The main reasoning behind my decision to finally get a pair was nagging knee pain. After a nasty rugby injury and three surgeries my right knee has never quite been free from flare ups but recently it has been particularly troublesome. I started to notice the flare ups would often coincide with long spells walking around in my outdoor trainers so I decided to take action and see if some barefoot shoes would help!
The basic concept behind Vibram Five Finger trainers and other barefoot shoes is to get back to the way we have evolved to walk and run......on our bare feet. After all for most of human evolution shoes have simply not been around and certainly not in the modern styles we now get them in.
The Vibram Five Finger is supposed to allow you to replicate barefoot movement as closely as possible without actually going barefoot and suffering the potential cuts and abrasions that would entail.
The Theory
Your foot contains an intricate network of muscles, connective tissue and joints, not to mention hundreds of thousands of nerve endings all of which are cramped together and greatly restricted in your typical thick soled shoe where your foot is held rigid and detached from the ground by a thick layer of padding. As a result your feet cannot function as they should, become weaker and lose dexterity. It is kind of like walking around with boxing gloves on your feet for most of your life!
Walking and running on shoes that prevent your foot from working effectively can alter your gait and throw your body out of alignment. Eventually this misalignment can manifest itself in the form of muscle and joint pain.
In a nutshell this is why I have made the switch to Vibrams and am willing to put up with being called The Gruffalo by my training clients for the time being. Look out for future posts where I will keep you updated on my progress in the Vibrams and see if there is any substance to this barefoot hype!
Have a great weekend
The basic concept behind Vibram Five Finger trainers and other barefoot shoes is to get back to the way we have evolved to walk and run......on our bare feet. After all for most of human evolution shoes have simply not been around and certainly not in the modern styles we now get them in.
The Vibram Five Finger is supposed to allow you to replicate barefoot movement as closely as possible without actually going barefoot and suffering the potential cuts and abrasions that would entail.
The Theory
Your foot contains an intricate network of muscles, connective tissue and joints, not to mention hundreds of thousands of nerve endings all of which are cramped together and greatly restricted in your typical thick soled shoe where your foot is held rigid and detached from the ground by a thick layer of padding. As a result your feet cannot function as they should, become weaker and lose dexterity. It is kind of like walking around with boxing gloves on your feet for most of your life!
Walking and running on shoes that prevent your foot from working effectively can alter your gait and throw your body out of alignment. Eventually this misalignment can manifest itself in the form of muscle and joint pain.
In a nutshell this is why I have made the switch to Vibrams and am willing to put up with being called The Gruffalo by my training clients for the time being. Look out for future posts where I will keep you updated on my progress in the Vibrams and see if there is any substance to this barefoot hype!
Have a great weekend
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