Footwear!!!!!

Most of you know that I just purchased a pair of Vibram FiveFinger shoes. They are so flipping awesome, I can hardly contain myself typing this out. I love them. Love them. Love them! They are really creepy looking, but they sure are comfortable. I was apprehensive about trying them because I cannot stand those socks that have the individual toes. Those things drive me crazy. We took a trip out to a local store here so I could try them out and see what they would be like.

I tried on a few sizes and thought I was on the right track with the correct size when a Vibram-loving salesman approached. He checked them out and said I needed to go smaller. I thought I needed bigger, but what in the heck do I know about these things? Nothing. Not a thing. I slip into the smaller size and Tyson thoroughly enjoyed this shopping trip because I was jumping around as high and as hard as I could in these shoes. He did, too. He actually wanted to put the shoes that I had on on his feet. He kept saying in his nicest, non-whiny voice, "mommy, my turn, please?"

As I was jumping around, I asked the guy if it was weird that I felt like I could jump higher in these shoes. He said, no, not weird at all. Yesssssssss!

I have worked out barefoot for quite some time. Our basement is carpeted and it makes it really difficult to move with ease with tennies on. Also, in working out with TurboFire, I need a cross trainer or something that has more support on the sides to keep my feet from sliding around in the shoes. I enjoy working out barefoot, I feel like I can move better. The only complaint about that is when doing Burpees or even push-ups, it is really hard to keep your feet from sliding. I've avoided injuring my shoulders up until recently when I felt something pull in my right shoulder. I've tried doing TurboFire on a yoga mat, but the mat gets bunched up and I end up spending more time fixing it than actually doing what I should be doing.

As I was talking to this knowledgeable gentleman about Vibrams, he shared that even as an avid runner, he has had the same pair since 2007. The only thing that he really mentioned as a negative was that his smelled even after washing them as he uses scent-free detergent. Otherwise, they are his favorites. He said that because there isn't really anything to break down on the shoes, they can last a really long time. He said the only things you might see after a lot of wear, are the soles wearing out or the fabric wearing thin. Another cool thing about these shoes is they are MACHINE WASHABLE! How cool is that?! I know, a lot of shoes CAN be washed in the washer, but mine always end up mangled and never quite the same.

I purchased the shoes and returned home and put them on to wear around the house. I knew I was falling in love. That evening, I tried them out with TurboFire for the first time. It was harmonious. It was me, Chalene and my new shoes. My feet were so happy. The Vibrams were better than I expected!!!! I found myself slightly bummed because I didn't get them sooner. I think I would have gotten more out of my workouts if I had purchased them sooner. They were that good. It was like my feet were being hugged the entire time I was working out. No foot pain and I was able to move easily. It was a great boost to have something new to incorporate into my workout.

I know friends who have these shoes and love them as deeply as I do. My shoes will never see the outdoors as they are purely my workout shoes. The salesman gave me a brochure on training your feet and stride to run in the Vibrams. I actually read it. Makes complete sense. Maybe one day I will return to running every so often, but for now, I will hold my new shoes hostage in the basement.

Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you going to Google what these shoes look like, until next time...