Going for a run in my funny shoes
They’re not as silly-looking as those rainbow-striped toe socks popular in, well, never, really, if we’re honest with ourselves, but they’re close.
They’re called FiveFingers and are from Vibram. Little more than a sock with a rubber sole, they’re designed to flex and give with your foot, producing a more “natural” running experience. Some go all-out and run barefoot to connect with their primitive bipedal running roots, but for those of us afraid of pointy rocks, glass and icky things sticking to our feet, there’s FiveFingers.
Barefoot running has had a bit of a resurgence lately, due in no small part to these shoes. I ended up reading about it after doing some research into how best to avoid knee injuries while running. I’ve had the ACL repaired in both knees, so I’m particularly interested in this topic. I just got the shoes on Thursday, and am about to give them a try for a mike or so at Bellevue’s Downtown Park. Everything I’ve read says barefoot running reduces the shock on the knee and is good for strengthening the muscles of the foot and lower leg. We’ll see. I’ll write more later once I’ve had a chance to give them a whirl. I can report already that they attract a lot of attention.
