Barefoot Running Shoes?....GTFO!

Behold...above are "barefoot" running shoes by Vibram.

According to an article at Examiner these have been available for four years, but are just now getting hugely popular.

I feel prompted to rant about them for two reasons....1. Some jackass was clomping around my gym in these things this week....and 2. My little brother tried to wear them out with me last week. Not to the gym, not to go running, but just out.

I'm sure they are beneficial and help replicate running barefoot more than regular running shoes, but I don't like them. Sure they look cool, but they look like rock-climbing shoes with toes. This knucklehead at the gym was stomping around, shaking the treadmill with every step. He was also one of those idiots that stretches on the treadmill, walks backwards, does high knees. That gave me an indication about what kind of asshole buys these shoes actually to work out.

My brother bought them simply because he's 18 and they look funny. I expect these shoes to make their way onto Look At This Fucking Hipster soon. They'll be all the rage in Williamsburg this winter.

Here is my biggest problem with these things. Ummm, if you put these on your feet...then....your...feet...are...not...bare.

If you're going to run barefoot then be a man and run barefoot. There are Kenyans born everyday who grow up running truly barefoot and then come over and kick our asses every year in the New York City Marathon. These are guys who have never even seen shoes until they strap on a pair right before they proceed to deliver the aforementioned ass-kicking.

These shoes are the kind of thing that happens when white people have too much time on their hands. They invent shit that's unnecessary. Now, don't get me wrong, sometimes this produces great fun. For example, cornhole or Auto-Tune The News.

But usually you end up with ridiculous shit, like Silly Bandz....and "barefoot" running shoes.

P.S. I mentioned running, so this blog is sort of about sports.