From the Toes of Colbert Posted by Steve on May 21, 2013 No Responses » May 212013 As I’m sure many of our followers noticed, we posted a picture of Stephen Colbert on our Facebook page on Friday of him wearing a pair of Vibram FiveFingers (specifically the EL-X model). Although a funny shot for Colbert, it was actually a pretty exciting moment for us minimalist runners. Regardless of the countless times our “fad” (as Runner’s World recently called it) has been seen on TV, I still get excited when I hear them come up and have to run and look up whoever it is that’s talking about them! Colbert is rocking the EL-X’s because during the interview portion of his show, he sat down with Dr. Daniel Lieberman, an advocate of long distance running, a professor in human evolutionary biology from Harvard University, and a barefoot runner. During the interview, Lieberman shared information about his research on the evolutionary biology of humans. They have found that there are five major things make humans special relative to other mammals (running, walking, chewing, throwing, and sweating), most of which are closely related to why we make the best long-distance runners, and, in many cases, natural hunters. Continue reading “From the Toes of Colbert” » Technorati Tags: barefoot running, ffs, fivefingers, minimalist running, minimalist shoes, Stephen Colbert, Vibram
Topo Athletic Posted by Steve on January 17, 2013 No Responses » Jan 172013 Heads up, readers, Tony Post is back in the shoe game! Before I get ahead of myself, though, and in case you aren’t aware, Tony Post is the original CEO/President/Founder of the Vibram FiveFingers running shoes. Back in July of 2012, Tony made the seemingly spontaneous decision to step down as CEO, and, at the time, he didn’t offer up any idea as to what his next step was going to be. Well, the legend has returned, and he comes bearing gifts. After leaving VFF, Tony took his ideas on the road and has now built a new company under the name “Topo Athletic“. The title of the company is a combination of his first and last name (To=Tony, Po=Post) and, not surprisingly, the shoes have all of the flair and intriguing design elements we would expect from this former Vibram FiveFinger leader. Continue reading “Topo Athletic” » Technorati Tags: minimalist running, minimalist shoes, running shoes, shoe release, Tony Post, Topo, Topo Athletic, Vibram, Vibram FiveFingers
The Vibram Transition: Chapter 7 Posted by Steve on October 26, 2012 1 Response » Oct 262012 Every time I find myself looking over this series, I wonder if we should rename it to something like “minimalist” transition, but instead, we keep this name because there are many notable things that differentiate FiveFingers from the rest of the minimalist shoe lines. So, I wanted to bring some attention to the differences between 5-toed shoes and single toe pocket shoes. In this post, I’ll explain the pros and cons of a shoe with individual toe pockets relative to a single toe pocket shoe design. The Vibram FiveFingers brand prides itself on its unique design, quality materials, and its ability to encourage a natural stride. It does this by providing a very thin sole and a 0mm heel to toe drop; but what is the deal with the toes? Vibram argues that by providing individual toe pockets, your toes are able to work individually, the way they were originally intended to. But, if that’s the case, why are there so many companies touting the single toe box design? Most other minimalist shoe companies provide an extra wide toe box which also allows the toes to splay out their natural way. The question is, who is right? Continue reading “The Vibram Transition: Chapter 7” » Technorati Tags: barefoot running, invisible shoes, minimalist running, minimalist sandals, minimalist shoes, Vibram, Vibram FiveFingers, Vibram transition
Spring/Summer 2013 Vibram FiveFinger Catalog Leaked! Posted by Meagan on July 30, 2012 3 Responses » Jul 302012 Last Wednesday, we were alerted by the Reddit Barefoot Running community that a copy of the Vibram FiveFinger catalog for Spring/Summer 2013 was leaked by an online retailer. As you might expect, there are some very exciting new additions coming to the FiveFinger line-up, some of which we have seen before, and some that are brand new! Because the catalog comes from a Canadian-based retailer, I have reason to suspect that all of these models will be available in North America. Obviously, though, I cannot guarantee that some of these are not Europe-only releases, or that all of them will actually make it to production (next summer is a long time from now!). Disclosures aside, I think the new models represent a great step forward for Vibram and I am thrilled to be able to share details and photos of them after the jump! Continue reading “Spring/Summer 2013 Vibram FiveFinger Catalog Leaked!” » Technorati Tags: barefoot shoes, fivefingers, minimalist shoes, shoe release, spring 2013, summer 2013, toe shoes, Vibram, vibram catalog, Vibram FiveFingers
Vibram FiveFingers Classic: Olympic Edition Posted by Steve on July 17, 2012 No Responses » Jul 172012 With the 2012 Olympics only 10 days away, companies left and right are beginning to release their Olympic-style gear, Olympic branded soft drinks, and Olympic advertisements. This marketing phenomenon reaches our televisions, store shelves, and fast-food restaurants every two years (between the summer and winter games). My celebration of the summer Olympics began with my recent discovery of slow-motion videos showing the amazing running form of Olympians such as Usain Bolt and Greg Nixon. This discovery was soon trumped, however, when I found that Vibram was getting into the game with Olympic flag-style FiveFingers. Vibram chose to represent five flags in the form of an Italian, Australian, British, Dane (Denmark), and American version of the FiveFinger Classics. Even though these shoes are only available for a limited time in the Boston Vibram store, we managed to get our hands on two pairs….more after the break! Continue reading “Vibram FiveFingers Classic: Olympic Edition” » Technorati Tags: fivefingers, FiveFingers Classic, Olympic FiveFingers, olympics, toe shoes, Vibram, Vibram FiveFingers
