Several months ago, I had a fun bet with my son-in-law concerning the Virginia Tech versus University of Tennessee football game.
I am a huge Hokie fan, and he is a UT fan, so needless to say I won the bet. Victory was sweet, so Chris had to keep up his end of the bet.
If I won, he had to run two miles three days a week for one month; if he won, I had to eat a grand slam from Denny’s. I am so glad the Hokies came through.
Chris did his mileage on the treadmill as he promised, but the weird thing was that he preferred to run barefoot.
My first thought was that he would hurt himself and not be able to complete his month.
But low and behold, he ran very well barefoot with no injuries, and actually as he described it, “less aches and pains than with running shoes on.”
I began to get curious about the whole barefoot running thing and did a little research.
It was not a month later that the American Council on Exercise (ACE) came out with a great article on running barefoot or running with a minimalistic athletic shoe.
Yes, there is actually a minimalist athletic shoe designed to mimic the feel of being barefoot during running, fitness training, martial arts and other forms of exercise.
The Vibram FiveFingers Classic is such a shoe. The shoe features a sculpted, non-marking sole that wraps around the bottom and sides of the foot, and a stretch polyamide fabric that envelope the toes and top of the foot. Each toe has its slot just like gloves.
In fact, I think they look like gloves for the feet.
The manufacturer claims that by putting your feet in touch with the earth, you can move in a more natural, healthy way.
The manufacturer also reported that their customers’ feedback was indeed positive, and they felt an increased sense of balance, greater agility and even improved posture with the vibram Fivefingers classic shoes.
According to the article published by ACE, there were some things fitness professionals liked and disliked about this concept.
WHAT THEY LIKED:
Cutting-edge design and high-tech materials.
Water resistant and machine washable.
Ideal for walking along rocky shorelines or climbing over boulders.
WHAT THEY DID NOT LIKE:
Appropriate only for individuals with “standard shaped” feet. For example, people with a prominent toe – whether it is the big toe or the second toe – might find the shoes do not fit correctly.
Requires considerable time to get used to the feel of the shoe.
Personally, I can agree with the fact that separating the toes can really enhance balance and promote ankle strength and stability.
Perhaps these shoes would be best suited for workouts in the gym and shorter distance walking and running.
Of course, they are not for everyone, but it is a fascinating idea and may work beautifully for some people.
Maybe I will give them a try, and let you know how they work for me. See you in the gym.
LINDA STOLLINGS is a personal fitness trainer in Bristol, Tenn. E-mail her at info@fitprescriptions.com or visit www.fitprescriptions.com.
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