Are these a joke?????

Let me back up from my five toed friends for a moment.  There has been a movement for some time in running to get back to basics in terms of footwear.  It seems that despite all of the advancements in shoe design (Adidas went as far as to introduce electronic stability a few years back) that injuries are still as common as ever.  Some believe that the amount of cushioning and support offered by today’s more sophisticated running shoes are actually contributing to the lack of development in our stabilizer muscles that normally work to protect against injuries caused by poor stride mechanics.  In an effort to correct this quite a few big-name running companies including Nike and NewBalance have jumped on the “Barefoot Running” bandwagon.  Of course, running truly barefoot wouldn’t allow them to sell shoes, nor would it prevent you from making flesh contact with gum, dog droppings, or any other foreign materials that might line the path of your local run route, so of course these companies have made shoes that simulate barefoot running as close as possible, while providing some protection from the elements.

Now, I’ve always used racing flats (very, very light shoes) for short distance racing, but have been unwilling to risk a total lack of cushioning for long distance training.  It wasn’t until I was warming up for my first Xterra race two weeks ago that I noticed another competitor was wearing the five-toed version of the barefoot shoe.  Given that Xterra races take place over notoriously gnarly trails I asked him if he was seriously going to wear “those things” for the race.  He explained that he wears them all the time for running and that since he started training in them he has been running injury free for the first time in years.  I was suspicious right up until he passed me in the final 2km of the race, skipping effortlessly over roots and rock without the slightest indication that he was anything but comfortable.  I have yet to step into a pair of these gems, but I thought I’d share an article from Runners World in which Peter Sagal takes them on a two week test run; no joke:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-240-400--12828-0,00.html