Kanzi Feet

My husband gifted me with my first pair Vibram Five Fingers in 2009.  It was the beginning of my new workout regimen and he noticed my struggle to run naturally in a pair of Nike tennis shoes.  My evolutionary desire to run on my forefoot was being impeded by the excess cushion and “bulky” sole created for modern athletic footwear.  The result was a loud, clumsy runner on a treadmill, destined for an injury.

So we trekked to the nearest running/outdoor sports store and tried on a pair of what I affectionately called “Kanzi Feet”.  Trying to get all five of my toes properly into these shoes was a challenge to say the least, but I finally managed to get them on my feet.  We both purchased a pair of the Sprint model and headed out with some words of advice from the sales representative of the store… ease into them.  Slowly increase your mileage, he said. 

Confident in my new shoes and my ability to run the 5K distance I had planned for the day, I strapped on my new Vibram’s and headed to the gym.  The run on that treadmill felt surprisingly natural.  Each of my toes could now move and function rather than one bulky unit.  Each individual bone, muscle, tendon and ligament working independently; individual parts of a complex and beautifully designed machine.  I stepped off the treadmill feeling accomplished and headed out to carry on the rest of my day.

I worked out in the mornings so I went on to class and work that day and soreness began to settle in.  Remember the sales person’s advice?  Yes, I should have headed his warning.  Navigating the steps up to my bedroom might as well have been climbing Mt. Rainier.  I had used muscles I never thought I had and I was feeling the burn.  

But, as I wore them every day and each of those individual muscles strengthened, I no longer felt like someone had beat my legs with a pillowcase full of soap bars (Full Metal Jacket, anyone… anyone?).  I wore those sprints for two years, until there were literally holes in the soles.

I am now on my third pair of Vibram Five Fingers and I can’t imagine running in anything else.  My last pair, the Bikila model took me 800 miles through several mud runs, training for and completing two half marathons, and hiking some of the most beautiful places including the Red River Gorge in my home state of Kentucky.  I retired those in November for a new trail model (The Spyridon LS if you are interested J)  and they are by far my favorite (so far).  They allow me the ability to run “barefoot” but with a thicker protective sole for those rocky trail runs and the (sometimes) littered streets of the concrete jungle I call home.

When I first wore these shoes, people would constantly ask “What are you wearing?!”.  Now that they are more common, I get less questions.  But…  whenever the curious person does ponder why my feet look more like our Bonobo relatives than a Brooks clad distance runner, the anatomy and physiology nerd in my comes out and I usually give them a short lecture akin to what you’ve just read.  It’s usually more than they needed, but I can’t help but feel satisfied that I can actually explain why I choose to wear “Kanzi Feet”.

So for all of you who were curious, that’s my Vibram story.  I tell you, there’s always a method to my madness.  

Now, head on out and get you a pair.  Feel the freedom.  Get in touch with your ancestors.  Sometimes you have to look backward to move forward.  I’m on the go, are you?