These:
Now I know that your first impulse is going to be to tell me stop being a moron and buy some regular shoes, but here’s the thing: with my recent foray into the barefoot running world, I’ve decided to give shoeless transport a shot. Understand, I’m not going to be breaking any world marathon records, but I figure that if unshod running provides a health benefit then I should be the first one to report on it, right?
I can spot a health fad from 5,280 feet. I’m usually a person who shies away from fads in order to maintain my integrity, but this whole barefoot movement has really caught my attention. Let me explain.
About four years ago I hurt my back.
I’d just stepped out of the shower. After drying myself off and admiring my physique in the bathroom mirror (Sometimes I’m allowed to be vain. Don’t judge.) I wrapped a towel around myself and proceeded to my bedroom to get dressed. Somewhere between the wrapping of said towel and becoming fully clothed, I managed to drop a pair of boxer shorts on the floor. As I leaned over to pick them up, I sneezed.
Being a twenty-six year old fitness junkie has its advantages, but in that moment I felt absolutely none of them. As soon as I’d finished sneezing, I tried standing up only to discover that my lower back would not allow me to do so. In fact, the excruciating pain involved in standing was only amplified by the comical aspects of my gratuitous nudity.
I would spend the next three days in bed.
Since then, I have had to exercise caution when performing any heavy lifting or exercise. Lifting lighter weights on exercises like the squat and the dead lift have helped, but while running (which is a favorite activity of mine) I find that I experience quite a bit of lower back pain.
Therein lies my dilemma. I have found that mid-foot striking or landing on the ball of my foot when running tends to help that horrible back pain. The Five Fingers shoes are supposed to allow that sort of striking when running. Knowing that and understanding the mechanics of barefoot running have put the idea of running without shoes in the forefront of my perspective.
The Vibram Five Fingers shoes are merely a means to an end. If barefoot running helps, then I may use it as my primary cardiovascular activity. I love running. I love it more than cycling, the elliptical and stair climbing combined. My only concern is shelling out almost a hundred bucks for a thin piece of rubber sole and what essentially constitutes makeshift gorilla feet.
So what are your opinions of the Vibram Five Fingers shoe? All hype or something I should consider?
Cheers.
