I love my FiveFinger shoes!

I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now and I’m finally getting around to it. A few months ago I got the Vibram FiveFingers from REI. I love them! They are so comfortable that I don’t want to wear anything else. I don’t care how weird they look with my nice skirt.

I saw a blog post about them and thought they looked so cool and that I had to have some. Of course, I then realized that I couldn’t afford them so I forgot about them. Thankfully, I got some gift money and was at Fred Meyer’s looking for a few different pairs of shoes – some new flip flops, sandals and water socks – and then I had a flash of genius. I should get those funky toe shoes! Then I’d only have one new pair of shoes instead of 3. Sold!

I headed on over to REI as soon as I could and bought some. The last pair in my size. And they had a defect. Bummer. REI has incredible customer service, though, and they ordered me another pair right away and I received them 5 days before I was supposed to. Thanks REI!

Thankfully while I was there I got a membership. It’s $20 and lasts a lifetime, and you get cash back on purchases. I signed up because they told me that I would get a year to return my shoes. One whole year to try them and if I hated them, I could bring them back. Sweet deal if you ask me, especially since I did end up wearing them and bringing them back. And REI Members get free shipping on orders $75 or more. Bonus!

Since they are so different from other shoes, I had to train my toes to go in the shoes. Sounds weird, but if you get some, you’ll know what I mean. They suggest wearing them about 15 minutes a day or so for a week and gradually increasing your wear so you can get used to them.

I’m impatient so I wore them a bit more. The toe pain went away after a week and a half. And now I am in love.

Vibram’s FiveFinger shoes have some other great features, other than being cool to look at. (As a side note, it’s nice to have people comment on something other than all my kids). Here’s a list of the benefits, taken from Vibram’s website. If you do buy these shoes, make sure they’re the real deal. Apparently there are some not-so-good fakes out there.

“6 Reasons to Wear Vibram FiveFingers:
1. Strengthens Muscles in the Feet and Lower Legs – wearing FiveFingers will stimulate and strengthen muscles in the feet and lower legs, improving general foot health and reducing the risk of injury.

2. Improves Range of Motion in Ankles, Feet and Toes – no longer ‘cast’ in a shoe, the foot and toes move more naturally.

3.Stimulates Neural Function Important to Balance and Agility – when wearing Vibram FiveFingers, thousands of neurological receptors in the feet send valuable information to the brain, improving balance and agility.

4. Improves Proprioception and Body Awareness – those same neurological receptors heighten body awareness, sending messages about body mechanics, form, and movement.

5. Eliminates Heel Lift to Align the Spine and Improve Posture – By lowering the heel, our bodyweight becomes evenly distributed across the footbed, promoting proper posture and spine alignment.

6. Allows the Foot and Body to Move Naturally, Which Just FEELS GOOD.”

I’ve had pain in the back of my heels for years and it went away after wearing these shoes for a week. One week! I wish I had known about them years ago.

So far I’ve used them for walking, jogging and going to the lake. I didn’t take them on our hike in June  but will definitely take them next time. I love, love, love these shoes!

*If you use my link to purchase your very own sweet Vibram FiveFinger shoes, I’ll get a commission. Just thought you should know.

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This post was written by

Nina Nelson – who has written 203 posts on Shalom Mama.

Nina Nelson is a freelance writer, mama to four and wife to one. She writes regularly about minimalism, living more sustainably and living more intentionally. She loves reading, snuggling and giggling at miniature horses.

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