| RavenBlog |
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| Comments on Sunday 2 November 2008: |
| About a week ago I finally managed to get my crazy shoes. I was expecting them to maybe be good for climbing, and probably not to be good for running or walking though they were touted as being. But it turns out, the touts were right, these things are awesome for everything. They, as they are supposed to, feel much like being barefoot, very little pressure on the toes (unlike every other shoe ever). About ten steps in to wearing them, I discovered that I've been slamming my left heel a bit when I walk, thus explaining the calf-tendon strain I'd been experiencing. Two days wearing these when I go out, all pain gone. They don't even garner funny looks - I've worn them to the market and to the hardware shop without a second glance. I've worn them in the cold and rain, with no socks, and, yes, my feet were a bit cold, but not noticably colder than they'd have been in boots and socks. And despite the rubberiness, they also breathe better than any shoe I've worn before with the exception maybe of flip-flops. And oh, I stubbed my little toe while wearing them and it was protected. In conclusion, highly recommended for anyone who isn't in a "dropping heavy objects on toes" zone, and whose foot-shape it looks like they could possibly fit. And who wouldn't be too embarrassed to wear them. [10:54] |
| Digi |
| Wow, they really are nice. I'm not sure why you think someone would be embarrassed to wear them. The price is excellent, even when factoring in the weak Pound, but then again there's postage from the States. Where do you recommend buying with GBP? A Shopping search on Google UK, has no results. I've been looking for something like this for quite a while. I had tried to buy some Nike Free 5.0s (http://www.shoebacca.com/nike/free-trainer-5-0-308822-041.html), which have segmented soles, but 3 years ago the shoe-shop guy in London said they were woman's shoes, and I'd never get them in an 11. However, as the URL indicates, he was either untruthful, or Nike have since responded to male interest. In terms of maneuverability, 0 being bare feet, and 10 being Dr. Marten's, how do you rank them? It occurs to me that having molded toes will make wiggling around inside uncomfortably difficult. Has that been an issue? |
| RavenBlack |
| I wasn't able to find the KSO ones in a UK-compatible shop, and they were clearly the ones best suited to me, so I ordered them via a friend. Also, the ones that *are* available in the UK are £80, so even with the weak pound and shipping it's cheaper to buy from the US. The molded toes are fine - the over-part seems to be some sort of lycra-type material, so it fits to your toe (which is handy as my big toes are wider than the model), and the vibram sole is pretty flexible. You can't wiggle around *inside* the shoe, but you can wiggle around *with* the shoe. For maneuverability I'd probably say somewhere below 1 on that scale, if the fit is good. It pretty much is just like having bare feet with tougher less sensitive soles. (And maybe a tiny amount of squeezing if you have wide toes.) |
| Digi |
| Okay, thanks. But how is it you know they are £80 in the UK if you couldn't find them here? |
| RavenBlack |
| I couldn't find the KSO model, the other similar models (in worse colours with no strap) were all about £80. |
| Maven |
| I've never seen these before, but now you've got me interested. I wonder if I would like it for day-to-day walking. I've always had some heel issues. Think they'd help me retrain my walking? Update us sometime on them if you would. |
| RavenBlack |
| Well, as I said, it helped my heel issues very quickly indeed. I guess the question is, how's your walking when you're barefoot in your house? Because it's basically like that. |