Uglier Than Crocs.

Okay, I will jump in here as a runner to offer my opinion. I ran D1 in college and was an NCAA all-american in cross-country and the 10k on the track. My marathon PR is 2:21.

Here is the deal with these shoes. If you are not (even slightly) overweight and plan to run on only grass fields and packed dirt trails, go for it. When I was training hard I would commonly do around a mile and a half of barefoot speed work ON THE GRASS INFIELD after our track workouts.

If you think the human body is capable of safely running barefoot on cement and asphalt, you are nuts. If you think the average joe can run barefoot while carrying 10 or 15 extra pounds, you are crazy.

I spent a year in California training with some of the top distance runners in the world, many from Ethiopia and Kenya. Sure, these guys grew up running barefoot. Their bodies are also VERY different from most of ours. Lets not forget they ran on DIRT roads and DIRT tracks, not pavement. If you are 5'6" and weigh 85 pounds, you can probably pull these things off. If you are 5'9" and weight 196, you are asking for injuries, even if you do stick to the grass.

It is true that our bodies are meant to run barefoot, that is a no brainer. But, it is also true that we are not meant to be overweight, we are not meant to run on hard surfaces and we are not ALL meant to have the bodies capable of running long distances (survival of the fittest). We are all different.

If you wear these and enjoy them, fine. Be careful that you do not develop a stress fracture.

If you are going to go minimalist, I think you would be better off in a pair of lightly cushioned racing flats. That is just MHO.

Originally Posted by 518aata

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I have a pair that I bought exclusively for exercizing when I travel. They're very light and take up much less room in my suitcase than my running shoes. But I would NEVER, NEVER wear them anywhere else.

x 2.

They are ugly as sin.
They are comfortable as hell.
They take up very little space in a 22" carry-on suitcase.

I wear them occasionally for running, and I've also worn them for golf practice sessions. I'd like to play a round of golf with them on - great drill for balance, stability, and timing.

But I digress. Of course they are not stylish, but when worn for the intended purpose, I could care less about style.

Can't believe I haven't seen this posted yet. The old SNL skit about this...

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/eb7...als?rel=player

Originally Posted by Sazerac

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Can't believe I haven't seen this posted yet. The old SNL skit about this...

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/eb7...als?rel=player

Reminds me why I didn't and don't watch it.

My neighbor wears these every day as his preferred footwear. He used to wear Crocs or hiking boots.

Originally Posted by NoNothingGuy

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If you are going to go minimalist, I think you would be better off in a pair of lightly cushioned racing flats. That is just MHO.

Is there anything reasonably cheap that's "better" than the Nike Free? I've never actually tried them on but I've fiddled with a bunch of them in shoe stores and they are magnificently lightweight (though obviously that doesn't speak to the issues of cushioning, heel placement/posture, etc.)

Originally Posted by GoldenTribe

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Is there anything reasonably cheap that's "better" than the Nike Free? I've never actually tried them on but I've fiddled with a bunch of them in shoe stores and they are magnificently lightweight (though obviously that doesn't speak to the issues of cushioning, heel placement/posture, etc.)

That depends on what you think is reasonably cheap, but I would say go to any fleet feet or other running store and try on various racing flats to see what fits your foot.

Flats are weird, so it pays to try them on. I do well in some brands but not others. Most will run around $60-$100 though. I always felt like the Nike Free was too much shoe for a minimalist. Just because it has no support doesn't make it minimalist.

I still wear normal trainers for long runs, but wear flats for daily runs and (the increasingly rare) speed workouts. If I had more time, I'd still do barefoot grass work but I just cannot justify it now.

Shoes are not the enemy. Shoes make sense. You just need to find what is right for your body.

Originally Posted by LabelKing

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I've seen people wear these with regular clothing, and it makes me want to be an alcoholic.

Well, I run in these about once a week (on grass only). I buy into the idea that they provide a training effect.

I suspect that the overly structured running shoes provide too much protection from over-pronation -- the small support muscles in the foot and ankle atrophy a bit.

It hadn't occurred to me to wear them with business dress. Do you think these would work with a Navy flannel?

Originally Posted by twosnapsandgo

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Hmm, similar to the fashion forwardish "bandles" I recently observed at a sandwich shop... perfect for ladies' japris or capreans this season apparently.

