Bring on the Toe Shoes!

First there was Vibram Fivefingers. Then there was Fila Skeletoes. Now, the second-largest athletic shoe company in the world has announced that they are releasing their own version of toe shoes: The Adidas Adipure Trainers.

The Adidas Adipure Trainer (men's)

In response, the folks at MyFiveFingers.com asked via Twitter, "So what does everyone think of the just announced Adidas 'copycat' version of FiveFingers?" They posted a page on their site about the Adipure Trainers saying, "Another FiveFingers (sic) knockoff. Oh great."

Actually, yeah. It IS great!

The Vibram Fivefingers Jaya

Listen folks, just because Vibram was the first to develop shoes with separate toe pockets doesn't mean they are or will be the end-all, be-all toe shoe manufacturer. Heck, my response to all this is is, "What took everybody so long?!"

How long have we had gloves with individual finger pockets for our hands? Did the second company that made gloves with finger pockets get called a "copycat" or "knockoff?" I don't know, but you don't hear The North Face or any other glove manufacturer getting called those names today.

It makes sense for shoes to have individual toe pockets. It's how our feet are built, after all. That way of making shoes really should be the rule more than the exception.

I think it's great that more shoe manufacturers are coming out with toe shoes because it drives innovation, competition, and public acceptance. That's only good news for people who like to wear minimalist shoes AND it's only good news for the barefoot movement.

The Fila Skeletoes

I'd like to see someone make a better toe shoe than Vibram, because then that would push Vibram to make Fivefingers even better than they already are. I hope the Adipure Trainers are better than Skeletoes, because then maybe Fila will improve their abysmal product.

The competition between manufacturers will naturally force DOWN the prices of these shoes and make them more accessible for the general public.

If a bunch of shoe companies release their own brand of toe shoes, more and more of the public will see minimalist toe shoes and, I believe, see them as a good and acceptable thing. "Heck," they'll think, "if all these companies are making toe shoes then they must know something I don't know." Minimalist, foot-conforming footwear could become -- gasp! -- commonplace?

Maybe, just maybe, people will then take the next step and realize that they can just take off their toe shoes and bare their actual toes by living barefoot. It could happen - and ultimately, I hope it does.

Like I said in the subject line: Bring on the toe shoes! The more, the merrier!