Vibram Fivefingers - Five Toes

I did something that I vowed not to do. I purchased a pair of Vibram Fivefinger "foot gloves". I wanted something to mix it up a bit. My left knee has been hurting a bit over the last week and I'm eager to try anything that seems to create evangelists the way that Fivefingers do. I went with the TrekSport model, size 43 for my size 10.5-11 feet.

I ran 3.2 miles in my toe shoes yesterday and then slipped back on my Nimbus 12s for another 6.1 miles. There were noticeable differences. The first was that I was SLOW in the Fivefingers, about 30 seconds per mile. The second was that from about halfway between my knee all the way to the ground my legs got a very different workout. That is the idea, I know, but everything from my achilles to my shins to my ankles felt very tired while running. My stride was shorter, my heel striking was limited, they performed as advertised.

Putting the Nimbus 12s back on felt like jumping onto a trampoline. It was very strange for about the first 1/2 mile. I noticed a difference in my stride that carried over from the Vibrams that must be okay. (I'm not ready to say that all things associated with Fivefingers are great). All in all it was a nice Sunday morning run.

I'm going to keep with the Fivefingers 2 times per week, 3 miles per shot. I'll see if I keep noticing anything. They are still crazy looking. I'll try to use them on my early AM runs!