My Experience with Minimalist Shoes

In light of the recent court decision for Vibram FiveFinger shoes, I thought it timely to talk about my personal experience with minimalist shoes. My hope is that this would start a discussion with other folk's personal experiences.  Granted, all these testimonies would be anecdotal, and not scientifically-backed (which is why Vibram lost the court case, they did not have scientific research to back up their claims).  But, that being said, in my personal opinion, I do not think personal testimonies should be discounted.  We live in a world that puts science above all else, and I question that approach in our society.  Not to say that I don't love science (I am becoming a science teacher, after all), I just think we should take a moment to step back and admit that we may not see the whole picture all the time.  There are, after all, many contradicting studies out there.  All this to say, take what you read here, and elsewhere with a grain of salt.  But, I digress...

I bought my one and only pair of minimalist running shoes a little over a year ago today.  I didn't go for the Vibram Five Fingers, because they felt odd on my feet (I believe my toes are just not made for that kind of shoe).  Instead, I splurged for the Merrel Dash Glove.  It took some getting-used to, and I had to return my original pair for a larger size because I found that when I ran, my feet felt squished, though they felt great just for walking.  They are the most expensive running shoes I have bought to date, and so they felt like quite a gamble.  I wasn't sure how I would adjust to having no padding under my feet, what's more, I wasn't sure if that was even a good idea.

The only reason I ventured to give them a try was the vast amount of personal testimonies I heard that praised the wonders of minimalist running shoes.  When the trend began, I (along with the vast majority of folks) thought the concept and look was ridiculous.  But I worked as a canopy tour guide, and people came on the tour wearing these shoes in droves.  Out of sheer search for conversation, I would ask these trend-followers how they liked their shoes.  The answer always gave praise to the wonders of the minimalist shoe.  Back problems were better, knees stopped aching, ankles became strong, balance increased.  After hearing enough of these stories, I was convinced enough to give them a try.  I figured I didn't have anything to loose, since was purchasing them at REI (I could always return them).

Lo and behold, I was soon among those proclaiming the miracles of the minimalist shoe.  It took me a while to work back up to the mileage I was at before the shoe.  I went from running four miles comfortably, to not being able to run 3/4 of a mile without my calves being on FIRE!  But once I worked my way back up, I noticed that I was having less knee problems, better balance, and most importantly, my hips have not giving me problems since strapping on my Merrels.  I have always had issues with my hips hurting when I run, or even when I go on long hikes.  This issue has all but disappeared, except for on exceptionally long hikes.  I don't know exactly how it happened, but I believe the the minimalists have strengthened muscles I didn't use with a traditional shoe.  Additionally, my yoga practice has seen benefits from my minimalists.  My balance has increased, undoubtedly due to the muscles in my ankles, calves, and thighs improving.

As a disclaimer, I am not a hard-core runner.  I don't know if I would recommend minimalists to marathoners, for example.  I only run to ensure that I have done some cardio, and to tire out my energetic Siberian Husky.  I wouldn't call myself an expert in the field, but I do know what minimalist shoes have done for me.  I am curious, what are your experiences with minimalists?