Running as a leisure sport is at it’s peak nowadays. I remember when I started running in 2006, I barely know about sports stores which carry an abundance of running-related gear or products. You have to purchase products online or have your much-wanted gear bought for you from outside of the country. Nowadays, that won’t really hold true that much anymore. There are a lot of running-specific stores now within the Metro which offers a variety of products and brands.
One exciting addition to the market is the Vibram Five Fingers footwear. The Vibrams, or VFF as it is more commonly known, is a footwear that is said to mimic barefooting but with the protection of a sole. It has generated much interest especially to runners because of the mention about it in the Chris McDougall book, “Born to Run”.
Vibram have evolved from being the leader in sole-manufacturing for many famous shoe brands to being the conduit for the barefoot revolution
The VFF is now finally available here in the Philippines through the efforts of a company called Barefootwear, Inc. It opened it’s maiden store at the Powerplant Mall in Rockwell, Makati a few months ago and finally, on September 22, officially launched the product with sports experts, enthusiasts and media in attendance.
The Vibram Five Fingers come in a variety of models that suits your particular sports or leisure activity
At the launch, representatives from different sports such as Triathlon, Running, Kettlebell and even Yoga related their experiences and the benefits they get from using their VFFs. Both Barefootwear Inc.’s President, Mr. Carlos Abad and Marketing Manager, Ms. Cherry Ermita talked about the Barefoot revolution being brought about by the VFFs, the different models that are available and it’s anatomy and usage.
Sports Celebrities shared their experience in using VFFs which includes ultramarathoner Ronald Declarador (far right)
Barefootwear Inc.'s President Carlos Abad presenting the VFF's anatomy
Cherry Ermita, Barefootwear Inc. Marketing Manager
It was fairly a great time to get to learn more about the product as we get to hear about different “testimonials” about how good the Vibrams are for use in several sports. Hmm, and weird as it may look, it is great even for walking too! And as a grand gesture by the people behind Barefootwear Inc., all guests got to take home a pair of VFFs of our choice for free. Generous eh? 
I happily took home a pair of the VFF Sprint model PLUS the added motivation to run and train more because of a new gear that i surely look forward to using!
an image of what I took home 
As of the moment, I have tried wearing my Sprints to the office twice and also did a good two 3-km run. And how does it feel? Saying that wearing and walking/running with it felt great will do the footwear a disservice. Taking on the VFF to wear is not just about feeling great. Believe me, there is more to it than that. 
With that being the case, I will have to tell you all about my initial VFF experience on a separate post soon.
Meanwhile, here is the official presser from the VFF launch.
PRESS RELEASE
Barefoot Revolution Hits Philippines
The past years have certainly brought many revolutionary changes to the world. A prime example is the way people use shoes. For thousands of years, people have grown accustomed to wearing closed footwear. When Vibram founder Vitale Bramani invented the first rubber soles for mountaineering boots in 1935, it was the beginning of a revolution. More than 70 years later, Vibram is still known around the world as the undisputed leader in soling technology for a wide range of quality performance footwear. Today, Vibram manufactures more than 34 million soles annually for more than 1,000 premium footwear brands worldwide such as Nike, Merrell, Ferragamo, Gucci, Cole Haan and Prada, to name a few.
The year 2006 marked the barefoot revolution as Vibram finally unveiled VIBRAM FIVEFINGERS, a unique footwear design that mimics the feeling of being barefoot. It allowed people to experience the sensation and freedom of going barefoot with the protection and sure-footed grip of a Vibram sole. Made by abrasion-resistant stretch polyamide fabric and Vibram TC-1 performance rubber weighing 5.3oz. each, Vibram Five Fingers immediately took the world by storm, catching especially the eyes and feet of athletes and sports aficionados. This led to being awarded as one of Time Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2007. To date, the barefoot revolution has invaded Europe, North America, Australia and very recently — Asia.
This year, the barefoot revolution reaches local shores, aiming to change the lifestyle of the active Filipino one foot at a time. Barefootwear Inc, the company that distributes the ingenious footwear in the country, recently held a sports-themed media launch at the Metropolitan Club, Rockwell Makati. The event gathered athletes, sports fanatics, celebrities and select health, sports, and fashion media personalities. Gracing the event were celebrity athletes Lorraine Lapus of the Philippine Sufing Academy, Corey Wills of Pulse Yoga, former Olympian Eric Buhain, multi sport coach and athlete Joseph Pagulayan, ultramarathoner Ronald Declarador, and Frisbee star Reema Chanco who all profess to Vibram Five Finger’s many advantages. They related their experiences with the very unique footwear, proving the versatility of this new product. The launch highlights also included the Kettlebell demonstration by the Philippine Kettlebell Club, headed by Nico D’haenen and Running demos by the TRIMAC coaches, headed by Jay Valencia. The activities demonstrated the many benefits of the Vibram Five Fingers such as better flexibility, stronger muscles, and improved posture among others. Guests were able to try first hand barefooting while engaging in these activities.
With only just a few months of being available in the country, expect more from Vibram Five Fingers as it continues to break new grounds. As Barefootwear Inc.’s Marketing Manager Cherry Ermita puts it “The Filipino will never walk the same way again”.
I would again want to give my big thanks, first to Kim Faner of Eventscape Manila for the invitation to attend the launch and most importantly to the generous people of Barefootwear Inc. for the VFF Sprint and other goodies they let us take home with.
*To learn more about the benefits of barefoot running, click HERE to view my previous post.
*The Vibram Five Fingers store is located at Level R1 Bridgeway in PowerPlant Mall, Rockwell. For inquiries, call (02) 513-1449 or e-mail marketing@barefootwearinc.com. You could also visit the official website at www.barefootwearinc.com.
Filed under: Gear, launch, running | Tagged: barefoot running, barefoot running store in manila, vff, vff bikila, vff kso, vff launch in metro club, vff launched in metropolitan club, vff models, vff speed, vff sprint, vff store in the philippines, vff styles, vffs, vibram five fingers, vibram five fingers store in powerplant mall, vibram five fingers store in rockwell, vibram five fingers store in rockwell powerplant, vvff classic | 3 Comments »
