October
2007
Vibram FiveFingers
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If you are a regular reader of Mark’s Daily Apple you are probably well aware of those funny looking Vibram FiveFingers by now. They’ve been mentioned in our barefoot running post, featured in a Top 10 Ultimate Fitness Gadgets post and showcased in Mark’s sprinting video. What can we say? We’re huge fans! The only thing FiveFingers hasn’t got is its own post. It is high time this performance footwear we love oh so much got the attention it well deserves, so here goes nothing.
 
 
Or maybe if Bunny Slippers wooed Climbing Shoes with her undying charm, and also somehow managed to birth unconventional hybrid foot-protection offspring you would end up with Vibram FiveFingers.
 
Flip flops and waters sock?
You are bound to get some looks and see some heads turn if you walk around town in these. This probably isn’t of much interest to all of our trend-setting and trailblazing Mark’s Daily Apple readers. Besides, I am sure they are looks of envy rather than utter confusion or concern anyway.
Seriously, though. FiveFingers are light and malleable, yet durable. It’s as if Dr. Scholl went crazy and let his foot gels creep up around the heel and toes like a mutant foot-protecting demon. That’s it. FiveFingers are like a mutant demon that protects your feet. Yet also like your grandma, soft and protective.
Technorati Tags: Vibram, FiveFingers, barefoot, running, walking, primal health, shoes, feet
They look great! How much are they?
$70
I just bought my boss a pair.
He walks the beach a lot and is on his boat on weekends. He loves them. Although you should have seen the look on his face when he opened his birthday present.
I really like the descriptions of the shoes. Really funny!
Alas, if you don’t have webbed feet but do have a longer second toe than big toe, they’re not going to work.
I have a pair, love them to death although it seems my left little toe doesn’t appreciate them. I walked 6 miles in them round town and now I have a black toenail!
I think it was catching on the top bit of the shoe inner.
I’m hoping I might be able to wear them again sometime soon. Plus it’s getting cold in the Northern Hemisphere and I don’t fancy freezing my toes off.
Didn’t find any problems with sore muscles in my feet/legs since I spend an awful lot of time training barefoot in martial arts.
Karen:
I wondered about the longer second to but according to the Vibram webite there is a little “wiggle room: (pun intended):
Standing with your heels against a flat wall
Slide ruler under each foot and measure the longest toe
Take the longer of the two measurements
If your foot length varies by more than .4cm, it will be difficult to get a precise fit for both feet.
If your second toe is more than .4cm longer than your big toe, it will be difficult to get a precise fit.
have a par - Classcs -and love em - should have got the sprnt ones cos gong fast n the classcs s not easy. F you want to sprnt get sprnts. Szng -go to the snuggest sze you can manage eg my shoes are usually Euro 43 but my choce was a 42 and they are perfect. PS am worng on a eyboard that has 2 eys broen the letter after h and the ltter after j - am not a moron or dyslexc
My wife and I each got a pair each this summer and love them. They have been super for trail running and it is such a different feeling running in them as opposed to my Nike Free’s. The calves get an incredible work out when I run in the fivefingers. My wife feels it more in her adductors. Amazing how our individual structures call on different demands than from others.
If you can get to a place where they have them in stock, i’d recommend you try them on for size and walk around in them to get a feel. We drove 90 minutes to the nearest dealer but it was well worth it.
Got mine about 2 months ago after reading the original post here. After doing more research, I went with the Five Fingers Sprint. Such a good choice. Had to order them from the US because they still aren’t carried in Canada (MEC in Vancouver is supposed to carry them eventually), but it was definitely worth the extra money for shipping.
I’ve been trail running in them and they are incredible. I felt the extra strain in my calves at first, but it wasn’t bad stress… just the feeling of muscles that weren’t used to being called on. My little toes definitely required some coaxing to appreciate them, but my feet are used to them now. I definitely get some strange looks wearing them as well.
I’d highly recommend the Injinji socks with them. I found the top of the Vibrams would chafe and the Injinjis stopped that right away.
