Vibram Five Fingers
On sale now at Leftlane Sports!
Don't Die Before You've Had A Chance To Live!
Wonder why..... don't we all want shoes that look funny and don't have any cushion? Aren't all of our toes the same dimensions?
I like the idea of a light shoe with minimal padding, many don't - but I need to wear orthotics anyway, so there's my additional padding.
I also like the idea of socks with toes in them. Aside from getting them on and off, I can see how they would minimize friction between toes, but a shoe with toes is just different, and I guess that's the draw.
As I live, declares the Lord God, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn back from his way and live. Ezekiel 33:11
Saw a show about a tribe,they would make a cut on a tree and collect laytexor rubber or somrthinand then dipped there feet in it ,it protected there feet from water and other jungle stuff.
As long as I have been going into the woods, every year there is a new hip cool thing . Frogg Toggs, cat stoves, jetboil, tarp tents, Cuban fiber. 2012 may have its first nominee for the Hip Cool Gear Award of 2012 ! Any other nominees?
Everything is in Walking Distance
Self lubricating zippers,dishes that clean them selves,mommy come tuck me in pillow that sings a lulaby when it notices activity?
I see them at road races. Not as many as a few years ago though. Is it just me, or does it seem that 5 fingers wearers also wear flashier clothes, more tattoos, and other attention getting devices?
I was very skeptical about these shoes when I first saw them...I actually said to myself, "those look gay, I'd never wear something like that" and thought the guy was a total freak wierdo hippie. Then I got a ride from a guy a few months later that had some, and he told me how he never wears "regular" shoes anymore. What he said made alot of sense, he said that wearing a thick solid soled shoe is like having a cast on your foot. Anytime you have a cast, what happens? The muscles atrophy from lack of use. Same with your foot. Conventional shoes limit the movement of your toes, and cause an unnatural heel strike gait, where these shoes make you walk more as nature intended, with more weight on the balls of your feet.
Long story short, I got some a few weeks ago and am VERY happy with them. Very comfortable and I can tell they are making my feet and legs stronger. There are some limitations though. They don't like long periods of walking on concrete....just too hard. And many say that they wouldn't be ideal for rocky terrain while backpacking with heavy load, although I cannot personally attest to that. They seem to shine in offroad trail running or walking, short backpacking trips without too many rocks, and just "piddling" around. I've been wearing mine every day since I bought them. Just my .02
Fortune favors the brave--Virgil
I bought a pair this summer on a family vacation in Toronto
1. They are hard for me to put on, might be my toe alignment but it is what it is, tough to get set
2. Kangaroo skin, exotic as it is, stink could become an issue in that they are kind of like gloves for your feet (and toes)
3. VERY comfortable, wore them on the streets of Toronto and Montreal for days, no pain, pretty killer
4. NO WAY would I even consider wearing these on the AT, too much risk for my toes, with the million of steps, bound to turn out badly
Technology is great, my gut is that this is a step in a new direction..................show evolution
KSO Treks are now on sale at Summit Hut -- http://www.summithut.com/products/mens-kso-trek/Originally Posted by HiKen2011
Shutterbug
I've had these for a few years now. The first pair I bought were the Springs. They are a light weight pair with a SUPER thin sole. Because of the paper thin sole, you get the enjoyment of being able to feel the varying textures of what you are walking on. Even so, they tend to be brutal on the plantar facia leaving me with a good amount of soreness following any strenuous use on rugged terrain. After deciding I needed another pair, I picked up the KSO treks. The sole of the Trek's are much thicker with a grip suitable for some off road use. I haven't used them for hiking but they have become my main gym shoe. The Sprint's were pretty tough on the feet for hiking, but I think the KSOs would work.
Someone mentioned atrophy of leg muscles. I am into powerlifting and every powerlifter knows of the benefit of bare foot lifting, especially on deadlift. That being said, I absolutely feel as though these have strengthened my legs and feet. On days when I work on my legs I can see every striation in my lower legs and my calves are so sharp they could be used as diamond cutters! Get yourself a pair and witness the benefits!
