FiveFingers (or toes as it were)

I lunched and shopped with my bestie this past Friday and we stumbled into a cute little store called “Sole.” The store featured some trendy shoes – not sassy heels like I normally like, but things like Crocs, Merrell and Sperry.

Not our cup of tea really, but it was clearly a locally owned shop. So we did the quick breeze through so as not to be rude and were on our way out when I noticed those quirky little FiveFingers shoes that are so hot right now.

They are supposed to be like walking, running, exercising barefoot (naked feet). Such synergy with Stretch Naked - I had to try them out! I mean my feet do indeed like to be naked, so BFF, Baby E and I all tried a pair.

Before I go on about my humble opinion, let me tell you what they are supposed to do. Here’s the hype from their site vibramfivefingers.com…

“The typical human foot is an anatomical marvel of evolution with 26 bones, 33 joints, 20 muscles, and hundreds of sensory receptors, tendons and ligaments. Like the rest of the body, to keep our feet healthy, they need to be stimulated and exercised.

Many experts believe the shoes we wear not only cast the foot in a protective form, but also weaken our foot and leg muscles, leaving them underdeveloped and more prone to injury. And while there are many occasions where traditional footwear is essential for protection, safety, and security, it is equally important to stimulate and exercise the foot in a more natural state on a regular basis.

That’s why we recommend wearing FiveFingers for exercise, for play, and for fun. Stimulating muscles in your feet and lower legs will not only make you stronger and healthier, it improves your balance, agility and proprioception.”

First of all, I had to look up what “proprioception” means. Must have missed that during my SAT days…

“Proprioception — from Latin proprius, meaning "one's own," and perception — is one of the human senses. There are between nine and 21 in all, depending on which sense researcher you ask. Rather than sensing external reality, proprioception is the sense of the orientation of one's limbs in space. This is distinct from the sense of balance, which derives from the fluids in the inner ear, and is called equilibrioception. Proprioception is what police officers test when they pull someone over and suspect drunkenness. Without proprioception, we'd need to consciously watch our feet to make sure that we stay upright while walking.

Proprioception doesn't come from any specific organ, but from the nervous system as a whole. Its input comes from sensory receptors distinct from tactile receptors — nerves from inside the body rather than on the surface. Proprioceptive ability can be trained, as can any motor activity.

Without proprioception, drivers would be unable to keep their eyes on the road while driving, as they would need to pay attention to the position of their arms and legs while working the pedals and steering wheel. “

Whew! A little heady, but I guess I get it…

Ok, back to MY opinion…

Here is what I experienced from a physical/proprioception perspective…

They were a little hard to maneuver. It was hard to get my toes into all the little slots. And they felt all kinds of bizarre. I jumped up and down in them and felt it in my knees. I have reoccurring knee problems, so that immediately concerned me. I did a little jogaroo around the store and was slightly intrigued until I saw the price - $90. Was I really going to spend that kind of money on a shoe that I might hate?

The owners of the store were pretty knowledgeable about the shoe and did a great job of trying to sell me on the benefits. They said that for someone that does fitness like me, I would need to “ease into it.” 20 minutes in the shoes, then the rest of my workout in my old shoes. Then gradually increase my time in the shoes. Sounds a little complicated. I certainly couldn’t just pause my class so that I can change shoes…not practical for me anyway.

We put back on our flippies (and Baby E barefooted) and headed out of the store to go search out more shopping.

But today I couldn’t stop thinking about the shoes. Should I give ‘em a go?

I like trendy things in the fitness world, so I had to dig around for more information.

The benefits according to Vibram FiveFingers…

1. Strengthens Muscles in the Feet and Lower Legs - wearing FiveFingers will stimulate and strengthen muscles in the feet and lower legs, improving general foot health and reducing the risk of injury.

2. Improves Range of Motion in Ankles, Feet and Toes – no longer ‘cast’ in a shoe, the foot and toes move more naturally.

3. Stimulates Neural Function Important to Balance and Agility - when wearing Vibram FiveFingers, thousands of neurological receptors in the feet send valuable information to the brain, improving balance and agility.

4. Improves Proprioception and Body Awareness – those same neurological receptors heighten body awareness, sending messages about body mechanics, form, and movement.

5. Eliminates Heel Lift to Align the Spine and Improve Posture – By lowering the heel, our bodyweight becomes evenly distributed across the footbed, promoting proper posture and spine alignment.


The drawbacks…

1. Totally not cute. Call me a stereotypical Southern blonde, but I want to look super cute when I workout! I want the hot pink and silver and sassy shoes that I am accustomed to. The fivers look like the shoes that the very “crunchy” folk might wear. You know the kind - they wear hemp clothing, eat a vegan diet, are on the quest to save something (like the whales) and quite possibly don’t wear deodorant. Sorry to any Naked Stretchers who might fit this description. I am just not that person. I mean I do care about the whales, sure, but I also like milk in my latte and to smell good.

I guess they do come in colors, but still have a weird look. Lots of "gawkers" to be sure.

2. Support is lacking. I get the claims. I do. I understand the science. But if you have serious conditions or pre-existing issues with knees, backs, etc., then these shoes should be avoided at all costs.

3. Sources say no. Well my sources say “no.” I have an insider in the Medical Community – my dear friend and E’s pediatrician. Anyway, she has heard negative things about the “easing in” topic and is pro-support for running and for exercise in general. So there.

Then I trolled a few blogs and came across this one: fourhourworkweek.com

He has a very interesting take on the barefoot phenomoneon. Please check this out so you can make an educated decision.

Are FiveFingers for me? Not right now. There are much cuter, supportive Shox out there calling my name. But whenever I am working full-time again and have some more disposable income, I will certainly give them a shot.

Good night Naked Stretchers.