Kim, I've seen Vibrams being worn in Switzerland exactly once, and it was in Lausanne.  There are two active threads on this topic over on EF here and here.  Good luck, and say hello this summer before your visit; your class sounds interesting and different.

Hi Kim,

It's been a while that I'm in the area and I have never ever seen them or heard of them before.

So when you come over and want to present minimalist shoes it will be quite an innovation. People will not necessarily know what it's all about. But if you promote your class on glocals and explain clearly why it is so special/good, you will certainly find people who are curious to learn more and try it out.

Thank you Richard and just_me for the the feedback.  My aunt and uncle live outside of Geneva, and they love to ski, mountain-bike, and windsurf, so I always think of Switzerland as a place where people are active with outdoor sports.  But they didn't have much to say on Vibrams.

So, thank you both for the local insight.  

One of my teachers told me -- and I don't know if this is true, but it makes sense to me -- that in Europe people tend to have stronger feet and ankles because of all the cobblestones streets (uneven surfaces).  The idea is that in the US everything is paved so smoothly that our feet and ankles don't have to work as much, and as a result Americans have more foot and ankle problems (like plantar fasciitis).

Anyway, I don't actually wear VFFs and I'm not a serious runner, but I do like to run barefoot and I'm fascinated by the trend.  I also love yoga and dance, hiking, walking, and being active in general, and plan to some of that while I'm visiting.  I'm looking forward to offering a class -- I'll add details when the time comes.  And even if no one shows up, I'll just enjoy a work-out by myself :)

Thanks again.

Hi Kim

I saw those shoes in a store (never saw it in another) and found them very tempting. As a runner, i am very serious about shoes. I couldent imagine how this could be any sane for my feet. This and the quite high price in the store (around 200 CHF for the very basic model) scared me finally off.

The more its interesting for me, that sb with actual experience in minimalist/barefoot running is coming to Geneva! :)

If you want to run classes in minimalist/barefoot running, you need to put much effort into advertising and convincing as this is pretty much unknown here, i am afraid.

Kind regards

Alex

Just saw, that you have replied.

I like your idea of cobblestones streets! Made me laugh out loud. Remembers me, that i was asked in Australia, if all Swiss live in small alpine cabins. I assure you, concrete and paved streets have arrived in Europe. 

:-)

I am looking to buy a pair of them at the moment. I'm sure the trend will build over the summer. On a serious note though, I like the idea behind them, but they have to be introduced to your feet gradually - remember that your feet are used to cushioning, and landing about an inch above the actual pavement - sudden changes could cause big problems.

The shoes seem to be quite expensive - around 100 euros. I have come across two websites cheaper than that, but both don't have good security features, and seem to be chinese pretending to be european/ US.

Mentioned in both books - Born to run, and The four hour body.

Hi kim

you can find Fivefingers vibram shoes at Running Planet in Geneva.

kind regards

david

I ran in VFFs for about 1.5 yrs.  I injured both feet within 6 months of my arrival in Geneva and had to give them up for running and use them for hiking and walking only.  My feet have been injured so many times it really wasnt a surprise to injure them in the VFFs.  I run in Nike Frees now and love them.

Thanks for the input everyone. My milage is pretty low right now, but next year I'd like to run the Geneva Marathon.  At this point I don't know what kind of footwear I'd use for that distance.  Time will tell.

@Will: bummer about injured feet.  I dislocated my little toe once, and it sucked. 

I have the Frees, too, and love them.  I recently bought a pair of Newtons.   They're different.  I'm still getting used to them. 

hi guys

free/newton/fivefingers are very diferent kim, be careful with what you try, what you need and expect. Do you need a shoes so dynamic for a long distance? is your body and your feets ok to accept this type of shoes? do you have enough training for your feets?.

Newton are for guys who run front feet, fivefingers are for incruising your feet musculature and recovery(for beginners) and free should be for people who dynamism.

For me this type of shoes is very good if you are fit, trained, and if you want to win time and having sensations of dynamism. Or if you want to train yout feet in short distance.

Be careful because every time you run when you put your feet on the floor if the weight of the runner is 75KG he receives 120km of vibrations on the knees!!!!!.

One day if you are interested let's talk together and i should explain and give you some informations about shoes and products.

best regards

Thanks David.

You're right, they are all very different! 

I've been training my feet for years, and started barefoot running last year.  It's been an interesting and fun discovery / process.  My running has adapted quite a bit, as a result, and I'm enjoying it more and more.

I'm teaching a barefoot training class March 26th, and a barefoot running clinic April 2nd . . . in San Francisco.  If you were here you could come!