Those Aren't Shoes!

[telecom_goddess]

the web page you guys listed is not loading right now so I can't check them out but I think I've seen someone wear what you're describing on the train once. Looked comfy.

[Can I Help Your A$$?]

Huh--are these the shoes they made for that penguin with the injured or deformed foot?

[kzc]

I'm considering getting a pair, but I'm worried as I have plantar fasciitis and I don't know if they'd help or hinder it.

Well, the advocates of minimalist running/walking claim that our feet have gotten soft and coddled from all of the über-tech in our shoes. Pronation support, under-pronation support, gel cushioning, etc. Their idea is that by going back to as close to barefoot as possible your feet will (eventually) be strengthened, eliminating plantar fasciitis and related issues.

Meh, I'm not any kind of medical professional. I suspect there's some truth to it, but I think I'd consult a doctor before trying VFFs or other minimalist shoes if I were already experiencing foot pain.

They're so comfortable I'm thinking about buying a third pair, but I find I do have moderate my distance in them. It takes time to uncoddle those feet.

[LillFilly]

Meh, I'm not any kind of medical professional. I suspect there's some truth to it, but I think I'd consult a doctor before trying VFFs or other minimalist shoes if I were already experiencing foot pain.

They actually gave us a handout with our shoes about how to acclimate your feet to walking in the fivefingers. It was like, after my feet got used to it, they were saying "Aahhh, we're so relaxed!" You have to train yourself not to stomp around on your heels; you sort of land your foot flat. Running around the woods, you actually feel more steady because you can feel every contour of the ground and adjust, and the tread grips great.

I found this site on how to spot fake 'Vibram Fivefingers,' though there are other companies marketing their own now.

http://birthdayshoes.com/these-are-n...ive-toed-shoes

[Cazzi]

I would so love to try the VFF shoes, I've always been happier barefoot at home/garden but no matter what shoes I wear; normally flat/almost flat, comfortable shoes to fit my wider feet; I always get fuzzy-numb sensations on parts of my feet when I've been walking/peddling for a even a short while and aches in my leg muscles.
Admittedly, I do suffer from a chronic pain joint condition, but the fuzzy bits have me puzzled.

Only problem is, as yet in the UK, I've not managed to find a store easy for me to get to to try any on to see if they're comfortable on my non standard width feet, also the ones I've seen online start at about £80-90 and upwards That is money I can't afford to waste if they're not comfortable. Hopefully next time I get down to London I'm going to have a go at tracking some down.

I do have a question for those that wear them though... in all the images I've seen, the big toe/first toe are the same length. How do people with longer big toes cope?

[Luna Baby]

I do have a question for those that wear them though... in all the images I've seen, the big toe/first toe are the same length. How do people with longer big toes cope?

From what I saw on the VFF site on how to size, you pick the size of shoe based on the length of the longest toe. It shouldn't matter whether your big toe or the next toe is longer, you would buy for the longer toe of the 2 feet since alot of people don't have identically sized feet. hth

[Pagan]

I do have a question for those that wear them though... in all the images I've seen, the big toe/first toe are the same length. How do people with longer big toes cope?

There's a shoe store here that carries them. I keep going and looking at them longingly, but I never noticed the toes before!

You're right. They look like they're built on a Celtic foot model and it sounds like you have a Saxon foot. Don't laugh, I'm not insane! http://www.archaeology.co.uk/british...rchaeology.htm

The foot on the left is what I see at the end of my leg, complete with bunion.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

The shoes do not have to fit to your exact dimensions...they're more like flexible gloves in that they will conform to your foot. If your toe fills out the toe pocket, that's fine. If there's a little bit of space (not a lot) that's okay too. What you don't want is your toes pressing hard against the end of or curling up inside the toe pocket. Neither do you want your toes slipping out of the toe pocket inside the shoe. Really, after you get used to the feel of fabric between your toes (took me about fifteen minutes), you shouldn't really feel them much. I don't. I forget I have them on.

I will note that you don't want to wear these in an environment where you may snag a toe or drop something on your foot. They will save your back, legs, and feet from the injuries that come with improper walking, but they won't save you from a broken toe if you drop something on your foot or stub your toe. I broke my toe last fall wearing these and snagging my foot on a landscape timber hauling stuff. You get it in your head you're wearing shoes, and then are careless where you jam your feet. So you have to be aware of what you're doing.

[Kogarashi]

You're right. They look like they're built on a Celtic foot model and it sounds like you have a Saxon foot. Don't laugh, I'm not insane! http://www.archaeology.co.uk/british...rchaeology.htm

The foot on the left is what I see at the end of my leg, complete with bunion.

I wonder what mine are, then. My "index" toe (the one next to my big toe) is longer than my big toe, on both feet. Longer by a good half-inch, no less.

Those shoes look very weird. I think I'll stick to my sandal preference (when I'm not running around my apartment barefoot, that is).

[Pagan]

I wonder what mine are, then. My "index" toe (the one next to my big toe) is longer than my big toe, on both feet. Longer by a good half-inch, no less.

Those shoes look very weird. I think I'll stick to my sandal preference (when I'm not running around my apartment barefoot, that is).

That's part of the Celtic foot trait, too. Mine are just slightly longer than my big toes. It varies from person to person. It seems to occur particularly in people with Scottish heritage.

[telecom_goddess]

Now that I've looked at my toes to see which one is longer (didn't pay attention before) My big toe is longer than any of them...what trait is that now?

And these shoes do look comfy but expensive....sigh.

[Pagan]

Now that I've looked at my toes to see which one is longer (didn't pay attention before) My big toe is longer than any of them...what trait is that now?

And these shoes do look comfy but expensive....sigh.

That could be Saxon. That and some other things are addressed in the article, that's why I put the link for it. Otherwise, I'd just be re-typing the whole article.

[vang]

Oh huh, that's great. I'd seen mentions of those shoes before, but only surrounded by standard overblown marketing gushing, and didn't bother trying to find better info sources. I vastly prefer barefoot, but city life has mostly forced me to drop it. It's good to see people in a community I like listening to mentioning them, and makes me pretty curious about trying a pair. So very glad for this thread!

The only issue would be my occasional severe "You are doing something that makes you stand out as a weird freak, you FOOOOOL!!!" social paranoia issues, both generally and for worries about things like the OP.

[Cazzi]

Thanks all

That was a very interesting article Pagan, I've never really thought of feet being able to tell a persons ancestry before. Just goes to show you can learn something new every day!

I shall continue my search for an actual bricks & mortar shop that sells them now

[EricKei]

Neat article.

My ancestry, on both sides, is essentially Alsace-Lorraine/Bavarian region (Southern German and Northern French on one side, Southern German and Cajun on the other), which would suggest, well, anything BUT Celtic >_> That being said:

Now that I look at my feet -- not something I do often -- They resemble the left side/"celtic" version more, save for the fact that my big toe and "index toe" are apparently identical in length; however, the foot shape is more English -- or should I say, really freaking wide. I wear a size 16, EEEE width in US measurement o_O

And ya know what they say about us guys with big feet, right...? ...It's hard to find shoes our size.

...What?