“Are Those Comfortable?” is the question I heard onlookers asking the woman donning them in the half mirror in the shoe store when I walked to the Vibram Section. Oddly enough, its the same question I heard the very second I wore them outside of the store.. and the same question I heard as a response to my Twitter Update that I had just purchased some.
After seeing The Big O Hamilton Rocking these in Aruba, watching Coldfinger rock these in the Gym and reading Jada Wright’s review of them on AlumniWellness.com I had to see what the hype was all about myself.
I went to a local retailer who is known for carrying a variety to “special shoes” like throwbacks, TOMS shoes, Crocs and Vibrams and decided to try some on. Just like any other shoe purchase, I went for the one that I thought would look the DOPEST on my foot; and oddly enough, the one that looked most like a sneaker. I immediately went for the black Bikila LS; probably because of string like elastic on the top.
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I told the shoe clerk what American size I wore, since the y come in UK sizes and had a seat. He came back briefly with 2 boxes. He said he didnt have the black Bikila’s but brought the greys and a pair of Komodo Sports just in case I was just looking for a black pair. I tried on both pair for a quick strut around the store .. and I must say, aside from the colors, there still was a definite difference I felt between the two.
The Bikila, although looked the best to me, did not support my foot correctly. Through my running, training and workouts, I have realized that I have foot pronation, meaning that my body weight is supported on a flat foot; I have little to no arch and my foot leans inward on each step. I could definitely feel that the shoe was allowing the very inside of my foot to touch the ground. On the other hand, the Komodo Sport had a velcro strap on the top of the foot and the heel which allowed me to tighten certain areas for more support. The Komodo Sport provided the arch support that I needed and felt overall like a natural step instead of the Bikila.
I was so hyped about my new purchase that I packed my Nike Dunks into the Vibram box and wore them out of the store. In fact, I wore them for the next 3 days just because of they were new and exciting.
I speculate that I did not feel the discomfort that others have described because I have been wearing my NIKE Free’s for the past 6 months; I do know that pain if it is the same though.
All in all, I love the Vibram Five Fingers. It does take some getting used to the double-takes, people thinking you are going surfing and asking if they are comfortable.
The answer is YES. I love them so far and I cant wait to wear them on the beach where I can transition from sidewalk to beach to the water with no issue.
