My New Vibrams

It never took much to convince me to splurge on a new pair of shoes. All of my prized zapatos are stored in their boxes free from dust, out of reach from mom's little shoelace-chewing walrus I guess they call a cat, but mainly because for some reason pulling the shoes out of their original box invokes that initial feeling of giddiness when you first bought them. I like that feeling.
But now, I have to admit, I get more excitement from opening a box of new running shoes or the newest Nike Dri-fit 'technology' compression apparel or athletic socks than I do about Aldo pumps or Sephora splurges. I feel sexiest in my workout garb, not my Bebe dresses.
Notice I said 'feel' sexiest...not look sexiest...case in point, my new Vibram Five Fingers Komodo Sport shoes...

Very primal eh!! And no shoelaces for the damn cat to chew off! These new kicks are so comfy! I wore them for a couple days at work where I'm pretty sedentary. It was like walking around in thick socks. My first WOD included an 800 meter run and my ankles took a beating. I assume it's due to the minimal ankle support and the fact that you're forced to use more muscles, and use them differently, than with conventional shoes. Matt said 800 meters would be the max distance when I start running with them, but to progress from there.
I do notice a difference when lifting in them. I feel a lot more stable and when I correct my form, such as applying more weight on the outside of my feet, I feel a bigger difference. It's not that the shoes are providing the better form, but they allow me to better differentiate when I'm in correct vs incorrect form.
So far so good for WODs and lifting. Running is a work in progress. I thought maybe a good next step would be to wear them at the hospital for a weekend where I'm more active, transporting and lifting patients and equipment. By Saturday night my calves were slightly sore, but by no means did it limit mobility. Sunday was a different story. Calves were shot! They felt 5 times bigger, I was limping and nearly giving out when I got up to walk. Monday's WOD entailed box jumps, I skipped it. It took about 3 days for them to feel normal again.
So I think I can safely say that these kicks are no gimmick, they definitely have a beneficial purpose plus they're uber comfy, my bunions don't hurt and, frankly, I think they look cool too. I just need to practice navigating the bigger big toe. I've had a couple failed box jumps.