View Full Version : Vibram Five Fingers
does anyone own a pair, if so what are they like?
do you think they would be good for hiking / backpacking?
I own a pair. They're kind of fun, but proper sizing is crucial. Absolutely crucial. I wouldn't hike in them (no cushioning, and way too easy for dirt/grit/sticks/mud to get into.) Oh the chafing! ;)
To each their own, though.
ShelterLeopard
06-03-2010, 10:23
Only if you get used to wearing them BEFORE you go on a long hike. And I have seen many vibram foot prints (which I at first mistook for bare feet) in the mud.
seanb724
06-03-2010, 10:53
I hike in mine all the time, but have not yet backpacked in them. I don't think it would be that much of a problem -- only concern would be the additional ankle support a shoe may provide with the weight of a pack. But I backpack in a trail running shoe and have never had any problems.
I also run in my vff's, as well as run in a pair of self made huaraches and barefoot.
Shiraz-mataz
06-03-2010, 12:11
I just got a pair of KSO's a few weeks ago and other than a couple walks up and down the road, I wore them exclusively on a 25 mile section of the SNP over the Memorial Day weekend. Not a single problem! No chafing, no blisters, no sore feet... nuthin. They were spot-on awesome for backpacking and I highly recommend them. The only minor issue is that they got wet in the rain and never really dried out until I laid them in the sun. Even with that, my feet were not waterlogged. But make sure you get the size right - I can't emphasize that enough.
Oh, one bad thing did happen - my hiking buddy wore Sprints and literally broke a toe on a rock! So pick yer feet up!
Shutterbug
06-03-2010, 12:20
does anyone own a pair, if so what are they like?
do you think they would be good for hiking / backpacking?I saw a guy wearing them in the Grand Canyon a couple of weeks ago. He said that he hikes in them often and loves them.
Before, I saw him, I noticed his foot prints on the trial. They make a very distinct print.
I just got back from a trip where I used them as camp shoes. It rained the entire trip so everything was slick and muddy. While trying to get water I almost slipped three different times. They provided me with zero traction in the mud. My trail runners, on the other hand, worked great in the mud. The lack of traction is what convinced me to leave them in my pack and use my shoes the second day, even though my shoes were still soaked.
I bought a pair of KSOs two years ago that I've used off and on mainly to help with foot problems that I've experienced as a runner.
My wife and I did a 3 day trip in Grayson Highlands this past weekend.
I thought I'd give them a shot carrying a real load (~50lbs) and I carried a pair of trail runners as Plan B.
I wore them the first day, about 7 miles.
I had no particular foot pain, but by the end of the day I could tell my feet had experienced a workout.
Deciding not to push my luck, I switched to the trailrunners, Montrail Masochist, for the second day.
We did 5 miles, and I did experience some side-of-heel pain toward the end of the hike -nothing serious and it went away over night.
I get that same pain while running in any shoe sometimes.
Third day, just 3.5 miles back in the Vibrams. No problems.
All in all, I think you can cover more ground in a give time in a trailrunner if the trail is moderately rocky.
You just tend to be more cautious about foot placement in the V5F -maybe that's a good thing.
I thought the pack-load stress on a support-less shoe would be too much on my feet, but apparently not -at least in the short run.
My feet were wet in the V5F most of both days, but no blisters or chaffing.
Course, crushed limestone is probably the most un-pleasant in V5F, but not much of that to be concerned with on the AT.
There are some rock bars I've crossed that I imagine would have been tough too.
Go slow, gradually strengthening your feet with them, but GO.
I really enjoy the barefoot feel in the woods. I think they are worth far more than the trouble.
I've got a pair of KSOs and while I absolutely love them I can't recommend them for hiking. I've only taken them on one hike after wearing them as my main pair of shoes for a month around town (talk about a great conversation starter) and carried a pair of ultralight running shoes as backup just in case. I needed them. I suffered some severe stone bruising and limped the rest of the way to camp.
Although, a quick check of vibram's site shows that they've made a more hiking oriented version with a thicker sole and more traction, so those might be worth a look.
As everyone else said though, sizing is CRITICAL with these.
I own a pair of sprints. SIZING IS IMPORTANT! I couldn't agree more. I wore a pair of my friends that were large and hated them, but as i began to hike more, i really wanted a pair of my own to test... Well, i hike in mine all the time. I run occasionally. My girlfriend pointed out that in them i move a lot faster, I'm not sure why, but it feels more comfortable to be in them. I definitely wouldn't do a Thru-hike in them, though. But for dayhikes/overnighters they aren't bad. At least as far as I have used them.
cyanroleman
06-04-2010, 03:22
I hike all the time in my classics, I have a really intense foot tan due to the partial coverage :D I personally love feeling the earth under my feet, and wrapping my feet on rocks and stuff. I got a size too big (maybe even two) but after I broke them in they form around my feet with no problems. But you can avoid a lot of pain by getting the right size! Your feet will HURT after like 10+ miles straight, well that's me, but I even built up my feet, I've worn these anywhere I go for the past 5 months. Still, for shorter stuff I really enjoy these!
i have 3 pairs: sprint, bikila, and an early european pair that are like the flows but come up over your ankle. i LOVE my vffs. i run in my sprints, and now bikilas since i just got those last weekend. sizing is important, and they do NOT run the same b/w types.
i've done 2 day hikes in the sprints w/ socks on to keep dirt out in glacier national park. i also did another day hike there in the flow boots when it was cold. i've done a short backpacking "test" (about 4 miles) in the sprints. on thursday i'll be leaving for my first real backpacking trip, on the AT, and i was testing out which shoes i should take. i started in my 8 year old rei backpacking boots. they're fine, but bother my knees. tried my trail runners and my left foot tents to slide off to the outside of the shoe and makes it uncomfortable. the vffs were great! except for that whole traction thing.
enter the bikila. it's meant for running, but has more tread than the original sole. i'm a woman, and they don't make the kso trek in women's. in my backpacking test w/ sprint, you will slip and fall in mud and pinestraw on an incline.
so now i'm torn as to what to take. vffs are definitely going. i want to bring my boots for their waterproofness and safety in rocky situations, but i'd hate to end up carrying them more than i wear them. they're about 3.5 lbs together. i'm not opposed to hiking in wet vffs, but i tend to over things and have gone back and forth sooo many times on what to do about footwear.
somebody tell me what to do PLEASE!
somebody tell me what to do PLEASE!
Here's what I would do. I would take both. It would be worse to be stuck unable to walk because you didn't have the boots than it would be to be stuck carrying them the whole time.