“Toe shoes” have become popular not only amongst runners generally, but also among some of the most active folks around — our friends in the military. Though we’ve gotten a number of user stories from link) by Jon Anderson (Also see Anderson’s prior piece on barefoot running titled Barefoot running gains traction here).
Read our analysis of the article after the jump.
The ArmyTimes piece has some great quotes and is worth reading in full. Here are a couple salient bits:
Air Force Command Chief Master Sgt. Jeffery Cui, at Bagram Airfield, has banned airmen from wearing them with the Air Force PT uniform in Afghanistan, citing their wear as one of the most violated rules on base in a recent edition of the Bagram Express.
“Vibram and other brand ‘toed’ shoes are not considered conservative and are not authorized here at Bagram Airfield,” he wrote.
Down at Kandahar, however, military doctors are encouraging their use and even prescribing them for recovering runners.
“VFFs are the best thing out there for rehabilitating lower extremity injuries,” says Navy doctor and physical therapist Lt. Cmdr. John Mahoney at Kandahar. “I have converted a heck of a lot of people since I got here.” …
Before his latest assignment, he was the physical therapist for Naval Special Warfare Group 4 in Norfolk, Va. He estimates about 35 percent of SEALs have incorporated Vibram’s toe shoes into their workouts.
…
Lt. Col. Kerry Sweet, the Army’s top foot doctor and chief of podiatry at Madigan Army Medical Center, Joint Base Lewis- McChord, Wash., has been monitoring the trend at his base.
“We have not seen any appreciable — or even noticeable — increase in injuries as a result of people wearing these shoes,” he says, but he adds it may be too soon to tell. “We’re in a real gray area right now.”
….
In the meantime, [Vibram Five Fingers have] been barred from use in the Army’s PT test. According to the U.S. Army Physical Fitness School, the shoes may provide too much of an advantage.
There’s a good bit more information in the article — specifically info about guidelines as to who can wear them in which division of the military. Quick guide: Air Force=Depends (No set policy); Army=Depends (No set policy); Navy = No/Maybe; Marine Corps=Depends (No set policy). I think there’s been a great deal of discussion around this, so if you’ve got any firsthand info about this subject, please comment below.
And really, given all the tidbits in this article, I’m eager to hear what BirthdayShoes readers in the military think about it, so please sound off below!
An Army Vibram Five Fingers fan dodges trouble in his Army Physical Fitness Test
Meanwhile, Just the other day, I got an email from James, a VFF fan in the Army, about completing an Army Physical Fitness Test in his FiveFingers. Here’s what James had to say:
This aside, with a recent Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), I had the chance to use my VFFs where I might have gotten in a bit of trouble. Usually the military has very strict standards of dress, but I found that the shoes fit within the guidelines. Not only that, but I wasn’t the only one wearing them. I saw severaly pairs of Bikilas and KSOs, all with white Injinji toe socks to fit Army standard. I have asked around to my other military friends and found that VFFs have spread to Ranger units, where they are now standard to certain platoons in GA.
Not surprisingly, the soldiers that wore them (including myself) were asked lots of questions on ‘what the hell’ they were wearing, most especially by the command structure, who were concerned with their soldier’s saftey. The soldiers in turn answered with all of the facts that I’ve seen on Vibram’s site as well as here, very respectfully to their leaders.
On asking James about the growing popularity of toe shoes in the military, James added:
In regulation, the Army Uniform Regulation manual 670-1, article 14-2 and 14-3 make very simple mention of footwear. First, according to the diagram, but not included in the text, socks must be worn covering the ankle and shoes must be laced. Second, ‘commanders may authorize wear of commercial running shoes’.
Sounds like we just need a few folks in high positions to rubber stamp Vibram rubber toes. Wouldn’t that be nice?
Word from a Vibram Bikila fan in the Navy
Got this update from Caleb, a Vibram Bikila runner in the Navy:
Bikila’s are running shoes and Injinji’s are athletic socks in my opinion… 😉
I’ve been wearing VFF’s for Command PT for about a year now. I started with the KSO’s and switched to the Bikila’s as soon as I got them. I also wore them for our Semi-annual PRT.
So far the Chiefs in charge of our PT Program make fun of them and call me twinkletoes and happy-feet but they let me wear them IAW Regulations (with socks). I just think one of them is jealous because he can’t find a pair in his size. (He has issues finding ‘normal’ shoes big enough for him)
Here’s a link to where you can find the newsgram (it’s a pdf).
Thanks for the additional intell, Caleb!
