Got Toes? The Vibram FiveFingers Review
I finally succumbed to peer pressure.
After some careful online research (like here, here, and here) and being persuaded by my co-worker Stephane, I finally mozied on down to get myself a pair of Vibram FiveFingers. After all, being named one of Time Magazine’s Inventions of the Year couldn’t be all that bad… right? 
After perusing their website, I found only two retailers on Oahu that sold them.
- Uyeda Shoe Store across from Puck’s Alley (map)
- The Wheatgrass Center behind the Bank of Hawaii on Waialae (map)
After calling Uyeda’s several times and being greeted with one of those funky fax feedback tones each time (note – please update your online phone number), I finally decided to ring up The Wheatgrass Center. For those of you instructionally-impaired like myself, just take a left on Waialae Ave. before the Bank of Hawaii heading Kahala bound. Located behind the bank, The Wheatgrass Center is quite an interesting store selling both the Vibram FiveFingers and of course… wheatgrass. (Why people want to ruminate like cows is still truly beyond me.)
Review
When I first saw the Vibram FiveFinger, I did what any other (semi) normal human being would do – I laughed. Not any normal laugh, mind you – but a “there’s no f-in way I’m wearing that in public” laugh. They resemble footwear of a ninja-in-training, and since I’m neither of the two (a ninja or in training), I really couldn’t fathom seeing myself in a pair.
But after trying them on, I was immediately taken back; back to small kid time when I ran barefoot and carefree in the red dirt hills of Mililani. The Vibram FiveFingers not only allows you to feel the contour of the ground, but also provides protection to the soles of your feet. After being given the sales pitch by Mr. Fukuda, I was sold. There’s a few models; I ended up purchasing the Classic. (Check out their website to see the entire product line). Not to mention, Mr. Fukuda instructed ordered me to wear the pair out the door. After a full weekend’s worth of wear and tear, here’s a few images of them on my feet – along with a short list of my pros and cons.
The Pros
- It’s surprisingly comfortable. Sometimes my toes still feel weird being separated, but it’s pretty neat to actually feel the ground without fear of having a rock in your foot. Btw, if you like the separated toe thing, check these socks out from Injini.
- If everything the Internet world says is true (like we all know it is!), I’ll have crazy leg/toe muscles, damnit! And, not to mention, it promotes a more natural walking motion. To learn more, read this article about barefoot running.
The Cons
- I developed a blister on the back of my foot near my Achilles from the back strap. It’s pretty sore, but after reading other reviews, I’m sure I’ll get used to it.
- Since I’m fairly self-deprecating and a non-fashionista (you should see my car), the design doesn’t faze me one bit – but I could see how embarrassment could set in.
- The price. $73 bucks isn’t a drop in the bucket in this economy. Damn, do you know how many beers I’m giving up for this?
I’ll tell you in December how the Honolulu Marathon goes with these on!
Popularity: 44% [?]
July 8th, 2008 at 1:57 am
[...] Original post by Ryan Kanno: The diary of an Enginerd in Hawaii [...]
July 26th, 2008 at 10:47 am
Ryan,
Welcome the world of VFFs! It has been an adjustment for me, but I’ve really enjoyed the simplicity and freedom that comes with being almost barefoot! I have been running trails for months and plan to run my first 1/2 marathon in the Fall in the KSOs!
I’ve found since I ditched traditional running shoes that my IT band probs and soreness are gone. Ok, that’s after building up strength in these bad boys.
Great to read your post.
August 3rd, 2008 at 12:48 am
Hello,
thinking about getting their KSO model for Trail Running, but I was a little concerned about the durability. How have yours held up so far?
August 3rd, 2008 at 4:53 am
@Jordi – I don’t have the KSO’s, but the regular VFF’s have been holding up quite well. I am still getting red spots near my Achilles, but that doesn’t stop me from running in them.
August 3rd, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Hi Jordi,
I graduated from the Sprints to teh KSOs and really am pleased with their performance and durability. I run some really rough trails and am out there daily and find the KSOs to be exactly what’s needed for trail running. I am beyond happy with them. There’s a huge group in Minnesota that wear them trail running and have been for a year with equal success. Get a pair…you won’t regret it.
