vibram fivefinger hiking shoes -- ever tried em?

[Different Socks]

One more comment -- wear socks. When I started wearing VFFs, I didn't wear socks. Without socks, they tend to get grit inside. Socks solve that problem.

How do you wear socks with them when all your toes are in one garment but have to be separated when you put on the VFF's?

[alverhootzt]

I bought the treks 2 years ago and wear them occasionally now for day hiking. I've found that I just get blisters in different places. Never tried socks. I like them otherwise - you get used to taking care to pick your feet up, etc. I'm not sure I'd wear them with a big pack on though. I agree with shutterbug, they're a good conversation starter. good luck

[Shutterbug]

How do you wear socks with them when all your toes are in one garment but have to be separated when you put on the VFF's?

The socks have toes too. Toe socks are available on eBay for less than $2 a pair.

[Shutterbug]

I bought the treks 2 years ago and wear them occasionally now for day hiking. I've found that I just get blisters in different places. Never tried socks. I like them otherwise - you get used to taking care to pick your feet up, etc. I'm not sure I'd wear them with a big pack on though. I agree with shutterbug, they're a good conversation starter. good luck

I donII
I don't understand the concern about wearing VFFs with a pack. I wore them last week with a 40 lb. pack. It didn't make a difference. I have never had a blister when wearing VFFs. I use heel crack lotion on my feet (available at Walmart) to keep them from drying out.

[jefals]

a lot of y'all have mentioned not wearing socks, or seeing hikers wearing these vffs wo socks.. I don't even wear house-shoes without socks, and wouldn't think of hiking without socks. Seems to me that would really add to the chafing and blistering -- can't see what possible benefit there is to not wearing socks...

[Zipper]

Before I started my hike, I heard about the Barefoot Sisters, though I hadn't yet read their books (didn't do that until I finished my hike, so I didn't know about all the trials and tribulations they went through doing it barefoot!) I was all enamored of the idea of hiking barefoot.

So I had this great idea that I would thru hike in Five Fingers. Next best thing! I trained in them, hiked 22 miles with a pack in them on the Black Creek Trail in Mississippi, hiked through Big Bend in them, and just wore them everywhere in the 8 months prior to my hike. I don't know if that contributed to my general foot health during my hike or not, but maybe! One theory about Five Fingers is that because your foot isn't encased in a shoe, your foot muscles have more opportunity to work, making the whole foot stronger and healthier.

A couple of weeks prior to my hike, I changed my mind and decided maybe I needed more of a sturdy shoe for the trail. So I ended up hiking in trail runners. But I used my Five Fingers for my camp shoes for 3/4 of the hike (switched to Crocs for the SOBO portion in the fall when it got cold) and I also hiked in them occasionally, like after a stream crossing, or across the Cumberland Valley in PA (18 miles of flat farmland.)

I love my Five Fingers and still wear them regularly. I wear them without socks. Some things to be aware of: they get wet quickly - in just 1/4 inch of water they will get wet because the water soaks in between the toes. They aren't warm, as others have said, so I think they would be tough in a NOBO spring start because it can be soooo cold! They get smelly easily. But you can throw them in the washing machine. And they are not comfortable on gravel or sharp rocks, in my opinion. It's doable, but it's not comfortable, When hiking in my Five Fingers, I have to go much more slowly and pay more close attention to where I place my feet, where as in trail runners I can be more speedy and less worried about hitting the sharp edge of a rock the wrong way.

I did meet people who hiked the whole thing in Five Fingers so it is possible!

And as others have pointed out, your toes shouldn't be hitting in your boots so another solution might be bigger shoes.

Good luck!

Zipper
VA-ME VA-GA 09

[jefals]

Before I started my hike, I heard about the Barefoot Sisters, though I hadn't yet read their books (didn't do that until I finished my hike, so I didn't know about all the trials and tribulations they went through doing it barefoot!) I was all enamored of the idea of hiking barefoot.

