My first barefoot running experience this week actually occurred before even trying on my new pair of FiveFingers:  I had just got out of the shower and shamelessly trotted out to meet the UPS man.  He handed me the box, thanked me for remembering to wear a towel, and left likely wondering about the exchange.   I was all smiles and politeness if not appropriately attired.

When I dried off and unboxed my new FiveFingers KSOs I tried to get them on.  And tried.  And tried.  I was actually sweating from the effort and frustration.  Then I looked at the instructions on the inside of the box which cleared things up.  As I mentioned, I bought these online and in a women’s size, as this was the only 42 I could find ANYWHERE.   I tried on a pair of men’s Classic 42’s at REI and they felt a little big, and I read that only the shoe lasts (soles) are a little smaller on the women’s, so I went with them.  (See here.)

They’re a little snug after all.  I wish I read this article before buying. (See Barefoot-running.com.)

So I have a pair that’s not exactly the ideal fit, but I like them.  For day one, I went for a long walk with my wife.  It took some coaxing, but I managed to get her to be seen out of the house with me.  She commented on my stylish new look and the practicality of wearing thin-soled shoes to improve my athletic performance and my posture.  In response to her sarcasm, I had fun stepping on things to see what they’d feel like; surprisingly similar to being barefoot, you can feel grains of sand, the discomfort of pebbles and gravel, and the soft, resilient spring of grass.  I would advise avoiding dog poop–bet it would feel all too realistic.

After trying them out my calves felt a little tight, but not much.  I mostly train barefoot, but, as I’ll write about later this week, even that won’t prepare you for some of the new experiences FiveFingers provides.

Stay tuned for Day Two for a martial arts workout.