I’ve been dealing with Achilles pain since the end of last summer. (The Achilles pain is very likely the latest symptom of a variety of dysfunctions which seem to be rooted in foot and glute function.) This week I’ve gone on the first couple of what you might call “runs.” One day I wore my Brooks then the next day I ran in my Vibrams. There were very interesting and different results. Overall, I felt far more comfortable in the Vibrams. I experienced less shock and impact and I felt better at the end of the run. Running in the Brooks seemed to bother my left hamstring and my low back. Not everything was perfect in the Vibrams. I seem to have some irritation in part of the medial plantar nerve which results in a bit of burning/numbness type feelings in the big toe and 2nd/3rd toe area. It wasn’t too terrible though. I will continue to play around back and forth with footwear and see what happens.

Thus far, I love my Vibrams for work and gym exercise. I hiked in them this past weekend and I felt very good in them. I’m wearing them more and more and I encourage most exercise enthusiasts to experiment with wearing minimal footwear.