Running in FiveFingers for the First Time

If you've been running in traditional running shoes your entire life, you may be skeptical about running in the unconventionally designed Vibram FiveFingers. To ease your doubts, we would like to share with you an email we received from one of our readers about running in FiveFingers for the first time.

After hearing about FiveFingers from a member at my gym, I did a quick Google search to see what these things were all about. I read a few of the articles at your site and I was curious enough to try out a pair. Being a FiveFingers beginner, I went with a pair of the Classics and they haven't disappointed.

Being so used to my nike running shoes, running in the FiveFingers for the first time was a different experience. Immediately, I could feel the large impact I was placing on my heels with every stride. This naturally forced me to strike the ground with the balls of my feet, which is supposedly more natural running stride. Even better than the quick feedback I was getting on my stride was the amazing ground feel. The design of the FiveFingers really lets your feet feel the ground. The simplest way to put it is that you feel like you are barefoot and it is a sensation that can't be replicated by traditional running shoes.

There was a little pain in my feet after running a couple miles, but I hope to work the FiveFingers into my running routine gradually as my feet get stronger. Thanks for creating this website that helps beginners like me learn about FiveFingers and what they can do for long time runners like me.

Chris