So I had this great idea that I would thru hike in Five Fingers. Next best thing! I trained in them, hiked 22 miles with a pack in them on the Black Creek Trail in Mississippi, hiked through Big Bend in them, and just wore them everywhere in the 8 months prior to my hike. I don't know if that contributed to my general foot health during my hike or not, but maybe! One theory about Five Fingers is that because your foot isn't encased in a shoe, your foot muscles have more opportunity to work, making the whole foot stronger and healthier.

A couple of weeks prior to my hike, I changed my mind and decided maybe I needed more of a sturdy shoe for the trail. So I ended up hiking in trail runners. But I used my Five Fingers for my camp shoes for 3/4 of the hike (switched to Crocs for the SOBO portion in the fall when it got cold) and I also hiked in them occasionally, like after a stream crossing, or across the Cumberland Valley in PA (18 miles of flat farmland.)

I love my Five Fingers and still wear them regularly. I wear them without socks. Some things to be aware of: they get wet quickly - in just 1/4 inch of water they will get wet because the water soaks in between the toes. They aren't warm, as others have said, so I think they would be tough in a NOBO spring start because it can be soooo cold! They get smelly easily. But you can throw them in the washing machine. And they are not comfortable on gravel or sharp rocks, in my opinion. It's doable, but it's not comfortable, When hiking in my Five Fingers, I have to go much more slowly and pay more close attention to where I place my feet, where as in trail runners I can be more speedy and less worried about hitting the sharp edge of a rock the wrong way.

I did meet people who hiked the whole thing in Five Fingers so it is possible!

And as others have pointed out, your toes shouldn't be hitting in your boots so another solution might be bigger shoes.

Good luck!

Zipper
VA-ME VA-GA 09

Thanks Zipper. I didn't know about the wet factor, and if others have mentioned that they weren't warm, I didn't catch that either. After all this, I think I'm going to try and stay with traditional hiking shoes now, even tho I think I tried all the possibilities at my REI and these that I wound up doing all this damage to my toe in, seemed at the time to be the best fit.
Thanks again, and congrats on that '09 hike!

[Shutterbug]

Thanks Zipper. I didn't know about the wet factor, and if others have mentioned that they weren't warm, I didn't catch that either. After all this, I think I'm going to try and stay with traditional hiking shoes now, even tho I think I tried all the possibilities at my REI and these that I wound up doing all this damage to my toe in, seemed at the time to be the best fit.
Thanks again, and congrats on that '09 hike!

If you are concerned about the cold factor, Vibram makes an insulated version of the Vffs. They are waterproof and have a layer of insulation. I have a pair, but don't have much need for them because I go to Arizona during the winter.

[ted_4]

If the VFFs sound too intimidating, Merrel makes a similar product, I think they are called Trail Gloves. They are a bit of a compromise between hiking shoes and barefoot shoes because they have the thin sole of VFFs but lack the individual toes. Might help the transition if you are considering switching

[annamagpie]

I would suggest trying these instead! A true barefoot feel--if that is what you are going for--in my opinion. I tried the vibrams but returned them--my toes were too long and I didn't like how my foot felt caged inside. Tighter than a sneaker. Now I am talking about running trails, not backpacking. I haven't tried my Xers's backpacking yet, but intend to. Whatever you try--just remember there is a learning curve. Go slowly and short distances at first. Let your feet get used to them. and your calves, and your ankles!http://xeroshoes.com/shop/feeltrue-p...efoot-sandals/

[jefals]

If the VFFs sound too intimidating, Merrel makes a similar product, I think they are called Trail Gloves. They are a bit of a compromise between hiking shoes and barefoot shoes because they have the thin sole of VFFs but lack the individual toes. Might help the transition if you are considering switching

Thin soles? Hadn't heard about that either. I'm definitely not inquiring about these because I wanted a barefoot sensation, or anything like that. Just thinking that this design would keep my toes from jamming into the end of the shoe. ( Yesterday, btw, the doc burned a hole in my toenail so he could press down and drain the blood out! -- I DON'T WANT THIS AGAIN!!!).

