I like the Vibram Five Fingers "shoes" and will likely continue to run one shorter distance run per week in them and wear them around the house on a regular basis.
The longer review:I am a pretty progressive guy. I like to try new things, if I think they make sense. At the same time, I am a minimalist- when I run, I dislike wearing a shirt, and though I have considered using a heart rate monitor or gps to help track my running workouts, I have thus far resisted because it just seems like so much stuff.
In keeping with these values, I have been wanting to try barefoot running for a while. Of course, barefoot running is one of those divisive issues within the running community- a minority of people think it's great, while a majority of people seem to think that it will destroy your knees and the soles of your feet. I never been a big fan of "conventional wisdom", so I was willing to give it a try. However, my wife Valeri opposed barefoot running on two grounds:
I could cut up the soles of my feet on debris, and
I would likely gain ugly calluses, etc. on my soles
So, when I first heard of the Vibram Five Fingers shoes on the Crossfit message board, I was interested in getting a pair, as they would ameliorate Val's problems with my barefoot running. Last February I finally placed the order from the only online vendor I could find, KayakShed.The shoes are only available in European sizing, but KayakShed's conversion chart worked well for my feet. I wear an 11 in running shoes and I ordered a 44 in the Vibram Five Fingers. They arrived quickly.
I impressed by the shoes themselves- as I had heard before, they are basically gloves for your feet- there is no padding on the soles, and I could feel a lot of the ground through the soles. Vibram recommends that you wear the shoes around for daily activities for a while before trying any running in them, but I think this was unnecessary for me. I already walk around barefoot quite a bit, so I did not experience much of a learning curve in my initial runs.
Since receiving the Vibram Five Fingers, I have worn them for about one run a week of about 3-4 miles (sometimes on asphalt and sometimes on the Town Lake Trail [crushed granite]), and a single run of about 8 miles (the trail + cement).In general, I really like the Vibram Five Fingers. I find myself wearing them around the house a lot, especially when I work on chores that require me to go in and out of the house repeatedly. I would probably wear them out and about while running errands around the town, except they clash with my [admittedly limited or vestigial] fashion sense. That said, here are some pros and cons for the Vibram Five Fingers. Though the cons have more "column inches", the pros really outweigh them.
Pros:
- These are great to run shorter distances in. I love running a quick 5k loop through my neighborhood in the Vibram Five Fingers
- It is a joy to run on dirt or grass whilst wearing these
- People seem to think they look cool, in a funky kind of way (I live in Austin). I get lots of looks and questions about them- even as I run past people!
- They feel very comfortable and natural to wear, even when running
- The top edge of the Vibram Five Fingers sometimes rubs annoyingly at the hair on the top of my feet
- The place where the Vibram Five Fingers' closing mechanism cinches tight irritated the back of my foot initially (though I have now gotten used to it)
- I have read that the backs of the Vibram Five Fingers can pop off in running water. I have hiked some trails in them (including water crossings), and while I have not experienced this, I can see it occurring in running water
- The tightening mechanism for the Vibram Five Fingers is good but not perfect- sometimes when they are cinched securely on my feet, the tight elastic is a little annoying
- When I ran my 8 miler in them, I was hurting by the end of the run. My calves were burning, as were my Achilles. Additionally, I knew I would have a blister on both of my big toes, and the ball of my foot was starting to ache from impacting the ground. Part of the outside of my foot was hurting as well. The burning in my calves and Achilles is fine- that just tells me that they were getting a workout. The blisters are part of life. However, the pain in the ball of my foot and on the outside of my foot was troubling. For these reasons, I think I will restrict my runs in the Vibram Five Fingers to shorter distances in the future. Note that the above "con" is due to the act of barefoot running rather than a specific criticism of the Vibram Five Fingers.
Conclusion:Now, after having said all the above, I am glad I purchased my Vibram Five Fingers- they are a great addition to the bottom of my closet. They won't replace my Asics running shoes, but they will supplement them- I think I will likely run in them once a week. Additionally, I will run the Capitol 10,000 10k in them this weekend and I expect to get a lot of funny looks and questions about them as I run by.
