Here is a video from their company that explains the idea:

It is a good video but one thing that is funny about this video is they run in barefeet and then tell you to put shoes on to help you run as though you were barefooted. Why not just run barefooted if that’s so good for you? I know, I know, some people have concerns about that too. I just think it’s kind of a funny point in the video.

Well, I bought a pair of these Newton shoes on Wednesday and just took them out for a short run today.

I got mine at TriLab in Santa Monica. I have a friend who bought some there who said the salesguy who helped her wasn’t very knowledgeable about the shoes and couldn’t really advise her on them. Well, I must have lucked out, because I got a pretty knowledgeable sales guy and he recommended I get the stability trainers.

I am already a forefoot runner. I don’t know if I’ve ever been a heel striker. Maybe. But in the last year or so I’ve been very certain I’m a forefoot runner, partly because of my pace, but also paying attention to the fact that my feet do hit the ground under my hips, not out in front of me. I’ve also played around a bit in the last several months with the Vibram FiveFingers and a bit of barefoot running, which also require forefoot strike in order to avoid injuries.

When I tried the shoes on at the store the salesguy confirmed that I am a forefoot runner and that I have good running form. The shoes do feel funny at first walking around in them, due to the “lugs” under the ball of the foot. It’s kind of odd to run on them and think about making that part of the shoe hit the ground first when you initially start running in them.

But after my 2.4 mile run this morning, I have to say that I don’t find that I run that differently in them than in my other shoes. It’s probably because I’m already a forefoot runner. I do appreciate that the heel doesn’t seem to get in the way. After running in my FiveFingers I would find that then switching to shoes the heel was so huge and it  felt hard to land on the ball of the foot because the heel of regular running shoes are so built up. I don’t get that with the Newton’s, so that is certainly a good thing. Also the finishing and lining inside of the Newton’s is very soft. I ran with no socks today and it felt absolutely fine. I’m trying to get to a “no sock” style if possible to save time on triathlon transitions.

Also, after the run this morning, walking in the shoes feels less odd. I don’t seem to be noticing the lugs under the forefoot as much. The running also became more mindless and automatic. I guess I’m just landing in them how I’m supposed to. Feels right.

Wednesday night I did a few short sprints (about 50 yards each?) and did feel it in my adductors, and I wondered if that was due to the Newton’s or due to the fact that I’d already run 10 miles earlier in the day. Not sure.

So people want to know if these shoes are worth the money. Because they are super pricy (almost double what I’ve been paying for shoes). It’s really hard to answer that at this time, having barely tried them out. But my impression is that if you are not having any issues with your running form or injuries arising from form and if you already run pretty fast, then these shoes aren’t going to help you much. However, if you have injuries and form issues (meaning injuries resulting from your running form style) and if you are looking to possibly speed up, if you are naturally a heel-striker (bad) and want to change to forefoot running (good) then these shoes might be worth it for you, if you are not willing to try and learn to run in the Vibram FiveFingers or barefoot.

I will give more feedback on them as time progresses and I get to know them better.

In May I did do several runs in my Five Fingers, even switching to running exclusively in them. I did short runs of about 4-6 miles twice a week, and longer runs of 8-13 miles once a week. I ran a 5K race in them in June. I thought I would be able to do my July 4th 5K in them.

Problem was that I started having some pains in the top of my right foot again. I do not believe this was from the Five Fingers. This was a pre-existing issue I’d had since February, that seemed to have gone away but then came back. This was an issue I developed before I’d ever bought my Five Fingers or even considered barefoot running.

In order to resolve my pains in the top of my right foot, I went back to my chiropractor a couple of times, switched back to running in my New Balance 769s for the added cushioning, and tied my shoes so there was no pressure along the top of the right mid-foot. It seems to be cured now for the last few weeks, so I’m returning to running in my Five Fingers again, but slowly.

When I first started in the Five Fingers I went in rather aggressively and I did get quite a number of blisters and calluses. Even though I’ve taken a few weeks off from the Five Fingers, the calluses are still pretty much there, except in two spots on my right foot where they peeled off.

I really enjoy running in the Five Fingers. I’m still trying to decide if it is better for me or not than my “running shoes”. Jury is still out and still making up my mind. But I do think I need to proceed more slowly with this transition.

The Five Fingers are comfortable on my feet, and I don’t have any trouble with adjusting my gait to accomodate the lack of cushioning. You do need to make sure to land mid-foot or forefoot, because you can’t land on your heel without hurting yourself. The Five Fingers actually make my stride seem more effortless and I run faster than I realize in them. After running in the Five Fingers and then switching back to “running shoes” the shoes feel like such boats. I feel like I have less control in them.

