five fingers?

[stonedflea]

has anyone done any extended hiking in vibram five fingers?

i have the kso and really like them, but i've not hiked in them and i've emailed the company to see if hiking long distances is recommended, but they've not responded. o.O

does anybody have any first or second hand experience with hiking in vffs?

[Wrangler88]

There are several threads on here about hiking in VFF. Just use the search to find them.

I've been wearing VFF exclusively for over a year now. They become just as regular shoes are to everyone else.

I don't buy the "you have to watch your every step". I step where ever I normally would. It's not really being barefoot. You have the protection of a rubber sole just like you do in regular shoes. It's just not as thick. I've had a few thorns come through the bottom and stick my foot but no big deal.

They're more comfortable to me than regular shoes but the amount of comments you get on them is annoying. And how popular they've become is ridiculous. When I started wearing them, all my friends and family thought they were stupid and "the ugliest things [they'd] ever seen". Now they talk about getting themselves some.

[sbhikes]

I saw someone hiking in them yesterday. There's a lady on the PCT right now who wore them from Ashland Oregon south to Echo Lake (near Tahoe). She missed the cushioning of regular shoes and has switched back to regular shoes.

[Shutterbug]

has anyone done any extended hiking in vibram five fingers?

i have the kso and really like them, but i've not hiked in them and i've emailed the company to see if hiking long distances is recommended, but they've not responded. o.O

does anybody have any first or second hand experience with hiking in vffs?

I wear mine on the three mile hike I do every day that I am at home. They work fine.

I also wore mine on a 10 mile hike to the lighthouse on Dungeness Spit. They didn't work so well then:

1. Walking on a beech there is no way to keep the sand out of the inside. It felt like I was walking on sand paper.

2. There was a seam in one of the toes that wore a blister on the toe. I have since fixed the seam, so that isn't a problem any more.

3. On several occasions I stepped on rocks in the area just behind the toes. The sole is very thin in that area and the rocks hurt.

I will probably try them again on a normal trail, but won't be wearing them for long walks on the beech.

[Shiraz-mataz]

I did a 25 mile section of SNP a couple months ago wearing my KSO's exclusively. They performed well! Very comfortable but they did slip on a couple of wet rocks. Vibram makes a TREK version with a more rugged sole that might suit you better.

[will1972]

Try them and see. I will tell you my experience with them on the rocks leading up to Springer was one of the most miserable that I ever had hiking. I believe I would have been better off barefooted. I have read that several people see no issue at all. I read in wonder every time I see that. I love my 5f's I wear them around all the time. But on the trail they only see river crossings and camp duty. Maybe it's just that I have sensitive feet? Don't know how, I grew up in rural Ga. where no one wore shoes for 8 months of the year, still walk around barefooted whenever it's warm out. All I can say is try them out first. I would grab my Chaco's when I want a little more freedom Hiking. But no way with my fivefingers.

[Rick500]

I bought a pair of KSO Treks last week, but unfortunately realized that I needed a size 41 and bought a 42. So I took back the 42s and am waiting for a pair of 41s to come into stock at my outfitters.

Can't relay any useful information at this point other than to say they felt great the small amount of time I walked around in them. I wore them with Injinji socks.

When the 41s come in and I have had a chance to hike in them a bit, I'll post a review.

[stonedflea]

There are several threads on here about hiking in VFF. Just use the search to find them.

thanks.. i went three or four pages back and didn't see anything, but i'm new to the forums so i didn't even think about doing a search. :)

thank y'all for the input. i've had some sensitivity issues with walking on a long stretch of rocks as well. i've not worn them in the water yet, but i thought they were supposed to be decent water shoes (vs slippery when wet)? o.O

i can definitely see how the comments on them can get annoying... or rather just bothersome, i guess. i've had to do the whole explanation multiple times around town.