I am officially a Geek

[Neomet]

Hi, my name is Neomet and I wear Gecko shoes.

The Vibrams are of course those funny shoes with toes and a piece of high-tech rubber for a sole. I originally got these to change up my running regiment and to get in the habit of forefoot striking instead of heel hits. I have had them about a month and have very, very slowly worked my runs in them up to right at 3 miles and keep pushing a little more each run. (No diabetic needs blisters on their feet.) I have to say these things are very different and great. I no longer have low back pain after a run and my speed has picked up nicely.

They will work your calves like nothing you have ever done before and I have to say I do think they improving my sprint speed. I think this are great shoes for running (read and take seriously the various warnings about building up your ability to run in these) as well as high intensity training.

I will never be man enough to wear these to the range though. I'll leave that to Jake.

[entropic]

I agree with the flat sole theory too. Although I haven't done any much running besides sprints with cleats lately, I have started training in an old pair of wrestling shoes that have very flat soles. The theory is that there is no cushioning to absorb power that I'm trying to put to the ground... it seems to be the norm in power/olympic lifting.

Is not having a supported arch supposed to prevent one from developing flat feet?

[Jake Di Vita]

I agree with the flat sole theory too. Although I haven't done any much running besides sprints with cleats lately, I have started training in an old pair of wrestling shoes that have very flat soles. The theory is that there is no cushioning to absorb power that I'm trying to put to the ground... it seems to be the norm in power/olympic lifting.

The human foot is a highly complex piece of machinery with a large amount of muscles, bones, and nerves. Our anatomy was designed far before we were technically proficient enough to make shoes. With running it isn't so much of cushioning to absorb power, the protection that shoes offer encourage you to run in a way that is at odds with our design. Barefoot runners will NEVER run heel to toe. The reason we like flat and hard wood soled shoes in power/oly lifting is to lift from a stable base. Squatting in Nike Shoks is like lifting while standing on a bed.

Is not having a supported arch supposed to prevent one from developing flat feet?

Basically, yes. There are many reasons why people have flat feet, but I'd put shoes too early in life too often and simply not knowing how to walk/run at the top of the list. Having a navicular drop is a big bio-marker for potential ACL injuries and also fallen arches. People that have flat feet don't need orthotics. They need to walk barefoot with a focus on staying on the outside edge of their feet and not allowing that navicular drop.

[GTOSHootr]

The first step is getting used to them.

The second step is figuring out how to wash out the stink.

I'm still working on the second step. Actually, I have a couple toes that were bent in ways they weren't intended and it has put my VFFs on the sidelines for a while.

[diablodawg]

I absolutely love mine, though the loose gravel / river rock around the FOB doesn't feel too good.

I shower in mine and sometimes use a bit of body wash to wash them out. They don't smell nearly as bad as my boots!

[HS101]

I love my Vibrams. I have the KSO Treks and they have been great. I was having issues with my feet KILLING me after a full day on the range in cleats. I have found that wearing the Vibram's during the week/around the house/running errands has helped me significantly with the foot pain I was getting. I still have not used them in a match yet because the boulders we have as "gravel" at my local range is still a bit painful. But, I would recommend these shoes to anyone...

[Memphis]

I've been reading a lot about these shoes lately. I'm most interested in the back pain relief I've heard many runners talk about. I haven't run since chemo 8 years ago (massive joint pain) and since then I've worn Nike Shox of 1 type or another. This has led me to walk on my heals and I can't seem to correct it while wearing sneakers and this is the first thing I've read about the ball impact correction. Thanks for telling me WHY I should buy these.