Barefoot Running Shoes

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If you are just getting started barefoot running, or are just considering it, you should consider the advantages of having a pair of Vibram Five Fingers. There is one "disadvantage" too - what I call the single worst thing about Vibrams - and you will find out what that is in a moment. But for the time being, here are my top 5 reasons for using Vibram Five Fingers when I trained to run across America this fall.

Reason #1: They protect your feet from the worst while you are building up your soles. If you haven't logged many hours barefoot running yet, then the bottoms of your feet have not built up a nice "pad" and will feel every little pebble and bump. That is fine as far as it goes but you may find, as I did, that you wear through your soles faster than they can build up. That is why wearing Five Fingers can really help in the beginning: you can go out for 10-15 minutes totally barefoot, then put on your Five Fingers and keep going for a nice 20-40 minute run. Then, gradually add on the time you are going "totally bare."

Reason #2: Running in the cold. If you are not starting your barefoot running training in the summer, and it is starting to get cold where you live, Five Fingers can give your feet some very nice warmth and protection so that you can run even over icy, snowy roads. Personally I have run in ice and snow totally barefoot, but I am not going to suggest you do that unless you are as crazy as I am. Don some Vibrams and stay toasty. I would choose the Five Fingers "Flow" with Neoprene lining and full upper, for colder conditions.

Reason #3: Running in Five Fingers can be less hard on your feet overall. One thing you should know is that when you are just starting to do barefoot running, your feet may be going through some pretty drastic changes. Personally I had to endure a lot of pain as my Metatarsals (the small long bones running to your toes) "separated." That means they had fused together with cartilage from wearing shoes for so long, and when I started barefoot running, they had to come "unfused" or break apart, so my toes and foot could move naturally again. As you can imagine that did not feel good, and that was just part of the "restructuring" that went on. Using Five Fingers helped reduce some of the pain and swelling I experienced while my foot was re-forming itself for barefoot running.

Ok, those are my top 3 reasons it's good to wear Vibram Five Fingers (at least part of the time) when doing your barefoot running training.

And now, as I promised...the only bad thing about Five Fingers. It wouldn't stop me from wearing them, but let's face it: every product has it's drawback, and this is it for the Five Fingers. If you've ever sat next to me on a plane (or in a van, or wherever) you might even know what it is.

Five Fingers can get pretty smelly (stinky, fragrant, etc) after wearing them without socks for a few days. Enough so that my wife will make me take them off before coming into the bedroom. Fortunately, there is a very easy cure for this:

Wash your Five Fingers in cold water and powder detergent (in the washing machine) every few days. Then just hang them up to dry either inside or out, and ta-da! Nice fresh Five Fingers again. So, as you see, the advantages really outweigh the one disadvantages, so if you are considering barefoot running I would also take a look at some Vibram Five Fingers to incorporate into your barefoot running regimen.

Vibram Five Fingers Resource Box:
Important! Before you start barefoot running: aside from Vibram Five Fingers, you'll need to learn how to alter your stride to the correct running form (it's different than shoe stride) and avoid blood blisters. Get your complete instructions for barefoot running today at: http://www.howtorunbarefoot.com