Originally Posted by Archivist

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I seem to recall that Ed has a nice mask to match these

Back to the Vibram Five Fingers, do they make them in Hetero?

Originally Posted by starcrash

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My neighbor wears these every day as his preferred footwear. He used to wear Crocs or hiking boots.

You have to move....

With a neighbour wearing that in broad daylight, your house must be losing value by the hour.

Originally Posted by GoldenTribe

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No comment on the ugly-ass shoes (are those actual individual toe-encasements?) but I have to respond to this:



Translation: "Your scientific studies and well-sourced news articles (relying on expert sources beyond reproach) are meaningless, my opinion is otherwise so you must be wrong." (You bolded the part of his quote about barefoot running being optimal rather than the part that seemed to support the shoes on Page 1.)

He says thin-soled shoes / barefoot running are superior and you're accusing him of "swallowing a corporate marketing campaign" even though he's essentially agreeing with the people citing academic/scientific research in OPPOSITION to the profit-driven corporate promotions of Nike et al with their ultra-cushioned microchip-endowed $300 sneakers ... are you actually serious???

You have nothing to back you up and according to this thread there is an overwhelming scientific consensus against you. Why would you even post what you did?

I'll take the word of Nature magazine, Harvard researchers, and the Daily Mail any day over some chimp with nothing on his side but personal opinion.

If they're wrong and cushioned shoes are beneficial, POST SOMETHING EMPIRICAL to prove it (and I'll eat my words) or shut up.







edited for niceness

Quoted for truth. Uninformed personal opinion is meaningless, anecdote from firsthand experience is better; but actual science from actual scientists is better yet. Just because these "shoes" are ugly doesn't mean they aren't healthier, and if any of the more vituperative posters can point me to a peer-reviewed journal article arguing that heavily padded shoes are better for the human body, I'd be very curious to see it. This science is just reaching mainstream notice now, with recent articles in NY Mag, the NY Times, a couple of UK papers, etc. and is met with a lot of skepticism, but not a lot of empirical counter-argument. (Reminds me of the way the Atkins diet was treated when his work first started to draw attention, but the latest research is indicating that he was onto something, anyway...) I wouldn't assume the concept is just a fad, even if the current expressions of the concept turn out to be.

For what it's worth, I own several pairs of Vivo Barefoot shoes (which have a similar intent but look basically like sneakers) for casual and weekend wear, and hours of walking around Manhattan / hiking / playing tennis is a lot less painful to my old knee and ankle injuries than it ever was in sneakers or hiking boots.

I just saw someone wearing them in the airport.

Originally Posted by LabelKing

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I just saw someone wearing them in the airport.

I don't believe you...

Some people are really insane..

Originally Posted by NoNothingGuy

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Okay, I will jump in here as a runner to offer my opinion. I ran D1 in college and was an NCAA all-american in cross-country and the 10k on the track. My marathon PR is 2:21.

Here is the deal with these shoes. If you are not (even slightly) overweight and plan to run on only grass fields and packed dirt trails, go for it. When I was training hard I would commonly do around a mile and a half of barefoot speed work ON THE GRASS INFIELD after our track workouts.

If you think the human body is capable of safely running barefoot on cement and asphalt, you are nuts. If you think the average joe can run barefoot while carrying 10 or 15 extra pounds, you are crazy.

I spent a year in California training with some of the top distance runners in the world, many from Ethiopia and Kenya. Sure, these guys grew up running barefoot. Their bodies are also VERY different from most of ours. Lets not forget they ran on DIRT roads and DIRT tracks, not pavement. If you are 5'6" and weigh 85 pounds, you can probably pull these things off. If you are 5'9" and weight 196, you are asking for injuries, even if you do stick to the grass.

It is true that our bodies are meant to run barefoot, that is a no brainer. But, it is also true that we are not meant to be overweight, we are not meant to run on hard surfaces and we are not ALL meant to have the bodies capable of running long distances (survival of the fittest). We are all different.

If you wear these and enjoy them, fine. Be careful that you do not develop a stress fracture.

If you are going to go minimalist, I think you would be better off in a pair of lightly cushioned racing flats. That is just MHO.

This.

^I'm sorry to say this but Idee your vote is meaningless now. As for NoNothingGuy he has a point, but when I posted my opinion and resource links I assumed everyone should read it with some common sense.

A simple analogy: just because spinach is healthy does not mean you should eat it every day...