Going Barefoot

[Popeye the Sailor]

The "delicate foot"?  So human beings existed for countless millennia without Nikes and yet our bare feet are delicate?

Yeah, they are. Calluses get built up over a lifetime. Starting on them as an adult does not work well. I've known people to try it, specifically peace corps workers in third world countries (the locals do it-why not me?) it never worked out well.

I think the problem is more that we've developed cultural expectations that feet should have something attached to them, and that attachment increases in proportion to the formality of whatever event you're attending.

Yes, and that thing attached is called the ankle.

In the end, the more connected your feet are to the ground (or to whatever surface they are touching), the more agile/powerful/mobile you will feel.  Barefooted is not only natural in a fundamentally human way, it also makes functional sense -- not unlike the exposed nature of the Monster, no?

Feeling good does not mean it is good. Three drinks make me feel powerful and mobile, still doesn't mean I should be in public like that. As far as feeling "connected" I haven't a clue what you're talking about. I feel connected just fine in shoes, and the first job I had (on a boat) let us go barefoot, so I went barefoot half the year until my early twenties. The only "connection" I felt when barefoot was when one of the other mates dropped a knife and it stuck into my foot.

Relating it to a monster will not curry favor-the exposed nature of the bike is *not* functional. Drive one from one end of the country to the other and you'll beg for fairings. You'll also need two sets of tires and a service.

And as has been said, the purpose of them is to provide *some* protection while allowing feet to do what they were designed to do - root our legs to the earth, feel out the ground, power through a stride, climb a wall, whatever.

No doubt you could get callouses, but that's a fairly unreasonable demand in our concrete jungle where you'd be kicked out of your job if you were barefoot all the time (which you'd have to be to "man up" to get functional callouses).  These "shoes" help instantly provide us a substitute for these callouses.  Why is that a bad thing? 

I maintain the amount of protection those offer would be no better in a concrete jungle than going barefoot, except perhaps to give one a false sense of security. I wouldn't want to step on anything sharp with those on, nor be anywhere crowded for some overweight nasty construction worker in boots to see those ridiculous things and step on my foot on purpose just to make a point.


In other news they make crocs look good-seriously, those are fugly.

[ROBsS4R]

I think the Vibram's has its useful applications.

I can Imagine the extra dexterity you could get from them for rock climbing compared to a conventional rock climbing shoe.

Like I mentioned before every shoe has its purpose such as a heavy soled, thick leather's boot protects you on a motorcycle ride perhaps a form fitting extremely light shoe with more natural articulation will be better for certain activity's.

[DCXCV]

I think the Vibram's has its useful applications.

I can Imagine the extra dexterity you could get from them for rock climbing compared to a conventional rock climbing shoe.

Um, yeah, no.  There are a few guys who climb barefoot.  On really hard, very thin crack climbs I've heard of taking the shoes off to jam the toes into the cracks (yes, those would be toe jams) but I'd much rather athletic tape my toes for such a venture than wear these things.  And for most technical climbing, climbing shoes would be sure to outperform these. 

I thought it couldn't get weirder than people who wear sandals and toe socks.  I stand corrected.  Have fun being a hobbit, though.

[ROBsS4R]

Of course I am being devils advocate here 

So why don't people ride with mittens over the creepy gloves that actually show your fingers?

I think people think they are creepy because we are not use to them just like mittens look strange on people etc.

These add additional protection that just going barefoot and also maintain some dexterity or articulation of your feet.

[slowpoke13]

I have them - I like them. I don't care what others say. They're comfortable, they breath, I wear them in and out of water. I don't wear them on ship where safety toes are required.

People complaining about them have likely never worn them. Their opinion is then limited to what they think they would be like and the aesthetics of them. If they don't like them based on that, so be it.

[GAAN]

Didn't even think of that. That's a good example of a double standard. Of course you have more mobility, feeling, articulation with gloves than mittens. Why wouldn't that be the same for these new style of shoes 

i think you would actually

but

I think it would take some time to regain the mobility and strength of your toes

[justin]

Yeah, they are. Calluses get built up over a lifetime. Starting on them as an adult does not work well. I've known people to try it, specifically peace corps workers in third world countries (the locals do it-why not me?) it never worked out well.

So you're arguing that unless you've been building up callouses for your entire life, you can't possibly build them up now?  Sure, callouses take time, but by the same argument, no one could play guitar unless they were playing since they were a baby.  Reality is that you can get functional callouses on your fingers from playing guitar in a couple weeks.  Why would feet be any different?

Feeling good does not mean it is good. Three drinks make me feel powerful and mobile, still doesn't mean I should be in public like that. As far as feeling "connected" I haven't a clue what you're talking about. I feel connected just fine in shoes, and the first job I had (on a boat) let us go barefoot, so I went barefoot half the year until my early twenties. The only "connection" I felt when barefoot was when one of the other mates dropped a knife and it stuck into my foot.

You're saying that the good feeling you get b/c your feet are empowered from being *unencumbered* is equivalent to drinking booze, and thus it is suspect as far as being good?

I'm curious what you do in your shoes.  Is it complex movement?  Do you weight-lift? Sprint? Jog? Do martial arts? Hike? 

You seem awfully convinced that there is no place for being barefoot in our modern day.  The only reasoning I can see for your argument is aesthetics (these things are ugly) and protection (they don't provide any).

The former argument is a non-sequitur if you value function over form.  The latter argument is false: these provide some protection from the ground - not unlike the seasoned callouses that are apparently unattainable by adult humans.  To the extent that they don't provide protection, that is arguably one of the reasons they are valuable -- less protection means more awareness.  More awareness means less injury.

Really, they are trying to strike a balance between minimalism and protection.  It's a niche, for sure, but a pretty useful one.

In short, I think slowpoke hit the nail on the head with the numerous naysayers here:

People complaining about them have likely never worn them. Their opinion is then limited to what they think they would be like and the aesthetics of them.

Interestingly enough, I know a great deal of people who laughed/pointed on first appraisal of fivefingers -- and now they own them and think they are the best thing since sliced bread.

[DCXCV]

More awareness means less injury.

That's true, but...

The latter argument is false: these provide some protection from the ground - not unlike the seasoned callouses that are apparently unattainable by adult humans.  To the extent that they don't provide protection, that is arguably one of the reasons they are valuable -- less protection means more awareness. 

That's funny.