Vibram Five Fingers: 4 Months Later
Just over four months ago, I wrote a detailed review of the Vibram Five Finger shoes I purchased. I must say, the post ended up being a lot more popular than I anticipated. As soon as people started finding it via Google and YouTube, I started receiving questions and feedback about them. It’s amazing how many people are interested in these wacky looking shoes!
One of the common requests I got was to do another post about them and explain how I feel about them after owning them for a few months. So I’ve decided to do just that.
The Pros
First and foremost, I’ll take a look at the positives to the shoes:
Usability
One of my favorite things about the shoes is how usable they are. They can be used for basically anything. I’ve worn them to the beach, in the water, hiking, playing tennis, and riding my bike. I also use them for basic things like running to the grocery store.
They really are an all-around shoe that adapts to whatever it is you are doing.
Durability
Another positive to the Five Fingers is the durability. I’ve worn them quite a bit over the last 4 months but they seem to be holding up just fine. I’ve washed them a few times after hiking and they look as new as the first day I bought them.
They still fit like a glove and I haven’t experienced any shrinking or stretching, which was something I was worried about. I’m anticipating that shoes will easily last another year or two based on how often I use them. Who knows, they might even last longer than that.
Comfort
The main reason I bought the shoes is because I love to be barefoot all the time. Problem is, when you live in a city it can be pretty dangerous considering there is glass and other sharp objects lying around. These shoes do an AMAZING job at protecting your feet while still being lightweight. They really fit to your feet and after a while you forget you are wearing them.
These are honestly the most comfortable shoes I have ever owned. I’ve owned a ton of fancy shoes with air pocket, shocks, and all sorts of “comfort” features but none of them compare.
Reaction Factor
When I first purchased the shoes, I was a tad worried about what people would say. Turns out it’s pretty fun to wear these things around. I constantly get people who come up to me and ask questions about the shoes. I can’t even count how many times I’ve been asked if I’ve ever read the book “Born to Run.”
The shoes are an excellent way to get people to come up and start a conversation. Especially if you wear them out to the bar. However, from time to time I do get some fairly odd looks from people. This is especially true when going to the store. I’ve grown used to it though and no longer notice the looks I get.
Word of advice: If you don’t like being approached by strangers, you might want to think about getting a different pair of shoes.
The Cons
Now it’s time to look at the cons of the Vibram Five Fingers:
Cold Weather
So far, the biggest drawback to the shoes is that they are uncomfortable to wear if the weather is cold. My feet freeze if the temperature gets below 50 degrees. I especially noticed this in Austin when the temperatures were in the 30’s and 40’s. Even in Florida the last few days it’s been too cold for me to wear them outside.
However, there are a few different models available that work much better in cold weather. I happen to have the sprint model, which doesn’t cover much of your foot. If you do want some for cold weather, check out the KSO Trek model.
Putting Them On
Other than being cold, the only other con to wearing these shoes is they can sometimes be a tad tough to get on. They take a few seconds to get situated correctly on your foot, especially if you are just getting used to them.
I especially notice this whenever I’m feeling lazy and need to run outside to the car to grab something. I end up throwing on my slippers since they take far less time.
I Still Recommend Them
Other than the two small things I pointed out, I have absolutely no complains about the shoes. After wearing them consistently for four months, I still highly recommend them to anyone looking for some new shoes.
Best of all, they sell fairly well on eBay and Craigslist. So if you buy a pair and end up not liking them, you can always sell them off and get most of your money back.
Have a pair of Vibram Five Fingers? I’d love to hear how you feel about them.
Photo Credit: TheNickster | CC
Posted on: January 6th, 2010
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Wow…I would never imagine anything like this existing but looks useful for traveling.
Yeah they are pretty crazy looking. They work very well for travel, especially since there small and easy to pack. Plus they barely weigh anything.
Justin,
A couple of months ago I bought a pair of Vibrams. Actually they are the exact model and color as yours!
I would like to add a few of my personal comments about the Five Fingers.
First off, although these shoes are super light and fun to wear, they do come with a hefty price tag. For those that do not like to fork over + $80 for a pair of shoes, then these are not for you.
