Vibram Five Fingers

I got my first test today on my home trail – Heritage Park in lovely Farmington Hills. Admittedly, the first few minutes feel odd. No cushioning, and you’re virtually unable to heel-strike (a poor form habit I’ve been trying to break). These literally force you into decent form, since not doing so hurts immensely. After the first mile everything felt pretty good. I felt like I was running more in tune with my body’s mechanics, doing things more efficiently. Quiet strides, less head movement. I even felt faster than normal – and Mae noted this as I kept speeding away from her. Obviously these are as light as a pair of sandals, so your feet feel free from anything. This is, surprisingly, more energizing than you might think.

One of the more interesting things – and this should seem obvious but never occurred to me before actually trying them – is that you feel everything below you. When the ground changes textures from wood chips to packed dirt to soft mud, you feel everything. The softness of the earth, the temperature changes, the dry or moist – every sensation is there (just be careful for jagged stones – the sole isn’t thick enough to protect). Of course these changes are identifiable with regular trail shoes, but the sensations you get wearing these is magnified way beyond that. It’s a very cool feeling and I wish I could equate it to something easy to relate to. At any rate, if there is an ounce of tree-huggerness in you, I think you’ll enjoy these.