Toe Shoes – Vibram Fivefingers
Vibram Fivefingers are unique. They’re the only shoes I’ve ever seen that have individual toe spaces – and they are definitely a talking point. Whenever I’m wearing them, children stop in the street to stare, and they make fantastic footprints.
In fact, I wore my Vibrams – as I liked to call them, though perhaps Five Fingers would have been a better name – when I walked the West Highland Way in Scotland. As you can imagine, the Vibram shoes left distinctive marks in the Scottish mud, leading to rumours of a Bigfoot somewhere along the route. The stories were getting wilder and wilder, until someone finally noticed what I was wearing on my feet. I think everyone was a little disappointed to find out that there was no Bigfoot, and that it was only me.
Vibram have produced several versions of the Vibram Fivefingers shoe: the Classic, the KSO (for Keep Stuff Out), and the Surge which has extra straps for water sports. I went for a black and yellow Classic which makes it look like I’ve walked through hot tar and lived to tell the tale. It does take some getting used to placing each toe in it’s little glove, but they are quite comfortable.
One thing that I didn’t expect is that you really can’t use Vibram Fivefingers Classics in water. The water pulls the shoe right off your foot, as the material only covers your toes and heel. The Vibram Fivefingers Surge has a strap to hold it on your foot, while the Vibram Fivefingers KSO completely covers the foot in an elastic kind of way.
Lots of barefoot runners like to use Vibram Five Fingers for running. They like them because it’s like running barefoot, except that you don’t run the risk of getting your feet cut up on broken glass or other hazards. You can still feel the shape of the ground beneath your feet, so walking on grass feels particularly nice.
Want to find out more about Vibram FiveFingers, then visit this review on how to choose the best Five Fingers for your needs.