One final thing to note is that my Vibram Five Fingers are apparently generation one, as there are new models out. I am sure some of my cons have been addressed by the changes in the new models. I may eventually lay my hands on the new models to give them a test as well, but for now I am happy with my "Vibram Five Fingers Classics".
46 comments:
Nice review, thanks. I'm not a runner myself, because running sometimes makes my knees hurt, but I recently became interested in healthier footwear when I read the NY Magazine article You Walk Wrong.
I'd like to regularly run or at least jog and I am wondering if relearning how to walk and run "barefoot" (say, with Five Fingers on) might be easier on my knees or allow me to build up the necessary muscles.
Even if I'm just destined not to run/jog, I'm way too curious not to try Five Fingers for walking, even if (being as the nearest retailer is around a three hour drive) it means ordering them blindly to try!
I just bought a pair of five finger Sprints after reading same article mentioned by adam. Been wearing them all day. Girlfriend is amused, but I may have crossed the line when I wore them out to meet some of her friends. Went out for a quick run on the street and my calves were burning in no time. The running otherwise felt amazing. Running on the balls of the feel rather than clunking around in some overpadded shoes is a freeing sort of experience. Looking forward to getting to know my physiology a little better tomorrow. Viva La Revolution!
Love my Vibrams. I travel to Austin a few times each year - what are the best trails for the Five Fingers?
BurnSomeDust has a 32 mile walk planned for Memorial Day Saturday. The appeal of FiveFingers is they do not require extensive breaking in, and they do not mask the feel of the terrain. A big draw of the walk is the sensory experience of crossing all twenty Manhattan bridges afoot; FiveFingers means the sense of touch will not be shrouded.
Am I the only one that thinks these are sexy as hell on a woman?
I saw her at Ocean State Job Lot and had to talk to her. I can't wait until they are more popular.
I was thrilled when I saw these in the window of my local sports store. I slipped on the ice and broke my leg close to my ankle a year ago and had quit jogging for fear of rolling my ankle and reinjuring it. I've gained over 30 pounds. I also know I would not have broken my leg if I had been barefoot (not unusual for me for short trips outside in the winter). My ankles roll easily. So I'm looking forward to jogging in these and shedding some pounds.
For Adam: I had the same problem and quit jogging in my 30s (in my late 50s now). I decided to give it another try when I got to 50 and was rapidly gaining weight. I learned that if I kept my feet closer to the ground and shortened my strides in order to reduce impact, that I never had a problem. I also never jog down hill and am very careful on an incline.
Great review! I bought some KSO's four weeks ago and it went something like this... week 1: mother of all calf workouts. week 2: calf pain replaced with blisters. week 3: slipped them off after seven miles and ran two miles barefoot. <-- now I'm addicted to barefoot running! :)
All,
Thanks for the great comments. I am glad that this review was so helpful to so many people.
I do suggest the Vibrams even if you are not a runner. I've now had mine for a year and a half, and I love wearing them to lift (weights) in, plus for general chores around the house. I still think they look goofy, though.
Ryan:
I like running on paved roads, trails, or grass with the Vibrams. As for "easy" trails- I am sure you are aware of the town lake trail in Austin- it's around Lady Bird Lake just south of downtown.
Additionally, my all-time favorite trail training run is called the "Powerline Loop,"- and it is about 10k on the Barton Creek greenbelt. Drop in on top of the Hill of Life, run down, and then get lost in the greenbelt! I don't run this in my Vibrams, though, because it is pretty rocky.
Yours,
Peter
Peter, thanks for the leads on trails. I am a huge fan of Austin and am trying to move there. Looking forward to some off road exploration. Just bought the Inov8f-lites so will strap those on for the Barton Creek trail. Thanks again and like you, I agree, these are just plain goofy, but love 'em.
I just purchased a pair of Vibram KSO's and I have mixed feelings.
