Footwear Insanity

I’m surprised no one has commented on these yet! The Vibram Men’s Speed Shoes are my favorite pair of Vibram’s to date. They have virtually no sole, which sounds awful, but you won’t get any closer to barefoot while still being covered. If you like to feel the ground beneath your feet, these are the shoes for you. They look slick, too. For reference I’ve owned the KMD Sport, and the Trek Sport prior to these, and I’ll definitely be getting another pair of the Speeds when they have 46/47’s back in stock. Highly recommended!

given the slim selection of sizes, it would appear that woot is now little more than the clearing house of items Amazon is having trouble getting rid of. . .

Today Vibram settled a class action suit re their claims about these type of shoes. Turns out http://unique-sportstime.de/site/wp-content/uploads/Barfuss-Laufen1.pdf they are not so good for you.

This feels a bit sensationalist. Vibrams settled out of court, which is in no way an admission of guilt.

Per the PDF you linked:
“Conclusion: Runners interested in transitioning to minimalist running shoes, such as Vibram
FiveFingers should transition very slowly and gradually in order to avoid potential stress injury
in the foot.”

and

“One of the primary concerns of barefoot/minimalist running is that although foot
musculature may be strengthened, injury may result from the added stress placed on the bones in
the foot, especially throughout the adaptation period when runners transition from traditional
running shoes(8).”

Of course there’s a transition period, you’re teaching yourself to move in a way you’ve never done before. I’m pretty sure their FAQ mentions that you should transition slowly, and many forum posts regarding the switch to minimalist running will tell you the exact same thing. You can’t just slap a pair on for the first time and hit the road, that’s a good way to injure yourself.

I actually don’t use them for running anyway, I live a pretty sedentary lifestyle, I just love these shoes because they are comfortable :slight_smile: