Whaddya think? I got new running shoes! Ain’t they cool?
I first saw these on Mur Lafferty’s feet at a con earlier this year and had no idea what the heck they were. Shoes with toes? Looked very strange, but also intriguing. Then I saw someone else’s pics of these shoes on Twitter, so I decided to look them up. They’re Vibram 5-Fingers shoes, and looking for these turned out to be good timing, because my old running shoes were getting pretty worn out and I was having knee and hip pain every time I went for a run. I have enough problems with my knees and I don’t need any more, so I knew I had to replace my running shoes soon. But I also knew that the hip and knee problems weren’t necessarily going to go away with any old pair of sneakers. All the jarring that comes from running with my heel landing first every time I take a stride is a big part of the problem (plus I have three knee injuries which doesn’t help). So I did some research on the Vibram shoes. Apparently, these shoes alter my stride so that I run landing on the middle of my foot, not the heel, thus reducing the jarring and the stress on my hips and knees.
Well that sounded good to me, so I ordered a pair of the Vibram KSOs and they arrived Friday. They take a little work to get on, since I have to wiggle my toes into each little pocket, but once my feet are in, they’re good. I’ve been wearing them around the house and taking some walks, and I did a mix of walking and slow running this weekend. They’re so light, I can feel difference when I go from carpet to sidewalk to road to grass. I mean, seriously, I can feel the GRASS brush against my feet as I walk. I like that, because that gives me a better sense of the terrain I’m on, and a better sense of the terrain allows me to adjust my balance accordingly. Regular running shoes usually feel like I’m running with bricks on my feet when they’re brand new, and it takes me a couple weeks to a month or more to break them in. I will admit, running in the Vibram shoes does take some getting used to as well, since landing on the middle of my foot exercises different muscles than landing on the heel. I definitely felt the difference all through my calves and feet after that first walk/run, so it will probably take a bit of time before I can run my usual distance and speed. But it beats the hell out of running with bricks on my feet!
I’m particularly looking forward to trying these for karate practice, since my usual routine is to run for 20 minutes, practice karate for 20-30 minutes, and finish up with another 10-15 minutes of running. Running shoes and karate practice don’t usually mix well, and in my experience, by the time I’ve broken in my running shoes well enough to use them for karate, they’re no longer any good for running. I don’t think that will be the case with the Vibram KSOs. I’ll be testing that theory this week and will let you know next week how things go. Meantime, I like the way these new shoes fit and feel, and that I’m hopeful they’ll improve my run.
If anyone else has the Vibram shoes and has tried them out, please let me know how you like them. I’m interested in hearing what other folks have to say about them.
My student teacher had a pair of those shoes…
Cyne,
I like them. Like I mentioned, they take a bit of work to get on, but they’re comfortable, and I think they’ll do wonders for my joints. No more running landing heel first = no more hip and knee pain (I hope!).
I may get a second pair later in summer just for everyday use. I don’t like having heavy shoes on my feet in the summer!