Vibrams Five Finger Issue page

[Call Me Twitchy]

The other day I bought myself a pair of VFF KomodoSport LS's. My size is a 41, 40 was pushing against my toes but 41's worked fine. I loved them my first time because it was different yet awesome, they fit me like a glove! Yet, the strap part broke on the left after my first use (it was spinning instead of just sliding in. I took them back to REI and they gave me a second pair to replace them. I didn't wear them until yesterday and the right foot felt like a glove, but the left was digging into my toe! I was frustrated and took them back today and got my money back, yet I was enjoying the thought of barefoot running. I mean, I could run barefoot on the roads in my neighborhood but I'd be worried about stepping on something.

Has anyone had a similar issue? My left foot is the same size as my right, so I know it was the shoe itself. The REI is going to laugh at me for coming back again if I decide to give them another try. They're also so darn expensive...

[Diana Renata]

I've noticed that sometimes you end up with a large seam on the inside of some of the toes and it can be somewhat uncomfortable. I have one pair that has this and I've done the best I can to trim it down. I may tackle the problem again. I guess it just means being diligent when trying them on.

[primalryza]

I have found that with all four pairs of my VFF's it has taken 1-2weeks of wear before they were completely comfortable. My first pair dug into my left top of my foot for the first week but after that were perfect.

[PhiPsiJB]

I have owned a pair of VFF Bikila's for about nine months now. Overall I love the shoes but every once in a while the big toe on the right shoe tends to chafe. I think this is probably a combination of poor fit (for that particular session, not the shoe's overall fit) and a matter of my running form starting to deteriorate.

That brings me to my point: are you sure the problem is with the shoe itself? You mentioned this is your first pair of VFF's so perhaps your feet are still getting used to not only the shoes but the form required to run in them.

Also, keep in mind there are other minimal footwear options out there. You may want to check out New Balance's Minimus Trail, which even has a Vibram outsole.

[honeypig]

Also, keep in mind there are other minimal footwear options out there. You may want to check out New Balance's Minimus Trail, which even has a Vibram outsole.

Water shoes or pool shoes will work also, cost a whole lot less and do not have exacting fit requirements or fiddly bits to break. Also, if you are a cold-climate person, you can put warm socks inside them if needed.

Just another option....

[CTRunner21]

The New Balance Minimus or Merrell sell shoes that are similar to the Vibrams but they actually look like a shoe. They may be more comfortable when compared to the Vibram.

[ProtoAlex]

Check around in your area for any store that stocks terra planna or terra planna's vivobarefoot shoes. They produce a really great thin soled shoe with plenty of office casual, every day, sport or outdoors styles. Most of the toe boxes are plenty wide enough in them to allow your foot to unbind.

[Call Me Twitchy]

I have owned a pair of VFF Bikila's for about nine months now. Overall I love the shoes but every once in a while the big toe on the right shoe tends to chafe. I think this is probably a combination of poor fit (for that particular session, not the shoe's overall fit) and a matter of my running form starting to deteriorate.

That brings me to my point: are you sure the problem is with the shoe itself? You mentioned this is your first pair of VFF's so perhaps your feet are still getting used to not only the shoes but the form required to run in them.

Also, keep in mind there are other minimal footwear options out there. You may want to check out New Balance's Minimus Trail, which even has a Vibram outsole.

The first pair I got were fine and wonderful, but the replacement pair dug into my left toe. It might have been that I just didn't give it enough time but it didn't make sense because the right foot felt perfect.

[PhiPsiJB]

Call Me Twitchy: You bring up a good point about giving VFF's time to fit or feel better. I know that's the case for me; initially the shoes felt a bit constrictive, particularly in the toes. Now that I've worn the shoes for a while they feel snug without being too tight. Now I just have to fine-tune my form to prevent that toe chafing issue.

And to follow up on my first point, it seems any problems I have with my VFF's may be due to how I happened to put them on for that particular session. That, in turn, may be a Catch-22 when it comes to VFF's; the individual toe sleeves are beneficial most of the time but a poor fit, no matter how slight, may be able to cause problems.