The Webbed Shoe That's All The Rage

DETROIT (WWJ) - If the shoe fits, wear it. That's the slogan of many who are now sporting a controversial new shoe that looks like webbed bootie.

WWJ's Kathryn Larson caught up with Scott Werth, a senior at Edsel Ford High School who swears by the "barefoot shoes."

"It's very comfortable to just walk around in them. You feel like you don't really have shoes on," Werth said. "It has the comfortability of a shoe and then the comfortability of being barefoot too."

Regarless of the awkward stares he might get, Werth said that does not stop him from wearing them.

"They're great to run in. I mean, you have perfect traction. I was going in the grass perfectly fine, I was going on pebbles and rocks. You know, if you step on a big rock, it's obviously going to hurt no matter what kind of shoe you're wearing," Werth said

But Werth said he's gained muscle strength wearing his five-finger shoes, too.

"They're really comfortable, they help me a lot and I feel like all the muscles in my legs are growing stronger. A lot of people tell me that they have heard a lot of doctors say that they aren't good for you, and then people tell me that there are doctors that say they are good for you," Werth said.

But don't just expect to slip the shoe on and go.

"It takes a while to get used to. The hardest part of the shoe is just getting it on the first couple of times, because your toes are not used to adjusting and getting into the actual little toe slots," Werth said.

The webbed shoes don't come with a small price tag either. Werth said at $120 a pair, he wears the shoes everywhere... almost.

"To work in them, they're great. But, you know, I'd say to go out for the night in them, you'd rather wear other shoes," Werth said.

"They do look a little weird when you have them on. You look down and you can see the outline of your toes. But, you're gonna get skeptics and you're going to get people who praise the shoe. I mean that's inevitable, right?" Werth asked.