Not sure if this really belongs in "Equipment" but not sure where else to put it.
I bought a pair of Vibram Five Fingers shoes on Saturday and in spite of some discomfort in the big toes,,, I love em! Definitely take some getting used to but I love the way they feel, especially when walking or running in the grass.

If you aren't familiar with Vibram, they are a natural flat footed, almost naked shoe which restores your bodies natural running movement. Most (if not all) running shoes cause runners to hit the ground with a heal strike which is not natural and leads to discomfort and injury. Many world class runners and even traditional sport athletes (pro-football) are beginning to train in Vibram.

If you buy a pair,,, be prepared for comments,,, they look "different" and people will likely ask you about them.

For now,,, I love these shoes though it seems strange to call them shoes,, more like extra skin for your feet. Expect a few weeks to adjust.

Went for a short run in my new Vibram gloves for the first time yesterday evening. Still getting used to them and will build up gradually.

Definitely feel a difference in how my foot strikes the ground. Also,, no chin splints (so far) which plague me in regular running shoes.

Still enjoying these shoes but I suppose that the newness will wear off soon enough. Won't be able to were these past fall.

I've attached a pic to show what they look like.

Just saw this thread.. I have a pair of them and love 'em too! I've even used the line in the gym "my eyes are up here."

Hi! Just saw this topic and I wanted to add that Ive been running in them for over two years now, exclusively. Before that I used cross country and racing flats to run in. Ease in slowly if you're new to it, but once you're used to them you'll hopefully find them to be lots of fun and great for strengthening your feet and lower legs.

I have two pairs and I love them also but I would warn you to warm up before sprinting in particular. I swear this is how I messed up my achilles tendon. I have been trying to rehab mine for a few weeks now but the only significant thing I can track the injury to is when I was sprinting a while back.

I definitely needed this advise awhile ago. After years of heavy squatting I decided to get back into running using Vibram shoes. Like yourself I love the shoes,,, but should have started out more gradually. Did something to my right hip which took several months to recover from.
Still like the shoe though.

what a coincidence was just looking up these shoes, and others with the same look and purpose but cheaper priced.. reviews on these still make it superior to the copy-cats though

The addidas ones are probably good, but i would stay with the vibrams myself.
Like I said, I still like them but I am a bit more cautious if I plan on doing serious sprinting.

yeah addidas and fila both make them.. im a little afraid of the actual quality, i read it tore on some people within the first week.

^thanks for your input