Agreed. As I wrote, they did work for me. The problem is that sorbathanes do not claim to change the mechnanics of the foot and Vibram Five Fingers does . And they are being sued over it. Whereas aftermarket inserts and prescription orthodics have shown to be an effective item for less pain and more comfort, they don't claim to eliminate anyone's pain or change their biomechanics. Their basic function is to alleviate pain by providing better support to the foot. Simply ask why an insurance company would cover costs on orthotics if they did not work?

Just to be fair here, the first couple generations of V5F, (I think they are on Gen 4 or 5 now), their product was not designed for barefoot running, they were for nature walking, boating and yoga. Most people I knew at the time were using them for functional training in the gym. The move into minimalist running was organic not predetermined but it obviously became hugely profitable. It wasn't until the Bikila's came out around 2009 that they actually marketed a v5f specifically for runners.

For my part, I do mostly obstacle course racing and paramilitary challenges now, but I still see people running road marathons in v5f when I do them. I obstacle race with one guy who goes through a pair almost every race, always blows the toes out. He has perfect running form but the shoe can't handle extremes. To be fair they where not made for that kind of abuse, so really can't blame Vibram. But there are now events that I do while not banning, strongly discourage the use of specifically v5f for their events because of their overwhelming evidence of people failing their challenges who wear them.

To put my comments back onto the thread track, I agree that Vibrams or minimalist shoes are worth a shot if normal shoes are causing physical discomfort. But there is no real evidence supporting the benefits of five finger shoes leading to a decrease in injuries the way you can compare the effects of after market insoles decreasing pain.