Uses for FiveFingers
For Running
What came first, foot support or the feet that needed it?
The answer is most likely foot support - we are always inventing and marketing ways to make our life easier. But easier doesn’t always mean better. Running shoes use air, silicone gel, foam or all three to cushion, protect the heel, support the arch and control pronation. They are the foot equivalent of a Lazyboy chair, doing all the work for you, allowing your foot muscles to remain - lazy.
Back to Nature
The benefits of running barefoot have long been supported by scientific research, coaches, and athletes who’ve offered plenty of compelling evidence that training without shoes allows you to run faster and further with fewer injuries. Their motion studies demonstrate that when you run barefoot, you naturally land on your forefoot, directly below your centre of gravity. This results in optimum balance, increased stability, less impact and greater propulsion.
“Running in FiveFingers improves agility, strength and equilibrium, plus it delivers sensory feedback that allows runners to make immediate corrections in their form. This greatly improves running efficiency.” Dr. Ivo Waerlop (chiropractor & expert in gait biomechanics in sports)
Running in FiveFingers is an investment, it requires patience and perseverance as we redress weaknesses and imbalances brought on by a lifetime of wearing conventional footwear. For those of us who put in the effort, the rewards are great.
But what about the impact?
Minoru Kanetsuka Sensei, one of the world’s foremost Aikido practitioners and teacher, overheard one of his students talking of running a marathon. He looked at him carefully and said: “Remember, if you kick the Earth it will kick you back.”
Runners too often “kick” the Earth as they run, making loud slapping sounds as they pound the pavement. If they were running barefoot their feet would quickly alert them of the danger by way of clear sensory feedback. Pain. This would force them to stop or change their running style. Good running is fluid, not jarring.
For Walking
"Walking, good for the body, good for the soul."
FiveFingers footwear is for those who understand that the whole point of travel is to embrace the whole experience — to connect with people, with nature, and with their new environment.
FiveFingers offer you a deeper connection with your surroundings—no matter where you go. They
act as a conduit between your body’s sensory system and the earth, delivering subtle signals that energise your body and lift your spirit. Wearing FiveFingers you will discover a smoother, more natural walking motion.
With an average weight of around 170 grams, it’s no wonder so many of our customers pack their lightweight FiveFingers as their preferred footwear for trekking, travelling, and everyday walking.
For Climbing
Vibram has been at the forefront of climbing footwear technology for more than 70 years. Fivefingers are perfectly suited to climbing in a number of ways.
Pre Climbing
Wearing FiveFingers before climbing stimulates and innervates the muscles in our feet, making them more supple and responsive. Over a period of time our feet will also become stronger and more balanced, leading to improved weight distribution and increased muscular endurance under load.
Free Climbing
Barefoot climbing, like barefoot running is often used in practice to strengthen the foot and lower limbs. It does not allow the same load to be placed on any one area of the foot and so forces us to focus more on weight distribution.
It may not be suitable for the more technically demanding climbs (unless you are Tom Perry) but it will make the hard climbs (in conventional climbing shoes) easier by giving us a broader base of balance and strength.
FiveFingers will also add a new dimension to your bouldering, adding sensitivity and flexibility to your moves.
Post Climbing
After 10 hours of climbing in a pair of Five Ten Anasazis your feet are cramped and compressed. Wearing FiveFingers after climbing encourages our toes to gently spread and move independently, improving and accelerating recovery time.
For The Gym
Barefoot training.
Vibram FiveFingers allow you the freedom of training barefoot in the gym without falling foul of club health and safety regulations.
Many PTs train themselves and their clients barefoot where possible to gain the numerous physiological advantages, including:
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•Ideal pelvic and spinal alignment
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•Optimal lifting platform
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•Increased awareness of GCM (gravitational centre of mass)
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•Faster reaction time
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•Greater sensory feedback through the feet
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•Gently spread metatarsals
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•Better balance and stability
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•Increased gluteal and core activation
Incredibly light and flexible, the FiveFingers mean no more need to carry heavy, bulky gym shoes around. Additionally the Vibram rubber sole is tough, durable and able to grip even on wet surfaces.
