'Barefoot' shoe is the choice of Powerade Tigers
MANILA, Philippines - Vibram Five Fingers, the revolutionary footwear that was selected by Time magazine as one of its Best Inventions in 2007, is the footwear of choice by Powerade Tigers Basketball Team, runner-up at the 2011 PBA Philippine Cup.
“I read about it in the book, Born to Run. Then I started to look into the benefits of barefoot training and the best compromise seemed to use a minimalist shoe like the Vibram Five Fingers,” says Powerade strength and conditioning coach Julio Veloso.
A special kind of footwear that can be used for athletic and non-athletic use, Vibram Five Fingers is known for its corrective and therapeutic qualities that ordinary shoes or sandals can give. “At first, we were quite unsure if it would help in our training,” admits shooting guard Gary David. Still, the team trusted Coach Julio and tried them even though most of them have been using conventional basketball shoes all their lives. VFF helps develop stronger muscles in the legs and feet and also improves general foot health and reduces the risk of injury. “Almost everyone was eager to see how it affects their running performance,” according to Fil-American power forward Will Antonio.
Scientific studies show barefoot running corrects the way we run, making us land on the balls of our feet (called the midfoot area) as compared to conventional shoes which gives us the tendency to land on the heels first. Landing on the heels first releases more pressure or shock to our legs and knees which slows us down.
All the Powerade Tigers agreed that aside from its athletic benefits, they found VFF footwear useful even when not training, for everyday or non-athletic purposes. “I even use VFF whenever I go to the malls or walk on the beach,” adds Coach Julio.
Vibram is available at SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, TriNoma, Planet Sports (Rockwell, Vmall Greenhills, Newport and Glorietta) Tobys (Mall of Asia and Shangrila), Runnr (BHS, TriNoma and Ayala Center Cebu), ROX BHS, Urban Athletics Greenbelt and Chimes Davao.
