My canned response, "They are called Vibram Five Fingers and it mimicks barefoot running or walking" (Note: I clearly feel like I have to still justify myself which is why I explain the reason that I'm wearing them.)
I remember when I saw a picture of them a couple of years ago that a fellow runner sent me. My initial response, "It's not worth it. I don't care how fast those things make me run."
However, after digesting the concept of barefoot running a bit more and having some interesting conversations with friends who owned them (oddly, none of them were actually runners -- they just liked how comfortable they were), I finally gave in to my own curiosity. I had sprained my ankle snowboarding and wanted to restrengthen the muscles as a result. I went to my local HTO to try them on and bring home a good fitting pair.
It had been a few weeks since my injury and I was able to run 3 miles in my regular running sneakers again. However, my first run with the Vibram's only lasted about half a block before I realized that my ankle was still too weak to handle the additional pressure. For sure, these puppies were going to be more trying on my muscles.
The instructions that come with the shoes tell you that you'll need to train in them slowly. I trained in them by walking as much as I could, and running when I was able to. Immediately, they felt incredible. I like being barefoot so this is a great complement for me. It's weird because you feel every crack and pebble underneath you -- but it doesn't hurt. The Vibram rubber sole does a great job of protecting your own soles (the only time I've had some trouble is while walking on a REALLY jagged surface.
On the other hand, running has become so much more fun. Since my feel are substantially lighter, I feel quite spritely when I'm running. I actually find myself doing silly things like leaping from side to side because I am able to maneuver around things much easier than in my regular running sneakers.
I strategically only run in them for up to 3 miles however. Personally, I found that I got a weird blister if I ran more than this. If I was truly running barefoot, I would have just allowed myself to develop callouses; however, since I'm a girl who still wants girly feet, I opted against the roughage and decided to just run up to a dainty 3 miles. I wore my regular running shoes for the longer runs still. The shoes helped to substantially change my stride -- what a huge benefit. When running barefoot, you are forced to run with a mid-strike instead of rolling from heel to toe. My running has become more efficient. I don't have the same knees issues that I have in the past. I have had more issues with cramping this season which MAY be attributed to the increase in training I've had. Otherwise, I'm happy to say that my marathon PR improved by 16 minutes this year.
Running or no running...I still love these shoes. In yoga, you are encouraged to spread your toes. These shoes do it for me. It's a great after work after having my poor tootsies crammed into cute but pointy heels all day. In addition, I love them for travel. They are super comfortable on the plane, but also conveniently light and small to pack.
As long as you are comfortable with the additional looks of "curiosity" that you'll get, I highly recommend these shoes to anyone who likes being barefoot. Put it this way, I haven't met one owner of a pair of Vibram Five Fingers who doesn't absolutely love them.
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