I don’t know what has happened most when I’ve slipped into the Vibram shoes I use for running.  Staring, pointing & laughing, people asking each other instead of me what kind of shoes I have on or those who come up to me and ask about the shoes I’m wearing.  The largest portions mainly just stare.  Some have a blank look on their face, others show a smile or start laughing and look to see if I’ve noticed they’re gawking at my feet. 
I questioned these shoes prior to purchasing too.  I wanted a light shoe but this seemed ridiculous.  To purchase a “shoe” that looked like something you’d wear to bed.  You surely can use them while you sleep if you would like to, I know I have done it.  I wore them in the shower once, on concrete, grass, sand, gravel, mud, tar, wood…well, pretty much anything.  I use the Vibram Five Fingers for running.  I use them during my training which includes running, walking, biking, kettle bell training, boxing and a few other things.  Whether I’m on a treadmill, on a track or a football field, they feel so good.  They’re the most comfortable feel I’ve ever had for a shoe.   I have been asked several questions about them so I figured I'm post a quick blog of questions that have been the main focus when people see me walking or standing in these crazy looking ( and to some, UGLY) shoes.  Enjoy!

What’s so special about them?
They make you feel like you’re bare foot.  Like your feet are free to do what they want, where ever they are.  It doesn’t matter if you’re on grass or on a hard surface, they feel so natural on your foot that it makes standing, walking, running and any other physical activity more enjoyable.   Plus they force you to run on the balls of your feet.  Right below the big toe, on the bottom of your foot there’s a round part that looks like a ball before your foot starts to arch.  Once your foot strikes the ground around that area instead of your heel, it will trigger muscles around the ankle & calves that will put less pressure on your knees and help strengthen your legs, feet and toes so your knees don’t take so much punishment when you do physical activity.  After your foot strikes, the Vibrams will force your toes to do more work compared to a regular shoe too, as they’re spread out instead of being packed into a tight shoe giving them the freedom to individually strengthen by using a clawing motion.  The best way to describe this is like this:  try grabbing a baseball with your hand but don’t spread your fingers when you grab it.  Grasp it as hard as you can with your fingers close together.  Don’t let them separate!  Now release and try it again, this time grasping as hard as you can like you normally would a baseball with all of your fingers.  Spread them out as far as you want or even just a little bit.  Easier to grip the ball, isn’t it?  The easier it is for your toes to grip when you come down with each step, the easier it makes it on the rest of your body in the long run.   
Don’t they hurt your feet when you run?
If they did, I wouldn’t use them.  If a chair hurt your butt that you sat on at work or at home, would you keep sitting on it?  Of course not.  At least I’d hope not!  
What are the benefits of wearing them?
They improve your mechanics.  Your balance, your foot strength, your nerve signals to the rest of your body.  They strengthen everything from your big toe where your balance is established, to your knees.  The thing I’ve noticed the most strengthening in is my toes, ankles and calves. 
How much do they cost?
It depends on what kind you get.  The main pair I have are the KSO’s and I just recently purchased a pair of Treks too.  They range anywhere from $55-110 depending on the style.
What are they like compared to a regular “running shoe”?
To me this is a regular running shoe.  Okay, let me re-word that…it’s a natural running shoe.  They’ve got specific types for outdoorsy running/hiking/trail walking, ones specific for running and distance exercise then others just for your own personal comfort to wear around the house, swimming, biking or any other activity.  To compare them to shoes you may be more familiar with, they force you to work your legs from below the knees, lessening the pressure put on your joints.  The easiest way to describe it is they make you run on the part of your foot that buldges out by your big toe (the ball of your foot).  Your foot will land on the ground a little bit close to the arch or middle of your foot, while going forward will roll off the ball of your foot, forcing your toes (which are separated with the five fingers shoe) to do the grasping motion that I mentioned earlier.  Your big toe which is the main stay for your balance will be forced to push down and activate the muscles in your feet that don’t normally work as hard in a running shoe with a lot of cushion.  In turn, your foot will strengthen.  You can compared it to a bench press work out for your upper body.  If you do steady work outs on the bench, your chest will increase muscle mass if done right.  After using these Vibrams for a little over a year now for walking, running and other recreation I’ve noticed my feet actually bulking up.  Yes, that was my goal, to make my feet just ripped!  I actually thought they were swollen one day when I looked at them.  They’re not really big, but I can definitely see and feel the difference in strength just while walking in a casual shoe.  My balance has improved and even my posture.  Every muscle from my big toe up to my calves have strengthened.  Probably the most important one that a lot of people ask about support for: the ankle.  By strengthening your ankle, you won’t need as much support around it.  And honestly, your chances of spraining your ankle are the same if not better by wearing a shoe with a larger sole that provides a lot of support for each step.  Think about it this way…what has a better chance of rolling – a Corvette or a van?  The Vette is very low to the ground, the van is higher up.  A quick jerk of the wheel will roll that top heavy van much quicker than the Vette.  The lower your feet to the ground (closer to the ground) the less the chance of rolling or spraining your ankle, unless you’re really clumsy.  The other way I've compared these to shoes with the extra cushioning is like this...the kind of shoe I had before was Asics.  Great running shoe for sure!  The padding under the sole under your heel is pretty thick.  Unless you tell yourself to make sure your strike the ground with each step on the middle of your foot instead of using that leverage provided, that padding will hit first.  It is close enough to the heel that it could (but not always) cause a quick shock to the knee before it bends to move you forward with the step.  At least that's what I noticed when I transitioned to the Vibram.  And it made sense.  Maybe it doesn't feel that bad right away or not at all for you, but that added pressure on your knee could lead to something down the road.  I wanted to take a chance on gaining strength in my feet, ankle & calves instead of risking knee problems, especially since I do a fair amount of running.
The hardest surface to run on is gravel.  When you hit big or sharp rocks, you can feel them, especially if you’re going a decent pace.   Walking you don’t feel them as much and you have more time to react so the impact isn’t so stressful on the foot and nerves. 

I just had a conversation with a couple salesmen at a sporting good store down in Fargo while purchasing some Vibrams.  About the benefits and how quick they’ve been selling.  They told me when they first came out, they couldn’t even give these shoes away.  They had them marked down to under $30!  I asked if they would allow that for me this time around, they both just laughed.  Supply & demand, we learned that in high school when it comes to retail.  If something works, people will pay for it to reap the benefits.  I’m glad I took a chance on these shoes, I won’t go back to anything else when it comes to running.