I recently purchased a pair of the weirdest “shoes” I have ever seen or worn. For the past two weeks, I’ve been using them for running.

I have been a runner for most of my life, starting in eighth grade when I began running track and field. It’s something I’ve always enjoyed from beginning to end. I loved the discipline required, and the euphoric feeling I got as I ran myself to exhaustion. My body has always responded well to running, that is until recently.

As I’ve gotten a little older I’ve noticed that I’m starting to have aches and pains in my body that I’ve never had before, particularly in my knees. I had taken a hiatus away from running (and exercising in general), so at first I attributed the pain to the bit of extra weight I was carrying. Once I got going and the pounds went away, the pain in my left knee was still there. It was never debilitating, just there. I would ice my knee for some time after my run and it would eventually go away, but the whole situation bothered me. I’m only 30, I’ve kept myself in reasonably good shape, so what was the problem?

After some reading (in particular Christopher McDougal’s excellent book Born to Run) and observing, I think I’ve discovered what the issue is — my stride and my shoes. I’ve always worn “good” running shoes, and because I have wide fat hobbit feet I’ve stuck with brands like Asics and New Balance. I always went to a reputable store (Marathon Sports in Boston, Hanlon’s Shoes when I lived on Cape Cod), had my feet and my stride looked at, and bought the shoes they recommended. I now know that this has been the wrong path for me.

Those expensive shoes with their state of the art cushioning and support were allowing me to run very hard and fast, and to land on my heel, pushing all the pressure of the impact of my 170 pound frame onto my knees. Any running coach will tell you this is wrong, but because I was able to run fast I thought it was okay. Obviously, my knees felt differently, and told me so. I needed to change — enter the Vibram FiveFingers.

With 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 muscles, ligaments and tendons, the human foot is perfectly engineered for running. With your ankle and legs, your body can handle the tremendous amount of pressure created by running over a very long period of time. Humans have been running for eons without the benefit of Nike Air. So why do we need modern running shoes now? I asked myself this question as I tried on the FiveFingers. I can’t run barefoot in Boston — I’ll either step on something horrible or cut my foot to shreds and end up in the hospital. The Vibram’s keep my foot relatively safe without all the cushioning that was allowing me to hurt myself. They certainly felt alien, like a giant glove for your foot. However, I was tired of knee pain and bought them. I’ve had them for the past two weeks, and it’s been an interesting experience.

So how is it? Other than stupid policy snafu at my former gym that has forced me to quit being a member, it’s been nothing short of revelatory. Following the advice of the clerk (who was wearing a pair and had gone for a 12 mile run that morning), I took it easy for the first run, clocking in an mile at a slow speed with lots of walking before and after. My legs were sore, especially my calf muscles, but no knee pain whatsoever. After waiting a day, I went back and did the same. Again, same results, some minor leg tightness but no knee issues. The third run was a mistake, with an overconfident me running way too far way too fast (and resulting in injury), but after some rest I’m back at it. I think I’m a convert, and ready to begin training at a more serious level. I’m excited to see what I can do.