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Today it’s this:

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Thought I would give an update after my first week with the Vibrams.

They are comfortable!

After a few days, my toes weren’t sore from the separation of the individual toe pockets. In fact, they are quite comfortable now…as long as I’m not running. I’ve worn them in the morning and at night when I’m just hanging out at home and I think this has helped me adjust.

My body is adjusting…somewhat.

I can still only manage about a mile and a half because of the blister that continues to form as I run. As someone who would run at least 3 miles tri-weekly it’s a little frustrating. On a positive note, I have found that my calves and ankles aren’t nearly as sore after I run in them compared to last week.

I can tell as I run/walk in the Vibrams that my gate is changing as I continue to adapt. Whether this is good or bad has yet to be determined.

They aren’t for the conservative runner.

They are still quite ugly. People at the gym have no hesitation or remorse looking at me like I’m a fool while I run in them. I’ve had crazy shoes since I was able to buy them for myself, so this is nothing new. Definitely not a deal breaker.

Big $ and I are running The Charles Harris 10K this weekend. I am very confident that I will not be ready to run 6.2 miles in these.

Hopefully in the few weeks this pesky blister will disappear and I can really let loose. I can feel my feet muscles getting stronger which is definitely a good thing.

We’ll see what happens!

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Let me be the first to say, “Yes, yes I know they look like gorilla feet.”

I had previously done some research about these bad boys and how they work with one’s body. They idea behind them is as follows (via the Vibram website):

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.

So after all is said and done, what do you get? One ugly shoe! Here’s a picture just to give you an idea:

The Verdict:

After donning these babies and running about a mile and a half, this is my assessment:

• I ended up with two blisters (to be expected with new shoes, especially ones designed to fit so tightly)
• Today my calves and ankles are hurting
• After 24 hours they are still shockingly ugly
• I am looking forward to training with them and letting my body adjust to a more natural way of running

So who’s going to get a pair?!?

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