During my initial run with them, I stepped on a twig (not a branch, merely a twig) which rolled over and ripped a hole in the upper of the Vibrams, over the big toe. I am fully onboard with the barefoot running technique, but I seriously question the durability of these shoes.
I purchased the Vibrams from Rock Creek Outfitters online. I immediately emailed my concerns that the shoes didn't make it through my first run and their response was that they were unwilling to take them as a return or exchange. Essentially, I had wasted $80. If you want to purchase these shoes, DO NOT BUY THEM FROM ROCK CREEK OUTFITTERS. They will not offer any sort of customer service when necessary.
Been barefoot walking and minimal barefoot running for about a year now. (I overdid the running last winter and pulled my achlieies tendon - better after several months, but I take the running part more causiosly now). I just bought a pair of Vibram KSO versions for NY Sports, on 36th and 5Th ave. NYC. I choose to wear them back to work (Walking to Penn Station and taking subway to 168th st). Great experience. I wore them at my gym today - some interesting looks - but no remarks. I think barefoot walking with the Vibriam KSO's will help me do more barefooting through the winter months. Great shoe, and glad to have purchased them.
It occurs to me that the reason these might hurt after several miles, is that the human body isn't designed to run several miles at a time. Padded shoes might mitigate this in some sense. However, if you're looking for a way to walk/run more naturally, you're going to come a lot closer to our biological limitations, and you're going to reach them much sooner than you realize. That's just they way we work.
I strongly disagree with you, anonymous on November 19. I'm not going to go into it in depth, but humans were "born to run".
See the November 18 2004 issue of the journal Nature, or see this quote:
"
'We are very confident that strong selection for running -- which came at the expense of the historical ability to live in trees -- was instrumental in the origin of the modern human body form,' said University of Utah biologist Dennis Bramble.
"
Pulled from:
http://www.livescience.com/health/041117_running_humans.html
Best,
Peter
Hi, I just began running, and I'm wondering how long these shoes last, and at what mileage/week you put them through?
Also, has longer distance barefoot running improved over time for you?
Thanks for reading the post, "beginner".
I don't run in my Vibrams much anymore- as I have cut my running down drastically from 15-20 miles per week to 5-10 mpw. When I do run, I find myself grabbing either my Puma H Street shoes (a very minimalist track shoe) or some Puma racing flats (which I use exclusively for trails).
However, I am not sure why I don't run in the Vibrams much, because I do enjoy them. I just find myself grabbing the Pumas and throwing them in my gym bag in the morning. I guess the Puma's give me more flexibility, as I can also hit the gym without funny looks or fighting with the management. I have heard that some gyms consider the Vibrams more sandals than shoes.
I do still use the Vibrams around the house and for weight lifting (which I do 2-3 times a week).
As for longevity- the soles will last and last. There is no cushioning to compress and give out like on a standard running shoe. The plastic toggle for the elastic strap on one shoe gave out after a year of hard use, but I tied a knot in the elastic and that has worked just fine. I would guess that the shoes will hold up for another year or two of punishment, at least. I think the elastic strap is the component most prone to failure, and some newer models of the Vibrams have nixed it in favor of other strapping mechanisms.
As for the improvement in barefoot running- the more I ran, the easier it got. I don't get the calf soreness anymore- but keep in mind that I don't run as much or for as long as I used to.
Ive always loved the concept of barefoot running/walking and have done this alot when I was growing up, until my parents would spank my ass and force me to put on shoes which sadly over all these years have been my norm. Now that these have come into play, im excited at getting back 'barefoot'.
However, I need a few questions of mine answered before I invest the AUD 180 for these and my main worry is cleaning and maintenance. I envision dirt building up inside the 'toes' of the shoe and what not, especially for one that suffers from heavy perspiration. Also, because socks and all are absent, won't the residue from the sweat and grime buildup inside the 'shoe'? Since there are 'toes' aren't they harder to clean?
Advice anyone? or is the simple solution to be to immerse/wash them everytime they are used? which would make them pretty high maintenance...
