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I've thought about getting those vibram "toe shoes" before. My brother is a long distance runner and he swears by them. He even ran a marathon in them. He told me that they help strengthen muscles in the foot that are normally not used when we wear normal shoes.
he could just be hype though
Yeah, everyone says this but ignore the fact that even the manufacturers of those shoes (who often use that as a selling point) say in fine print that there is no actual evidence that that is true. And in fact, that claim contradicts studies that show the negative effects of running barefoot/without the correct shoes on joints.
Sorry if this seems hostile. I've just gotten in numerous arguments about this with people who have nothing but advertisements and anecdotes as their evidence.
I like running in them. I'm not so into the debates about whether running barefoot is better/worse for someone. The only thing I care about is I can jump into a lake with them on after, and they dry out quickly. Doesn't sound like a common thing to most people, but I run near a lake and after a few miles in the summer, it's fun to just run straight off a dock and jump in. They're sick. I wouldn't run a marathon in them. 3 miles or more on pavement and my shit hurts. On dirt or cedar trails, I feel like I could run for days with those things.
Not hostile at all dude. A lot of people greet those things just the way you'd expect. They're weird shoes so people have weird reactions. And honestly the best part is wearing them when you swim in lakes. Sometimes there's weird tree roots and rocks that cut your feet up if you walk on the bottom. With those on, you're fine.