Sweaty feet and vibram five fingers? page

[thermopyle]

I'd like to pick some of these shoes, but I've got a condition called hyperhidrosis which causes my hands and feet to be excessively sweaty. Obviously the palms aren't an issue here, but with sandals and flip-flops my feet tend to slide around a lot in the shoes once they get sweaty. This can be a huge pain when I'm out at the frisbee golf course (which is very hike-like), or just walking around outside when it's hot. I do fine with regular shoes (cause, you know, socks), but before looking seriously at purchasing VFF-type shoes I want to find out how well they work with sweaty feet.

So, anybody else out there with sweaty feet (whether normally or with activity)? How do the VFFs work for you?

Thanks for the input.

[Goldsmith]

I guess my feet sweat as much as your average person and I've never had any trouble with my VFF's. They have a pretty gnarly smell if I don't wash them every week or so, but thats about it.

I doubt you would have any problem with them since they fit so snug... probably just need to wash them on a more regular basis.

I think they make little toe socks to go inside VFF's, you could try those.

[esloser]

Mine fit like a glove, but Goldsmith is right - if I don't wash mine at least every week, they can start to reek.. The toe socks are made by injinji and can be bought through Amazon - not the cheapest pair of socks you'll ever buy though. If I wear them - I can go a lot longer between washings. They're machine washable so it's not big deal though. I've also found that sticking a dryer sheet in them at night helps ward off the stink for awhile.

[thermopyle]

Oh, it's not the stink I'm worried about--I know they're easily cleanable--I just wanted to make sure might feet wouldn't slide around inside them. Nothing as unpleasant as sliding around inside your shoes.

[pdovers]

My husband liked the idea of the vibram 5 finger shoes but he wasn't sure if he would like hiking in them. The sales clerk at our local (Dallas) REI store assured him if he did not like them he could return them at any time no matter how worn they were. He told us you can return anything to REI at any time if you don't like it. So why don't you go to your REI store and ask them if you can return them is you slip around in them? You have to go and get fitted for them...not the kind of thing you can order online...they have an unusual sizing system and the trick is getting your toes to fit correctly. My husband tried on 4 or 5 pairs before he found the right fit. He has had them for almost a year and there is no talk of taking them back. I wasn't crazy about the 5 finger shoes so I bought the Merrell barefoot shoes at REI. They look conventional and are very light weight and give me that barefoot walking experience.

[rocknroll]

You can try putting a little Gold Bond powder in your Vibrams on occasion. I like to wear leather loafers (like Sperry's) without socks; adding a little Gold Bond keeps my feet from sweating too much and getting smelly.

[esloser]

Mine don't slide around at all on my feet - they fit like a glove... I've been running in them, lifting weights in them, and wearing them for everyday wear for the past 3-4 months.

[thermopyle]

Well, I bought some Komodos on Saturday. They're very comfortable and much cooler to wear than I thought they'd be. Very snug, too. I'm looking forward to finding out how they do with frisbee golf tomorrow, but so far it looks good.

[Lynna]

My husband liked the idea of the vibram 5 finger shoes but he wasn't sure if he would like hiking in them. The sales clerk at our local (Dallas) REI store assured him if he did not like them he could return them at any time no matter how worn they were. He told us you can return anything to REI at any time if you don't like it. So why don't you go to your REI store and ask them if you can return them is you slip around in them? You have to go and get fitted for them...not the kind of thing you can order online...they have an unusual sizing system and the trick is getting your toes to fit correctly. My husband tried on 4 or 5 pairs before he found the right fit. He has had them for almost a year and there is no talk of taking them back. I wasn't crazy about the 5 finger shoes so I bought the Merrell barefoot shoes at REI. They look conventional and are very light weight and give me that barefoot walking experience.

I like the Merrell's because I can were them to work. I have the Pure Gloves which I can wear with anything and the Pace Gloves which I can wear with slacks. However, I find that I do have to throw them in the washer about once a week or they get stinky.

[thermopyle]

I went and played frisbee golf today. The komodos are awesome for it. Rocks can be felt but really don't hurt. Perfect traction hopping up and down hills, tree trunks, etc.. They fit perfectly and it was the rest of me getting sweaty, not my feet.

Very glad I bought them. ^_^