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Vibram "Five Fingers" shoes

#101
Ívar Þórólfsson;12120845 said:
Actually last spring I went to Seville, Spain for 4 days. I did A LOT of walking there in my Speeds (on pavement etc.) and my feet felt great.
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Here's a pic from that trip:
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I'm wearing my Speeds and my fiancée is wearing her Bikilas.

That pic is taken in Alcazar palace in Seville, Spain. A palace that was first built in 913AD. That floor we are standing on is many hundreds of years old.

We walked in those shoes everywhere, we were actually stopped a couple of times by Spaniards who were very curious about the shoes :)
 
#104
Ívar Þórólfsson said:
Here's a pic from that trip:

I'm wearing my Speeds and my fiancée is wearing her Bikilas.

That pic is taken in Alcazar palace in Seville, Spain. A palace that was first built in 913AD. That floor we are standing on is many hundreds of years old.

We walked in those shoes everywhere, we were actually stopped a couple of times by Spaniards who were very curious about the shoes :)
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Very cool. I'm not sure how hip I am on laces for 5 fingers though. However, my Minimus have laces so I'm not sure why I have issue with that. I just can't imagine my Komodo's feeling better with them, IMO of course. I guess everyone's feet are different and one style obviously isn't right for all.
 
#106
Unrepresented said:
This thread helped to convince me to pull the trigger on a pair. I should receive them next week.

I am not much of a runner, but my girlfriend has convinced me to sign up for a half-marathon coming up in September. We'll see what levels of magic these shoes contain.
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Take it slow as your body relearns how to run and your muscles adapt. I started off with the last 100 yds being barefoot and added 50 yds every time out with a day of rest between. Above all, listen to your body as things we can push through with traditional clad footing can become much more severe when minimal.
 
#107
fishstix said:
Take it slow as your body relearns how to run and your muscles adapt. I started off with the last 100 yds being barefoot and added 50 yds every time out with a day of rest between. Above all, listen to your body as things we can push through with traditional clad footing can become much more severe when minimal.
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That's my current plan. Did a quick run ~5K this morning in current shoes. Tried using more forefoot and less heel strike. Feels weird, but I'm sure I'll adjust with time.
 
#111
Ripper said:
I've been trying to run in these for a while, but I just can't. Though I love them, my shins just can't take it. I think I might wind up switching back to normal sneakers this coming week.
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That's funny because I had the exact opposite experience. My shins were always killing me in traditional running shoes.
The shin splints disappeared when I started using Fivefingers.
 
#112
VincentSalizeri said:
Got a pair of these. Best shoes ever. Except for one thing, I can't wear them at work because they don't offer much protection to my feet if I drop something. Not that I drop stuff, but the higher ups are all about safety. Do they make something like this that offers a bit more topside protection?
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Oh man, if they made steel-toed 5 Fingers shoes, I would totally rock them--while laughing MAO!
 
#113
Ok, bringing this back up looking for some advice. I've finally gotten back into running full time the past few weeks, going out almost every day after work. And I've actually been doing it in my Vibrams. I can finally run a mile (ex-XC runner who hasn't really done a whole lot in the 3 years since high school), but after that my calves get really tight, and today basically my entire left leg below the knee got really tight about a half mile in, so I stretched a bit and walked and tried it again and got about another quarter mile before it did it again.

Now I'm not sure if this is solely due to my inactivity in the past bit and me just getting back into it, or from the shoes since I only wear them while running (I don't think khakis and Five Fingers go together very well). Either way, does anyone have any advice? Am I just pushing it too hard? I'm icing whenever it hurts, though not quite to the ice bucket level like in XC.
 
#114
If you haven't done a lot in 3 years, you probably shouldn't be running everyday. Sounds like you are overdoing it. Perhaps try every other day for a while, after taking a week off to recover, and slowly increasing your distance. Once you get your distance up and the runs feel good, start running off days with short recovery runs. Then build.

Does not sound like the shoes.
 
#115
I have three pairs of Five Fingers, and am way into the minimalism thing. Three of the four members of my band wear them too! We almost called ourselves 'The Footies' but decided that was a horrible idea. Anyway, Five Fingers are the best transitional tool I have had in my life to help me be more conscious about my health and about being much more active.
 
#117
REI Outlet had KSOs for $49 and 20% off and my curiosity got the better of me. I bought them primarily as a lighter, less bulky alternative for times when I'm hauling Chacos. They fit pretty good even with my Morton's Toes. They don't seem like the sturdiest things but I guess when you're barefoot, you're not scraping your foot on a rock and kicking cactus.
 
#119
elgecko said:
They don't seem like the sturdiest things but I guess when you're barefoot, you're not scraping your foot on a rock and kicking cactus.
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I kicked a cholla once while mountain biking in the Sonoran desert. The spikes went right through my running shoes into my foot, hurt like hell.

Nothing short of something in a full leather hiking boot would have stopped those spikes from coming through.
 
#120
I've had my KSOs for about two months now. They make great "everyday" shoes but where they really excel is as an approach shoe. They're great for schlepping 30lb+ packs over third and fourth class terrain. Clipped to a harness or stuffed in a pack, they're far lighter and less bulky than other alternatives (tennies, flip flops, Chacos, Tevas, etc) but offer superior traction and performance. I'm fairly certain I could climb easy fifth class effectively in them.

They do have some down points. They take time getting used to. I had to develop a new achilles callous and lengthen a few of the toe pockets. They are adept at "Keeping Stuff Out" but small twigs will sometimes get stuck between the toes and you can't just stretch your toes to release them. They're not great for colder weather. I tried Injinji socks with them but it wasn't as comfortable...I guess that's what the Flows are for. They DO hold a funk but I simply hit them with Lysol after wearing them and throw them in the washer every once in a while.

Despite these drawbacks, I'm sold. I absolutely love them. Even the though the synthetic uppers have surprised me with their durability, I look forward to getting a leather pair.
 

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