Vibram Five Fingers – Initial Review

It is time for my initial review of the Vibram Five Fingers, specifically the KSO model (Keep Stuff Out). I know there are a ton of individual reviews out there, but hey, I think wearing monkey feet justifies the right for me to add another one in the mix.

I actually received my first pair of VFF’s, as they are called, a little over a week ago. I wanted to get a little bit of ground under them before tossing out my initial thoughts.

For those wanting the quick down and dirty, pan to the bottom of this post for the bullet point version.

Bit of a background on my past shoe use. I am not a runner, probably never will be. I like to hike and jog/run trails, but right now I am not overly experienced nor long distanced. Shoes for me have always been an area I probably should have spent more time on but could never justify it because I exercise in spurts. My arches hurt a lot when I wear shoes all day, my heels hurt on occasion, and when I try to run consistently even on grass or a treadmill I get shin splints. I may have been able to solve these issues with different running shoes (may), but frankly, I never wanted to put the investment in something I did not spend a lot of time on. That is, until I heard about the benefits of barefoot running or shoes that mimic it.

Currently I spend 75% of my day barefoot at home. I do a bit of yard work, housework and so on in that state. Flip flops are used when I need something on the bottom of my feet, and when I hike, I have been using running shoes because I cannot stand being bound up in ankle high boots anymore. The more time I spend barefoot, the more I hate strapping my foot into anything.

I saw the VFF’s about 6 months ago and I decided maybe this was something to try. Listening to the theories about strengthening your feet, fixing pains from running through proper foot placement and so on had me intrigued. I have small feet, so it took me about 2 months to find a pair in my size and a reasonable color (Vibram really needs to work on their color options).

Upon opening the box, even after seeing them in person and looking at them online for months, they still took me back a bit. Putting them on, all I could think was duck or monkey feet. My husband did not mind them on me nearly as much as I did. My friends when they first see them cannot stop staring……which pretty much speaks for itself. They do take some getting used to.

It also took a bit of wrangling but I finally got them ON my feet. I wore them for about an hour the first day at home and noticed a couple hot spots on the bottom of my big toes. This reminded me that I need to take it slow in transitioning.

For the rest of the next week I wore the VFF’s around the house for a couple hours at a time. I sprinkled a small bit of baking soda in them before wearing each time, and this seemed to improve the hot spots.

After a week, I took them for a hike. I did a very short hike (1.2 miles) up a trail nearby. Lots of rocks, steps, gravel, and elevation change….so a good road test. I took it slow up the hill, watching where I stepped, how I walked, and how I placed my feet. I stubbed my toes a couple times, landed on a few sharp rocks, and probably heel pounded far more then I should. I did jog about half way down the trail, and it was actually easier from a foot placement standpoint to jog then it was to walk. I still tried to take it easy, and I noticed some calf cramping later that night when I was climbing. Nothing major, just enough to remind me I was still getting used to the new shoes. I did notice that after my short run my shoulders were far less ‘tense’ then they usually are after running (a problem I have not been able to solve so far). Could be coincidence, but I did notice it.

I continued to wear them around the house, doing yard work, and spending more hours in them. I went to an outdoor climbing site with the VFFs, and while I did not climb in them, I did scramble around on rocks, trail run, and generally test them out even further.

Rock scrambling was a blast in the KSO’s. I found myself just jumping around and going up and down rocks for no real reason other then for the fun of it (quite primal). I did have to jog over the top of a mostly flat rock mesa for awhile, and even while paying attention to foot placement my feet started to get sore on the very hard uneven surface for an extended period. I also managed to step on a cactus and find out just how non cactus proof the VFF’s were. All that said though, I had so much fun in them I was not even thinking about climbing, my original purpose for going to that location.

My feet were a bit sore that night, one of my arches was complaining near the end of being there, but nothing serious. By the next day everything felt fine. I did push it that day, but it was not enough to injure myself. Just enough background noise to know I had worked new muscles and am strengthening my feet.

A couple days ago I took them for another test on the same hike I did the first time out. This time I picked up my pace on the way up the trail, and I ran the whole way down the hill. It is getting MUCH easier to place my feet correctly without constantly having to think about it (still have a ways to go). I am still catching my toes now and again, but nothing like before. I did land hard on one arch on a piece of rebarb that was holding a rail road tie step……that was my first real ‘ouch’ outside of the cactus. But still was not that bad, I did not stop running, and by the next day my foot showed no evidence of a problem. Just reminds you to really watch where you step. I still need to keep taking it slow in the shoes, my calves are sore two days post run, again not bad, but I would not want to sideline myself.

