Vibram Five Finger Shoes
Jun 19th, 2007 by craigdos
Without a question, my purchase of the year was the Vibram Five Finger Shoe.
At $70 a pop, it was a bit of a splurge for something that wasn’t even designed for what I wanted to use it for: running.
It’s turned out to be awesome. I was looking for a minimal running shoe for a long time, and even experimented with making my own. I baked my old running shoes until the glue fell apart and then tried to peel the cushioning off, layer by layer, and glue the rubber back to the foot casing. It worked horribly. Then I tried just running barefoot, which was good, but after not being able to do it during the winter, my feet would lose their callous (which is damn sexy, by the way), and I’d have to start all over again the next season.
Why do I want a minimal shoe? Well, I’ll leave that for another post, since the explanation is quite in depth. But suffice to say that the Vibram Five fingers has performed amazingly well. It’s like having a rubber glove on your foot, which simulates being barefoot, but still dulls out the real sharp stuff. It’s essentially a modern version of Mexican Huarache Sandal, which are used by the Tarahumara… a tribe known for their prowess at long distance running.
I use them as training tools, not full on running shoes. This means I put in just a few miles a week in them, in order to strengthen the small muscles in my feet, which makes me a more efficient runner and less injury prone.
I’ve also found them to be ideal for short hikes and scrambling up rocks etc. Recently, Vibram realized that people were using their shoes (originally meant for water sports like sailing) for all sorts of other activities, and have come out with other versions. I recently got my second pair, which are designed for running (they have a top strap, and no elastic band). These are comfortable, good for my feet, light and easy to pack. I’m pretty sure I’ll be keeping at least one pair of these around for quite some time to come.
**If you’re interested, I think some stores now carry the classic and the sprint versions (depicted above). You can also order them like I did, directly from the site: www.vibramfivefingers.com. I wear a mens 11.5 US, and ordered the M45 (European sizing). They are fantastic about returns, if you have any problems at all.
I like the review - I’ve had mine (sprint style) for 2 weeks and it’s taking some SERIOUS getting used to - I wear them up to 8 hr/day and that’s a bit much by the end of the day (all on my feet). Still experimenting with short runs - wow I love the way it forces me to stay in my core and stay light on the forefoot (I run forefoot-style). I have a problem with pinching on my big toes where the vibram sole comes over the top. I ordered another pair, they don’t pinch in the same spot (classic style). I love training in the gym in them - no one bugs me about being barefoot now but I get the same results as barefoot. The fit is really picky - I wasn’t sure mine ‘fit’ until I tried a smaller size and they didn’t work. The shoe takes some real getting used to but is well worth it if you are committed to barefoot training.
I own the Kayakshed and http://www.kayakshed.com we have been selling them for a couple years now ( I think we were one of Vibrams first stores) Since then, I’ve purchased both the five fingers classic as well as the sprints for myself. I can’t tell you how much I love ‘em! They were not what I expected. I thought I would only use them for water applications (Kayaking obviously). Turns out I use them more for all sorts of things including yard work. They are tough to fit. We have a sizing chart on our site that works well. However if you’re in between 2 sizes. Buy both sizes and return the one that doesn’t fit. They are tricky to fit and they do get easier to put on after you have put them on 2 or 3 times.
Good luck and enjoy! http://www.kayakshed.com/vibramfivefingers.cfm
this might sound weaird and a bit childish but i have 2 major hobbies: photography, and tree climbing.
not to long ago i feel while trying to run up the side of a tree (this is frequently the way i get up oaks, whose branches are about 11 feet up) To make a long story not as long i smacked my head. All because my foot slipped. I realized running (XC) spikes weren’t good for trees. so i bought a pair of five fingers and i haven’t slipped form a tree since.
i wear them to school all the time. my friends now refer to me as tree-frog, because of the bulbous toes.
I was at first curious about Vibram 5 Finger shoes and contacted Vibram headquarters with further questions. Instead I received trite, manufactured, generic, dispassionate responses from their customer service department - GEORGIA SHAW (this woman has absolutely no idea what customer service is). For a small company trying to break into a very large industry, they certainly think small when hiring such incompetent staff. If they are that bad at customer service how can I trust their shoes on my feet?
Note from Craig: Apparently this comment has been posted on all sites reviewing these shoes. So take it with a grain of salt. I should reiterate that my customer service experience with Vibram has been superb. (except that recently they can’t keep the darn things in stock! :))
I wore mine kayaking in the Hudson River off Manhattan’s West Side a half hour ago. They got wet. They dried out. There is no evidence of damage.
They feel great. I wear a size 14 shoe, and the size 47 FiveFingers fits well.
