Gear of the year: Vibram FiveFingers Posted on 28 November 2012 Put on a pair of Vibram FiveFingers barefoot running shoes and be prepared for funny looks. Still, this is the least of your worries and the somewhat unusual iterations of the running shoe come with an emphatic warning: start slowly. Conventional wedge-soled running shoes make us run on our heels, with the thick soles absorbing the impact of your body weight on the road, and toes are encapsulated in a closed shoe, effectively disconnecting the body and mind from the terrain beneath. Barefoot shoes shift your weight forward, making you run on your toes in a natural, ancestral running style. This allows the toe, ankle and knee joints to absorb the shock of your weight on the road much better than the straight-legged heel striking of conventional jogging. However, our muscles aren’t initially prepared for the change in gait barefoot running shoes foster. So before attempting to run a full training routine in them, you have to develop ‘new’ muscles. Though it may seem like a pain, you have a lot to gain. These retrospectively obvious reinventions of running shoes are a revelation: competitive athletes have improved race times and many injury-prone joggers report suffering less once they’ve made the transition. Personally, I can run and walk for much longer before my old rugby knee starts to throb, so sod the funny looks. Cost R1 599 for these Spyridons from Sportsmans Warehouse or www.theoriginalminimalistshoes.co.za Related Posts Veldskoen unveils their new slipper, just in time for Father’s Day 15 June 2022 Father's Day is here and the cold is creeping in, perhaps dad deserves some comfort... read more What’s in your bag? Three adventurers give us a peek 16 September 2021 Three adventurers tell Gear Editor Matthew Sterne what kit helps them beat the winter cold.... read more Lights, Camera… and a Lot of Action 6 May 2021 It’s been almost 20 years since GoPro revolutionised the industry with their tiny cameras that... read more PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE
Veldskoen unveils their new slipper, just in time for Father’s Day 15 June 2022 Father's Day is here and the cold is creeping in, perhaps dad deserves some comfort... read more
What’s in your bag? Three adventurers give us a peek 16 September 2021 Three adventurers tell Gear Editor Matthew Sterne what kit helps them beat the winter cold.... read more
Lights, Camera… and a Lot of Action 6 May 2021 It’s been almost 20 years since GoPro revolutionised the industry with their tiny cameras that... read more
