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I am in the exact opposite position, I have an almost non-existent arch and if I forget to wear arched soles my feet and knees will be aching by late afternoon. I would buy this shoe in an instant.

You cannot expect your body to adjust instantly to a barefoot gait after spending your entire life wearing heavy shoes that drastically alter your natural gait.

When I first tried running in VFF shoes I limited myself to 15 minute sessions, and even then my calves were so destroyed walking was stiff for 2-3 days. I slowly eased that limit up a few minutes at a time over the past year, and while I have a ways to go, I can run about 30-40 minutes now and my legs and feet look completely different.

I have high arches and really enjoy minimalist shoes.

When I run on a minimalist shoe for the first time (or wear hockey skates, or snowboard, etc) I get arch and shin pain.

Your feet will adjust very quickly, especially with some stretching. I also found a small weight loss (10 pounds) helped tremendously.