Gym Nazi Defense 101: Unbanning Your Vibram FiveFingers From Your Local Gym

My name is Patrick McGinley and I have been a member of the *GYM* for many years. First and foremost, I want to thank you for providing a terrific community that promotes healthy living. I love the *GYM*, its programs, the staff and members.

However, as of late, I have been getting negative feedback regarding my choice in footwear.

The shoes in question are VibramFiveFingers. From this point on, I will refer to the shoes as VFF. Indeed they are odd, but after closer inspection, it is clear that they are as safe as traditional shoes. I am willing to provide some research and facts for this basis:

As per the OSHA standard, ANSI performance criteria, and ASTM performance requirements – “Each affected employee shall wear protective footwear when working in areas where there is a danger of foot injuries due to falling or rolling objects, or objects piercing the sole, and where such employee’s feet are exposed to electrical hazards.”

1. The assumption that a traditional running shoe is “safer” than the VFF is, at best, flawed. Firstly, no shoe manufacturer in its right mind will claim that its shoes offer any sort of significant protection outside of blister/callus or wart protection unless it is of ANSI standard. There is no middle ground (More to come on that later). A 50-pound dumbbell being dropped from a height of 2-3 feet onto a foot clad in a running shoe will inflict just as much damage as a foot clad in VFF. There is no special property of regular shoe fabrics that invokes a strong resistance against weight being dropped on it. If the aim of the *GYM* is to prevent injury in the (rare) case of a weight being dropped on a foot, then it will be necessary to outlaw any regular running shoe. In fact, to prevent such injuries from occurring, it will be necessary to amend *GYM* policy to state that only ANSI-certified, and OSHA-compliant, shoes can be worn in the weight training area. This means everyone would be required to wear steel-toed shoes – a bit ridiculous, and even more so than wearing VFF.

Here are some fabric measurements of VFF compared to a popular running shoe, the New Balance 615:
-VFF: At its thickest, near the entry point of the foot, the thickness of the fabric is about 3 millimeters. Its thinnest point is roughly 2 millimeters, which covers the rest of the foot. Taking into account the Velcro strap across the bridge of the foot, the maximum thickness comes to about 1.1 centimeters.
-New Balance 615: At its thickest (top of the tongue + laces), the fabric covering the foot is in the neighborhood of 1.4 cm. Elsewhere on the top of the shoe, especially at the toe, the thickness of the fabric is closer to 4 millimeters. This difference in material between the 615 and VFF is trivial considering it is simply fabric.
For posterity, let’s also assume socks are worn in both cases (yes, there are socks designed for the VFF). It’s a wash, as both sets of socks measure out to a thickness of 3-4 millimeters.

Another important point that I can agree with is wearing closed toed shoes while lifting. VFF once again fall into this category. Vibram has developed the FiveFingers brand as an athletic shoe, markets the FiveFingers as an athletic shoe, assembles the FiveFingers as an athletic shoe, sells the FiveFingers as an athletic shoe, and intends the FiveFingers to be worn as athletic shoe. From the VibramFiveFingers website, these shoes are designed for running, fitness training, CrossFit, trekking, bouldering, travel, and water sports. Its various cousin shoes are designed for similar exploits, including martial arts, yoga, boating, kayaking, and the list grows from there. Also, it is plainly seen just by looking at the FiveFingers that they are close-toed; sure, each toe has its own enclosure, but each toe is enclosed. As such, all the VFF shoe types are close-toed athletic shoes; thus, they meet *GYM* standards.

2. Another potential concern is the belief that the FiveFingers shoes can slip off like slippers. This, while an adequate concern, is incorrect. Each and every VFF shoe has a method by which the shoe is secured to the foot. The Classic and Moc are secured via an elastic cord. The Sprint is secured via a Velcro strap and two heel straps and so on.

3. Yet another objection would be the soles of the FiveFingers shoes. Each variety of the VFF has a sole of Vibram TC-1 performance rubber, razor-sipped for flexibility and slip resistance. This offers grip and stability on par with typical athletic shoes; in the case of making cuts on a basketball court, I’ve experienced even higher grip from VFF than from regular shoes. Yet again, this objection falls by the wayside.

4. In fact, wearing VibramFiveFingers shoes falls perfectly in line with the supposed ideals of the *GYM*. The soles of VFF are designed to follow the contour and shape of the human foot, allowing the foot to move naturally. The sole, combined with the toe pockets, work to strengthen and stretch muscles within the foot that are oft-neglected when in regular athletic shoes. Balance, proprioception, agility, and strength are all improved when the VFF are worn over a long period of time. Furthermore, wearing VFFs put the body in a more natural body posture when performing lifts on one’s feet (e.g., deadlift, squat, standing military/DB press, lunges). The heels are not off the ground. Force is not dissipated through a heavy rubber sole (which inhibits incorporation of the feet). The sole and structure of regular athletic shoes actually results in instability during the middle of a set. With the feet off the ground, they are more prone to move; being closer to the ground (ideally, right against the ground) allows for a more solid base, again leading to a reduced chance of injury. Thus, wearing typical “athletic” shoes actually increases the chance of injury due to the fact that these shoes throw the human body out of its natural alignment. So, to prohibit VFF from the *GYM* would result in going against the *GYM*’s professed goals and mission!

I know this may seem like a frivolous request, but to me it is not. I was born with a minor case of scoliosis – which would give me back pain. These shoes eradicated years of back pain and gave me better posture. They also increased physical foot strength and balance on a noticeable level. I will never go back to traditional fitness shoes. Other *GYMS*s I have visited welcome VFFs, even an Air Force gym where they are predictably very strict on rules and regulations. Fitness associations for kettlebells, running, pilates and so on support the use of VFF as well.

Every other staff member has been inquisitive and interested in VFFs. I have not had any problems with other staff members – some are even curious where to get them. I am not looking for an apology nor to stir up problems – I just want to enjoy the gym I love with my shoes without being hassled. I don’t want to have to find another community. Thanks for taking the time to listen and I look forward to your response.