Adjust to Wearing Vibram Five Fingers
Most Runners Need to Strengthen Their Lower Legs, Ankles and Feet Before Wearing Vibram Five Fingers Running Shoes at Their Current Mileage
However, nobody should think that wearing Vibram Five Fingers running shoes is a no-brainer. There are caveats.
For one thing, some people have Morton's Toe, which is a condition where their second toe is longer than their big toe. The big toe is shorter than it's supposed to be. If so, you may find wearing Vibram Five Fingers uncomfortable. That's because Vibram shoes do have separate sections for each toe -- like gloves -- but they cannot accommodate individual nonstandard toe lengths.
Some online comments from Vibram customers include people who found that they could not get a good fit, and this caused discomfort and pain.
And although Vibram athletic shoes protect the skin of your feet from cuts and abrasions, they offer a lot less shielding than regular shoes from other feet hazards. You can stub your toe more easily (and painfully), or bruise it by landing on rocks. Although some people travel in them, they seem like a bad idea for going anywhere with lots of people packed together: concerts, political demonstrations, and so forth. They're also obviously not a good idea for rock or mountain climbing, or hiking any place where a rock or tree could fall on your foot.
You Must Be Careful to Avoid the Dangers of Vibram Five Fingers Shoes
Are you clumsy with your feet? Maybe you don't even think about it now, because you don't have to -- you're wearing shoes that protect your feet from hasty movements that make them bang in to furniture. This could be bad if all you're wearing is Vibram shoes.
Some people have broken their feet while wearing these shoes.
Perhaps they didn't adjust their running stride enough. Most of us are used to landing on our heels. But many experts say it's more natural and mechanically efficient to land on our forefeet or mid-feet.
In Born to Run MacDougall doesn't directly address the issue of switching over to wearing Vibram Five Fingers shoes for running, but he does discuss it.
Although he's also had lots of injuries and pain in his running career, he goes into training for the wild race with the elusive Tarahumara Indians (you'll have to read the book to appreciation what an adventure story it is), coached by Eric.
Eric changes his running style, and seems to imply that he'd be better off running bare foot, but that they didn't have time to build up his lower leg and foot strength, as well as the rest of his running distance, before this historic race.
Vibram is not real specific, but certainly warns people that switching to minimalist running shoes is a process of transition. This is especially true of people who are now overpronators -- implying those of us with flat feet.
In one news story about Vibram running shoes, a woman said that the day after she ran wearing them for the first time, she was very sore.
Some people give the advice to switch over gradually, not all at once. Wear Vibram Five Fingers running shoes one day a week, not all of them.
Remember, thanks to many years of wearing shoes ever since you were a baby, your lower legs and feet are relatively weak, because you've sheltered, overprotected and ignored them. You cannot expect them to immediately become powerhouses overnight anymore than you expected to run a marathon as your first run.
You have to build them up gradually, and that takes time.
Changing to Vibram Five Fingers Means Strengthening Lower Legs and Feet
In this blog post on how to strengthen your feet to help transition to Vibram Five Fingers shoes, Mark Sisson gives some advice for those of us who wish to strengthen our feet and shares some exercises.
I've also read that picking up a ping pong ball with your toes is a good exercise for alleviating flat feet.
Will these work? I don't know. I haven't had time to try them. I'm hopeful. Born to Run includes a mention of a runner who used to be flat footed and wear a size 13. He did some food exercises, developed an arch and now wears a size 9 or 10.
However, it seems to me that if at least part of the reason, or end result, of wearing Vibram Five Fingers running shoes is to change to a running technique that is more natural and less injury-prone, then it'd be a mistake to wear your Vibram Five Fingers one day out of the week but your other, heel-high, running shoes the other days.
How can you form new running habits when you continue to reinforce the old style?
I know you won't want to hear this, because it'll mean reducing your mileage a lot (temporarily!), but I think that once you start wearing Vibram Five Fingers running shoes, you should wear them and only them.
But, since wearing them too much before your feet and lower leg muscles are strong is not a good idea, you'll just have to dramatically reduce your running time. Then work up gradually as your feet and lower leg muscles strengthen.
I know, I know -- it's a drag. And inconvenient if you're aiming at a particular race only a month or so away.
It's sort of like what happened when you began running. You wanted to train fifty or more miles per week, perhaps, but your body wasn't up to it. You had to run a mile or two a day until you could do more. And you gradually built your strength and endurance until you're in the shape you are now.
So I'm asking you to go back to basics and take baby steps again.
You Can Start Preparing Your Feet for Vibram Five Fingers Running Shoes Now
And don't just run with the Vibram Five Fingers on, but go barefoot (okay, you can wear socks when it's cold) as much as you can. This should include inside your home (Asians do it), and outside as much as possible given the weather and your schedule.
Where you can't go barefoot but you're not forced by social/professional constraints to wear shoes, wear flip flops.
I'd just bought a brand new pair of Brooks Beasts before I started doing this research. Hey, I'm another one of those flat footed, size thirteen runners whose foot feels more comfortable when it's "supported." Bad move for someone interested in barefoot running, right?
Yes, I've decided to continue to wear them while I'm running, but to work to strengthen my feet and lower legs over time when I'm not running.
Soon I'll be able to be barefoot or in flip flops almost every day, all day. Flip flops may not be Vibram Five Fingers, but they barefeet with just a flat rubber cushion between them and the real world. According to one comment I read, Chinese people have low rates of knee arthritis because they mainly wear flip flops. I don't know if that's true, but it makes sense.
I'll also try to walk on sand on the beach a lot, and work the exercises Sisson describes into my schedule.
Once I see my feet and lower legs are getting stronger, my new shoes won't be so new and I can afford to transition to wearing Vibram Five Fingers or another brand of minimalist running shoes.
Next: Five Fingers -- the shoes that look like gloves for your feet.