Today I did a short 10-minute run in bare feet for a distance of 1 mile. This is really slow for me. I found the sidewalk much rougher than I expected and the asphalt also. I ran on grass for a short bit, and found that delightful. Yesterday I ran about a quarter mile barefoot on the hardpack sand at the beach, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but I’ve run barefoot on the beach many times in the past. That doesn’t seem to require a transition for me, at least for short distances of a mile or less.

Well, after today’s short 1-miler barefoot on sidewalk and asphalt, it does look like I have developed a new blister on the second toe of my right foot. Hmm. This is part of the penalty for barefoot running, I think. Maybe I could have gone a shorter distance, but…

Here are some resources for running either barefoot or with Vibram Five Fingers or with a mid-foot strike:

To Run Better, Start by Ditching Your Nikes | Wired Science | Wired.com

No shoes? No problem! – The Globe and Mail

Also, check out the book Born To Run by Chris McDougall and the blog and podcast Brandon’s Marathon. Episode 50 of Brandon’s Marathon podcast will be featuring an interview with Chris McDougall and is due out next week.

Also, check out the Barefoot Running forum at RunnersWorld.com forums.

So today I went out for my first run in these shoes. I wanted to do 4 miles today, and I thought I’d do the first half mile in the FiveFingers and then switch it up to my usual running shoes (New Balance 769) to finish. I had been wearing the FiveFingers around the house “chillin” for a few hours the last couple of days, and I had done a couple of short sprints down my street, a couple hundred yards or so.

As I started out today, I was paying attention to my foot-strike. I thought I generally run with the midsole of my foot striking, but the heel didn’t like being even close to striking, without padding of any kind, and I found that after a hundred yards or so, that I was actually landing on the ball of my foot by just a teensy bit, and then allowing my heel to drop to the full foot. I liked it.

Due to where I turned around, I actually did a bit over a half mile… 0.6 miles. Then I switched to my NB 769s. OMG. It felt like someone had put pillows under the heels of my feet. I didn’t like the fact that I was unable to put my foot down on the ground as I strode. I felt at first like I was still running on the balls of my feet, but my calves were starting to tighten a teensy bit, so I tried to back off of that and land more mid-foot. Still felt like pillows under my heels. Or like wedge-style shoes at the least. Took a good mile in the regular shoes until they started to feel “normal” again.

Later, about a half hour after the run was done, my calves began to feel just a touch tight, like the muscles were potentially going to have a knot in them. I stretched the calves a few times, but later thought better of it and rolled/massaged them with The Stick. Several hours later, they feel just fine.

I’m planning to run again on Friday. Eight miles total. I think I may do a 3/4 mile in the FiveFingers to start off and then switch to my regular running shoes…

Also today I did my second workout in the hundredpushups.com program. I needed to do the following sets, with 90 sec rests between each: 6, 8, 6, 6 and then my max (but at least 7). I managed to tough out 9 on my last set, but it was hard! Well, I look back at what I did on Sunday, and it was much less, but seemed hard. I guess I got stronger. So… looking forward to the next one. I guess I’ll get stronger still… interesting program.

So I bought a pair. Got them for $60, which is pretty good (they were having a sale: a buy 1 pair of shoes, get the second pair for half off…my mom bought some sandals and we split the $40 savings on my shoes).

Here are a couple of YouTube videos on the shoes:

YouTube – Outdoor Retailer ’08: Vibram Five Fingers

YouTube – 5-Finger Shoes?

I got the KSO style. I tried on the Sprint, but it rubbed my feet a little bit uncomfortably in a couple spots. The KSO style felt more comfortable for me. The “Classic” wasn’t recommended to me, since it doesn’t have a strap to keep it from coming off while running, and the Flow wasn’t available at City Sports, but given that it’s for cooler weather, I don’t think I would have wanted that anyhow.

I’ve worn them a bit the last few days, and done some short sprints in them (couple hundred yards, maybe?). My plan is to start running in them. But according to the Barefoot Running forum at RunnersWorld.com, one wants to ease into this slowly. So probably I will just run a half mile in them tomorrow and see how it goes.

Vibram Five Fingers Sprint

Here are some additional articles on this topic or related ones…

Running in the Vibram Five Fingers Sprint

Sailing World – Five Fingers Shoes by Vibram

Review of Gear: Vibram five fingers – Sprint

You Walk Wrong