Wearing Vibram Five Fingers

So you want to get a reaction out of people?

Wear your Vibram Five Finger Shoes in public.

Today we went to the Madison VA Hospital. I didn't feel like wearing my flip flops, nor did I feel like wearing my Nike shoes.

I've been wearing them since I received them the first of June.
In a word cool.
Awesome.
Neat.
Wonderful.
Okay that was more than a word.

I received a lot of stares, not because of my extremely loud Hawaiian shirt, but because of my bluish clad feet.
People would look ... then glance at me and then look away.
Then they would watch me walk by.
I was approached by one fella who asked about them. The health professionals my husband saw where curious. Some even asked what the heck I was wearing.

I sat down in a chair by the main entrance to wait for my husband's prescription to be filled. He wandered off to do something, so I decided to people watch. [People watching at a VA hospital is very interesting!]

A man with striking dark hair and twinkling eyes, rolled passed me in his wheel chair. He stopped, backed up and parked next to me.

*Wow,* he said, *are those shoes?*
I explained to him about the Vibrams.
*Totally cool,* he replied. *I would love a pair...* he smiled and gestured, *but I could only wear a right one! I'm supposed to get a leg soon with a foot, but it won't have toes!*
I let him examine my Vibrams and told him how and where I'd gotten them. How much I liked them, and how much they cost.

He chuckled and said, *I could always take the left one and stuff the toes with something to make them look real.*
I agreed.

My husband came back with his prescription filled. I reached over and shook the man's hand, *It was nice to meet you.*
I stood up and the man laughed, his laughter was contagious. Everyone walking by smiled unconsciously.

*Them is some cool feet, you take care now!* were his parting words as he whipped his chair around and went on his way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our next stop was The Shoe Box: a very large shoe store in Black Earth, WI.
I wandered the women's shoe area while my husband tried to find some new boots.

I was stopped by one of the salespeople and soon had a crowd.
Cool.
Awesome.
Neat.
Wonderful...they said.

Yes, I did try on a pair of moccasins but compared to my Vibrams, they were not comfortable.

I love them.