I Am a Runner
After three years of running in my ugly, greenish Five Fingers, I stumbled upon a 50% off sale at a local store and bought a pair of the newer Bikilas in a more pleasing blue and white pattern. The basic idea is that these were specifically designed for running and have a little more interior material as well as a re-designed sole. They felt a little snugger anyway.
Generally, I think the Five Fingers designs suffer from some spotty quality control, so shop around a lot until you find a pair that fits you just right. Some of them have extra thread or stitching in the toes and some seem to have twists in the fabric where the glue's applied. I walked away from multiple pairs so was pleased to find some that seemed to be built right and offered at a more reasonable price.
My first run in the new Bikilas was a short one due to time constraints. I only had 45 minutes before I had to rustle up the kids for their Saturday sports activities. The first mile amounted to a nice change. The extra material inside the 'shoe' made me realize my heal would slip a little less and not cause the silver dollar size blisters I'd experienced in the past when returning to a more even balance of running and swimming (after favoring swimming during the colder, damper months).
The second mile passed with ease and I began to believe my upgrade was long overdue. The Bikilas slapped a little less and seemed to meet the designer's objectives in terms of being a better running alternative. My original pair used to cut into my feet more where the sole met the upper, and my feet would bleed a little on the sides before they developed protective callouses. I felt no similar problems with the new pair.
But during mile three, I began to sense a few hot-spots developing. The grippier interior material was starting to rub against my left arch. It was then that I stopped regretting my time constraint and believed four was all I wanted to go that day. Sure enough, inside the backdoor I discovered both an arch (broken) blister and a rawness in my heel at the top of the shoe--both on my left which is slightly larger.
Time will tell whether the new design is any better than the originals. I think one can achieve about the same experience by wearing a pair of the Ninja socks under the KSOs. I'd be less happy if I'd paid the normal $100 price tag, but believe the Bikilas will work out just fine in another six or so runs to callous over the affected areas.
Generally, I think the Five Fingers designs suffer from some spotty quality control, so shop around a lot until you find a pair that fits you just right. Some of them have extra thread or stitching in the toes and some seem to have twists in the fabric where the glue's applied. I walked away from multiple pairs so was pleased to find some that seemed to be built right and offered at a more reasonable price.
My first run in the new Bikilas was a short one due to time constraints. I only had 45 minutes before I had to rustle up the kids for their Saturday sports activities. The first mile amounted to a nice change. The extra material inside the 'shoe' made me realize my heal would slip a little less and not cause the silver dollar size blisters I'd experienced in the past when returning to a more even balance of running and swimming (after favoring swimming during the colder, damper months).
The second mile passed with ease and I began to believe my upgrade was long overdue. The Bikilas slapped a little less and seemed to meet the designer's ob
But during mile three, I began to sense a few hot-spots developing. The grippier interior material was starting to rub against my left arch. It was then that I stopped regretting my time constraint and believed four was all I wanted to go that day. Sure enough, inside the backdoor I discovered both an arch (broken) blister and a rawness in my heel at the top of the shoe--both on my left which is slightly larger.
Time will tell whether the new design is any better than the originals. I think one can achieve about the same experience by wearing a pair of the Ninja socks under the KSOs. I'd be less happy if I'd paid the normal $100 price tag, but believe the Bikilas will work out just fine in another six or so runs to callous over the affected areas.
By:
parttimeposer
Age:
46-50
,
Male
