Five Finger Shoes?

[Shutterbug]

Last week I was at a Farmers Market. One of the booths was selling "Five Finger Shoes." I had not previously seen them. The lady claimed that they are great for hiking.

Then, as I was looking at the photos of the erection of the new Katahdin sign, one of the pictures showed someone wearing the Five Finger Shoes.

Do any of you have experience with them? They look like they would be great for camp, but I don't know about wearing them on the trail?

[AtomicLlama]

One of my friends wore them on our raft trip through Cataract Canyon in Utah. We did several short hikes during that trip and he said the he could feel every rock through them, and also that his feet got extremely hot from walking on the warm desert rocks.

[ChinMusic]

I think they should be called Five-toe Shoes.

[Monster13]

They look like they would be pretty uncomfortable. More like gloves for feet. I have really long toes too, so I doubt they'd make any that would fit me right.

[Cannibal]

Don't fit me. My second toe is longer than my big toe; big problem with the Five Finger style. Sucks too because I like the concept of walking on the balls of your feet instead of the heel. More natural stride.

[Frick Frack]

I saw a thru hiker, appropriately named "Bare Foot" (or "Bear Foot"?), who wore them most of the way northbound last year.

[bigmac_in]

Those things are just plain stupid.

[jrnj5k]

i have them and they are great. Can be used for hiking but you would need to wear them for a while to get used to it first. They fix many of the problems shoes cause.

[Lone Wolf]

why ain't they called 5 toed shoes

[Bad Co]

UGLY as Hell but I like mine

[take-a-knee]

A lot of Crossfitters swear by them for their workouts, I've seen several folks with them at 5K runs. I would never try to hike with a pack wearing them, I don't see a need to go more minimal than trail runners for hiking. I do plan to get a pair for working out though. The lower you can get your heels, the more you can deadlift.

[dmax]

I guess sock are out of the question. At least my smartwools.

[Blissful]

Those things are just plain stupid.

Glad someone else said it...
I was thinking the same thing. I sure wouldn't want to jam each toe in them. Ugh

[STICK]

I want to get some for my fiance to use as water/camp shoes. She really likes them, and I wouldnt mind having some but I think I would go with some Chacos if I were to spend that much for a pair of camp shoes, for me. But maybe after I had the Chacos.....

[J5man]

They look like condoms for feet

[JJJ]

I've had foot problems related to running for the past couple of years.
I tried several things, orthonics, stretching, etc, but cutting back mileage and switching and rebuilding on the Vibrams and other minimal cushioned shoes seemed to do the most for me.
The theory being strenghtening the feet will ultimately serve you better than trying to protect them with more cushion.
The transition period is going to vary person to person quiet a bit.
As for backpacking with them, I haven't done that, but I'm about ready to give it a try.
I like the feel of barefoot, maybe some people don't.

[drastic_quench]

They're great for the two things they do. They allow you to walk essentially barefoot without fear of sharp stuff, and they allow the muscles in your foot to fully develop and strengthen in a way they can't in shoes.

If hiking barefoot would appeal to you except you don't want to risk hurting the soles of your feet, these are perfect for you. Your walking and stride will change just like it would if you were barefoot on the trail. In boots you can just clomp along, but with these you're more mindful of your footfalls. Some people really dig that because they feel more "grounded". So if you're a clomp along and zone out type walker you'll hate 'em.

They don't make good camp shoes. They just aren't built for rest and openness.

[Maddog]

i have two pair of http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/ (KSO and FLOW). once you break them in and your feet get used to them they are amazing! very comfortable! and "yes" you can get socks for them(INJINJI)!

[OldStormcrow]

Those things were originally designed to be more of a portage shoe for boaters than an actual hiking shoe. While they do keep your feet from being poked with rocks and acorns, they don't offer enough arch support or padding to be considered for hiking.....unless you have gotten so ultra-light that you don't even carry a pack anymore!

[Homer&Marje]

Anyone ever use them for rock climbing? Bet my older brother would love a pair for that...are they a soft material or kind of rubbery on the bottom?