Video Product Review: Vibram Five Finger Barefoot Shoe Testing in Mexico
March 30th, 2010
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by Mike T Nelson · Filed Under: Product Reviews · athletic performance
Series Content
- Review of Eat Stop Eat : Intermittent Fasting to Lose Body Fat
- TRX Suspension Trainer Review Video: The Professor Speaks from His Lab
- Video Product Review: Vibram Five Finger Barefoot Shoe Testing in Mexico
Vibram Five Finger Barefoot Shoe Testing in Mexico
Greetings! Did you miss me? I am back from my honeymoon in Mexico and Jodie and I had a blast! We were in Puerto Vallarta for a week and it is an awesome town! Highly recommend that you check it out.
I will have some posts regarding our time there, what we learned and explored coming up over the next several weeks. We did lots of fun things and one of them was a boat tour to do some snorkeling and even hiked up to a waterfall!
I wore my Vibram Five Fingers and I should get some sponsorship from them as I got tons of questions while we were out traveling around about them. I put them to the test with a hike up to the waterfall over gravel, rocks, and rugged terrain. I wore them directly in the water as we crossed some streams and just jumped right in at the water fall area. Awesome! Here is a short video for ya!
Vibram Five Finger “Barefoot” Hiking in Mexico
We will be picking up some Vibram Five Fingers (VFFs for those in the know) soon for Jodie! I highly recommend you check out the Vibrams if you have not already.
The week before the wedding it was so nice outside, I decided to do some farmers walks with the trap bar in the Vibrams also. This is an excellent way to strengthen the feet and ankles!
Farmers Walks with the Trap Bar
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I did get some funny looks from the UPS driver though!
Comments
How do you like your Vibrams? Thoughts? Let me know as I love comments!
Rock on
Mike T Nelson
PS
I also do fun strongman trianing outside and the Vibrams work awesome! Check out this post
Saturday Strongman Training in White Bear Lake Minnesota
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I wouldn’t wear anything else, VFF’s are simply awesome. Foot dysfunction is rampant in our society and it is all because of shoes. I recommend all my patients wear VFF’s, go barefoot, Nike Free or flat soled shoes at the most. None of this shox stuff.
It’s amazing how much you don’t use your feet or lower leg muscles when you are in shoes. It’s especially apparent when you take a run in the VFF’s for the first time. But, over time your feet get strong and so do you.
Plus, they look so darn cool. A great conversation starter. I don’t wear mine everywhere, but the neighbors sure do know who I am.
Interesting post, but I’d like to hear more about what you think. A few weeks ago I posted a question on strengthcoach.com asking if it was our goal as S&C coaches to get all our athletes to do every section of their workout barefoot, every single workout. I under stand that anyone with ligit structural problems shouldn’t and that everyone should work on progressing up….but over the space of a few months or even a few years should it be a goal to get the majority of our client working barefoot for the full session eg, warmup, plyo, speed, strength..everything, for every workout?? If you don’t think so can you justify why??
Cheers,
Cian
Hi Mike, glad to see you wearing the VFF. I’ve had a pair for 2 years now (sprint model) and I still love them.
RE: hiking up a waterfall. As I’m sure you know, they were originally designed as boat shoes to give grip on a wet boat deck, hence all the tiny little sipes, similar to snow tires
It really feels as if I am walking barefoot, when I’m wearing them and yet they really keep your feet protected at the same time.
Although you have to build up to it, they’re great for running as they force you to run naturally and make heel strike (a.k.a. “heel crashing”) nearly impossible.
Thanks for the great comments Doc and I could not agree more!
More shoes are horrible and people should stay the heck away from them.
If you don’t use it, you loose it. Stiff shoes = stiff dumb feet.
Yes, my neighbors know who I am too, although they don’t talk to me much (hmmm, I wonder why; perhaps the crazy exercise outside and death metal have something to do with it. hhahaha)
Rock on
Mike T Nelson
Thanks for the comment Cian!
Yes, I believe that having athletes do more work barefoot or in minimal shoes. That is part of the reason I started training athletes in my garage since I could set my own rules then!