Grip wise they have done fairly well on the trails. On rocks and dirt it is excellent. I had no problems scrambling on the rocks, and when I dash down a trail leaping from boulder to boulder I have had zero issues. On loose gravel though there is a bit of a downfall, especially while running downhill. I think that might get better as I learn to use my whole foot more, but I suspect with the type of sole on the KSO’s this is to be expected (the Trek model might be better for this issue). I have not tested them in water or mud yet. The tight fit at the top of the shoe has kept out 99.9% of all gravel, I am happy I went with the KSO model over the open versions.

The only problem I have had with the shoes is that I have a pretty small pinky toe, and at times it does not want to stay seated in the toe slot. I cannot get a smaller shoe, my big toes are at the end and fit perfect. This is not a major issue, maybe 3-4 times while on the trail I have brushed the shoe against something and the small toe pops up. Sometimes I can wiggle it back in, sometimes I have to stop and put it back in. I suspect this will improve over time as the shoes themselves seem to be forming to my feet more and more.

Getting the shoes on has been an interesting feat. It is getting easier, but I had to get a pattern going. I insert all my toes first into each slot, pull the top cover of the shoe as far as I can over the top of my foot, then I grab the tab and pull it over my heel. It is a pretty snug fit, there is no just shoving my foot in and pulling it over the heel. It is getting easier, but after 10 days, it still takes a short bit to get them on. I did have to trim my toenails, which were not that long, but they fit more comfortable with a closer trim then I had before.

To sum up my current opinion of the VFF KSO’s, I am in love.

The feeling of the ground beneath your feet is incredible. After I wore them a couple times they now fit like a glove and I hardly notice them on. I just feel free. Shorter, but free.

I do not know if I will ever go barefoot (since most of my activities take place on rocks and gravel), so these might be my long term solution. I am interested to see how my arches and shins do as I increase my running distances, but that will take some time to test. I also might consider purchasing a more ‘open’ shoe for wearing say around town and such. They do get a bit warm, and there is no need for the KSO top if I am not on a trail.

I will use the shoes for a few months and report back with a more extended use review. I will be interested to see how they hold up to the wear and tear of a trail, especially since I have seen a lot of complaints of premature ripping and seam issues. If they wear out sooner then expected I might have to upgrade to the new women’s treks that just came out. I am probably not going to use them rock climbing just for the pure reason that I do not want to speed up their wear when I already have new climbing shoes.

One area of concern I have is in between the toes like here:

There is no damage yet (what you see in the first pic is just glue on the edge and trail dirt), but it seems like an area that might get some abuse the longer I wear them.

So in summary….

Positives
-Incredible feeling to be so close and connected to the ground, cannot say that enough
-Comfortable and form fitting after just a couple hours of wear
-Good traction on large rocks and trails
-Conditioning of new foot and leg muscles always a plus
-Bringing joy back into running around for me

Concerns
-The toe fit is very hard to get 100% right, would think many folks will struggle with the toe shape variables (try them on in person if at all possible before buying)
-Traction on loose gravel will take some technique work or care
-The look of monkey feet and color selection can be a downside
-Worried about premature wear or smell issues (no personal experience of this yet)
-Have to watch for blisters and hot spots, using baking soda helps keep them dry and gradually increasing wear time
-They tend to lean on the warm side for the summer

Even with the concerns, I am already sold on the Vibram Five Fingers, monkey feet and all.

I cannot stress this enough though, when converting to any minimally soled shoe (or barefoot), take your time. I plan on doing longer hikes in the future, and I will wear my VFF’s to start and convert to my old shoes as my feet become sore. There is no reason to push it and then be out of commission for a couple weeks. The hot spots I experienced in the beginning have almost completely faded and I have not had any blisters develop. My sore calves and arches are very minimal and I have not been held back at all from staying active.

Here are some additional options in the growing area of minimalist shoes. I may explore these further down the road for wearing around town. Right now though, My VFF’s and I are quite hooked on each other.

Terra Plana Vivo Barefoot
Soft Star Shoes
Feelmax

You can also look at just plain running flats, some folks buy inexpensive water shoes, I have seen indoor workouts done in wrestling shoes, or find a company that makes traditional moccasins is another option. I might look at the moccasins or the Terra Plana’s myself as it gets colder to wear around town.

Oh, and look what is coming out early next year!!!…… Merrell Barefoot.

So updates to come in a few months as I test the Vibram Five Fingers out further. If you have any other suggestions for minimalist shoes please leave them in the comments!

UPDATE: Have been watching the Crossfit games today, and they reminded me of another shoe I had looked at when shopping for minimalistic shoes. I am pretty sure a lot of the competitors are wearing the Inov 8 F-lite 230. Its a racing flat somewhat designed for trail running. Lightweight, minimal if any padding. I ‘almost’ got these rather then the VFF’s, but I was not sure on the sizing. So something else to consider if you are looking for an alternative to Five Fingers.

(note, all links in this article are NOT associated with any affiliate accounts)