Health & Fitness
The Shoe That Fits Like A Glove
Why are so many fitness enthusiasts slipping into these funny looking shoes? It’s all about the fit and comfort.
Called FiveFingers, these shoes are supposed to make it feel like you’re barefoot while giving you the protection of a durable but flexible sole. The soles, made by Vibram, a 73-year-old Italian company that created the original rubber sole for mountain boots, are actually designed to follow the contour and shape of your foot. The unusual individual toe design is supposed to help strengthen and stretch all 20 muscles in your feet. Vibram claims this design also helps to improve balance and agility.
FiveFingers BIKILA: $100
The promises are big and thousands of people are buying into them-- including my sister, Robin. I got my first glimpse of these shoes when she walked into my house wearing what looked to be like something from a science fiction movie. It peaked my interest.
“I thought they were ugly and it went against all of my fashion sense,” says Robin. But she bought them anyway. “Tennis shoes always end up hurting my feet and these don’t,” Robin tells me. According to her, she always attracts a little attention when wearing the FiveFingers. Once, while shopping in the grocery store, a group of fire fighters gathered around her and peppered her with questions about the shoes.
FiveFingers were introduced in 2006 when a runner in the Boston Marathon wore them during the race. Since then, they’ve taken off and mainly by word of mouth. The shoe brand already has 65,000 fans on Facebook. “Sales have tripled every year since the launch,” says Jon Gaffney of Vibram USA.
FiveFingers PERFORMA JANE: $110
FiveFingers can be worn for running, water sports, yoga-- you name it. Gaffney says while they’ve really been embraced by the fitness community— now more and more people are thinking about slipping into these. “We’ve even seen them worn by brides at their wedding.” Now that's a fashion statement.
FiveFinger shoes are for women and men. They retail for $75 to $125.
See what Harvard Professor Daniel Lieberman has to say about the shoes on YouTube.