My two cents …
It seems to me that Vibram Five Fingers are growing in popularity in the military because they are functional — they work — and who wouldn’t want functional footwear on the feet of men and women who have to put their lives on the line? I’m not suggesting that VFFs are great combat shoes, but for training, they seem like a good idea. And for the record, this isn’t the first time in history that foot friendly footwear has been a topic of some interest in the military.
Just look up the Munson Last.
What say ye about toe shoes in the military? Make your voice heard below in the comments!
More discussion on Vibram Five Fingers in the Military
VFFs and the armed forces have been a topic of much discussion on the BirthdayShoes Forums. See these posts for a few examples (and join the discussion!):
- VFF: Are they an athletic Sneaker or just footwear?
- VFF Alternatives for Military – Cross Country shoes?
But we’ve also covered a few Five Fingers fans on the main blog here:
- Army PT Heel-Toe Running and Running in 5-Fingers: A VFF Story
- From Skeptic, to Barefoot Runner, to a Collector of Vibram Five Fingers
Finally, check out Tuck’s take on the whole thing at Yelling Stop.
21 replies on “Toe Shoes in the Military”
I am currently in the Airforce and iam station in Japan. I can wear my VFF’s on PT uniform and I just recently tested with them and run a 1 1/2 mile in 9:30. But i know different people that have PSC from other bases that there not autorized to wear them. I should be able to wear any military base. I think the military should give us VFF’s runners that option and change their regulations.
I have been wearing VFFs for about a year now, and finally took my PT test in them a couple weeks ago. A week after that, I read the Army Times article that mentioned them being banned from the PT test. No one knew, and I’m probably the one guys in Alaska who wears them regularly for PT. I find it utterly hilarious that someone thinks they give runners “too much of an advantage,” while also complaining that they are dangerous and Soldiers may get hurt wearing them. Everyone around here knows me as the chaplain with the toe shoes, and knows my wife as the wife of “that Chaplain”. I have 5 pairs now, and I’m getting ready to get my wife her 2nd pair. We wear them nearly every day, both out of uniform, and in uniform, if you include the Vibram rubber on the bottom of our uniform boots.
This is probably the number one reason members of the armed forces get out and it was one of my deciding factors in getting out. The word “conservative” is often used to prohibit actions which military leadership deems “contrary to the good order and discipline” of a particular branch. VFF’s have been proven in various studies along with barefoot running but since it is seen as an activity practiced by some unspecified(far-left) social group or percieved to be weird-the action is barred to most service members. Safety has very little to with prohibiting the wear of VFF’s. If that argument held any validity then the public should worry about a military leader that hasn’t discovered google or scientific journals.
I’m in the USAF stationed in FL. I have worn toe socks since 2000 and have not worn regular socks since. When I found out about VFFs, I never went back to regular shoes let alone socks. Only shoes I wear that are not VFF are my Steel Toe Boots and my military dress shoes. I have had no problem wearing my VFFs during unit PT at all.
Hey I am a proud owner of vibrams KSO’s!! I have a couple of friends that own Bikilas and they are also proud owners.. what we dont like is the downers by all the higher ranking reg followers that can’t seem to allow change.. We are members of USAF… We are currently in Afghanistan working places other than airbases. We are avid users of the gym so when people see them they are curious and we fill them in on the benefits of barefoot living… they are instantly turned on by the thoughts of performance enhancing shoes.. so what im trying to get across is that there are opposing as well as friendly forces working around us .. what the barefoot community has to do is give the benefits and hope that these opposing forces move in our direction.. good luck to all you other guys out there trying to fit this into your military base or camp or where ever you are..
I love VFF’s. I am in the military and as of OCT 12 2010. I was told by my chain of command that Fort Lewis Washington has banned VFF from being worn during physical fitness hours. We can wear them on our own time only. I hope sooner than later military officials will look into VFF closer and change their mind and let us wear them.
I am a soldier at Fort Campbell, KY. I have a pair of KSO’s and a pair of Bikila’s and have been trying to convince my command that they do not injure your feet for the last year. This is a group of people that do not look into things for themselves, they get information from their highers and that’s it, nothing more.
After this article however they went from just saying no to flat out refusing to even acknowledge the existence of VFF’s, even though my captain owns a pair.
I have been running in my Bikila’s for the last 3 months now and cant stand being forced to run in regular shoes for PT, I’m about to start wearing my VFF’s out of spite.
I’m in NROTC currently and I’ve been running in my sprints since mid-summer. I love them! I got a lot of looks when I first got back to school and our unit, but since then a fellow midshipman has recently joined me in wearing VFFs on a regular basis during PT.