August 7th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Wow, look fabulous to me and I agree with the idea of feeling like you are almost barefoot.
Thanks for the post!
August 19th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
I got the Classics at first, but that darn thing on my achilles was so uncomfortable! So, I ended up with the KSOs which I love!! I’ve been wearing them for a total of about 3 days now, and the muscles in my feet and calves are acctually sore from wearing them! They are perfect for my olympic lifting, yoga, and all of the other things I do. I ran in them a couple of days ago, and although it will take some getting-used-to, the experience was fabulous!
Long live the Fivefingers.
August 19th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
@Jessica, @Ryan – From the sound of things, it appears that the KSO’s are the way to go. They look really hot. Are they? Btw, does anyone know how to clean these things? Washing them completely made them give off this strange rubber odor – should I just have spot cleaned my VFF’s?
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:03 am
I’m considering picking up a pair myself, but I had a question: their website says that the classic wouldn’t be so great for things like kayaking and such; do you find any issues in the fit or the security? I’m curious as to whether I should consider the classic or the sprint.
August 25th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
My two boys have VFF’s and love them. They wear them everywhere. On the issue of cleaning just throw them in the washer preferably with powdered detergent. To dry leave them outside in a sunny place.
September 7th, 2008 at 3:45 am
@Jonathan – Though I haven’t taken my VFF’s out to the water (and I live on an island, heh), I don’t get the feeling that they’d totally slip off. Part of is that not only would the heel portion have to come off, but the force must also push it forward off the foot. Even if the heel portion sometimes slips off in motion, I’ve never had my VFF’s slip off completely.
September 7th, 2008 at 8:42 am
Ryan K – I was worried the KSOs would be hot but they aren’t at all! They are very light and breathable material. I do believe they look heavier online, more than they actually are in real life. I’m in AZ, so I would let you know if they were too hot – heat and AZ go hand-in-hand. Wore them this morning on a trail run – perfect. KSO stands for Keep Stuff Out, and that’s why they are beautiful trail runners.
January 6th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
I was curious about the width. Like many here, I suffer from “luau feet” very flat, wide. Do you have any issues with the instep not being wide enough?
January 7th, 2009 at 1:11 am
@RedBeerd – Unfortunately, I don’t have flat, wide feet – so I don’t have any issues with the instep not being wide enough. However, I just measured it for you, and the width of the instep is just 3-1/4″. =)
February 9th, 2009 at 9:43 am
A little late to the party, but I have been wearing my classic VFFs since the beginning of August 2008. Got mine at Uyeda, diagonal from Bubbies. I was there enough anyway, no sweat to walk over to Uyeda.
I wear the classics for everything, including weight training and pushing a Prowler. I have the elastic strap as loose as it goes, and have never thrown a shoe. I’ve done lots of sprints in them, but screwed up a joint in my foot years ago so I can’t really run distance any more.
My biggest problem is the smell; if I don’t wash the shoes every 2-3 days, they really stink! I want to get another pair, but I’m in Portland OR now and the nearest store that has the VFF is in Hood River, about an hour away. Any tips for keeping the shoes (and my feet) from scaring dogs and small children?
Thanks!
June 25th, 2009 at 7:04 am
http://www.runcolo.com/Product-Reviews/Vibram-Five-Fingers.html
I’ve even heard of people removing the elastic tie in the back if it becomes bothersome. I rock the same pair of Classics that you do, in black.
July 6th, 2009 at 5:02 am
As long as you are sure about the size you need for these shoes just order them from the website. Right now I live in the Netherlands and I am stuck using the military mail services but they still got it here in a week. Oh yeah and shipping for 2 pair was less then 5 dollars.
July 6th, 2009 at 11:22 am
Does anyone have any tips on how to keep the Vibram’s clean? I know it says that you can just put them in the washer on the inside of them, but I’m wondering if anyone has experienced any negative side effects from doing so.
