Being naked can be liberating, especially for feet that have been cramped up in shoes that are too tight or pointed. Doesn’t it feel great to take your shoes off at the end of the day and just wiggle your toes and feel the freedom of naked feet? Many runners claim to have found just that freedom by wearing the new Vibram FiveFingers footwear instead of traditional running shoes. About this time last year, members started showing up to the gym in these funky toe-hugging shoes. Always one to question new fitness trends, my first concern with the shoe, admittedly, was the aesthetics. They just looked weird and they sent me into a 1970s flashback when I got a pair of the oh-so-popular “toe socks” in my stocking for Christmas (Santa was always a little fashion forward in my home). How could something like that possibly be an athletic shoe? After speaking to many FiveFingers footwear fanatics I have learned most of them are runners and they like the footwear because it allows them to feel as close as possible to running barefoot while still providing protection for their feet. The concept and design behind the shoe is that it brings you closer to true contact with the ground so you can leverage all of your body’s natural biomechanics and move as nature intended. Our ancestral hunters and gatherers did not go out chasing their dinner in the newest Nike Cross Trainers or Asics Trail Runners. They were most likely barefoot, and when you’re barefoot, your foot is in its natural state and can move more efficiently than when it is bound up in a shoe. It rolls, stretches, expands and grasps the ground. Vibram’s website states their FiveFingers footwear helps strengthen the muscles in your feet and lower legs while improving the range of motion in your ankles, feet and toes, allowing your foot and toes to move more naturally. They also stimulate the neural function of the thousands of neurological receptors in your feet and send valuable information to your brain, which can help improve your balance and agility. Most experts agree that proper running form is achieved with a forefoot strike, when your forefoot hits the ground first, as opposed to running with a heel strike, when your heel hits first. The heel strike during running mostly came about because of the excessive padding of running shoes. Striking with the heel first is like putting the brakes on every step. Landing on the forefoot allows your arches to act as natural shock absorbers and may be safer and lead to fewer injuries. Vibram’s heel-less shoe design encourages forefoot running and can therefore help align your spine and improve your posture. By lowering the heel on any shoe, your bodyweight becomes more evenly distributed across the foot bed, promoting proper posture and spinal alignment. Nearly all fitness enthusiasts believe a very cushioned athletic shoe offers the best support for your foot. If you like the feel of a cushy shoe “hugging” your foot, it may actually be damaging because it can alter your motion from what’s natural. Cushioning blocks the feeling of the ground and can cause a loss of nerve sensation while too much support can immobilize your foot and possibly cause muscle atrophy. So is this new craze of almost barefoot running in these funky shoes for you? I’ve decided it is an individual preference and depends on how your body responds to it. There are a few things to consider if you want to give it a try: 1. Ease in to it. Your feet are used to wearing shoes so hopping into a pair of FiveFingers and running even around the block isn’t a good idea. It could be a shock to your feet. It may take weeks to move from a supportive shoe to less supportive depending on your foot type. 2. Avoid hard surfaces. Stay away from hard concrete or cement that will be jarring to your joints. A grassy or sandy surface will suite you best for your first time out. 3. Make sure you get the correct size. Fit is everything, since these unique shoes hug your toes and have a completely different feel than traditional running shoes. Even if you’re not a runner, you too can jump on the FiveFinger bandwagon. Vibram also offers a variety of shoes for fitness, water, traveling, trekking, yoga and even an after-sports alternative. Going virtually barefoot has never been so easy.