My Five Finger Feet

I saw these shoes them last winter and was immediately intrigued.  No, they're not the strange MBTs which, although they've been around forever, are now being remarketed for giving you good looking legs and a firm butt.  And, no, they're being worn by Carrie, et al., in of one of the worst movies of the year (decade?).   They are Five Finger Shoes by Vibram.  They look like those socks that have individual toes, but they have a rubber sole to protect the foot.  Vibram makes the bottom and it is impervious to whatever you come into contact on the street/trail. 

My interest/desire for these amphibian-looking shoes led to a full-scale, time-sucking internet search to find out about these odd-looking shoes, where I learned a lot about our natural gait and saw videos of barefoot marathon runners.  Our amazingly efficient foot with 26 bones, 33 joints, 30 muscles and the adjoining receptors, tendons and ligaments, was made to walk/run unrestricted.   Confining shoes limit the natural movement of the foot which restricts range of motion in the ankles, feet and toes.   The Five Fingers have a compartment for each individual toe and with contact with the ground, the foot moves as it was designed, thus reducing the risk of injury.  It all made perfect sense to me and I had to have them. 

My Five Fingers arrived at REI and I immediately spent the next five minutes trying to get each piggy in each slot.  This was not easy.  It's still not easy.  They are not shoes you "slip on."  I spend time escorting each digit into place, pressing on each "toe" to confirm it's occupied. The more you try to rush the process, the more frustrating it becomes. Exhale.

Although being marketed to barefoot runners, they're gaining a wide following.  I heard that a popular gardening magazine is recommending them.  Yes, I've worn them in the garden and they're perfect, like gardening gloves for the feet.  Why this month, they're in Yoga Journal Magazine, shown as a part of a spiffy outfit in their Style section.  At Five Finger's website, check out the impressive photo of a handsome yogi doing a fine variation of eka pada koundinyasana I.  Although I have not tried it, they should work wonders doing yoga outdoors where a mat or bare feet would be impractical. 

After wearing them in the neighborhood for my routines walks, I hit the hills yesterday for a 3+ hour hike.  I brought my hiking shoes along just in case I needed to trade out.The terrain was rocky.  I could feel pebbles and rock, but nothing sharp or painful.  I likened it to walking on the Chinese Reflexology Rock paths, which are said to stimulate vital energy and blood flow throughout the body while relieving stress improving balance and enhancing physical and mental well-being.  Additionally, after looking at the feet reflexology chart, I had stimulated my appendix, sciatic, ascending colon, eyes, ears, ureter(?), solar plexus and thymus, among all the other organs of the body.  Wow, all that from a pair of shoes!  Half way through the hike, I figured I should switch out to my hiking boots.  I didn't want to overdo it in the Five Fingers.  After having lots of contact with the ground, my toes felt cramped in the shoes, like when you take your shoes off in the airplane and can't get them back on. After 10 uncomfortable minutes in my hiking shoes, I switched back to the FFs.  I will know tomorrow, if my feet are sore from the extra stimulation.   

So, give your under-appreciated feet some stimulation and your toes some wiggle room, all while a becoming a bit more grounded--literally.