I have been reading http://alignedandwell.com/ and loving it. I even have a couple of the videos and am finally getting some relief from pain I’ve had for years. Katy’s stuff is right along these lines.

I haven’t worn those shoes myself, but I did have a student last year who used to wear them (I teach high school).  She got all kinds of stares and curious questions from her classmates.  I admired the heck out of her for wearing such odd footwear at an age when most kids live in terror of being different from their peers.  Apparently she’ll be the one with great feet when all the rest of us are hobbling along!

I do have a pair of these shoes. I bought a pair specifically for running/hiking. The pros are that the shoes are indeed lightweight, incredibly comfortable and make you feel less encumbered than wearing shoes and socks. However, I was unable to keep running in them because of the way I pick up my feet when I run. Apparently I don’t step up high enough and the rubber covering over the big toe of the shoe would catch on pavement, my toe would bend under my foot and then I’d accidentally stomp on it (very painful). I know this sounds incredibly silly but it was something that I didn’t have a problem with until I got out of the store (and didn’t realize it would be a problem having always worn normal jogging shoes no problem). I would wear these shoes hiking or swimming/kayaking when there is less fast paced movement. I wish i could wear them for running. Also-be aware that although there is a nice protective layer on the sole of these shoes, I wouldn’t choose to talk over sharp pebbles for a few hours wearing them : )

One additional “con” is that you cannot just buy the 5-fingered shoes and throw away the old running shoes.  It is necessary that you gradually adjust to the 5-fingered shoes by slowly increasing your mileage, and not doing so is likely to lead to injury.  It is interesting to note that these are not permitted in the Army, as of right now.  It is an ongoing debate with lots of avid runners pushing for a change.  My husband, who has had knee issues and has been wanting to return to his love of running, decided to go with the New Balance Minimus shoe, which has an extremely thin sole, and also the slightest heel.  These also require a “breaking in” period where you slowly add distance as you switch over.  Your stride is different - more on the front of the foot and getting away from the heel-toe motion (this is the same with the 5-fingered shoes).  These aren’t meant to be worn with socks, but Army regulation requires them, so he cut the toes off a pair of socks to be able to run on post.  Although he has gradually increased mileage, he has the unfortunate problem of an irregular schedule, so increasing mileage from 1 mile every once in a blue moon to 3 miles every once in a blue moon doesn’t help much, and he still has knee pain (from an injury which tore his ACL, which was repaired, but has left the muscles weak…he needs to do weights and physical therapy, so don’t blame the shoes!!).  Hubby recommends the site http://www.goodformrunning.com and you can also google “the pose method of running” for other ideas.  So far, I don’t generally have knee, shin, back or other aches from running, just sore muscles if I have run faster or farther than normal.  If I did, I would check out the Minimus shoes, because I don’t think I could possibly stand the 5-fingered shoes between my toes.  I can’t even wear sandals with a thong or strap between the toes.

I am not a runner, but one of the men in my couple’s Bible study LOVES them. He says he’ll never wear regular shoes again. He has a couple of pairs.

I’m an avid runner and cycle instructor and I’ve done a lot of research on these. Vibram Five-Fingers are VERY common in Boston and I’ve heard a lot of people praising them for erasing knee, hip, and other joint problems. With that in mind, I began running in my normal shoes, but adapting my stride and “landing” positioning in order to lay off of the heel-strike which is what is touted as the pain/injury-causing problem with traditional running shoes. I couldn’t walk well for about a week after, even though I’d cut my “ball of the foot running” down to only about 3 miles. I know you adapt.

I’m still considering these, but I’m much more likely to buy some that look less insane (yes, I have seen people just wearing these around, even to a dance club, if you can believe it!). There are several brands creating “minimalistic” running shoes, including New Balance, which teamed up with Vibram to create their version: http://www.vibram.com/index.php/us/SPORTS/TrailrunningMultisport/Powered-by/Featured-Items/TRA-NEW-BALANCE-Minimus

Nike had one, too. I need to be able to wear socks with mine because I’m positive I’ll get a lot of blisters otherwise. Looking forward to hearing more feedback from readers!

I love walking barefoot or in thin slippers.  I’m guessing that doing it all those years when my 3 were little kept my feet strong.  When I was working and walking concrete floors, I developed plantar faciitis.  I could barely walk.  When I left the job, my feet craved air and freedom.  Guess what?  They don’t bother me anymore!  Granted being over 60 means taking care of myself, but imagine how thrilled I am not to be falling, losing my balance, or in pain just because I enjoy spending a few hours every day barefoot in my home. 

There’s a reason they say, “barefoot and pregnant”.  When I was pregnant I loved being barefoot, shoes were a pain.  I have never tried these shoes and I wonder what the sweat factor is like.  Personally, when I was doing martial arts I couldn’t imagine working in shoes.  I needed to be barefoot, even with bad ankles.  So, like gymnasts, I taped my ankle, made sure the ball of my foot and heel were bare of tape, and worked out to my hearts content.