Five Fingers Footwear - Gloves For Your Feet!

A new kind of shoe that closely resembles a glove or five-toed 'sock' has become the latest sensation among athletes all over the world. Dubbed 'Five Fingers', the shoe is designed by Italian company, Vibram, who originally developed it for kayakers, yoga fans and sailors.

Made from a synthetic rubber like Neoprene, the 'shoes' resemble ultra thin socks with separate toe sections that fit snugly on the users feet. However, unlike conventional sports shoes, these provide no padding or protection to the feet.

Instead, the tight fitting 'Five Fingers', allow athletes to feel the Earth, sticks, stones and all, as if they were barefoot. According to the manufacturer, this results in improving the athletes' foot strength, agility, balance, as well as, range of motion.

While this may sound counterintuitive to everything we know about sports shoes, which often come with extra gel padding to prevent injuries, runners who have tried 'Five Fingers' attest to everything the manufacturer says and more.

As to why the shoe is called 'Five Fingers' as opposed to 'Five Toes' - In Italian, they are the same and according to the manufacturer, it just sounds better. To read more about this revolutionary new shoe go to www.vibramfivefingers.com.

sources: dailymial.co.uk,gearjunkie.com