I have been running in the Vibram Fivefinger Bikilas for about 4 months now. I love them. I feel so light and efficient when running! After a several year break from serious running, I have been getting in shape faster than I expected.
The only problem I have had with the shoes is that even though I slowly worked up my mileage (I am still at only about 15 miles per week as I only run 3 days a week) I was experiencing some Top of Foot Pain and especially painful Morton’s Neuroma near my second metatarsal. The Top of Foot Pain went away in my right foot, but was still present in my left along with the Morton’s Neuroma.
The only problem I have had with the shoes is that even though I slowly worked up my mileage (I am still at only about 15 miles per week as I only run 3 days a week) I was experiencing some Top of Foot Pain and especially painful Morton’s Neuroma near my second metatarsal. The Top of Foot Pain went away in my right foot, but was still present in my left along with the Morton’s Neuroma.
This led me to modify my fivefingers by first stretching the big toe pocket to match the space between my first and second toe. I made a small razor cut between the first and second toe pocket and then stretched them apart almost as hard as I could pull. Surprisingly, it actually stayed that way even after I stopped pulling. I did hear some slight tearing sounds as I did this.
This gave me some relief from the Morton’s Neuroma, but it still hurt, especially on the treadmill. I decided to try putting a metatarsal pad in the Fivefinger Bikilas, but this felt funny. Finally, I went to a shoe repair shop and bought Spenco insole material. This material is about 3 mm thick and can be cut to any shape. It cost me about $10.
Amazingly this worked! My Morton’s Neuroma pain is almost totally gone! I ran a 5k this past weekend in 17:48 with no pain.
Now, some may say that adding cushioning in my fivefingers defeats the purpose of the shoes. I agree that it does take away some of the ground feel, but there are other reasons that I wear Fivefingers, number one is that they actually feel comfortable on my 3-4E feet, and they allow me to run naturally with a midfoot landing.
I would love to see a Fivefingers model with more cushioning. Now I don’t want a huge heel or anything, but I think a few more millimeters would really improve the running experience especially on gravel roads. Until they do, I guess I will just have to keep adding my own. I have thought about taking my Fivefingers to a cobbler and having them add some rubber to the bottom, but I don’t know how well this would work and don’t want to ruin my shoes.
11/30/2011 Update:
The pain under my second metatarsal has mostly subsided and I can do most of my runs without added cushioning in my Fivefingers. I did a 17 mile run yesterday at 6:20 pace per mile with only a little pain when finished. Every once in awhile however, the pain comes back. My latest solution has been to take the insole from my Fivefinger Komodosport and insert that into the Bikila. It is much easier to insert this than the the neoprene cushioning I got from the shoe repair store. Also, there were a couple of times when the pain was bad after a long run and I taped a small metatarsal pad to the bottom of the Komodosport insole. This worked great and gave me some extra rock protection.
You can see my updated post here
Aaron Olson 
For some reason I cant view the photos in your blog.I will appreciate if you can send me a full resolucion photo for the insole template.I already asked in G+
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Since these structures bear the bulk of the body weight when a person stands, walks, or runs, it is no wonder that these are generally the first structures to weaken. Metatarsal ligament weakness is manifested by pain at the ball of the feet which often radiates into the toes. This is called metatarsalgia. http://www.footcentersofnc.com/common-foot-problems/neuromas-treatment.html
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Thanks for taking the time to talk about these insoles they sound like excellent products that come at an affordable price. I am glad to hear that there is an affordable way to relieve pain and pressure from feet.
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