I’m also in the USAF and I’ve been wearing Vibrams for over a year now. I recently added the KSO Trecs to my collection and my feet love them. We can only run on dirt roads and gravel here and it’s always a joy to put my “monkey shoes” on and go for a run. Funny thing is, my fellow airmen are starting to track and are also getting their Vibrams. I have a diagnostic PT test coming up next week and you better believe that I’ll be running in my Vibrams.
My husband (an Army tanker) and I (an Army veteran) both wear our VFFs for everything from recreational running to hanging around the house. We LOVE these shoes and the freedom from pain and injury they have brought us. We both have destroyed knees from thousands of miles in over padded tennis shoes and boots. And we see the same injuries in many of our military friends. We both hope that the Army will see the benefits of the VFFs and their possible compliance with Army regulations and realize that this is footwear that can prevent the injuries that take so many soldiers out of the fight before they even deploy. The military, in general, tends to avoid trends until they’ve all but fizzled out. This, however, is a trend that could benefit military strength if they would just open up their minds and give them a try.
currently deployed, sent the article you mentioned to my CSM and he gave it a go.(army) The regulation states that the commander may authorize the wear of commercial running shoes, ankle or calf length socks. Almost couldn’t believe that he said yes but I’m lovin’ it!
just wanted to pop in an give props to my army training unit for allowing these bad boys for regular PT.
I’m active duty in Okinawa. I got into VFF’s from one of my senior leaders when I was attending one of the professional military education courses. I started with the sprints and have since gone to the Bikilas, along the way I have ‘converted’ about 5 people in my company, and a few other friends. In the Marine Corps uniform orders there is nothing that even remotely comes close to saying that you CANT wear them for PT. If anyone is telling you that you can’t wear them just brush it off as ignorance and educate them on what the orders actually say. One of the people whom I was able to ‘convert’ is my company 1stSgt, so there are some senior guys out there that are catching on. They just need a little bit of educated nudging! Run free everybody!
I just purchased my first pair of VFF’s back in July. At the time I was put on a profile from my doctor back in June for possible compartment syndrome in my calves. In the 5 years I have been in the Air Force I have had major issues with running. My calves tighten up and I lose feeling from my knees down. I also have a herniated disc in my my back at L5 and while wearing my VFF’s I feel like I can run forever without any ailments. I find it funny they offer an unfair advantage. Last I checked, everyone in the military gets a paycheck and can buy a pair.
I’ve had NCOs chew me out for wearing my KSOs in the past, but ever since I got my Speeds I haven’t heard much grumbling. With laces and the more traditional upper, they look like strange athletic shoes, not water shoes or any of the other things KSOs get mistaken for.
I’m currently deployed, and recently came back from R&R just to find out that I can no longer wear my VFF during any sort of pt session or test. I think its some what of a discrimination in a sence, and with other articles saying VFFs can be an advantage for personnel, well isn’t that what Military Leaderships want is for their soldiers to progress in physical fitness? so there for how is it an advantage? So I believe that if VFF shoes help individuals during PT sessions, let them wear them.
I love my VFF shoes I bought them just last month and can’t wait till I get to wear them again. According to the new Air Force Reg that just came out to all personnel assigned to CENTCOM Iraq you are no longer able to wear these shoes. Just to let everyone know.
SHOES 2mi APFT Best 13:30
VFF 2mi APFT NEW BEST 12:15
If this is cheating……I’m a cheater!
ARMY soldier here and just really have 1 thing to say about that article.
In my opinion, it would be impossible for them to give anyone an “unfair” advantage in anything. By stating that it would be unfair would be to say that the PT test is actually a competition instead of assessing your physical standpoint. The last time I checked they discourage you from turning it into a competition and henceforth would disqualify their statement about them giving you an unfair advantage.
Recently, a local store here started selling 4 inch rubber blocks that you essentially strap to your forefoot, nothing else, just a block. They are charging over $100 for these blocks of rubber and the commands here are going ape shit over them thinking they are wonderful. Prime example of morons running our military.
I am currently deployed in Afghanistan and I purchased a pair of VFF’s. I bought the toe socks and everything to be within in regs. I have been in for 22 years and hate being told I can’t wear them just because. If you can’t come up with a valid reason why they cannot be worn, than it shouldn’t be a problem. I have been told I am only authorized to wear them going to and from the showers. I paid way too much for them to be “shower” shoes.
I need to get military compliant non-logo white running socks for boot camp. Can anyone recommend the best source of such socks?
thanks