I spoke briefly on the Vibram Five Fingers a while back when I was going through a list of dragon boating equipments. These shoes, designed for simulating barefoot walking, has sparked lots of buzz in the Hong Kong sports community here, here and here. Looking different from your normal sneakers, not only is it comfortable, it also gives you the ability to fully ground yourself on every toe. Let's see what a pair of Vibram Five Fingers can replace in your shoes cabinet.
Yoga Socks
So you need yoga socks to get a grip in a session of sweaty and slippery hot yoga? Vibram Five Fingers is designed with yoga in mind, so you can practice not only in a well-equipped studio, but also in the middle of nowhere and without a mat.
Running Trainers
The original discussion on Vibram Five Fingers started between the runners, and no matter how bare Nike claims to be, it can't beat Vibram Five Fingers. The running community now has a huge debate on how running barefoot is much better for us because humans are designed to land on the balls of our feet, and sneakers make us do just the opposite.
Water Shoes
Obviously I use Vibram Five Fingers for dragon boat paddling, but more commonly it is used for surfing, sailing and kayaking. Normal water shoes usually have lots of gap in it and let sand in, but Vibram Five Fingers is rather tightly fitted, so this situation doesn't happen as often.
Hiking Boots
Vibram supplies shoe soles for hiking boots too, and I haven't figured out which one is better yet. What I can say is you can hike with your Vibram Five Fingers, so if you don't have any hiking boots and don't hike often enough to justify the investment of one, you can get away with hiking on these.
