A little background. I am very active and do a cross fit type of workout 4-5 times a week in a dojo which requires bare feet. I also do other activities like horseback riding and running. Several months ago I started doing the cross fit in said dojo (before that I was doing it in a regular gym which I could use regular cross trainer shoes) and after a few months I noticed I was getting shin splints. The last time I got them was several years ago when I upped my running and found out that I am an overprotinator and needed additional arch support. Well, working out with bare feet, you do not have arch support. The shin splints got to the point of shin fractures and bad pain and I thought I was going to have to stop working out....so I started taping my arches. That helped along with compression sleeves. Then someone recommended I try these, since I can wear them in the dojo (because I can wash them and I DO NOT use them outside). Within a week, I noticed almost all the pain gone in my shin splints and now that it has been about a month, I have no pain. I do still wear my compression sleeves. When I go out and run in my normal shoes which have the superfeet inserts, I do notice throbbing in the shin splint area. So, as far as it curing or helping me heal the shin splints, I would give these 5 stars. However, this morning, while putting them on, one of the black strings broke off the tab in which you attach to the velcro and I had to tie it down. Since I locked the strings it did not cause any function problems but really surprised me considering I hardly ever pull on the tab thingies....now I need to try to superglue it back into it, somehow.
UPDATE: I have been using these for all my workouts in the dojo and it was perfect, never got shin splints again. The string on the right shoe broke off AGAIN and had to use Gorilla gule to fix it. Fast forward to now, April 2013 and I can't use them anymore. The workout place has changed to a floor that is concrete layed with terf....no cushion at all. And now, after two weeks of wearing the Vibrams at this new location, I have these horrible raw skin blisters (about 2in long) on each foot in my arch and my shin splint is back. Do I blame it entirely on the shoe, no, but I am wondering if the arch support in the shoe has broken down. Sad....once these feet heal, I am not sure I will test them out again at the new location.