Benjamin,
I currently use my Vibrams for household chores, weightlifting, and sprinting. Sad to say, I have not washed them since the summer (August 2008, maybe). They are definitely dirty, but not stinky or grimy.
As for cleaning them, I just throw them in the washing machine. I have also heard of people cleaning them with some white vinegar.
If I were running in them daily, I think washing them a few times a month would suffice.
However, I have seen people on the 'net complain about their odor when used heavily:
http://www.board.crossfit.com/showthread.php?t=37021&highlight=smelly+vibram
Best of luck.
Cheers,
Peter
Thanks for the response Peter, I'm currently resisting the urge to go out and get them until the smell issue is resolved, some people wear Injinji socks with them, but that might detract from the whole 'walking as close to barefoot' notion, but if they are the only way around it, then something is better than nothing I guess, considering the Injinji's aren't cheap at all
Thanks again.
Benjamin,
I have Injinji socks and I have never worn them with the Vibram's. I just don't see the need.
I do know that some people wear their Injinji socks with their Vibram Five Fingers.
I also feel that the Injinji's might alter the fit of the Vibrams- added some padding and lessening the "connection" you get with the ground.
Philosophically, I also feel like adding some Injinji's means that you are donning a lot of gear to "barefoot" run.
Anyway, you can make up your own mind, and the Injinji's are good socks in any case.
Peter
Hey Peter
hopped down to the store yesterday and don't like the feel of the injinjis with five fingers at all, its too much of a difference, the shop guys gave me some outs to prevent the funk, will check them out before fully committing.
Also found that with the classic the tail where the bungee cord is, sticks into my achilles alot, I can foresee weeks of blisters and pain, the shop guy was telling me he had the same issue, and he sanded/hammered it down so it becomes softer and with a smoother edge, not sure how well that would work though.
Wow! Fantastic Marketing Scheme!
One blog post in 2007 that just happened to be a Review of a lesser known product for runners... by a young, hip-looking exercise enthusiast. And he still comments on his 1 blog post in 20007 2 years later! OMFG!
Maybe, just maybe whoever came across your site was doing a google search for Vibram Five Fingers! And perhaps they Learned about the product by reading this in-depth expose reporting about how much of a fraud most running-shoes are.... which JUST SO HAPPENS to show 3 comments at the bottom that name-drop Vibram Five Fingers
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1170253/The-painful-truth-trainers-Are-expensive-running-shoes-waste-money.html
Kudos to the Vibram's Web Marketing Public Relations Consultant for doing such an excellent job.
Anonymous, you make me smile- "a young, hip-looking exercise enthusiast". Thanks!
As for the conspiracy (marketing) theories, I'm sending my black helicopters for you right now. Keep your head down, friend.
I've been running in five fingers for about 6 weeks. with a short, balls of the feet stride they are wonderful. i changed my stride, and now run in these. i can run forever now - at least until i get bored. I used to run 3-4 miles and be exhausted and my knees would hurt. Now i run 7 miles, and I have no pain, and would run longer but usually have something else to do.
all those who are using proper, forefoot running - these shoes are AWESOME.
So...I just got a 2 pairs yesterday, and I love them! I've been reading about other peoples' experiences with them, and most people seem to feel the same way. I'm not sure if you only have that one pair or not, but the whole problem with the closing mechanism hurting the back of your feet is due to the style. I have KSO's and the classic, and there's a huge difference with the KSO since it actually covers your foot and has a strap. There is no problem with the back gripping too tightly and hurting. Just thought I'd share.
These shoes seem really interesting. Im not much of a runner, but i do practice martial arts to keep atleast somewhat in shape. In the gym its not a problem,since you can go barefoot, but throught the summer, i really enjoy a sparring session outdoors every now and then. The problem so far has been that you cant really kick that well with normal shoes. You can hurt your partner, you dont bend your toes properly, etc. Does anyone have any experience with it?
Frank,
I don't have much experience kicking with the Vibrams- I do goof around with a soccer ball now and again, but that's it.