July 6th, 2009 at 11:33 am
I use an old toothbrush and Nikwax Sandal Soap. If they’re really bad, I’ll get the inside wet, then dip the toothbrush in bleach and scrub for a few minutes before using the Sandal Soap. Probably not very good for them, but it’s not a lot of bleach. Sometimes I’ll use a quarter-scoop of Oxy Clean detergent in the washer when I wash them that way; seems to do the same deodorizing job, but also sometimes makes other clothes’ colors run.
My first pair is about to wear out after almost a year of heavy use, and the inside isn’t showing any ill effects from the occasional bleaching, or from spinning in the washer. I guess the yellow lining is a little thinner; I can see the outline of the pad under the ‘Vibram’ stitching.
July 8th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
@Kurt
Thanks for the tips! I’m totally going to try them out tonight.
What pair are you thinking about next?
July 8th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
I’ll probably get another pair of classics. I got the classics that are orange between the toes a few months ago, but haven’t used them for workouts yet. I might make those my workout shoes and get some new ones for everyday use. I like the blue ones, but they might be too bright… I like talking to people about my VFFs, but I need to get work done too.
One more cleaning tip that works REALLY well in Hawaii: set them in the sun after washing. The UV is a natural anti-bacterial. I always dry mine in the sun when I can. Living in Portland means I can only do that a few months out of the year though.
July 12th, 2009 at 8:55 am
http://patrickhdonnelly.blogspot.com/2009/05/vibrams-shoes-with-toes.html tips on how to clean…
July 29th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Hope you’re still enjoying the FiveFingers. I certainly have. Ended up purchasing a pair after reading your recommendations just a few months ago. Unfortunately they seemed to have a defect though and have started to fall apart! I wrote a review to explain here: http://www.christopherrcooper.com/blog/4/barefoot-running-in-the-vibram-fivefingers.html
July 30th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
Hey Ryan,
Thanks for sharing this post with us about the pros and cons of the Vibram FiveFingers. Seems like these things are getting more and more popular. I have to admit that there aren’t many shoes that I can think of that bring me back to my childhood days. That makes me a little jealous. Anyway, wanted to let you know that I included a link to your post on a post that we did on the best reviews and information on the vibram fivefingers (http://funcfash.com/2009/07/best-reviews-opinions-and-information-on-vibram-fivefingers/). Thanks for sharing the info!
August 3rd, 2009 at 11:42 pm
[...] Kano: Got Toes? The Vibram FiveFingers Review (surprisngly comfortable, but did develop [...]
August 4th, 2009 at 8:54 am
I’ve been wearing the Sprints for about 3 months at work and running errands. I work in a retail environment, so I am mostly on my feet on a hard, tiled surface (Ala Moana Shopping Center, and, yes, I can wear them at work without getting flak for it). When I first got them, I wore them for 5 days straight, sockless, starting with a 12-hour shift (not a regular thing). By the tenth hour, my legs were tired, but I think that would’ve been the case in any footwear. My calves felt like they’d been working hard. The balls of my feet felt a bit pounded, but I’ve felt this wearing new Gel Kayanos in fewer hours. The rest of the week my feet felt fine with most of the ache work felt in my calf muscles, a good sign, I think.
I got through that first week graced with residual “new shoe smell”. Since then, I “pit” them out in about 2-3 days. I’ve washed them in a front-loading washer with liquid detergent with little success at removing my foot smell. My wife suggested I use Biokleen “Bac-Out”, an environmentally-sensitive enzymatic cleaner found in most natural food stores, like Down to Earth, Kokua Mkt., and Whole Foods. This worked like a charm. I put about 1/4-1/2 tsp in each instep, add a little water, spread to cover, and let it soak for at least 10 minutes. I rinsed out the cleaner and air-dried the shoes, and, voilà!, no sweaty foot smell! This may be not as hard on the materials as vinegar, and you don’t have the vinegar smell. That’s a lot of work for cleaning, but I think this footwear is worth it. I’m getting toe socks in hopes of reducing the amount of foot sweat transfered to the shoe and extending the number of days between cleanings.
