Again, every pair of VFF shoes is handmade. The defect on your shoes is not right so I hope you got them returned successfully. Even without the defect, though, it sounds like you prefer the toe flexibility in the KSOs. If you change your mind about FiveFingers, get the KSOs. Alex has a pair of pre-2014 KSOs and color aside they are identical (fit, quality, design, durability) to the pair she bought in 2020. Reply I’ve seen several groups of barefoot runners at marathons — even during the Shanghai Marathon which is particularly filthy. But aside from the dirt and potential glass, it has always fascinated me. Unmistakably, it’s possible even in today’s modern world. And we get it. How on earth can you find identical runners to study, with no injuries, running the exact same way on the same training program, of similar speed and body composition? Arch support is a very popular buzzword when buying shoes, and it’s not without basis. People want shoes that prevent injury, make them run faster, offer stability, and improve recovery. But does arch support actually do that? I think you need to get a couple pairs of shoes for different occasions. The KSOs (or V-Trains if those end up working) are great for warm weather. If it rains, your feet will get wet. There isn’t a pair of VFFs that is good for wet conditions and I don’t recommend the V-NEOPS (your feet will sweat). You only need two pairs of shoes to cover all your needs. The KSOs is the first. They are good for everything except the rain and cold. For those conditions, I recommend hiking boots with a waterproof liner and a Vibram sole. I like the Merrell and Lowa boots.

We felt lighter and more balanced than ever. We breezed over the top of Mount Washington (the fourth highest peak on the Appalachian Trail) and the surrounding presidential mountains. There are a lot of shoes that we don’t highly recommend, either for performance, fit, or durability reasons. Additionally, the shoes that we do highly recommend, are not ideal for certain activities. This was the first clue that we probably didn’t need our boots. The second and third clues were our injuries: my bruised toe and the return of Ryan’s hamstring tendonitis (a heel-striking injury) had us calling it quits halfway through our 100-mile section hike. Like so many, Ryan and I were first introduced to minimalist running by reading the wildly popular 2009 best-selling book, Born to Run by Chris McDougall. As a swimmer, we were always running around barefoot. Gym class was the only time I really used shoes for athletics.

V-Aqua

Just like how wearing helmets spur football players to hit each other harder (yes, this is scientifically proven), wearing shoes with cushioned soles encourage runners to stomp down on the ground harder. Thank you very much for reading all of that and considering it! And thank you again for your very helpful article and answers to the comments. In an unbelievably true story, Chris tags along in an epic 50-mile ultramarathon race deep in Mexico’s Copper Canyon in 2006. Unfortunately, we can’t shop for FiveFingers in retail stores. What’s also challenging, is that Vibram offers several models for a specific activity such as hiking, training, or running. For many, this can lead to decision fatigue.

Running in FiveFingers, I soon grew to enjoy the unique and different feelings of running on stone, grass, pavement, or dirt. With the toe slots, they felt natural and fit literally like a glove. It sounds like these shoes are too big for you. It’s up to your preference, but I think extra shoe at the end of your toes detracts from the barefoot feel. I like the end of my toes to be very close or touching the toe guard. Based on your measurements, I would go one size smaller and get the 46. I did not factor in foot swelling during the marathon. I did have some blistering at the end of my second big toes, however, I still wouldn’t get the size up just because I prefer a snug shoe. After reading through all your information and questions, I ended up digging out all of our FiveFingers shoes (now pictured in the article) to analyze the toes. Here is what I found and these are my best answers to your questions. A couple things you might be interested to know: I have some mild balance issues, and I find that I feel so much more stable in VFFs. I don’t like wearing anything but VFFs now if I’m doing something active outdoors.I’ve used Vibrams off and on over the years. My 1st pair was a water show which I still have and use. I used it minimally as a normal shoe. However maybe its the adult in me but I don’t like the idea of wearing a shoe with velcro straps as an adult. Water shoes is fine.

Vibram has published studies that claim their shoes are as close to barefoot running as you can get without the dangers of stepping on the bad stuff.The upper is meant to be an exercise in stoicism and utilitarianism. In many ways Vibram is a reaction to complex shoes with all sorts of complicated feats of engineering rendering structural support and yielding performance advances. Vibrams are stripped down, basic, protective shoes, and their uppers are very utilitarian indeed. Again returning to the most comparable models, the Nike Flex Fury 2, and Brooks PureFlow 6: If you are after upper comfort, you simply cannot pass by the PureFlow 6, whose upper is made of pillows and sheet cake. If you need a more comfortable shoe, but don't want to spoil yourself completely, the Nike Flex Fury 2 is still a very comfortable ride and ranks just below the PureFlow 6, but well above the V-Run. Breathability It would be helpful if you just copy and pasted your below questions into the comments section of our Vibram Review Then I’ll post my response there too so other readers can benefit. I would appreciate it! Ryan trained for his first marathon in a pair of V-Trek Vibram FiveFingers. While training in mountainous Medellín, Colombia, he needed more rubber to cushion his heels. By the end of training, the soles were good but he was patching holes in the toes with duct tape.

I understand your frustration as I have had a couple of pairs over the years that had poor construction. I have talked to the design team about some of my complaints and they reminded me that A) each pair is stitched by hand (they start by sewing the toes while the shoe is inside out and then stitch the side seams while turning them right side in… something a machine cannot do) and B) everyone has unique foot and toe shapes and sizes. I usually wear an 11-12 US size shoe depending on brand. In these i wear a 42 which they say is a 9/9.5 US size which is odd to me, but hope that helps anyone coming into this. Also I have monkey toes as my wife and kids say and my 2nd toe over from big toe is longer and find this a pain with new VFF’s but they do wear in after some time. For us, with the rubber grip on the soles, nothing works better than FiveFingers. We keep a pair in our gym as our indoor workout shoes. In sum, I expect to use them mostly for casual use, but with more walking than most people, often with a load of bags from the grocery store or while traveling.Redesigned With A Softer Upper And Perforated To Maximize Breathability, The V-Run Is Now Even More Comfortable. This Is An Ideal Running Shoe For Those Making The Transition From A Traditional To A Minimalist Shoe. The Thinner Sole Lets You Feel Your Run, Connecting You To The True Barefoot Running Experience. However, apart from yoga class, barefoot exercise is not acceptable in the gym and if you’re at home shoes are still useful to prevent blisters. You’ll enjoy feeling connected to the ground and the shoes also start a lot of new conversations.