Broke My Toe Wearing Vibram Five Fingers

OK, I admit I was not paying attention.

Yesterday, on an easy trail run with a bunch of people, after extoling the virtues of VFF's, within the first half mile I tripped really really really hard on a root. It jammed my toes hard straight back into my foot. I fell like somebody shot me. I kinda heard a snap (or imagined it) and knew I broke something. Finished the run of 4 more miles with increasing pain.

This is the third toe I have broken on my left foot.  First the little toe about 13 years ago, when I kicked a packed suitcase before a ski day.  Second the next one over, last summer, when I kicked a bench on the pool deck.  Now the middle toe.  I seem to be working left to right.

This toe is broken very near the metatarsal, which isn't really a good thing.  It is painful to walk and to try to curl my toes.  I'm icing every few hours. My foot is a bit more swollen today than it was yesterday. This sucks. It was so random, I had been running on trails with the VFFs before, and this trail was easy in comparison to others I had run. Guess I am putting in some long bike mileage over the next few weeks. Not a happy camper. :(

Photo from yesterday:

Icing, right after the run:

Vibram Five Fingers

I have aquired the Injinji socks, and now running in the Vibram Five Finger shoes is perfect! I have done trails and roads in them. Random rocks on trails do cause a lot of penetration, and can be uncomfortable. But for dirt trails or woods roads they are fine. They are great on the road. I ran a PR and an age group course record cross country race wearing the VFF's. I also ran about 12 miles over three legs of the River to Sea Relay wearing the VFF's. Now wearing any other running shoe feels restrictive! Even wearing minimal cross country flats.

Embedded video below shows the future potential of Vibram Five Fingers. Also know for sure now that I have been pronouncing Vibram incorrectly for the last 35 years.