It took me just a few minutes to realize how great they were. I ran 2 miles in them, thoroughly enjoyed it, but then changed to my until now beloved Asics 2120s and ran 3 more miles in them. Everyone says to go easy the first few days, otherwise I’d have continued running in KSOs. What a difference. The Asics felt mushy at first. Compared to the KSOs, they seemed to rob me of some of the rebound energy. Also, and more disconcertingly, I was immedately aware that they made me lean forward too much (could that be the source of my occasional lower back pain?). If I tried to run more upright, I could see how I was flexing my lower back too much. The posture theory behind 5 Fingers seems correct (see this post). I can say that running in KSOs felt better and strangely less fatiguing than in Asics. I can’t wait to use them with my nordic walking poles, which help you balance the effort between legs and arms. These shoes should complement the cat-like feeling when you walk with good poles.

So, how do I feel “the next day”? Great. I feared blisters, but there is none. I don’t have any unusual muscle or bone pain. I had a plantar fascia injury years ago and I don’t feel any discomfort in that area (I have a fairly tall arch). On occasion I’ve had pain on the outside of the heels (just under ankles), but that’s not the case today. I can’t wait to run more in 5 Fingers.