The March 28, 2011 issue of the running and triathlon industry trade magazine, SGB, featured a splendid interview with Tony Post president and CEO Vibram USA, who has led Vibram USA since 2001. “Answering the old chicken and the egg question, Vibram FiveFingers first appeared at the Boston Marathon in 2006. Christopher McDougall’s book ‘Born to Run’ was published in May 2009. Both have stirred quite a fascination and wide debate in the running community regarding the benefits of barefoot running. While defending their conventional running shoes, many traditional running brands are also stepping into the minimal category including New Balance and Merrell this Spring through partnerships with Vibram.”
Here’s some excerpts from the interview. And nowhere does he call VFFs “barefoot running shoes.”
So what do you call VFFs?
Barefoot in the truest sense could be confusing because barefoot really means that there isn’t anything on your foot. Your foot is indeed bare. So we usually refer to it as minimalist or natural running. Minimalist is probably a more accurate description than lightweight because you can end up with products that are lightweight but if they have a thick sole, you may not achieve some of the natural gait patterns and benefits that you would in a thin, more minimal sole that encourages a forefoot strike. So I would probably tend to use the term minimalism or minimalist footwear or natural. People have also called it natural running or natural fitness because it encourages the foot to strike in a more natural way.
The benefits?
We make soles for lots of shoes and boots and there are many times where you need that protection. But if you’re always in shoes or boots, you’re casting the foot and if you’re casting the foot all the time, it’s going to affect your foot health generally. The muscles begin to atrophy so you’re feet get weaker. You lose range of motion so you’re not as flexible. Neural activity actually begins to shut down so you don’t have the quick neural response that is important to balance and agility. It also sup- ports your posture. If you’re always in shoes or boots that have a lift, that’s not as good as being flat, which tends to straighten the spine a little more. And lastly, that sensation of being responsive to the ground – and this I get most from our consumers – is something you begin to crave after you’ve been using a minimal product or a product like FiveFingers for a period of time. If you go too many days without using it, your body almost tends to crave that sensation of getting feedback from your environment and from the ground. So as long as someone doesn’t overdue it, I think it’s a very healthy thing.
Any limitations to the type of runner in minimalist shoes?
I don’t know if you can say, ‘Really big people shouldn’t do this.” Or, ‘Only people who are neutral can do this.’ I think it depends on a lot of different factors. It depends on how often you do it, how much you train, etc. I always tell people to listen to their body and I think everyone can gain some benefit from making their feet and lower legs stronger. So whether you’re a big guy, thin guy, fast person or a slow person, I think in general you want to try to do things that strengthen the body, that improve range of motion, that improve neural activity, etc. I think everyone can benefit from it. It’s just a matter of whether it’s your full-time shoe or whether it’s a shoe you use some of the time.
What about injuries in minimalist shoes?
We’ve always been on the side of ‘transition gradually.’ If you read our hangtags or go to our website, we always encourage people to transition gradually because you are using your muscles and your body in a different way. The exciting thing is a lot of people who read the book, ‘Born to Run,’ were inspired to go out and try this. But if you’ve always worn shoes, your foot has been cast and the muscles are a little weak. I think people in general need to spend a little more time to learn to do it properly. You want to allow your body to adapt and get stronger and get used to it. I think it’s the case of any activity if you jump in doing too much too fast.
In general, runners tend to push themselves a lot and push themselves through pain toward a goal whether it’s to run a race, break a certain time or lose a certain amount of weight. The whole philosophy of ‘no pain, no gain, ’ I don’t really buy into that whole thing. I think you need to listen to your body. I think you can become very healthy and fit by doing that. And I think it’s a different way to think about running. It’s not about trying to push through the pain. It’s about actually enjoying the sensation and enjoying your body and doing what feels comfortable. And it’s allowing yourself to gradually take on more as you get more comfortable with it. I think as an industry we can do more to get people to think about it that way. It’s not about trying to achieve a goal in a particular period of time; it’s about lifelong health and fitness and being able to enjoy your body to its fullest extent for as long as you possibly can. If you’re doing things.
Advice for beginners?
The best way to transition initially is to take your shoes off and go barefoot and really get the sensation of what it’s like when your body tries to protect itself. Your body is trying to allow itself to land as gently as possible. And you’ll find that quite naturally you’ll land up behind the ball of the foot back behind the fourth or fifth metatarsal head. Once you have that sensation – keep- ing your feet under your body and not reaching or stretching out with your feet – you’ll learn that, ‘Wow! This is a little different stride, a little different gait.’
Footwear’s future heading toward minimalism?
Minimal shoes are lightweight but not all lightweight shoes are minimal. A lightweight shoe can have a big thick plump heel and even some structural anti- pronation control features that have nothing to do with natural running. The idea behind minimalism is to strip as much of that away as you can but still offer some level of protection from things on the ground such as debris or cutting your foot. But if you step on a sharp rock you’re still going to feel it. It’s not about trying to insulate the body from any feedback in your environment. You’re actually seeking that feedback because that feedback is part of what you need to put you in the best possible form.
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