On the negative side of my experiences, I recently went on a 2.5 mi. walk with the dog in Volcano (Big Island). This was not a fast-paced walk and mostly on asphalt. By the end of the walk, I was starting to develop a blister on the ball of one foot and felt pounded on the other foot. So, I’m still learning about how my feet work with these shoes. I started my walk on our cinder and dirt road and was surprised to feel that I might have been on the verge of punching a hole through the soles. So, they don’t feel impervious to graveled surfaces. I’ve felt the friction on my Achilles tendon a couple of times, but it’s never developed into a problem.
Sorry for the long post!
August 4th, 2009 at 9:00 am
One more thing. I got my pair at the Wheatgrass Center in Kaimuki, too. After two days, I noticed that the interface on one of the toes where the fabric meets the rubbery sole material was starting to come apart. I went back to the Wheatgrass Center and they replaced my pair without question. This was obviously a manufacturer’s defect and not due to wear, as it appears to be in Chris’ case.
August 4th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
@Jeff – Thanks for the cleaning tips!
@Chris – How unfortunate… I’ve had mine for a while and it hasn’t come apart yet. =/
@Les – That’s awesome. I loved Mr. Fukuda @ Wheatgrass Center in Kaimuki. Don’t worry, it took me a few months to get used to running in them… though I’m not sure when I’ll be able to run the marathon in them even though I’ve already run a few in normal shoes.
September 2nd, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Aloha Ryan,
i’ve had my ‘five finger flows’ for about 2 months now. previous to the vibrams, i’ve been using skin diving shoes, boots,
to go ‘trikke’ riding. th ‘FFF’ fits and performs better than my skin dive shoes.
no probs with hot weather or hot pavement (when i walk the trikke across the street)….
and i like the weatherproof toughness on rainy day/mud puddle days, i just walk through the muck and rinse.
i’ve really had no odor probs and throw them in the washer with powdered detergent, heavy duty-cold water setting,
along with an enzymatic booster in the softener section of the washer.
my carving and strokes have improved (calve, ankle, feet, toes) muscles are given an awesome workout!!!
http://www.trikke.com in case anyone’s wondering what a ‘trikke’ is……
spz
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Aloha Ryan,
I’m a reporter at The Honolulu Advertiser and I’d like to talk to you about barefoot running. Could you please shoot me an email with your contact info?
Mahalo,
Mike Gordon
September 4th, 2009 at 9:54 am
To all –
Thanks for the lovely contributions to the blog. In any case, I found this deal a few days ago and posted to Twitter, but forgot to post here. If you’re interested in the Sprint… here yah go. There’s only a few sizes left, but if you can bump your total to over $50.00, I think it’s free shipping!
http://dealnews.com/Vibram-Mens-Fivefingers-Sprint-Shoes-for-50-free-s-h-w-50/315782.html?ref=rss_dealnews_today
October 13th, 2009 at 11:11 am
I’ve been wearing FiveFingers for about three years now. I am on my third pair. I started with the Classics back when they only had the Classics, Sprints and the discontinued Surge (precursor to the Flow). Now I wear the KSO’s.
I run in my VFF’s exclusively both road and treadmill. (I only wear “regular” shoes at work.) The longest I have run in them was 14 miles and got a small blister in the midfoot. No more knee pain, shin splints or hip pain and I feel more solid standing. An added benefit of muscle development in the foot is that I can pick stuff up with my toes (can even throw a ball with decent accuracy). Oh, and my calves are ripped!
@RedBeerd – My feet have spread since wearing these shoes. My most recent pair of dress shoes were EEE width! No probs fitting in the KSO’s. They are flexible, probably enough to accomodate most widths. Best bet is to head to Wheatgrass Center and try them on.
The first question people ask (after “What are those?” as they point mouth agape, to which I answer either shoes or “What are those?” as I point at their feet) is if they are comfortable. I say if barefoot is comfortable, then yes. They have no support, no cushion, no corrective anything – which is the point. I recommend them all the time (I should get paid) but recommend starting slow until your foot adjusts. Fit is important, so try them on if you can.
October 15th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
@Dennis –
Wow! That’s so awesome, 14 miles! I tried to run 12 miles in them, but it was totally brutal. *sadface* I ended up walking 6 of them. Heh. I guess I still need more practice.
Please leave a reply »