Barefoot shoes. I know... a contradiction of terms. The Vibram Five Fingers barefoot shoes allow you to experience all the healthy movement your foot should have without the abuse to the soles of the feet that going barefoot can bring.
I've been wanting a pair for a couple of years now, but after reading Born to Run by Christopher McDougall I had to have them. Set in the worlds of ultra marathon racing and the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico's Copper Canyon, this page turner is part mystery/adventure story, part evolutionary anthropology and orthopedic science, concurrently tracing the history of running and the running shoe.
What I found so exciting was that in my practice many people come to me because of foot pain. What I typically see are "fallen" arches, pronation and astonishingly weak feet. Dr. Gerard Hartman who trains the world's finest long distance runners concurs. "The deconditioned musculature of the foot is the greatest issue leading to injury." It seems radical, but the more we put our feet in shoes that stabilize and cushion, the weaker our feet become. According to Dr. Brant, chief of rehab at the U.S. Public Health Service Hospital in Louisiana, "A barefoot walker receives a continual stream of information about the ground and about his own relationship to it, while a shod foot sleeps inside an unchanging environment." He points out that most of the foot ailments he sees in his waiting room are unheard of in cultures that go barefoot.
I have training in foot rehabilitation, but it just didn't seem like enough. I went on a mission to find more foot strengthening exercises and with almost no exception found only stretching exercises. Finally, I developed my own protocol for strengthening feet. One client who had stopped walking (!!!) because her feet hurt so much can now use the treadmill at the gym and walks 3 miles around the park without pain. But now there's more! Five Fingers give us a way to strengthen our feet without fear of injury from sharp stones or broken glass. A protective glove for your feet rather than a straight jacket!
I've had my Five Fingers for about three weeks now. I LOVE them! First let me say that I only wear them on dirt trails and grass. I bought the trail runners specifically because they have a sole that gives traction on the scree of the local hills. After a 4-5 mile hike my feet feel like they've had a major workout. In a good way! What do I love about my Five Fingers? Let me count the ways:
- After hiking my legs feel fabulous!
- I move more from the hips and less from the knees. The action of flexing and extending the leg is evenly distributed through the feet, ankles, knees and hips, instead of overworking the knees.
- My core is noticeably more engaged.
- There is more connection with the outside of the foot, so my foot has to WORK from outside to inside, the way it's meant to, strengthening with every step.
- I can feel the vibration of my steps into the bones of my legs which builds bone and stimulates the sense receptors of the foot, ankle and hip joints, improving balance and proprioception.
- They are lighter on my feet than athletic shoes or hiking boots. My feet feel free!!!
What would I caution about using Five Fingers to strengthen your feet?
- Start slowly, test the waters. Don't start with a 10 mile run. Strength takes time to develop.
- Stick to grass and other moderately uneven surfaces to start.
- Avoid long walks on concrete.
- Severe Morton's Toe (long second toe) may be hard to fit.
- Expect flack from professionals who believe that feet are natively flawed or that we were never designed to walk on two feet.
I'll see you on the trail with happy feet!
Namaste,
Kerry
