Vibram FiveFingers has announced an expansion of youth size offerings for this spring. The Youth Alitza, EL-X LS and Speed models will be available for $65-$75 in european sizing 34-37, filling the size gap between the kids and adult sizes currently offered by the company.
Personally, I just wish youth-size VFFs had been around sooner. Like, you know, when I was a youth. In my mind, there’s nothing better as a kid than running around barefoot with friends in the park or backyard. The only problem is that most parents out there aren’t so keen on dirty feet in the house. Ugh, parents! Enter VFF’s kids and youth sizes, and boom, problem solved.
At 22, I’m not exactly a geezer, but my feet might as well belong to an 80-year old. Years of running competitively in “traditional” running shoes turned me into a heel striker, plantar fasciitis sufferer and eventually, an ex-runner. All before turning 18.
Over the past three years, I’ve got back in the game and managed to steer clear of injuries by recapturing the way I ran when I was a kid. Guess what kind of shoes I run in?
—Patrick Murphy is an assistant editor.
