Short toes are for distance, long toes are for sprints.
Whatever you use them for, though, it seems that freeing them from the confines of your shoes has become quite the fad. Some runners are going barefoot, others are wearing Vibrams and similar products.
I must admit I’m tempted, but I have my concerns. Going back to a more natural form of running sounds all well and good, but my body has spent more than a quarter century getting used to an unnatural form. Plus, most of my runs are–sadly–not along trails and other forgiving surfaces but concrete and blacktop. For now, I think I’ll stick to traditional shoes fitted to my step and my gait.
But I’ll keep my eyes on those Vibrams.