Earlier this year at the National Convention for the National Strength and Conditioning Association I saw a guy walking around in shoes that looked like gloves. I didn't get the chance to ask about them, so when I got home I looked them up on the internet.
The shoes are made by Vibram. They are called Five Fingers. They were originally created for water sports, but they now promote them for many outdoor activities including running. I bought mine so I could do sprints in the grass without worrying about stepping on sprinkler heads or dog crap.
Running in the Vibram Five Fingers is like running barefoot. There are many advantages to running barefoot. Running barefoot forces runners to correct certain technical errors. Landing in front of the body is one such error; landing in front of the body is called breaking or over striding. This is hard on your body because every time your feet strike the body (heels, knees, hips, back) absorbs the shock. If you land closer to under the hip and on the ball of the foot (heel low to the ground to the ground to keep the achilles tight) your muscles and tendons will absorb the shock or energy. Muscles and tendons are elastic so they are much better shock absorbers. Barefoot running is also good for balance, and body control. Taking away the shoes forces the foot to actively react to the ground strengthening all the muscles that support the foot and ankle.