The Vibram Transition: Chapter 6 Posted by Meagan on June 21, 2012 2 Responses » Jun 212012 The most frequently asked question I get when I wear my Vibram FiveFingers around town is: “Are those actually comfortable?” Of course, my answer is always some variation on “Yes, they’re very comfortable,” and is often followed up by a longer explanation of the benefits of minimalist footwear if the asker is interested to hear more. Obviously, I’m happy to have people ask me about my shoes, because it’s always great to get to spread some of the minimalist shoe gospel–there’s a reason we talk about minimalist shoes on this blog so often! However, I’ve decided that this FAQ is, without a doubt, the most concerning question that I am asked about my shoes and I see it as indicative of our society’s current (but slowly changing!) approach to footwear. Let me explain. Continue reading “The Vibram Transition: Chapter 6” » Technorati Tags: FAQ, fivefingers, minimalist shoes, shoe advice, toe shoes, Vibram, Vibram FiveFingers
Married in a Minimalist Style Posted by Steve on June 11, 2012 1 Response » Jun 112012 We’re back! After two weeks of wedding preparation, our wedding, and our honeymoon, Meagan and Steve are finally back and ready to post. Before we get into all of the things we missed while we were gone, we’d like to fill everyone in on how we celebrated our marriage and how the last two weeks have been influenced by our love for minimalist shoes. As you can tell by the picture on the right, for our wedding, I went with one of my favorite pairs of shoes and rocked the Vibram FiveFingers Speeds, while Meagan found a pair of Merrell Barefoot Life Wonder Gloves that matched perfectly with her dress. The event took place in our current hometown of Madison, WI, where the ceremony was in the Frank Lloyd Wright Unitarian Meeting House and the reception was held in the Overture Center for the Arts. The following photos were taken by our fantastic photographers from Amelia John, Jennifer & Andrew. The night went off without a hitch (or with a hitch, ha…ha….ha…) and we were able to sneak some of our own minimalist surprises into the event. More pictures after the jump! Continue reading “Married in a Minimalist Style” » Technorati Tags: barefoot, Merrell, Merrell Barefoot, Merrell Barefoot Life Wonder Glove, minimalist shoes, shoes, speeds, Vibram, Vibram FiveFingers, wedding
Water, Sun, Fun! – Getting Your Toes Wet Posted by John on June 8, 2012 No Responses » Jun 082012 It was truly a paradise. There we sat at the beachside bar in beautiful Waikiki, fruity drinks in hand as we watched the sun slowly melt into the sea. You could hear the waves gently crashing on shore nearby as ukulele music wafted along with the warm tropical breeze. It couldn’t get any better than this. Then I looked down at my outstretched feet, and smiled as I wiggled my FiveFingered toes. How awesome is this? When I started to pack for my week long adventure in Hawaii, I threw my Vibram Komodo Sport LS’ in more as a workout shoe than anything else. A few early morning runs along the beach would be great, I thought. However, my Vibrams, soon became my best friends in Hawaii due to their versatility and comfort. Continue reading “Water, Sun, Fun! – Getting Your Toes Wet” » Technorati Tags: beach shoes, fivefingers, surfing, toe shoes, vacation shoes, Vibram, Vibram FiveFingers
Vibram Opening First US Store in Boston Posted by Meagan on April 11, 2012 No Responses » Apr 112012 The Vibrams are coming! The Vibrams are coming! To Boston, that is. This Saturday, April 14, Vibram is cutting the ribbon on its first retail store located in the United States. This store is the third exclusive store to be opened by Vibram (the other two are located in Italy and Spain). It will be dedicated to the Vibram FiveFingers, with a major focus on promoting “brand awareness.” Continue reading “Vibram Opening First US Store in Boston” » Technorati Tags: barefoot shoes, fivefingers, minimalist shoes, Vibram, Vibram FiveFingers, Vibram store
Skoras, Altras, and Vibrams, OH MY! Posted by Steve on March 12, 2012 No Responses » Mar 122012 Over the last few weeks, we have encountered a few items that I thought were worth mentioning. More specifically, shoes–some of which we have plans to review, others that we were only able to get a short period of time with, but would love to get our hands on for a more thorough review in the future. I’m not sure if our obsession with shoes (see the picture of our still growing collection on the right for evidence) stems from a way to reduce stress (which is so eloquently presented, below, by the IT Crowd), or if it is just a need to please our followers with endless review material. I’d like to believe it’s the latter option but, like technology, buying a new pair of shoes is both extremely exciting and enjoyable, so I too often find myself feeling excessive amounts of joy upon an impending shoe purchase. Enough about me, though, let’s talk shoes! Continue reading “Skoras, Altras, and Vibrams, OH MY!” » Technorati Tags: Altra, Altra Delilah, barefoot shoes, minimalist shoes, Samson, Skora, Skora Base, Skora Form, Vibram, Vibram FiveFingers, vibram seeya, vibram spyridon ls
