Living Barefoot: Fila Skele-toe Shoes

The advantage of barefoot shoes: lightweight on your back bones, hips, knees and ankles (less joint pains).  Your posture changes for the better.  We are supposed to walk by hitting our midsection feet (whatever that is called), not from our heels to our front toes.

"They found, to their surprise, that the impact on the knees was 12 percent less when people walked barefoot than it was when people wore the padded shoes."You Walk Wrong", New York Magazine, April 2008.

And I've always love to walk around barefoot in the house.  I've tried outside but some things on the ground feel so gross underneath my feet such as someone's phlegm, dog's poop and nails.  So I've decided to buy barefoot shoes to replace my shoes in a very slow pace because they're expensive!  I've always want to own Vibram Five Fingers shoes.  See image below.

Vibram Five Fingers Komodosport.

Photo credit by http://www.livingbarefoot.info/

I've tried on different types of Vibram Five Fingers shoes but I couldn't get both of my feet in.  I get frustrated because I feel I'm being discriminated against because I have "deformed toes".  I have Morton's toes. 

photo credit by http://randomtn.blogspot.com

I think my Morton's toe is not that serious compared to other Morton's toes I've seen.  It's only half inch taller than my big toe but it does make a big difference.  It also mean that the shoes will not fit my feet accurately.

But my Morton's toe is not what is stopping me from owning Vibram Five Fingers shoes.  It's the overlapping toes (the last two) on my left foot.

photo credit by http://www.yourfoothealth.com

 I've been reading Birthday Shoes blog and found out that Fila also make barefoot shoes.  I came across this product:

Fila Skele-toe.  Photo credit by http://www.livingbarefoot.info

The difference is that it's four toes shoes, not five and my overlapping toes can slide into it without any struggle.  These shoes are designed for running and hiking. And it's cheap.  I save $50-$60 dollars buying Skele-toe shoes compared to Vibram Five Fingers. 

I love them!  My feet feel so much happier.  I also bought five toes socks.  I actually feel barefoot walking in them.  Right now, they have upgraded these shoes with better design and colors; for example:

Skele-Toes shoes by Fila.

Unless Vibram Five Fingers will create its new Four Fingers, I'll be with Fila all the way.  The next dream barefoot shoes I want to own:

Skele-toes Bay Runner

And...

New Balance Newsky shoes.  Photo credit by Birthday Shoes

I've created my first 2012 resolution: replace shoes with barefoot shoes.  And the shoes I have, I pledge to donate them to people who have no shoes!