Feedback on the Vibram Five Finger

Interesting.

It seems that the VFF is the kind of shoe that evokes intense passions. The post from earlier this month had the most views of any posting I had done on this blog, and the most feedback -- mostly from passionate VFF owners defending the honor of their shoes!

It also got re-posted on the big one-stop VFF blog;

http://birthdayshoes.com/index.php/latest-vibram-five-fingers-reviews-1-17-10

Interesting thing about that referral. The Birthdayshoes blogger only clipped the positive section of my post, not the more critical parts.

I probably sounded negative in my review earlier in the month. In my own defense -- I do like these shoes, and still wear them regularly.

But the passion these shoes invokes -- its making me think back to the discussions at UCSF Runsafe regarding barefoot running, Chi Running, forefoot vs. heel striking. The doctors at UCSF (wisely) advised caution to anyone pondering shifting running styles -- and the same applies when using the VFF. The blogs and books don't really capture & explain just how much of a drastic transition it is going from a pair of regular running shoes (or in my case motion control running shoes) to the VFF. Passionate defenders of the VFF may have legitimate reasons for loving the VFF -- but they don't do themselves any favors by ignoring or minimizing the difficulties of transitioning to the VFF.

A post-script to ponder. After one of my krav classes, another student came up to me and asked how I liked the shoes. While he wore regular running shoes for the krav class, he told me he ran in VFF's, and loved using them for running. He said he was doing as much as 10 miles on the streets of San Francisco in them. I asked him how long it took to transition to that point. His reply;

"Four to five months."

Food for thought. In the long run, the VFF may actually be better for running than a standard running shoe. But the transition to the point where it becomes a regular running shoe -- there is not enough discussion about how to get to that point, and how to manage the inevitable discomforts and hurdles.

There needs to be less discussion about the VFF being this kind of magic wand that cures all runners ailments, and more discussion of the VFF as a tool that facilitates a long (difficult) transition into barefoot running -- which running in the VFF essentially is.

In the meantime -- if I recommend the VFF to anyone right now, I'd recommend it to anyone who has to do conditioning exercises to strengthen their quads\glutes\lower back. Certain exercises, especially squats (with and without weights), are dependent on your heels being flat on the ground in order engage the muscles on the butt and back of the thighs. Running shoes, with those thick heels, prevents you from engaging those muscles.

Even in this case, I add a word of caution. If you are working with weights -- the VFF's have no real top cover on them. You drop barbell/dumbbell on your foot -- you'll pay the consequences.