I've been wearing them for two years and I'm generally the opposite of an "attention seeking" type... the worst thing about wearing Five Fingers initially was having everyone ask what they were all about, but after a while I realized people were just curious and/or interested. The best thing is they're comfortable - you wouldn't think so, but I get less foot, ankle, hip and knee pain after a day on the trail than I do with any pair of hiking boots I've ever owned. The key is working up to full-time use - if you're accustomed to wearing squishy shoes with tons of padding, it'll take a few months of ramping up before you're comfortable in them. After two years, I can walk about six miles on asphalt in the summer without any significant discomfort (have to do this regularly because of where I live / circumstances) and pretty much go all day with a full load in trail conditions. I used to wear rubber-clad Montrail approach shoes on day hikes to Billy Goat Section A in Maryland and Old Rag in Virginia (If you don't know them, these trails are known for their rock scrambles and are generally sharp and pokey) but have since switched to my KSO Treks. You have to move a little more deliberately on sharp rocks, but truthfully you just have to be less sloppy - I'm faster in my Five Fingers. PA rocks are pretty much the same story. Can't stand tennis shoes / trail runners anymore - only time I'll put on my boots (Danner RAT boots, probably making me even more of a long haul footwear heretic) is for deep snow or laughs.
I just got a pair of the KSO Treks using my REI dividend (and they were on sale). So far, I like them a lot! I don't know about hiking in them, but I like to be barefoot, and these are very very close to that feeling.
I picked up a pair at an REI garage sale (the table was full of them every month). If they weren't so cheap I never would have bought them, but they have become my only running shoes. I got the trek sport model i think. I really enjoy running in them, and have put some day hike miles on em. They fit me well enough, but I got some toe socks to snug them up a bit.
They are actually quite "old" now as far as trends go, and I thought they were silly. I think almost everyone does. But now I told myself to get over it, and wear em.
I hate everything new.
I still hike with a wood frame pack, just like grandpa's grandpa did.
All new ideas, are dumb ones.
The best shoe I have ever walked, run, trail run, and hiked in...
http://www.newbalance.com/products/MT20/
Its so good to live in this modern time
"I may not find pleasant things, I shall find new things"
-Candide
I look at those Five Fingers like looking at toe socks: I think blisters between my toes. OUCH!
Clearly they are being rejected by some... I saw that too... tough call!
Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
Woo
To Connie, post 15...... I have had problems with blisters when hiking...especially around the sides of the ball of my feet and in between my toes. I have to say that one of the best results for me of my Five Fingers is the elimination of the blistered toes. The shoe keeps your toes completely separated. The sole of the shoe is wider than your toe and the stiff sole material doesn't have much if any side flex. You can flex the toes up and down...just not sideways.
I have had bad feet problems thanks to years of standing at work....bad, bad, bad plantar fasciitus. I ended up in the Urgent Care one night because of how bad the pain was after a 70 hour week. Tried a lot of things with mixed results. Then I read about the 5 fingers.... and the whole idea that shoes have caused our feet muscles to atrophy over time. I knew from what the doctors told me that the muscles and tendons on the bottom of my feet were weak and strained.
After getting my feet back to a modicum of health, I got a pair of 5 fingers. I started slow and just kept working at developing my feet. Now, I can hike about 5 -7 miles before my feet start feeling it. At the same time, if I am wearing boots or trail runners, I get an extra mile or 2 before the dogs start barking....but a side effect of those, is that I start getting hot spots.
If I am hiking on a regular basis, I typically can increase the miles walked in the 5 fingers.....with no blisters.....my feet have gotten so much better. Before I was in severe pain each morning...I looked like a 90 year old hobbling around the house. I still have some pain...but, oh so much less!!!
The shoes are certainly attention getters....I get stares and questions about mine all the time. Some people love them and some are disgusted.
Wow, thanks for the information.
Does this style allow your big toe to move side-to-side? I read that the big toe does 60% of the work for natural walking and balance.
On natural terrain, especially, I need generous space for my toes. I select lt. hiker shoes that are relatively straight from the metatarsal (across the foot) arch to the toes.
I have now been wearing VFFs for over two years. I have never had a blister. Last week, I hiked the Grand Canyon (down the South Kaibab Trail and back up the Bright Angel) -- no blisters. Others in my hiking party got blisters or black toe nails. I got neither.
Shutterbug
You should definitely try a pair of VFFs. Don't just focus on the toes. Probably the most important thing about the VFFs is that they don't have a built-up heel. Notice how you walk when wearing boots or shoes with built -up heels. Your heel strikes the ground first. When you wear VFFs, your whole foot strikes the ground at the same time. It results in a much softer contact with the ground.
Before I started hiking in VFFs, I always carried "camp shoes." The VFFs are comfortable enough that I don't need a second pair of shoes. I just wear them in camp too.
Shutterbug
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