subject: Barefoot Vibram Fivefingers [print this page] I first tried Vibram FiveFingers a little over a year ago, wow what a difference a year makes in my approach to shoes.Got a call from a friend who happens to read my query on US Vibram Website last week. I was told that he has become the sole importer for such shoes and would like me to give it a try again after knowing that I bought such a pair sometimes back (at least 6 months ago) but I did not wear it because the sizing is wrong and it causes blister to my feet. One thing I wasn't prepared for was how unconventional my shoes were to people not familiar to them. After wearing them a while, you forget that they look really goofy and that most people find them quite odd appearing. So, there are lots and lots of questions, and you end up talking about them quite frequently if your job involves meeting with many different people during the day. The questions and comments were all over the place. Here are some of the more common ones.
"What are those?!?""Hey, you have gorilla feet!""Did you forget your shoes today? Those are socks right?""Those must be great for watersports."
"How are they in the (snow,rain,heat,cold,pool,bay, bed,etc)?""Where did you get them and how can I get a pair?""Why?!?""I had socks like that back in the 80's!""Are they comfortable?"
The last question is one of my favorites because yes, of course they are. I wouldn't wear such ugly things if they weren't. I didn't find them at all attractive myself when I first started wearing them but they have grown on me.
The other potential problem is that being unconventional, you will end of answering a lot of questions about your shoes. Most days, this is fine. They are a good ice-breaker. Most people genuinely are curious about the positive aspects of them. But there are days when you might just want to talk about other things or blend in. As a pediatrician, I am tickled when kids notice them and start smiling or a parent asks me "I would like to wear them, but they don't have any arch support do they?" It is then that I have a choice. I can either say, no they don't and move on. The second option is to get into a discussion about whether arch support is truly necessary since presumably the foot is well designed to do its job without shoes. The second pathway is far more interesting, but I don't always have the time for it. When I ask, do you ever walk around barefoot at home I will often get very accepting looks and a happy glint in the eye about the joys of walking around the house un-shod. Then I answer, well this is pretty close to that
