I wanted to take an opportunity to write a review of something most of us have probably seen walking/running by us or will soon see. I'm talking about Vibram Five Fingers shoes. These are the slip on shoes with pockets for each toe and have become extremely popular over the last year or two. They're really a mixture of a rubberized sock and a very thin shoe (a funny look shoe for sure). I now see people wearing them on the road, at the gym, and even at the mall. The Five Fingers shoes were even named one of Time Magazine's best inventions of 2007! So being the running enthusiast I am, I decided to give them a try and see what all the buzz was about.
My wife order two pair of the Vibram Five Fingers shoes. One for her and one for me. Humorously, my pair came in the mail before hers did, much to her chagrin : ) Vibram has four categories of the Five Fingers line: classic, spring, KSO, and flow. My pair is the men's KSO M1485, black camo. A picture of them is here:
As I mentioned before, the most striking thing about these shoes is the 5 pockets for each toe on the foot. At first, this took a little while for me to get used to since I'm not accustomed to sleeves wrapping around my toes as I walk around. But after a few minutes, you get used to the feeling and it's not as big a deal as you would think. In fact, it's kind of fun to be able to wiggle your toes at least more than you can in a conventional shoe. The one negative of this feature is that it does take longer to put on your shoes. Because the toe sleeves fit so snuggly, you have to maneuver each toe into its respective sleeve unless you're really lucky to get a few on your first attempt! How much wrangling does it take to put on a glove? Now imagine doing that with your feet, which in my experience, are much less agile than my hands : )
The bottom of the shoe is made of something they call TC-1 Rubber. At only 3.5 mm thick you can feel most everything under your feet, but the rubberized sole does provide enough cushion to protect the foot from rocks, glass, and other sharp objects. And this is the other distinguishing feature of Vibram shoes, which make them unique. It's the ability to feel the ground underneath you as your walk and run. I have to say that at first it's an odd feeling wearing something on your feet and still having a keen awareness of the surface below. Normally once you put on a pair of shoes, you stop feeling the ground and just feel the shoe. For example, in my running shoes, I rarely feel objects underneath the shoe unless it's a large rock or something else which causes me to lose my balance. I like this "closeness" with the ground because it does make you more aware of how you stand, where you walk, and how you move around.
I was also surprised that my feet stayed relatively warm in them. I've only had the experience of wearing these shoes in the winter, so warmth is a concern. But because the shoes are made out of breathable mesh nylon, I'm guessing that they will also let your feet stay cool in the summer. We'll have to wait and see.
One thing that I don't like about the Five Fingers is that they fit so snuggly. This is a good thing and a bad thing. A tight fit is a good thing when you are moving around and don't want to slip. It's a bad thing when you're not active, but still want something comfortable on your feet. I'm not sure this is really an issue with the shoe as much as it may just be a personal preference of mine.
The last thing I'll mention is whether one should run in these shoes or not. I know there's still a big debate about whether these shoes improve a person's running or if it hinders it. I still believe having good sole support is extremely vital to long distance running, which is what I mostly do. In particular, I run marathons, so I subsequently run anywhere from 10-18 miles on a long run weekend. Without adequate foot support, I almost certainly would injure myself either in my knees or in my feet. For shorter distances, I can see these shoes as a possible alternative since the lack of sole support is less an issue IMO.
So in summary, yes I like these shoes and I would recommend them to others. They're fun, moderately comfortable, and spice things up. I won't go so far and say buy them if you want to run super long distances, but they can be good for trail running, taking walks, and even shopping. With Christmas just around the corner, these might be a fun option to consider. Be safe and enjoy this holiday season!
Zack
