Monday, September 28, 2009

My favorite garden shoes



Yes, they look funny. But they feel wonderful! These "foot gloves" are called Vibram Five Fingers. After wearing these in the garden for a weekend, I bought a second pair in black to wear outside of the garden (and even to work!).

While most shoes cushion you and keep you from feeling the ground underneath, the VFFs are the next best thing to being barefoot. I love walking in the grass with them: I can feel every bump and every soft spot where the voles have been aerating the back yard. And when they're dirty, I just hose them off and let them dry (they're machine washable, too).

Interestingly enough, there is NO support in these shoes. And what is so strange is that they're the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. I've had to wear orthotics for the last 10 years, but have actually been able to walk around in these with little trouble, and I haven't worn my orthotics for weeks, even in my normal shoes.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I have seen someone jogging i the downtown St. Louis area wearing a pair of shoes like those. I have recently heard (but cannot cite sources) that research is beginning to show the negative impact soled shoes have on our feet and bodies. So, whee do I find a pair of those?

angie said...

Hi Ryan. I got mine at the Alpine Shop in Kirkwood. I think they (along with their Chesterfield store) are the only ones in the area who carry them. I bought a second pair online at Travelcountry.com.

Angie