created an imbalance in the way I walk and support myself which spread the arthritis to my knee. Every job I've ever had where I'm on my feet all day at work would kill me! Pushing my foot and knee too far working out would require a day or two of recovery. I honestly tried all kinds of custom orthotics, including $300 ones from the doctor. They didn't really help. I bought some of those shoes with the spring in the heel from a uniform store. That didn't really help. I wore the cushiest running shoes I could find, and that didn't help. Then I went the minimalist route.
I actually started with Nike Frees before Vibrams and I didn't notice too much of a difference. When I got my Vibrams this summer, it has really helped with my arthritis. My joints still ache, but it's so much more managable now than it used to be. No longer do I limp out of bed in the morning and head straight for the ibuprofen after 10+ hours of being on my feet the day before.
As far as the controversy regarding if they are good or bad for you, I think it really depends on the preference of the runner. I've heard some people say they hurt their feet. Obviously, for me these shoes have been a miracle. I'm a thick guy with a stocky/bodybuilder frame, 200 lbs at 5' 8". I'm not even really a runner, but I enjoy 5Ks. I feel great running in these for that distance.
As far as easing into your new Vibrams, I just wore them around for a couple of weeks before I ran in them. I noticed a little muscle soreness at first, mainly in my calves, just from walking around town all day in them. By the time I started running in them my second week of owning them, I felt no pain at all.
Fellas, anyone tried washing the five fingers?? I've been rinsing it in water, but I'm getting bored of the drill. Can a washing machine damage it? Anyone tried it?
I wash mine in the washer about once every two weeks on a light cycle, all cold water.
I have some and like them for certain things, mostly hiking and weightlifting. They are hideous though and I plan to get a pair of New Balance Minimus trail shoes as soon as they are available, should be in a month or so. They are lightweight and thin, but don't have the toe pockets which really look goofy as hell and I get tired of people looking at them or asking about them.
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