[kjb]

After wearing dress shoes at work all week, it's really comfortable to slip into the vibram fivefingers on the weekends. It's like walking barefoot with some protection against glass and other things you don't want to step in or on.

I also run in them and can affirm that you want to build miles slowly. You end up using muscles in your feet and calves that do not get much exercise in regular shoes. It's not just moving from heel-strike to a mid- or forefoot strike: the lack of a tapered sole (thick at heel, thin at toes) allows the heel to drop lower mid-stride.

Running in fivefingers (and some barefoot) has given me a much better posture and made me a more efficient runner. Most of my miles are still in regular shoes, but I've moved from shoes at the supportive end of the spectrum to marathon racing flats.

/ J