Minimalist shoe story

For most of my life I've worn what I'd call a "typical" athletic shoe, usually running - shoes with large springy soles, arch support, and raised heels. I didn't think anything of it. That all changed in in August of 2011 when I purchased a pair of Vibram FiveFingers shoes (on this trip to Tennessee, actually) because I was intrigued by the natural aspect that the shoes claim - being barefoot-like. I tried on a slew of them at a outdoor store in Gatlinburg, TN and found only one style that fit my wide size 12 foot just about perfectly (the TrekSport). I bought them and proceeded to do plenty of walking and hiking in them during the trip. It certainly took some adjustment to get used to, but since then I have not gone back to "typical" shoes and I never will. I now have two pairs and wear them every chance I get, year round.

The only place I haven't been wearing them, until recently, is my workplace, which is an office job with a relaxed business casual dress code that allows athletic shoes. I had been wearing some New Balance running shoes, that is until they began greatly hurting my feet - just walking down the hall and back was painful. I couldn't continue wearing them. Likely stretching the dress code a bit, I've been wearing my FiveFingers until I find a new pair, and as expected the foot pain went away immediately.

I have also been running in them since mid-summer of 2012. This, too, took some getting used to. "Typical" shoes can cause you to run differently (heal first), but wearing these pretty much force you to run forefoot-first, otherwise your heels will be in some pain. It only took a few runs for me to get used to it. The only problem I've had running in them is that they give me blisters after a few miles. There is a fabric seam on the inside of the shoe that rubs against the side of my foot. I've used band-aids to help protect the area and this helps, but obviously isn't a great solution. I also purchased a pair of the Injinji toe socks to help keep my feet warm on colder days and have found that they fully alleviate the problem of the rubbing, but unfortunately cause me to get blisters in another area on the bottom of my feet near my big toe. They do help keep my feet plenty warm, though (so far the coldest I've run in is 16 degrees F), and also wick moisture very well. So while I have been able to run quite a bit on them without any serious issues, they haven't been quite ideal for me for running.

Speaking of wicking, these shoes aren't great in the rain or snow, but nonetheless I still wear them in both conditions. It takes only stepping in the shallowest of puddles for the water to seep into the toes, but I've been impressed with how quickly it seems to wick away - or maybe I just get used to it. It seems to take only a second or two, even when I step in a deeper puddle with or without the socks on.

One last "drawback" to wearing FiveFingers is that they draw attention. I get asked about them fairly often; most people are just intrigued and wonder if I like them. I'm happy to share that I do, but usually add that I had to try on a bunch of different styles before I found one that fit my foot.

That's my story so far. I'm 100% sold on natural, minimalist shoes (or no shoes at all!), and will never go back to wearing "typical" shoes ever again. It seems like there is a movement in the industry and many companies are beginning to offer "barefoot/minimalist" lines. This is great! However, it's worth keep in mind that some of them are more or less marketing fluff and not all minimalist shoes are created equal, but I like the trend and hope it continues!

I've been researching for my next work shoes and running shoes and will hopefully have some more posts on this soon.