vibram five fingers news, reviews, and fan forums

What prompted you to get Vibram Five Fingers?

I wanted to try out more natural walking. I didn't really have any foot or joint issues, but figured I could give them a shot and see if they were all they'd cracked up to be. I understood that shoes with a big cushy heel were unnatural and thought maybe there was a better way. The article You Walk Wrong from NY Mag** was what really turned me onto "natural" shoes.

What type and color Five Fingers do you have and how long have you had them?

I bought black KSOs about a year ago.

What do you do most while wearing your Five Fingers?

Hiking, biking, occasional sprints on grass, just wearing to the gym or grocery.

Any unusual experiences while wearing them?

I sometimes volunteer at a nature preserve in Louisville. They do birthday parties. I wore my shoes to a birthday party for 5 year olds once. There was a lot of attention from parents and kids alike on the weird shoes I was wearing. Most were generally intrigued though.

How do Five Fingers fit in with who you are as a person?

I'm into being healthy and as natural as possible. These shoes fit with that. They are great when I'm hiking or just walking around.

Outside your fivefingers, what other footwear do you tend to wear?

Other than VFFs, I have a couple pairs of standard work shoes that I obviously wear 5 days a week. I have a pair of Rogue Do-Win lifting shoes for when I'm in the gym. For the track, I have a pair of Asics Hyperspeed flats. They are just enough to keep me from destroying my feet sprinting. For track meets, I have a pair of Asics sprinting spikes. And finally, I have several pairs of flip-flops, which are frankly my favorites . . . in the spring through fall, I'm pretty much always in sandals.

Anything else you'd like to share about your Five Fingers?

They are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn. It's like putting a glove on your foot and letting it work like it's supposed to.

Thank you, Scott!

Editorial Note: I've been reading Scott's blogging for quite some time, going back to the days of his original blog Modern Forager. A few months back, Scott joined forces (and material) with "Mike OD" from The IF Life to found Life Spotlight, a blog that covers fitness, nutrition, lifestyle, and overall health (If you haven't, get a feel for what his site has to offer via this "best of" post). I've also enjoyed getting to know Scott better via the Twitter community. You can follow Scott on twitter at @skustes.

* You can grab these cool "Grok On" t-shirts over at MDA (I want one!).

** See a link to that article and more on the resources page.

About the Author — I founded BirthdayShoes.com in April 2009 on realizing just how much I enjoyed having "free feet" - I mostly wanted to use them for weights, sprints, and plyometrics (I'm not much of a runner!). I'm a Googler by day and minimalist footwear aficionado by night; you can find me 'round Atlanta. If you want to catch up with what I'm doing outside of the site here, follow me on twitter @bdayshoes or @justinno or check out my personal site JustinOwings.com.
Justin Owings+ has written 850 articles and 381 comments.