LOOKING for a new sole mate this summer? Vibram’s new FiveFingers shoes (right) make an interesting statement — if you’re strong enough to brave the skeptics who will stare at your feet and judge you. They’re far from glamorous, but so are Crocs, and that doesn’t seem to stop people from wearing them.
Designed to strengthen foot muscles and improve balance, agility and speed, FiveFingers feature a variety of special design effects, making them as close to walking barefoot as possible.
Vibram claims the shoes are beneficial to your lower leg and foot health, as they improve the range of motion in your ankles, feet and toes. They’re also supposed to promote proper posture and spine alignment.
Nonsense, say some doctors.
“These offer relatively no support,” says Dr. Rock Positano, a foot specialist at the Hospital for Special Surgery. “They do not support the arch well and may lead to postural problems that not only can adversely affect the ankles and feet, but also the shins, knees, hips and back.”
When we took a pair for a test-drive, we got some seriously strange looks wearing them around the city, and were stopped by more than one pedestrian who looked down and said, “Well, those are really weird.”
The performance rubber soles look like alien frog feet, but are slip-resistant and heat- and terrain-proof. We tested them by walking on broken glass (not a scratch) and prickly pebbles.
“I’ve sold six pairs today, and that’s just me,” says Dana Kellstrom, a sales associate at City Sports on 48th Street.
“I had a guy from Australia come in the other day, and he bought four pairs because they don’t make them in his country.”
Jeremy Nicholas of Berkeley, Calif., just bought his second pair for 80 bucks.
“I wore the first pair out by wearing them every day since February. Unless I have to look really nice I wear them, and even then, I try to bend the rules.”
Nicholas isn’t just wearing them for walking, however. “I wear them turkey hunting, slingshotting, tree climbing and just about everything else I do — I’m really active.”
Assuming most New Yorkers are not turkey hunting in Central Park, the shoes are best for weekend excursions, where activities like hiking, climbing, kayaking and even running are prevalent.
Positano suggests wearing them “around the pool or at the beach,” but adds that wearing them on long walks is not a good idea.