High Five To The New V5′s
I believe that you need to look good to feel good/feel good to look good. That’s why, I surprised myself when I immediately gravitated towards the absolutely HIDEOUS, Vibram Five Fingers (I know what you’re going to say, the name sounds more like a sex toy than athletic shoe). Vibram (creater of high performance rubber soles) launched their Five Finger line of products which essentially are rubber soled gloves…for your feet. Initially intended for yacht racing, Barefoot Ted (google him to find more info) introduced this “shoe” as a way to simulate barefoot running in rough and unpredictable terrain (think urban streets and thorn covered mountain trails). Other Vibram members use their V5′s for pilates, swimming, hiking, rock climbing plus a slew of other fitness related activities. Now with a month under my belt in my new V5′s ($85/pair), I’m able to maintain greater speed over longer distances and have increased the strength of my lower calves and foot muscles. However, the sudden spike in speed and mileage has certainly caused some tendonitis in my achilles so be careful when first starting…slow and steady wins the race.
