New shoes

I am so excited.  I made a rather impulsive shoe buying decision based on some reports I had seen and the need for new black shoes.  I saw a review on these Vivo Barefoot shoes that are shoes designed to act as if you were barefoot (as they say- "No heel, no midsole, no arch support, no gimmicks! VIVOBAREFOOT helps encourages us to move as million years of evolution intended - barefoot.").  I was intrigued to say the least.  Although the report was about the everyday trainers (which I will purchase if all goes well), I came across the hiking boot and, needing a pair of hiking boots and a pair of black shoes, I thought "I need these!".  It also helped that they were more than half off on Amazon.co.uk because these shoes do not come cheap.

I love being barefoot and always curse Fall and Winter because I have to put on my shoes, but maybe this shoe could change all of that.  Another shoe I wouldn't mind trying is the Vibram Five Fingers shoe (REI here I come, as they are half off the £.  Why are these kind of things 2x more expensive in the UK?):

(aren't these cool?)

I opened the box and my first thought was that they looked like wrestling shoes (or high top jazz shoes).  Upon trying them on, I realized that they were too short by a small amount even though I had bought a size up, so I am getting a larger size.  What I find funny about them is that they are like wearing a pair of Keds or a pair of slippers, the kind of sole that most women who wear flats are used to (but these have a patented puncture proof sole).  The reviews that comment on how you can feel the ground are a bit funny to me, but I suppose if you are used to wearing real hiking boots, manly shoes, or tennis shoes that are all about cushioning, these would be a huge difference.

What I like most is that the top part of the shoe is exactly like a hiking boot.  They have super ankle support and are waterproof.  Though I wouldn't be able to wear these in the filed because they don't have a hard toe, I would wear them hiking.  The fit is amazing, something that is almost impossible for me to find in a hiking shoe because I am wide at the front and narrow at the back.  I think because of the lack of structure in the body of the shoe, it is possible for wide footed people to wear this shoe.

I will let you know how it all works out.

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