By looking at and even touching these shoes many may think that they are not durable. They are. The rubber sole is made of construction boot grade rubber. You can step on a nail and it will not puncture it. The only other material used (other than the straps, which are found on the sprints) is spandex. Pretty simple and effective design.
Lastly, Five Fingers do not provide any support. Their is no heal cushion and a Dr. Scholls insert obviously is out of the question. If you walk like you are wearing a normal pair of shoes then your heal will become sore. Altering the way we walk from a heal striking motion to walking on the balls of your feet is inevitable.
When I first bought mine I went trail running. Which was euphoric btw. However, I was not used to running on the balls of my feet and having my toes free to move as they wished. The next day I could hardly walk! If people buy Five Fingers, take it slow and allow your ligaments, muscles and tendons in your feet to adjust.
Barefoot forever!
-Ryan
Hey Ryan, thanks a ton for stopping by and leaving some awesome feedback. You covered a few good points that I completely missed. I agree that they take some getting used to, especially when it comes to your toes and the balls of your feet.
I still remember the first few times I wore them and was sore the next day.
Thanks again!
I’m glad you put up a longer-term review of them. I had heard several people review them right after getting them, but I was wondering about a more long-term use. I finally found a local place to try some on. I all but could not get the neoprene model on my toes, but the KSO worked fine for me (it’s usually much warmer here…just not this week
Yeah I can’t wait for warmer weather…I’m getting sick of sitting in front of a space heater
Hi Justin.
I’ve been running in Five Fingers for about 6 months now. I agree with everything you and other commenters have said.
I routinely run about 20 miles a week now in the VFFs. I haven’t worn my regular running shoes in about 4 months. In fact, I put the ASICs on recently to go to the store and they didn’t fit anymore. My feet have changed significantly since I’ve been wearing these things. Stronger, more “solid”, just better.
I have a second pair that I wear to and from work and during work on some days. I do get a lot of questions and strange looks from people on the bus and subway. But I don’t mind. I tell people these are the best shoes I’ve ever owned.
Anyway, I’ll grab your RSS feed and keep reading your stuff. Feel free to drop by my blog about running in NYC.
Take care.
This are absolutely one of my favorite products. Is it OK to add a pro and con to your list?
PRO: You can swim with these shoes on. (Especially useful for rocky rivers or coral-bottom seas).
CON: They have a distinctive look. Expect a lot of questions and stares while wearing these shoes around town.
I would have to agree with both. I wore mine in a stream while hiking and they were perfect. And I completely agree with the look…I get some weird vibes from people when they stare me down haha.
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Liked the post. Just got the black VFF KSO a few weeks ago, and love them. A couple of other points.
Availability. These things are just plain hard to track down (I am in Chicago). I tried a pair on at Erehwon one day, didn’t buy it then, and the next time I came back, 2 days later, they were sold out. If you look on amazon or google shopping, you can tell how difficult these guys are to get. Not many sizes available, and not many colors.
On top of that, sizing is extremely important for this kind of shoe. They size their shoes with European sizing, and they have a sizing chart that will map a shoe to foot for each 1/8th inch.
It’s pretty noticeable too, if you have one foot slightly larger than the other.
I started out running with these guys on a treadmill, and then out on the winter streets in chicago. Agreed that they take some time to get used to, and you definitely feel it as your stabilizing muscles and connective tissue strengthen.
The process of getting used to them for me entailed first blisters, then crazy muscle soreness, then bruised cuticles (gotta keep those toenails short). I think I’m at the point where I run 3-4 miles in them a few times a week, and thoroughly enjoy it.
I just completed surf city half marathon in vibram ff. I have done a couple of them before also with regular running shoes but this is for the time that I completed one w/o injuries. I’m so happy as I not only did better timing wise but I finished it strong w/o any pain. Sole of my feet feels sore as during my training I had only done 6 miles max in vibrams but I’m already beginning to feel better. I feel that my running is much more efficient as I don’t have any extra drag that comes with normal running shoes.