Why doesn't Vibram Five Fingers sponsor an elite marathoner?

I agree with Stipe.

The shoes already sell well and have gotten lots of publicity--the "money-can-buy-you-this-kind-of-publicity"...first through barefoot advocates on web, McDougall's book, Dan Lieberman/Harvard barefoot study and and through mainstream media.

If I were Vibram CEO my thinking would go like this: The going is already good. What if Vibram sponsors an elite athlete and s/he gets injured or bombs in a big way? Major setback. People would blame the shoes for the injury. Too big a risk.

They already have a grassroots marketing campaign that works. Why mess with a good thing?

Because every candidate they have tried to track down has been too busy reading "Born To Run" in the waiting room while visiting the orthopedic for muscular/skeletal problems from running "free".

It was stated by a few people that Five Fingers weren't meant to be running shoes. They're for hiking, going into rivers/lakes, climbing, or doing any other activity outside, usually on grass. It would be absurd to run a road marathon in them. Our feet weren't meant to run on concrete and most people don't think about that before they hop on the bandwagon with them. They're stupid and deserve their injuries.

Having said that, I love my Five Fingers and use them to SUPPLEMENT my running to help strengthen my feet and lower legs. In 3 months of wearing them AS MY NORMAL SHOES, NOT RUNNING SHOES, my posture improved so much that I grew an inch. Something must have become stronger in order for that to happen. I wasn't doing core or lifting at the time so I attribute it to wearing my Five Fingers.

If you have trails and grass to run on in them, go for it. Be careful about how much you run in them. I love running barefoot on nice SOFT grass fields. I also like running in my Five Fingers on FIELDS, not roads. As has been stated before, they weren't meant to be running shoes but people looking for an easy way to try and get fast picked them up and made them out to be like steroids. They got a lot of attention because there are waaay more slow people than fast people out there. Also, after a week or two most people prefer them to normal shoes.

I haven't had an injury since I started wearing them and I used to be injury prone. My team mates that try to run on the roads in them have several foot and knee issues and don't understand why they're Five Fingers seem to have failed them. I hate being able to say "I told you so" to them while they're sitting in the rehab room.

All-in-all, it's the people who get overzealous with them and get injured that make them look bad. Personally, I think they're a great tool to help supplement your running.

"Hey! Lay off my Vibrams! For one thing, I happen to like having hobbit feet. And for another thing, who gives a damn what they look like when they make your calves look like this??"

Priceless. Should post this on the Runner's World forum and hear all the nods of agreement.

Passlevard wrote:

Depends on what you mean. Elites have been training in flats for decades. Does that count as a wacky shoe fad?

No. Flats are not a wacky shoe fad. They are fairly normal as far as shoes go.

Is the problem people have with these shoes with barefoot running in general? With the fad? With the actual shoes? Or what...?

As a rule, most of us here get upset when other runners get more attention than us (ultrarunners, barefoot runners, etc.)

Al Bundy wants his cut!!!

They stole his idea from God!

http://birthdayshoes.com/media/blogs/bdayshoes/al_bundy_gods_shoes.jpg

Yes, I found the whole episode!!!

Who knew what turned out to be a joke on Married With Children would get popular with some running loons! Al Bundy was 19 years ahead of his time!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ash2Rzw_XlQ

Vibram is a jogger's (ultra-runner's) shoe. You can't thunder down the road at 60 second quarter pace in those, but maybe if you do your speed workouts in grass - which is probably not a bad thing.

My problem is mostly with the shoes. Its an interesting idea, but they're extremely ugly, they're heavy, they're no good for anything faster than a jog, and do nothing that a pair of racing flats can't.

I can't tell you how many 30 and 40something shufflers I have seen slapping around in these ridiculous contraptions. Why anyone would want to run barefoot on pavement is beyond me. We were designed to run barefoot before concrete was invented.

Are people not getting it?

VIBRAM IS NOT A RUNNING SHOE COMPANY!

THEY ARE A RUBBER COMPANY!

Why would a rubber company sponsor a runner? Running shoe companies sponsor runners.

If vibram wanted to get into the sponsorship game I think they would be better served by going to the local running heroes and doing small sponsorships. Have someone running in your shoes that can place in small to mid size races, and lives in the community and knows the locals. The word of mouth (or foot) would generate a kind of 'grassroots marketing' that seems to be what is driving the sales anyway.

Who designed us to run barefoot before concrete was invented. Was it our Intelligent Designer? Was it the process of evolution? Please, tell me.

Has anyone seen anyone "fast" running in these? I've only seen plodders in them.

Ummm.....ever heard of Barefoot Ted?

f10key wrote:

Ummm.....ever heard of Barefoot Ted?

Yep...plodder

lol!

I love all the hate these things get.

I've run 15 low and 31 high in these things and have been known to do some speedwork on the pavement while wearing them.

Granted it took a long ass time to get used to them and now by biggest problem is the chafing from the material on the sides of my feet. It is possible and comfortable to wear these things (after the half-dollar size callouses solidify on your heel).

I have gotten plenty of weird looks, but also a lot of "damn those things are awesome" from people. More than you plodders will ever get.