| In the field of sports footwear, design is essential to | | | | like kayaking, canoeing, surfing and sailing. With a pair |
| help bring out the user's top performance. Vibram Five | | | | of Five Fingers shoes, watersports enthusiasts can |
| Fingers brings a new, alternative design for running, | | | | benefit from its grip, performance, and control - |
| watersports, yoga and Pilates. Almost like a glove for | | | | especially for board-based sports. Some models of |
| the human foot, every part of the Five Fingers' shoe | | | | the line provide added perks for watersports, such as |
| design aims to mimic the feel of being barefooted, but | | | | a 1.2mm neoprene upper to keep the foot warm in |
| provides the protection of footwear. | | | | cold, fast-moving water. |
| The barefoot design opens up possibilities for sports | | | | With its revolutionary barefoot design, the Vibram Five |
| enthusiasts. Scientific research, coaches and athletes | | | | Fingers line of shoes provides wearers with health |
| agree that with the feet bare, runners can actually | | | | benefits associated with going barefoot. The shoes |
| improve their balance and stability. Barefoot running | | | | strengthen muscles in the feet and lower legs and |
| also improves speed, and lessens the chance of injury | | | | improve overall foot health. Also, wearers can use the |
| as compared to running with regular athletic shoes. | | | | full range of motion in their feet, which is great for |
| The Five Fingers line of shoes provides runners with | | | | sports that need foot flexibility. Overall, the design gives |
| the freedom to do this while keeping the feet | | | | its wearers' feet the kind of freedom that a normal |
| protected. | | | | closed shoe cannot give. |
| Other applications for these shoes include watersports | | | | |