Primary links
According to Footwear News Readers' Choice poll, the most influential shoe of 2011 was none other than the not-really-a-shoe-at-all barefoot running sneaker. Hmm. Not only this, but the voters believe that the FiveFinger running shoe will experience a strong climb in popularity in 2012.
Barefoot running is very much in vogue presently. The alternative to running completely barefoot is to wear minimalist running shoes. The trend perhaps started with the release of the book ‘Born to Run’ by Christopher McDougall. In it, he tells of time spent with Mexico's Tarahumara tribe who can run huge distances barefoot, apparently without suffering the injuries that plague many keen runners in the developed world (reminds me of my painful shins today which halted my run). There are two sides of the argument; some say barefoot runners use their muscles more effectively, but it doesn’t keep your manicure looking nice.
VIBRAM FiveFinger (why not FiveToes?) running shoes are what all the celebs are wearing. Scarlet Johansson was seen jogging along in them in Malibu (hers were pink and grey). VIBRAM actually has a long history, dating back to 1936, but the FiveFinger shoes were launched in 2005. The shoes are lightweight and flexible, following the shape of your foot to individually hug each toe. They promise to deliver all of the benefits of barefoot running with less risk of injury, i.e. you won’t chip your nail polish. The innovative design means that you can wear them for running, trekking, watersports and even for yoga.
Other brands have caught on; the Adidas adiPURE trainer for example costs less than £90. The Vibram FiveFinger is available in a range of colours and styles, but is it really the most influential shoe of 2011? The most innovative, I’ll give you that.