Lee, im sorry to be a downer, but your an idiot. Vibram has been making soles for shoes for like 75 yrs or something insane. They actually made the first rubber soled climbing boots, and are renowned for some of the best footwear on earth. The Vibram Five fingers is their first FINISHED product. In fact they’ve made soles for Ugg, Teva, The North Face, Tsubo, Scarpa, Merrell, Timberland, Chaco, L.L. Bean, Lowa, Asolo, Rockport, Columbia Sportswear, Nike-ACG and Hi-Tec. Some high profile collaborations include Giorgio Armani, Prada Sports, Dolce & Gabbana, Hugo Boss and Alden Shoe Company.(thanks wiki). They in NO WAY need your business, and they in NO WAY need to “break into a large industry” becuase they already own it! Anyone who knows serious shoes knows that the little yellow vibram symbol means your getting the absolute best product for your money. So by being an ignorant, naive fool, and trying to make some bogus statement that their customer service had or has ANY relation to the quality of their products is just plane stupidity. I usually dont like getting on people for stupid shit, but you should really read over your post before posting it. You just sound like a child that didn’t get his way.
My husband and I both bought a pair of these last week. I bought the sprint style and he bought the KSO. We both do crossfit training which requires alot of asphalt running and we both love them. So far my feet have not been sore or anything from them. We love them and will buy another pair whenever this pair wears out.
I’m pretty sure lee is either: a) a really pissed off customer or b) a robot trying to sabotage the vibram fivefinger name. I have been doing a lot of research on these shoes and nearly every review I have read, there is a comment with nearly the exact same wording as “lee”.
Vibram. Now there’s a name worth trusting. I’ve loved being barefoot since childhood and have grown up wearing flip flops and sandels 24/7.
My first pair of Vibram shoes were Chacos. (The best sandal I’ve ever owned and since then have bought more.) Instantly becoming a fan of Vibram, I’ve included more of their collaboration shoes to my repertoire of hiking, climbing and all around endeavors. I stumbled across the FiveFingers this year (2008) and couldn’t believe my eyes and thought to myself “A shoe that looks like a foot? How cool!” Long story short, because I know you just want my opinion and thats why you’re skipping to the bottom to see if I’ll ever get to my point, (haha, so here it is..)
I bought a pair of the KSO style. I really enjoyed walking around in them so much I had to put them to the test.
‘Warning: These tests should only be performed by a highly trained FiveFingerWearerererer…er.. and should not be re-attempted unless you just bought a pair, then just go for it.’
test 1.) Walking on a gravel road. I loved feeling every pebble move beneath my feet as I began to accelerate my stride having enough protection not to feel the jagged sharp points piecing my skin, happened to be a new sensation to my mind. It was weird but fun. TEST, PASS.
test 2.) Walking in Water and ( not to be confused with walking “on” water.) mud, then cleaning. The water actually feels a bit weird coming through between the toes. Yes, thats where the rubber stops. Awkward, but, obviously one should know if they walk through water they’re gonna get wet. Later on, stepping in mud also feels weird between the toes. Different sensation yet soothing. KSOs cleaned up nice and easy with a spray of water and then melted nicely in my dryer. Just kidding, it says NOT TO DO THAT because they’re supposed to air dry. And they do. Surprisingly fast. TEST, PASS.
test 3.) The sharp object test. As I became more comfortable with walking, jogging then running in the KSOs I stabbed a knife into my foot and bled a lot. Just kidding again, I really happened to be running on a side walk which on each side the grass had been freshly cut with weeds and goat heads (for someone who doesn’t know what that is, it’s a sticker or a burr that hurts insanely bad when implanting itself in the bottoms of one’s feet.) scattered across the pavement. I walked through and surprisingly I felt a little prick in the places between the bottoms of the tows and the ball of the foot (the thinnest areas of the KSO). Now, it still alarmed me, but it didn’t hurt nearly as bad as what I’ve previously had pierce my foot before. ( Like that knife? no, barefoot goathead patch dancing. It’s a sport in my country. Just kidding again.) So, TEST, Kinda Pass.
Now I know It’s not a steel shoe, but the positive is, it is more protection than if you’d been wearing a cheap flip flop or worse, completely uncallousedly barefoot. (yes.. it’s not a word. But you can still use it cause, hey, it’s internet english 101.)
Since then, I’ve bought the FiveFinger Sprint Style, and am now going to purchase the Classics. Because money does grow on trees these days. (Not to brag.) I’ve not found a better shoe for an all around use other than this one (Now if they’ll just make a steel-toe version for my construction workers.) Just get ready for people to stop you and ask you where you got them, or shout in your face how weird they are then drill you with questions. If you like the attention, go for it. Be bold. Discover the alternative like I have and don’t look back my brother.
I’f you’d like to join my Vibram FiveFinger cult visit: http://www.I‘mjustkiddingaboutthecult.com
[...] I posted a while ago, I’ve been very happy with my Vibram FiveFinger shoes. I don’t run full-time in them, but hope to do so more and more. For my day-to-day [...]