NickyG, true there are other manufacturers that are jumping on board, but the trend only continues among people who are already runners. Vibram sold huge numbers to people who were not runners at all. Since I got my first pair I’ve done many races, and participated in several multi-weekly run clubs, and about 99% of the time on a meetup, I was the only person wearing any kind of toe shoes. Conversely, for a while there every time I would fly (at least one flight a week for a few years), I’d count half a dozen people lounging about the airport in toe shoes of some sort. Often enough too, just people wandering around the office, grocery store, bars, whatever.
Perhaps it’s fairer to say that the “Toe Shoe” fad is done, since it was much farther reaching than just runners to begin with.
As far as switching back to shoes with padding, you might be a bit quick to make that statement. I was similarly passionate and hot to trot about minimal running shoes and such when I decided to run my first marathon. Hubris!
I am a very experienced runner who has mostly focused on 5k/10k’s. But half marathons and up on pavement, you really need the padding. We are not built for that distance, on that hard of a surface. Took me months to not feel the pain in my toe bones after that marathon.
Note, that you can still be a forefoot striker in padded shoes, and get much of the same benefits. In fact, you don’t even need zero-drop shoes for it. I have found my preference for the Vibrams continues despite all that because my feet are sensitive to friction (I had large calluses before I ever was a runner), and the toes help keep everything extra snug for minimum friction.
