Day 141: Barefoot Shoes

by sunny on August 22, 2011

Image by frielp via Flickr

I was barefoot WAY before barefooting was cool. As a kid, I think the only thing I didn’t do in bare feet was ride motorcycles. For that I had some AWESOME leather boots, and it was really painful to try and shift gears on a motorcycle in bare feet.

I have been watching the barefoot running movement for the past several years. I have toyed with buying a pair of Vibram Fivefingers, but honestly, I can’t justify paying $100 for the priveledge of looking dumb (yeah, I think VFF’s look dumb).

I’ve been watching the newer lines of minimalist shoes (I don’t really like the term “barefoot shoes”) made by Merrell. Friday we went out and I am now the proud owner of a pair of Merrell Barefoot Pace Glove. The Merrell gloves look more like a regular shoe, but have a zero drop heel. That means there is no built up cushioning under the heel. When I walk, I can feel the ground under my feet. When I run, I touch the earth.

These shoes don’t make me faster, but they do make me smile.