If you want to go Barefoot, but…

When I posted the piece the other day about going barefoot I remembered a great new footwear that was important to tell readers about. I saw these last summer at the Outdoors Show in Salt Lake City and I almost missed them because they seemed strange. But, they are the right footwear for those wanting a barefoot experience but also wanting to protect their feet.
     FiveFingers is the first and only footwear to offer the exhilarating freedom of going barefoot—with the protection and surefooted grip of a Vibram sole. These are great for those wanting the feeling of going barefoot—with protection. Toss them in your backpack for walking around camp after a day of hiking. Use them for walking, running, hiking, boating, kayaking, canoeing, canyoneering, coastal approach, and after-sport recovery.
     FiveFinger gives you a gecko-like grip on slippery surfaces. They protect your tender feet from scorching sand and sharp rocks. They allow you to go barefoot—without leaving yourself exposed.
     The Fivefingers Web site says, You were born barefoot and FiveFingers encourages you to walk that way. With little to them, they enhance your natural walking motion, gently spreading your toes to strengthen foot muscles, increase your range of motion, and improve general foot health. The muscles in the feet and lower legs are stimulated for greater balance, agility and strength. Because you are more aware of how you walk and your stride, they help straighten your spine, improves posture, and reduces lower back pain.
     If you have any doubts about how durable they are, check out the Web site of Barefoot Ted. He typically runs marathons barefoot. Lately, he has used Fivefingers for the LA and Boston marathons. Here is his Boston photo. For those who don’t know the distance, that’s 26.2 miles of asphalt in Fivefingers. If they can hold up to that, they will work for whatever you toss at them. He gives a good report on how Fivefingers worked for him.
     I plan on picking up a pair this summer. They look like fun. On the Fivefingers Web site the price is $70.00 and they are available in a variety of colors. Still not convinced? Here are to more Web sites with reviews. The first is Meraner Land and the second is from a site called I.D.
     FiveFingers footwear was the brainchild of industrial designer Robert Fliri. He proposed the idea to Marco Bramani, grandson of Vibram founder Vitale Bramani, who invented the first rubber soles used on mountaineering boots in 1936.