Another 5 Finger's thread.

http://birthdayshoes.com/trek-ls-vibram-fivefingers-review

Still considering bringing my 5 Fingers shoes with me on my upcoming thru attempt. Picked up the Trek LS version which has a thicker sole and are leather, but still aren't waterproof. Kicking around the house with them is nice. Very comfortable "shoes". I hear over and over that the soles will be too thin, but I recently met my role model in a girl that hikes barefoot.:o I'm like, "If this girl can hike barefoot, then why can't I hike in these?" Anyone care to discuss or give their experience?

good luck and best wishes on your hike. your camp shoes aren't something to fret over or something which requires feedback or approval from others. Most wear crocs but these will work for you if you like them. Not a showstopper so go with what you like. Just my $.02.

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Originally Posted by 4shot

good luck and best wishes on your hike. your camp shoes aren't something to fret over or something which requires feedback or approval from others. Most wear crocs but these will work for you if you like them. Not a showstopper so go with what you like. Just my $.02.

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I hear ya' bud, I try not to worry too much, and agree with your philosophy. I guess if they don't work I can always mail them home. Just trying to see if anyone else tried the leather FF's with around a 30 lb pack and how it turned out. I really like the idea, because they do indeed make your feet, ankles and calves stronger by engaging more muscles.

I've been hiking in my 5 fingers and loved it. My Uncle goes on hiking trips barefoot... and also loves it. Just makes sure all your primary and secondary muscles are use to walking in them before hiking.

I'm taking my 5 fingers on my thu-hike (I'm bringing my hiking shoes until my calves strengthen) because in 2010 I hiked from springer to the NOC with a guy who used the exact 5 fingers your talking about. He ended up shipping his hiking boots home because he loved hiking in his 5 fingers. Hope to see you on the trail :cool:

oh yeah, he was thru-hiking with a 45# pack

Every year there is a piece of gear I refer to as the New Hip Cool Thing. Cat Stoves, Frogg Toggs, Tarp Tents, Wind Shirts, Carbon Fiber, The Packa, the prize f goes to 5 Fingers which may be the Best In Show for 2012

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Originally Posted by bamboo bob

5 Fingers which may be the Best In Show for 2012

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5 fingers are sooo 2011.:p

I know. Makes you wonder what humans did before hiking boots:D

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Originally Posted by Transient Being

http://birthdayshoes.com/trek-ls-vibram-fivefingers-review

Still considering bringing my 5 Fingers shoes with me on my upcoming thru attempt. Picked up the Trek LS version which has a thicker sole and are leather, but still aren't waterproof. Kicking around the house with them is nice. Very comfortable "shoes". I hear over and over that the soles will be too thin, but I recently met my role model in a girl that hikes barefoot.:o I'm like, "If this girl can hike barefoot, then why can't I hike in these?" ......

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Girls are just tougher than guys.

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Originally Posted by Transient Being

http://birthdayshoes.com/trek-ls-vibram-fivefingers-review

... I hear over and over that the soles will be too thin...,

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Are you hearing that from people who have tried them? I have hiked hundreds, probably thousands, of miles in my vffs including rim to rim to rim in the Grand Canyon. I have found them to be much more comfortable than hiking boots. The thinness of the sole has never been a problem.

This winter I have been hiking in southern Arizona -- the Santa Rita mountains. The trails are as rocky as any I have encountered anywhere. My vffs are holding up very well.

Last week I did an off trail hike through the desert. I spent almost an hour picking the thorns out of my vffs, but none of them pierced the soles or the leather uppers.

The one pieco of advice I have for you is to take some toe socks along to use when the ground is cold and when the trail is sandy. I don't wear socks, except in those conditions.

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Originally Posted by aaronthebugbuffet

5 fingers are sooo 2011.:p

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LOL thats what I was thinking

I did my VA section last year in the TrekSport's which have the same sole as the ones your planning to use and loved them... Your feet will get sore... but so do everyone elses that use regular shoes... its just part of walking many miles with weight on your back. I carried 30-45lbs depending on how much beer I felt was needed for the next few days and the extra weight was never a concern with the VFF's.

The leather version is not completely waterproof, but they are much more than other models. I am going to be getting the leather TrekLS models for my thru-hike next year and plan to use Danner Waterproofing Boot Spray to help with the snow soaking them through.

One note, do yourself a favor and wear toe socks with them. Smartwool makes my favorite so far. They will help keep the stink down and they add that tiny extra bit of cushion if your feet still arnt toughened up.

This isn't necessarily addressed to the OP as much as it is a generalization the community entertaining VFF's ors other BF or neutral shoes.
The biggest point lots of people miss is the dynamic of the human foot. Whats good for you may not be good for me ...and vice versa. As for what we did before boots? Well, that's simple. We all walked on our bare feet (or neutral foot protection) from our first steps - every day building up the muscles that protect the connective tissue in the foot. Well, for those of us that have spent many of our steps in a positive heeled shoe ...and perhaps a posted shoe or suffer from poor biomechanics - a "barefoot" shoe will tax your foot like nothing you've ever known. Even in the most supportive and protective of hiking boots, a hikers feet still require tremendous acclimation.
The idea of "well, I'll just send them home if they don't work" is a very dangerous one. Keep in mind that we're talking about imposing the types of injuries that just don't go away by swapping out footwear. If you induce plantars...achilles tendonitis... or any other type of connective tissue problem, you're in a bad spot to fight back from. We saw lots of bus tickets get purchased last year just from people hiking in neutral shoes that probably would have been fine with adequate posting - let alone going "barefoot". There are TONS of lightweight, healthy options out there. PLEASE go see a footwear specialist before you make these kinds of decisions. A shoe is the MOST critical tool for any LD hiker. Letting someone on a forum who doesn't know your feet tell you what will/won't work is a bad idea.

