My Review Of My Vibram 5 Finger Footwear

I chose minimalist footwear because I am trying to symplify my life in areas of fitness, health, and nutrition. I am trying to get stronger, and give my body what it needs to achieve that goal. Our feet are so under-rated. Alot of us don`t think of them until we have a problem that forces us to think of them. Our feet are made up of 52 bones, 66 joints, 40 muscles, and hundreds of sensory receptors, ligaments, and tendons. These muscles and sensory receptors get weak from lack of use, just like any other muscle in our body. Going barefoot, or as close to barefoot as we can, gives them a chance to strengthen up again. The receptors in our feet are like communicators to our brain about the terrain we`re going into and what to expect. Stimulating the receptors improves balance and increases circulation thus making our feet more healthy. Blood carries important nutrients throughout our body and if you have more blood flow, you have more nutrients being delivered.

Some joggers may worry about the impact when the foot hits the ground if it doesn`t have those many layers of rubber protection shielding it as it lands. From my understanding, Vibram FiveFingers, and other minimalist footwear encourages us to not strike so hard; to come down a little easier because we are actually aware of how hard we are pounding the pavement. Your running form also changes and instead of a heel strike, your foot is more horizontal and you land more on the middle of your foot or the ball of your foot. Heavy heel striking isn`t troublesome for some, but for others it can produce pain and an increased risk of injury.I know it sounds funny to say we need to learn how to run, but alot of us run completely wrong. I am one of those. I come down hard on my heel and I`m noisy when I run which shows me how hard my foot is hitting the ground. With the FiveFingers, I`m aware and I come down lighter, causing less shock to my poor feet.

What about arch support? People with high arches will probably have an easier time transitioning into minimalist footwear. Flat footed people are encouraged to take their time adjusting and not jump in too quickly with both feet, excuse the pun. Fallen arches are, alot of times caused by conventional footwear and your arch has atrophied. It takes time for the muscles to build back up so go easy and slowly. The whole point in minimalist footwear is to re-create what we evolved from and to stregthen our feet and make our gait natural and normal.

I absolutely LOVE my Vibram FiveFinger shoes. I don`t like wearing shoes in the first place and these just feel natural to me. It did take some getting used to, like wearing toe socks, but once I got used to that feeling it was heaven. Like I said in the beginning, I messed up a little on sizing, mine don`t fit as "glove-like" as they should which might pose a problem on some 12 mile hikes through water this Spring, so I`ll bring my conventional shoes in case. In the case of slippery or muddy areas, I guess that`ll give me the excuse to buy some exclusively for hiking! Then I can trade off depending on the weather. Yay me! I`m a 'jump in with both feet' kinda girl, so my calves got a little more sore than they would in a conventional shoe for my first plyometrics exercise routine. That also may have been from landing wrong? When I hike and go over rocks it feels like a foot massage, and I like the ability to be able to curl and grip with my toes. I like being able to walk through water and not worry about it. I like how light they are. I don`t like the price which averages probably around the eighty to ninety dollar mark, but there are sales out there if you look. Go out and try a pair on and see what you think. Give it some time and slowly transition into them. I bet you`ll love them!