I laughed. Who didn?t? When I saw the first pair of Vibram Five Fingers, it wasn?t that they were unconventional ? okay, there was that ? but that they seemed so unnecessary. Bare feet were for the beach, shoes were for everything else. Even though I ran in the first generation of Nike Frees (and loved them), I was skeptical in the extreme.
That, of course, was before I tried them. Since then, I?ve run many miles in the Five Fingers and in nearly every shoe brand?s flagship minimalist model. And for me, depending on the footwear and the application, they work. Indeed, the closer to bare feet, the better.
Apparently, I?m not the only one. In 2010, Vibram reportedly made $50 million in sales of Five Fingers and up to $70 million in 2011, orders of magnitude over 2009. Almost-barefoot running has been the biggest trend in running footwear since, well, nearly ever. No longer do people stop me on the trail and ask me what the heck?s on my feet; at my gym, Five Fingers and minimalist shoes are now in the majority. They. Are. Everywhere.
But not everyone?s convinced. Some can?t get over the funky appearance, some don?t want to. Some runners have tried barefoot running and bitten off too many miles too fast, their shoe-coddled feet unable to adapt to a different gate and lack of padding, and become injured. Research on the effectiveness of minimalist footwear is scant or funded by Vibram, and biomechanics experts are divided on whether they enable a more natural running style or simply of another expensive way to hurt yourself. Indeed, just 10 days ago, a Florida woman filed a class action suit against Vibram, arguing that the company?s claims of health benefits are misleading and wrong.
Valerie Bezdek?s brief to the U.S. District Court argues, ?Defendants have claimed that running in FiveFingers?improves posture and foot health, reduces risk of injury, strengthens muscles in feet and lower legs, and promotes spine alignment. Defendants have used these claims to charge a premium for FiveFingers that consumers readily paid, believing FiveFingers would confer upon them significant health benefits. Unbeknownst to consumers, Defendants? health benefit claims are deceptive because FiveFingers are not proven to provide any of the health benefits beyond what conventional running shoes provide.? (Outside has a nice summary of the suit if you want to read more.)
Perhaps the debate over barefoot running will be settled in court. Or perhaps we can settle ourselves, right here, right now.
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