Compression and Five Fingered Toes

In an effort to alleviate my numb toes syndrome while running, I hit the Capitol Hill Fleet Feet store, which is where I've been training for the Rock 'n Roll Seattle Half Marathon. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful, so I knew I could get some good advice.

After talking with Phil about the benefits of compression tights, I decided to work up to them by trying a compression sleeve for my calves first. I'd read that supporting the calf muscles can help alleviate pressure on the foot. As a former dancer, I do appreciate the idea of being sucked in and supported as much as possible to keep the muscles warm. (Here's where I confess that for the first two training runs I wore a unitard under my running clothes. It helped keep me warm and supported, but since it had no wicking properties whatsoever, I was wet and cold by the time I got home).

Phil mentioned that there are a few different approaches to the compression garment: CEP, which makes the calf sleeve, incorporates stitching that allows support and blood flow up the leg. The recovery compression tights I was looking at (sorry, I forgot the brand) provides complete compression around the legs for total support. There's an important point here that I almost missed as a novice runner - the recovery tights are to be worn after running. You can wear them after a long run, race, or even to sleep. At about $140 a pair, I thought the calf sleeves would be a better foray into compression garments. There are compression tights available that can be worn while running, but again, that might be a little further down the road for me.

Sort of on my radar, but not necessarily on my shopping list, were the Vibram FiveFingers shoes. I've seen FiveFinger runners and heard about the barefoot running movement, but I didn't understand it. Fleet Feet had a discount for Facebook followers (which I am, natch), so I thought I'd try on a pair. The shoes aren't as strange as one might think - or perhaps because I'm used to going barefoot I'm comfortable spreading my out my toes - but because they're meant to be a snug fit, they feel flexible and supportive at the same time. Another employee, Emily, mentioned that she uses her pair for shorter runs on non-paved surfaces. She said they encourage striking on the ball or front of the foot. I'd been wondering how I could strengthen my foot and this sounded like a great way to augment my training. When I was dancing we spent a lot of time working on the feet at the barre and across the floor. It made so much more sense to me to use the FiveFingers this way versus as a primary running shoe. I felt like I finally understood how I could utilize the shoe.

I'm pretty excited about my purchases. The FiveFingers were fun to run in around the yard with the kids. We'll see how the sleeves do!

Testing out my FiveFingers in the grass.

Cool traction action.