Shoes? Slippers? What are they...

I've had a lot of people question the shoes that I train with.  Well, I should say, SOME question...others laugh, point or ask someone else that works out in the same location as me to see what the heck is on my feet.  I was introduced to a "shoe" called Vibram Five Fingers, or like the kettle bell instructor that showed them to me like to call them - "Gator Shoes".  All they are is nylon to wrap around your foot, a strap to secure it tight to your foot along with a rubber sole that's between your foot and the ground.  It's a mock of running bare foot.  So light it doesn't even feel like you're wearing anything on your feet!
Even the sales woman at Scheels where I bought these shoes about eight months ago didn't have a clue what to say to me.  There was no sales pitch, just "here, try running with them on this treadmill and walk around the store a little bit, I'm not sure how they work for running."  Goes to show you don't need a sales pitch to be a "good sales person"  If I liked them I'd buy them, if I didn't I'd say have these back, I don't like it.  To her advantage, I LOVED them. 
Like any shoe, I didn't just get all excited and head out to a race track or run the streets to see how these babies worked.  I took little steps, starting with just wearing them in my house, walking around in them.  Slowly started to use them outside a little bit in the spring time, just walking again.  I wanted to see how they'd feel if I stepped on a rock or crack.  Obviously with any shoe, if you step on a big enough rock/crack, you might roll your ankle and get hurt, and that's same with these shoes.  The thing I really liked about them...your improved balance.  Walk in regular shoes then walk barefoot, you feel a little more in control without shoes on don't you?  Or am I just nuts?  The big toe controls most of your balance, and getting the chance to free all of your toes to get a better grip on the floor or ground helps more than I imagined.  The more I thought about it, and from what I read in an article in Runners World magazine, the risk of injury is higher when you're wearing shoes.  These shoes/slippers/gator shoes have made it easier for running in shoes with more cusion.  Strengthens your feet, your ankles, calves (from running more on the balls of your feet than striking with the heel like you might more often in a regular shoe) in turn releasing pressure on your knees.  I've got Asics, have worn Nikes and also Adidas, still have most of the running shoes from before.  All of them have been great.  Of the shoes I love the most, the Vibrams are top on the list.  I've only worn them in one race so far, a 5K which went very well. 
What are your favorite shoes and why?  Do you stick with a particular brand that seem to fit better with your foot style?