There is a time for specific work, but for most athletes that will be covered by their skill practice on the field.
The athletes I work with do all sessions in minimal shoes. If you do specific mobility (micro movement) work with the feet and ankles and progressively add load and speed it does not take long at all. Everyone of them has not gone back to their old shoes.
Ask any strength coach about the fee/ankles of their basketball players. 95% will say they are horrible. What do those athletes spend their time doing? Running in high supportive shoes plus crazy amounts of tape.
Messed up feet/ankles= messed up hips. I lost count of how many athletes (in th hundreds now) that I have had them do specific foot/ankle work to fix up their hips (glutes, psoas, RF, etc)
If the foot/ankle is bad, the body will start to shut down the hips muscles to limit how much force you can drive through the foot/ankle. The body is trying to protect itself, but this leads to compensations, pain, and is horrible for performance
Does that help? How are the Strengthcoach.com people these days?
Rock on
Mike T Nelson
Thanks Charles! Yes, you were one of the first people I saw in them.
Correct, they were boat shoes and work awesome on wet surfaces.
I do some runs in mine too and it takes some mobility work and time to get the muscles up to speed, but I love it too.
Rock on
Mike T Nelson
The sipes also add tremendous flexibility that a flat piece of rubber can’t do. So not only great grip, but also more movement and foot function.
mike welcome back glad you had such a great time on your honeymoon. Mike i had a horrible experience with those vibrams. I bought them walk about 2 miles in them and when i tell you my heels had blisters the size of watermelon. I have been scared to were them every since. When i say the destroyed my feet i went to my doctor to make sure the damage was not permanent. Maybe i just got a bad pair or did to much to soon. I have not looked at them since, i just had bad luck cause everyone raves about them, someday i will give them another try but i am still scared. thanks mike nice to see you back.
Thanks Doc! Excellent point as the Vibrams do a great job of protecting the feet but still allowing movement.
Rock on
Mike T Nelson
Mike (sheehan)
Too much too soon! It’s not the shoes (unless your feet are much different than normal). Walking 2 miles in VFF’s for the first time is like trying to run a 10k after sitting on the couch for 2 years. Your feet haven’t been doing much of anything for probably a long time.
Give them a try again, but this time go slow! You’ll get the hang of it. Make sure you have the right size also. It sounds like your heels might be slipping.
Hi there Mike–thanks for the comments and great to hear from you. I heard you are back to busting crazy PRs again–SWEET!
I would agree with the good doctors words for sure! If I go long distances over flat ground, my heals can be an issue if I am not used to it. I would try much shorter distances, make sure they fit right, and even try a very short hike on varied terrain to allow the foot to move more and less heal strikes per say.
Oddly enough, I work with athletes initially to do higher force work over VERY short distances first to build up the foot vs even moderate walks. Sled drags, sprints, tire flips, farmers walks work well.
As always, make sure it tests well for you (biofeedback). If not, shorten the distance, lighten the load, change exercise or do more micro movements (mobility work) on the feet/ankles.
Rock on
Mike T Nelson
gentleman i thankyou and will give them another try appreciate your advice
Sounds great Mike! Keep us updated
Rock on
Mike T Nelson
I’ve had my VFF KSOs since february. I did some research prior to simply slipping them on going about my usual workouts/running regimen. The only “negative” reviews I’ve read had to deal with “too much, too soon”. I took that into consideration. I didn’t break in the shoes. I call it “breaking in the foot”. What a world of a difference it makes. I do ALL of my running in them now and MOST of my workouts. I’ve ran distances ranges. From concrete/asphalt to wood-chip trail to beach running to gravel in the same run. From 1 mile to my second Half-Marathon (just recently). No blisters or anything else negative. Even got a PR in the half-marathon (1:43:39) by a couple of minutes. All of my co-workers think I’m being paid to promote VFFs because I absolutely love them.
Hi there Bryan!
Thanks for the comments! Glad you like the VFF KSOs!
I like that “breaking in the foot” –yes!
Awesome work on the PR on the half marathon!
Yes, I feel like I should be sponsored by Vibrams also! Maybe we can work out a deal with them yet!
Rock on
Mike T Nelson