I found this link on the Crossfit message board:
http://www.board.crossfit.com/showthread.php?t=35750&highlight=vibram+martial
You might try searching the Crossfit board for "vibram" and your discipline.
Frank,
I just found a better thread:
http://www.board.crossfit.com/showthread.php?t=43016&highlight=vibram+martial
Long story short- the above users find the Vibrams often rip when used for a "high impact" martial art.
Just to amplify Peter's great review: here's a detailed review on how to fit each of VFF's different models at begin2dig.com - motivated by/for all of us who can only mail order these things.
Great review! I've just got myself a pair of the Sprint Fuschia which i'm going to start wearing now the weather is nice and start running!
I work for a stockist in the UK called Love Those Shoes and believe me they are getting more and more popular! We've just cut our prices by 20% and the love for them is crazy!
http://www.runcolo.com/Product-Reviews/Vibram-Five-Fingers.html
They are great, nice review.
Peter,
My boyfriend bought a pair of these and I laughed when I first saw them. You will never see him run in anything else. He recently bought me a pair and I had my first run in them and felt muscles that I had not used in a VERY long time. He's currently reading a book called Born to Run...you quoted Dr. Bramble and he contributed to the book so you might want to check it out! I haven't read it yet but once he's done it's coming my way :) Great blog by the way!
Hello there,
Hope you’re still enjoying the FiveFingers. I certainly have. Unfortunately they seemed to have a defect though and have started to fall apart! I wrote a review to explain.
All, thanks for all the great comments. Just to let everyone know, I recently got on twitter, and my handle is http://twitter.com/petekeller .
Chris,
Sorry to hear about your "defective" Five Fingers. 2+ years on, mine are going strong. I lost the ability to adjust the elastic on one side, but other than that, mine are still great. I have not been running in them very much lately, as I have not been running much!
Found your site while researching vff. Curious to know if you have run longer distances in them since you last posted and if so, how did it go? I have my sights on running a marathon in them. I'm just transitioning now and my calves hurt. You are supposed to run 1/2 hour till the calves adjust, not jump into it like a bonehead as I did.
@Gail, I just ran the San Jose Rock and Roll half marathon in my VFFs. It was a great experience, finishing in 2:22. I shaved 20 minutes off my time from last year, when I ran in shoes. The other big difference from my shod run being that afterwards, I had no knee pain and no blisters and only minor calf soreness! I am never running in shoes again.
Good review! I actually wear the FiveFingers sprints for running - find them more secure and deffinitley think you should give them a try! I wear them with Injinji socks as i sometimes get blisters in between my toes when wearing FievFingers and my feet get a bit chilly! A great accompaniment
I just picked up a pair of the Vibrams a few weeks ago and I love them! I had the same pain in the balls of my feet though after running. I wonder if that will go away or if I'll get used to it?
I reviewed them here: http://thestrengthreview.blogspot.com/2010/05/vibram-fivefingers-review.html
I love Vibrams and these shoes sure taught me the value of being patient - to slowly yet surely increase the mileage and not rush into minimalist running. One guy actually complained of a deformed pinky though. You can read about his interesting real life experience in easing into barefoot running here
This is a good review about vibram five fingers shoes. The shoes is so comfortable on foot and light too. I love that shoes.
Think I found the answer to the "pain from running" dilemma...
http://birthdayshoes.com/how-to-transition-to-running-in-vibram-five-fingers
Ｉagree with the views of author,we also have one recently,it worth having one. let's go to five finger vibrams have a cheaper one.
Great review. I bought a pair of the TrekSport's and my legs are finally filling out. The legs have been a slow-grower for me until now.
I recently bought a pair of barefoot running shoes and seriously, I was surprise it was very comfortable to wear. Great blog. Informative.
I agree, good to have jes a few pairs of running shoes. My favorite VFFS jogging on the beach.
I was googling around when i entered you blog. I am feeling pleasure to find the heartful knowledge on Vibram Five Fingers.
Really You have done a great job. Hatts off.
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