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March 15th, 2010
A Taste for Fun (and Running Barefoot!) Awhile ago we enjoyed the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. Among the fun stories and colorful characters, McDougall also presents the interesting proposal that going unshod is actually healthier for us than wearing shoes. After Born to Run's success, numerous scientists and experts stepped forward to add weight to this claim with their own studies and findings. It was extra 'proof' that we didn't need-- we were already strong advocates of going barefoot: around the house, for a walk in the woods, even for a run down the road.
We enlisted the company of our friend Jen and headed over to TC Running to try on a pair of Vibram Five Fingers. It took a bit to get the technique of putting them on, or 'seating' them, but once we did, we were sold! We've already been for several runs in them and are now going through the 'calf re-adjustment' period where our muscles are complaining to us with each step we take. This is because we actually run differently when we are minimally shod-- landing on the fronts of our feet first, instead of our heels. We couldn't escape the Cities without sampling a few other temptations, as well. We took in a movie at the Omni Theater, enjoyed a sinfully delicious meal at the Tea House in St. Paul (complete with our very own specially prepared dishes), and some extremely froofy desserts from the high-class glass cases of Byerly's bakery. Who would have guessed the quest for 'barefoot' would lead us to so much fun?
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Admittedly,
we're always ones to choose the offerings of the wilds over the
temptations of the city. This past Friday, however, a temptation
presented itself that was simply too much to bear. We found
ourselves on a journey to the Twin Cities where, interestingly enough, our
end goal was
Imagine our delight, then, when we learned of Vibram
Five Fingers, a completely unique concept in footwear that allows the
wearer to go barefoot yet remain protected from such potential
hazards as broken glass, sharp rocks, and patches of melting snow.
That's right-- these 'shoes' have a place for each of your five toes and
are covered on the bottom with the magical Vibram material, a bit like a
dog's rough pads that both protect and grip.