My ONLY complaint was that the only colour they had available in my size was red on black. Otherwise, one of the best fitness purchases I have made.
Oh, and my second toe is slightly longer than my big toe and they fit fine. I guess it depends on how much longer it might be…
@Dave C and Derek B,
Toe two is .8cm longer than toe one, and toe three is .6cm longer than toe one. I guess I’ll have to wait until they start making them for monkeys.
Wearing the Vibram shoes makes me feel like a kid again.
I haven’t used them for running, but love them for most of my exercises, plus great for hiking on the trails.
[...] As workout wear goes, Vibram Fivefingers fall into the “odd” category for sure. But if you can get past their appearence, they’re the perfect fit for exercising in (almost) naked feet, says Mark over at Mark’s Daily Apple. [...]
I am curious to try them but I’m a little apprehensive because I’ve had some serious problems in the past with plantar faciitis, and I’ve relied on orthotics since ‘91. Also, back in my days of running 50-60 miles a week, I was definitely a heel striker. Landing on the balls of my feet might be one trick this old dog would have trouble learning. But I would like to see what they are like for just taking a walk (I do my interval workouts on a bike).
[...] As workout wear goes, Vibram Fivefingers fall into the “odd” category for sure. But if you can get past their appearence, they’re the perfect fit for exercising in (almost) naked feet, says Mark over at Mark’s Daily Apple. [...]
Coop,
That “feeling like a kid again” certainly describes the overall sensation we’ve felt with the FiveFingsers. A renewed playfullness if you will.
Dave C.
Check out the web page from their site.http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/technology/faqs_mechanics.cfm This may be able to answer some of your questions. If you’ve had problems in the past with plantar fasciitis then i believe they would recommend you slowly work your way into to wearing them. Do you have high arches, or flat feet? Both can result with variations of plantar fasciitis. If you still have questions, give them a call and speak to someone one on one.
I’m also a fan - I use them instead of flip-flops in my backpack (I’ve been travelling almost non-stop for 20 months now) and wouldn’t go back to flip-flops.
Mine have walked the streets of Venice, trails of Slovakia and even most of the West highland way in Scotland.
My personal review is here and there’s also a flickr group for them: http://flickr.com/groups/fivefingers
Craig
Paul: Thanks for the link. Looks like I have a couple of things going for me. I have high arches, and I have a neutral gait so I haven’t had to use “motion control” shoes. Mark sent me an email about these in my Apple infancy that I thought I had saved but can’t find. I *think* he said something to the effect that using them could be beneficial in the long run with my PF problem. My main concern is the transition from a 55 year old heel striker to a more flat footed approach. I guess I’ll head to the beach and try it barefoot in little doses and see how I adapt.
Thanks again!
Dave: Easing into it sounds like the best approach. Additionally find a reputable PT or Massage therapist who can work with you on specific ways of opening up the lower legs and the bottom of the feet. With high arches, there are usually ways to speed up the process of creating more ease in your step.
Got ‘em! Love ‘em! Especially like the looks I get when I wear ‘em. I call ‘em my “MonkeyFeets!”
I did notice that my FiveFingers aggravated my ingrown toenails on my big toes at first - and still after prolonged sessions they still do. But mostly this was solved by splurging on a quality pedicure.
I own the Kayakshed and http://www.kayakshed.com we’ve been selling them for a couple years now (I think we were one of Vibrams first stores) Since then, I’ve purchased both the five fingers classic as well as the sprints for myself. I can’t tell you how much I love ‘em! They were not what I expected. I thought I would only use them for water applications (Kayaking obviously). Turns out I use them more for all sorts of things including yard work. They are tough to fit. We have a sizing chart on our site that works well. However if you’re in between 2 sizes. Buy both sizes and return the one that doesn’t fit. They are tricky to fit and they do get easier to put on after you have put them on 2 or 3 times. Good luck and enjoy! http://www.kayakshed.com/vibramfivefingers.cfm