Outdoor 76 - Franklin, NC

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Originally Posted by Outdoor76

This isn't necessarily addressed to the OP as much as it is a generalization the community entertaining VFF's ors other BF or neutral shoes.
The biggest point lots of people miss is the dynamic of the human foot. Whats good for you may not be good for me ...and vice versa. As for what we did before boots? Well, that's simple. We all walked on our bare feet (or neutral foot protection) from our first steps - every day building up the muscles that protect the connective tissue in the foot. Well, for those of us that have spent many of our steps in a positive heeled shoe ...and perhaps a posted shoe or suffer from poor biomechanics - a "barefoot" shoe will tax your foot like nothing you've ever known. Even in the most supportive and protective of hiking boots, a hikers feet still require tremendous acclimation.
The idea of "well, I'll just send them home if they don't work" is a very dangerous one. Keep in mind that we're talking about imposing the types of injuries that just don't go away by swapping out footwear. If you induce plantars...achilles tendonitis... or any other type of connective tissue problem, you're in a bad spot to fight back from. We saw lots of bus tickets get purchased last year just from people hiking in neutral shoes that probably would have been fine with adequate posting - let alone going "barefoot". There are TONS of lightweight, healthy options out there. PLEASE go see a footwear specialist before you make these kinds of decisions. A shoe is the MOST critical tool for any LD hiker. Letting someone on a forum who doesn't know your feet tell you what will/won't work is a bad idea.

Outdoor 76 - Franklin, NC

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So, in your opinion, would it be better to start out with trail runners and then gradually transition to thinner sole minimalist shoes, then to 5 fingers? Like maybe wearing them for a hour or two every other day or so. Of course, this makes the most sense. Like you said, shoes are basically the most important piece of gear for a LD hiker, hence the concern. My problem now is I have three shoes I'm trying to decide from. I have a thick soled trail runner, a thin soled trail runner, and the Trek LS 5 fingers. I think I'll bring the 5 fingers and one pair of trail runners, but I can't decide between the minimalist and the thick soled. Part of me says F it, go with the thin soles....lighter and will make my feet and legs stronger. While another (cautious) part of me says, bring the thick soled trail runners in case my feet aren't ready for the thinner lighter shoes. Sure the easy answer is bring the thick soled ones, but I like jumping in to things.

Keep in mind what may work in the south may not work further north. Those rocks can punish your feet even protected by heavy boots.

Great footwear. For causal use. Read the warranty... 90 days!!!

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Originally Posted by Transient Being

So, in your opinion, would it be better to start out with trail runners and then gradually transition to thinner sole minimalist shoes, then to 5 fingers? Like maybe wearing them for a hour or two every other day or so. Of course, this makes the most sense. Like you said, shoes are basically the most important piece of gear for a LD hiker, hence the concern. My problem now is I have three shoes I'm trying to decide from. I have a thick soled trail runner, a thin soled trail runner, and the Trek LS 5 fingers. I think I'll bring the 5 fingers and one pair of trail runners, but I can't decide between the minimalist and the thick soled. Part of me says F it, go with the thin soles....lighter and will make my feet and legs stronger. While another (cautious) part of me says, bring the thick soled trail runners in case my feet aren't ready for the thinner lighter shoes. Sure the easy answer is bring the thick soled ones, but I like jumping in to things.

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Without seeing your feet and knowing what your background is, its hard to have an opinion. There's basically 2 schools of thought ...your feet are like your teeth, eyes...etc - they don't get better as you get older, so take care of them. The flip-side is (with age and physiology on your side), make them stronger through safe conditioning so the muscles can take the load off the connective tissue. Its the same reason a baseball team only gets 1-2 games a week on their best pitcher. If he overused, the connective tissues in his arm would suffer injuries that take extremely long terms to recover. Your feet are the same way - even more complex. So, with that being said - this is VERY grey. A 40yr old can't just join a gym and expect to lift what he did in highschool - if he ever gets to that point again, it could take months of conditioning. We've seen AT hikers in their early-mid 20's in stellar physical condition have jacked-up feet. So there really is no way to answer your question.

As for trail runners - that even gets really sketchy. People throw that term around so liberally, but fail to recognize that a shoe does 2 things. Its 1st job is that its a garment for your foot. It protects from hot/cold, water, sharp things, dirt.... Its SECOND job is the most important - BIOMECHANICS!! I can pull 10 different trail runners that all do different things - but all most people know is that its a "trail runner". A shoe is a tool and you might need a different tool than the next guy to get the job done. You might very well be able to use a trail runner ...but do you need a posting, heel stability, shank ... what about volume distribution?? There are tones of questions. I can show 5 Salomons that all look like trail runners but range from comparable utility similar to the differences between a Ford F-150 and a Porsche 911. What is best for your foot? You might like the Porsche but NEED the F-150.

Then comes the way we fit... most people put a shoe on and feel for the toe and call it a day. If you go somewhere and thats the first thing they do ...or if they ask what size YOU want - WALK AWAY!! They're clueless.


Go get fit :) ..and let a pedorthist or someone pedorthist-trained that knows feet get you in what you need to be. You chances of getting to Maine go up exponentially regardless of how good your gear is on your back.