ATTQOTD: When I first got into running a few years ago, it was after reading Born to Run (for a second time) so I got myself Vibrams. They were great and I loved running in them. For me they are close to a perfect shoe, as most shoes mess up my gait/footfall and cause me serious knee issues. The Vibrams didn't. The problem I had was that as my runs got longer (6+ miles), the wear and tear on my forefeet became too great. So I had to find alternatives with at least some cushioning. The only shoes I've found so far that work are New Balance racing flats. They still don't have enough cushioning to make running marathons comfortable, but at least they don't hurt my knees....
Unlike most, who disdain them, I will always be fond of my time running in my Vibrams. And I do think barefoot running is the way human bodies evolved to run. But we evolved to run in grass and dirt, not on pavement. And our feet were probably meant to be pretty nasty, and most of us don't want nasty feet. So shoes are here to stay.
