My new toe shoes

Im not sure what to tell you ... I know I have not tried them for 2 reasons: I have a very high arches and need the arch support, and they are not recommend for heavier runners (and Im still well over 200)...

I have heard though that they take a while to break in ... but alot of people love them. I will never be one of those people!

what are toe shoes just out of curiosity

I read up on them a bit since I was considering them for my own benefit. According to what I found, it is not just breaking in the shoes that you need to worry about, you also need to re-train yourself to run properly in them if you are someone who has been running in standard running shoes for any given period of time. Unless you have already re-trained for a forward foot-strike as opposed to the mid to heel strike most people default to, the shoe manufacturers I researched recommended to take shorter periods of running intervals until you have developed the muscles necessary to facilitate the change in the running posture and footfall.

Some even recommended not running in them until your feet have gotten used to walking in them for as much as a few weeks. Needless to say, I have yet to purchase them because I am nervous about injury to already weakened ankles and knees, but still looking into them.

Hope this is helpful in even a minor way. If you go to the manufacturer's website, they may have an FAQ section that addresses this (I know Vibram does).

I have recently been doing some on line shopping research for the perfect new shoes for my race walking. I've read countless customer reviews on those shoes that you bought and, what you're suffering, seems to be common complaints. I don't know about you but, when my feet hurt with new shoes, I take them back with the receipt along with proof of the damage they caused. Last week, I went to a specialty women's fitness store to get properly measured and fitted for my new shoes. The $160.00/pair price for them was more than I could manage so I checked another 3 stores for the same brand/model/size in the shopping mall and there was almost no price difference. I left the mall & hopped on the bus to come home, buying nothing that day. Started cruising for the same shoes online and saved $63.00/pair. They're scheduled to be delivered tomorrow. I'm looking forward to trying them because it was like walking in clouds when I tried them out (for 30 minutes) in the store (after trying on several other models in 3 different brands).

The shoes: ASCIS Kayana 17 (women's)

I hope you're able to resolve the problems with the skin breakdown. You might like to consider getting some MOLESKIN (Dr. Scholl's brand) in your local WalMart pharmacy. Competitive ice skaters always have a big supply of that product when they have to break in a new pair of custom made skate boots. They put it on the problem spots BEFORE the skin becomes irritated. They know the various irritation areas because they've been through the process in the past.

Good luck.

I own a pair and run 4 miles daily in them but I'll be the first to tell you the is a significant break in period. However the break in period is not for the shoes but with your feet. There have been numerous reports of people getting hurt because of the FiveFinger but the fact of the matter is its an end user error stemming from poor use of the foot wear. Barefoot (or in the case of FiveFingers, minimalist) running is a more natural way to run, its the way we were designed to run. However years and years of "traditional" footwear causes our feet to actually be come malformed and we grow used to the "support" that shoes give us. When you start running Barefoot after year of running in shoes its like starting from square one. First off, never and I mean never heel strike while running Barefoot. Land on the ball of your foot (more specifically the outside ball and then slightly roll to the inside) and the gently allow your heel to be placed on the ground (my heel doesn't actually touch). This way of running will take some getting used to not only for the form but for the muscles in your feet. It takes a while for your feet to begin to build back up the were they are supposed to be but you will get there. The absolute best way to learn to run bare foot is to find a club or a group that does it if there isn't one around there are numerous websites on the topic and a simple Google search will yield a number of results. Most important thing is to take it slow and listen to your feet! Sorry for an incredibly long reply I hope it helped!