I've, since my last post, spoken with a sales person at Vibran, who advises me to stick with traditional shoes for serious hiking. And if the soles are thin, I don't think I want that over any serious rocks. So, think I'll stick with traditional shoes, but I have to find a good place to try them out before a serious hike.

[Wise Old Owl]

Yea - always fun for that bare foot feel when a toe nail falls out...

[None yet]

I first wore Vibrams in a half marathon followed by two marathons and several hundred miles of hiking, including steep climbs. I have five pair (two different models) and wear them for everything from walking the beach, sailing, kayaking etc. and have never had blisters, hot spots and no swollen toes. I wear them with and without socks.

I plan on wearing them for most of the AT and switching them out with a trail shoe if needed (they aren't waterproof or warm).

Try different models and sizes Vibrams. A friend broke them in by wearing them only a couple miles a day. I wore them for the half the day I bought them.

Good luck - I think your footwear will be the most important piece of equipment.

[Hot Flash]

VFF are the ugliest, most ridiculous footwear ever, and that's including Crocs. Not only that, but they're annoying as hell, with that constant, nagging, something-is-between-the-toes feeling. Also, people who wear them won't shut up about them. Yeah, we know you are wearing VFF. Good for you, we don't care, and no we don't want to be regaled with constant praises of how much you like your buttugly shoes.

[Theosus]

VFF are the ugliest, most ridiculous footwear ever, and that's including Crocs. Not only that, but they're annoying as hell, with that constant, nagging, something-is-between-the-toes feeling. Also, people who wear them won't shut up about them. Yeah, we know you are wearing VFF. Good for you, we don't care, and no we don't want to be regaled with constant praises of how much you like your buttugly shoes.

If a person is a vegetarian, owns a dog, and wears VFFs, how does he decide which to interject into a conversation first?

But seriously... I have seen a few VFF hikers, but the shoes ARE pretty butt ugly. I find them to be Okay - just a pain to deal with. crossing a creek takes forever if you take those off and then have to put the toes socks on and get them turned out right, and get every toe in the right place, then get the shoe on and toes situated. I have been wearing a sort of sandal thing with a closed toe, usually with socks but not always. I can walk up to a creek, slip them off, throw them to the other side of the creek, walk across, and slip my shoes back on.

[nickgann]

I have done some 4-5 day hikes with them, and do like them for many reasons(which are very relative). What I will mainly say is that on longer expeditions you can expect sticks/thorns/etc to stick in them and cut you and possibly the shoe... and depending on your physical stature and how well your feet handle stress it may not be the most effective way to travel.

[jefals]

I have done some 4-5 day hikes with them, and do like them for many reasons(which are very relative). What I will mainly say is that on longer expeditions you can expect sticks/thorns/etc to stick in them and cut you and possibly the shoe... and depending on your physical stature and how well your feet handle stress it may not be the most effective way to travel.

Ouch! Good to know. I mentioned in an earlier post, I spoke with the folks at the company (Vibram) and they even said, for serious hiking, I should stick with traditional shoes.

[annamagpie]

wicked good sale on fivefingers: http://gearup.active.com/Event.aspx?...527&uid=710448

[Shutterbug]

Ouch! Good to know. I mentioned in an earlier post, I spoke with the folks at the company (Vibram) and they even said, for serious hiking, I should stick with traditional shoes.

My guess is that there was more to the conversation than your summary and that their advice to you was based on your concerns. Vibram wouldn't say "... stick with traditional shoes.." as a blanket statement.

It has been my observation that Vibram FiveFinger Shoes are appropriate for a minority of hikers. For those, like me, that have feet that match the VFF mold, the VFFs are a great choice for "serious hiking."

My advice -- buy a pair of VFFs from REI. Wear them a while to see if you like them. If you do, keep them. If you don't take the back. You won't know if they will work for you until you try them.

[Elder]

[QUOTE=Theosus;1811789]If a person is a vegetarian, owns a dog, and wears VFFs, how does he decide which to interject into a conversation first?
What caliber of gun to carry?