Vibram Five Fingers Bikila

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When Leif Summerfield made the decision to tackle the Ed Anacker Bridger Ridge Run last year, he had just one question: Could he do it?
A runner in high school, Summerfield, 32, had drifted away from the sport immediately after graduation. Having not run in years, the Ridge could be a actual challenge. To top it off, Summerfield wanted to run the notoriously-rugged crest of the Bridgers lightly shod -- in Vibram FiveFingers shoes.
Summerfield surprised a lot more than a number of individuals, such as himself, finishing the run in 5 hours, 30 minutes.
"I didn't expect to do that properly," Summerfield said on Tuesday. "It wasn't the Vibram Five Fingers that produced me go that quick; it was that I was cost-free to run for the first time."
Summerfield turned his attention to "barefoot" running right after reading "Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and also the Greatest Race the World Has By no means Observed," by Christopher McDougall. The book explores the running approaches of the Tarahumara Indian tribe of Mexico's Copper Canyon and details McDougall's rediscovery of running soon after suffering repeated running-related injuries earlier in life. Summerfield stated he read the first couple of pages and couldn't put it down.
"I fell in enjoy with trail running," he said. "The book can be a seriously very good primer on the physiology of barefoot running -- taking shorter strides, strengthening your arches. You really feel like you're working less. It really is more efficient."
As the science of running (and running shoes) continues to evolve, a growing body of evidence points to the positive aspects of running barefoot or in minimalist footwear. A study by the Harvard University Skeletal Biology Lab (published at www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu) discovered that humans have only been running in traditional running shoes because the mid 1970s.
The study noted that the cushioned heel present on lots of traditional running shoes alters the foot's natural fall. As opposed to a forefoot or midfoot strike, modern day running shoes encourage a heel strike which distributes the impact force on the foot and leg in a markedly distinct way.
"For millions of years, it really is likely that runners landed with no single, specific foot strike, and rather landed with a variety of foot strikes such as forefoot Vibram Five Fingers Bikila, midfoot and heel strikes, but we suspect that the most typical form of foot strike was a forefoot strike," the study found. "These kinds of strikes (i.e. landing first on the lateral ball of the foot) lead to lower impact forces which could result in lower rates of injury."
The study also discovered that individuals accustomed to running in standard running shoes and heel striking would likely need considerable conditioning to achieve similar results as a forefoot or midfoot striker in "barefoot" or minimalist footwear.
Summerfield stated he ran just several miles a week for two months just before he felt comfy growing his runs to longer distances.
"You literally have to retrain your legs and feet to run in the barefoot style," Summerfield said. "The very first time you put Vibram Five Fingers on you're probably going to really feel energized, you're leaning forward and on your toes. And then you stop running and understand your feet are freaking out along with the next couple of days your calves are tied up in knots.
"These are small muscle groups, but they're so important within the foot's biomechanical style."
Curt Smith of Schnee's Boots & Shoes on Main Street stated he doesn't see Vibram Five Fingers or other minimalist running shoes as the single answer for runners, but rather as a training tool.
"The days of long strides and a whole lot of impact on the heel and needing all that Nike Air and all that stuff -- I don't know if that is going to be a huge drive down the road," Smith said. "It is now a focus on getting individuals to run proper."
Smith stated Vibram's FiveFingers shoe line is being joined by minimalist footwear from brands like New Balance, Merrell and Saucony. He stated newer models of minimalist footwear have the familiar rounded cap of traditional shoes, rather than the individual toe sleeves of FiveFingers.
Smith said the biggest drawback of minimalist footwear is the foot limited protection the shoes offer.
Summerfield agrees.
"I stubbed my toe twice on the Ridge and I remember both places it happened," Summerfield stated. "The small toe usually takes the hit. The lack of protection under the arch (is also a liability). If you stretch you arch out and hit a rock it feels like you might be going to tear a tendon, but there are actually trail running Vibram Five Fingers now that address those problems."
Despite their limitations, Smith said minimalist footwear has surely caught on in Bozeman. He stated the shoes are favorite in the gym, on the trail -- even as water shoes. About the only place you won't see men and women wearing FiveFingers is out on the town, he said.
No doubt, they're a pretty bold fashion statement.
Smith stated he sees the future manufacture of running shoes meeting a middle ground between the ultra-minimal FiveFingers and conventional running shoes, models that put an emphasis on proper running form.
For Summerfield and others that have adopted the "barefoot" running style, that's wonderful news.
"Barefoot running allowed me to rediscover the joy of running and in certain the joy of running inside the mountains," Summerfield said. "And we live in such a perfect place for it."