Foot-gloves.

One day I was walking down the street with my girlfriend, when I saw a friend of mine.  When I looked down, he was wearing what looked like gloves on his feet. 

My mind was blown.

After a few months of running more and more, I had received a pair of these strange shoes for my birthday - Vibram Five-fingers - and after doing some research I found a new way of running that was not only effective, but also better for my legs and feet.

So what is Vibram anyway?  Vibram is a shoe company that has specialized in some extreme footwear since 1936.  The creator, Viale Bramani, a seasoned climber, had experienced a tragedy the year before in an alpine climbing accident.  This prompted Vitale to make a new sole for climbing shoes, which focused on placing vulcanized rubber on the bottoms of the soles - this made the soles similar to tire treads, and prevented slipping.

Now, this company has come a long way - lets face it, they began making mountain climbing boots and I'm wearing footwear to allow me to run barefoot.  Currently they have expanded as far as China - so why do I like them so much?  My shoes haven't been destroyed yet.

Most people that know me can vouch that I go through shoes like candy - I'm doing so many different activities that I twist and break soles and seams like a weak fishing line.  When I was given a pair of Five-Fingers for the first time, I wanted to see what made these so great.

Their versatility is unbelievable.  I've been able to wear these things in any kind of weather or water (and that’s just for running amok and trail running).  When I investigated a bit more into their product line, I saw some footwear that can be used in any situation, whether it's casual walking, or attempting to complete K2 or Mt. Everest. 

I wanted to put these shoes to the test, and see if their mission and their vision was really what it's cracked up to be.  I went camping, hiking and canoeing to see if they could stand up to how active my feet are, and then I wore them continuously at work, putting repeated strain on not only my feet, but also on the special soles. 

Not only did they stand up to it, but they certainly were more comfortable than any other shoe I've worn, in and out of work.  Vibram's mission states that they want "To develop the brand through continuous innovation, originality and quality of the products, while remaining faithful to the tradition of our brand."  As far as innovation and originality, wearing a pair of shoes that are designed to act like foot-gloves is innovative enough for me.  For quality and remaining faithful to their brand, these shoes went above and beyond - they remained intact and prevented me from hurting myself (despite my usual clumsiness), while remaining comfortable. 

And lest I mention, their campaign to have people record their own experiences with these shoes and post them on their site shows a dedication to listening to their customers, to ensure that not only are they making a quality product, but that I can see how their quality product works.  Vibram makes buying shoes a personal experience. 

By the way, in case you didn't click the link above, check out their main site.  It's quite intriguing