I try to get to all of my email personally, I really do. Sometimes, that's just not possible. So...I'll go ahead and answer some questions about the Vibram FiveFingers that have been sent my way since writing about my experiences with them.
Note that these are merely the opinions of one user and are not designed to sway your opinion one way or the other -- this is only to serve as an "Answers to FAQ's," if you will.
So let's get started, shall we?
Question 1: Can you really wear them anywhere? Job interviews? Weddings? Nudist camps?
Answer: Yes, why not? They are an interesting conversation piece for any job interview -- and it would show the interviewer that you're not just some drone who'll march to the beat of everyone else's drum. Weddings? Heck yeah! You can really chicken dance in them. Nudist camps? The VFF's might not be for purist nudists, but they'd look cooler on a naked person than say, penny loafers.
Question 2: Seems like I always end up with expensive running shoes that I can't wear anywhere else, and they're usually worn out before I'm ready to drop $130 on a new pair. How long do the VFF's last?
Answer: First of all, the "foam breakdown" experienced in regular shoes is a sham. That one inch of foam is doing very little to cushion your feet and legs from "impact." In fact, you'd probably do well to let the foam in your shoes break down to the point where they're barely hanging on anymore, then chuck those things and start running barefoot. Secondly, I just retired a pair of VFF's with over 2,000 miles on them, including ultra runs on some of the bitchenist terrain in the upper midwest. They're plenty rugged, and relatively cheap to replace.
Question: Where can I get a KSO in Singapore (Frankfurt, Afghanistan, Brussels, Nice, Texas...)?
Answer: http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/
Question: If you were shelling out the cash would you buy the KSOs over say the classics? Purely for vanity the KSOs are limited in their colours...
Answer: I guess there are merits to both models, but for my money I like the KSO's the best so far out of the entire lineup of Vibram FiveFingers products, vanity notwithstanding.
Question: I have measured my shoe size and the approximate equivalent to it in european sizing leads to a too small/big FiveFingers. Help!
Answer: There is a great sizing chart and more answers to FAQ's on the website. Many retailers of the VFF have a handy dandy sizing device that works specifically with the VFF sizing.
Question: What kind of support do they have for my arches?
Answer: Your arches.
Question: Your feet are freakishly muscular. How can I avoid that?
Answer: Wear more shoe, do less exercise.
Question: What kind of traction do they get?
Answer: Most of your traction comes from being able to better sense yourself in relation to the surface you are on, rather than relying on tread or spikes or what have you.
Question: Are the KSO's waterproof?
Answer: No.
Question: Can you run in them in the snow?
Answer: Yes. And it's cold. Just like snow is meant to be.
They're meant to allow you to reconnect with surfaces and situations you're told over and over again that bare feet or less shod feet aren't supposed to go. SO get out there and have fun! Get muddy! Get wet! Get cold! Get HOT! Step on rocks. Step on logs. Climb trees in them. See how it all feels and teach yourself to run quickly and easily over all of it, just like we're designed to do! Sneak up on animals in them. Allow yourself to be snuck up on by animals in them. Run through dandelion patches and get salad in between your toes in them. Jump off of things and land on your feet in them. Do yoga in them. Go to church in them. Run a marathon in them. Run an ultramarathon in them. Wear them on airplanes...Discover all the ways that being barefoot is so much more fun than wearing shoes!
Note that these are merely the opinions of one user and are not designed to sway your opinion one way or the other -- this is only to serve as an "Answers to FAQ's," if you will.
So let's get started, shall we?
Question 1: Can you really wear them anywhere? Job interviews? Weddings? Nudist camps?
Answer: Yes, why not? They are an interesting conversation piece for any job interview -- and it would show the interviewer that you're not just some drone who'll march to the beat of everyone else's drum. Weddings? Heck yeah! You can really chicken dance in them. Nudist camps? The VFF's might not be for purist nudists, but they'd look cooler on a naked person than say, penny loafers.
Question 2: Seems like I always end up with expensive running shoes that I can't wear anywhere else, and they're usually worn out before I'm ready to drop $130 on a new pair. How long do the VFF's last?
Answer: First of all, the "foam breakdown" experienced in regular shoes is a sham. That one inch of foam is doing very little to cushion your feet and legs from "impact." In fact, you'd probably do well to let the foam in your shoes break down to the point where they're barely hanging on anymore, then chuck those things and start running barefoot. Secondly, I just retired a pair of VFF's with over 2,000 miles on them, including ultra runs on some of the bitchenist terrain in the upper midwest. They're plenty rugged, and relatively cheap to replace.
Question: Where can I get a KSO in Singapore (Frankfurt, Afghanistan, Brussels, Nice, Texas...)?
Answer: http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/
Question: If you were shelling out the cash would you buy the KSOs over say the classics? Purely for vanity the KSOs are limited in their colours...
Answer: I guess there are merits to both models, but for my money I like the KSO's the best so far out of the entire lineup of Vibram FiveFingers products, vanity notwithstanding.
Question: I have measured my shoe size and the approximate equivalent to it in european sizing leads to a too small/big FiveFingers. Help!
Answer: There is a great sizing chart and more answers to FAQ's on the website. Many retailers of the VFF have a handy dandy sizing device that works specifically with the VFF sizing.
Question: What kind of support do they have for my arches?
Answer: Your arches.
Question: Your feet are freakishly muscular. How can I avoid that?
Answer: Wear more shoe, do less exercise.
Question: What kind of traction do they get?
Answer: Most of your traction comes from being able to better sense yourself in relation to the surface you are on, rather than relying on tread or spikes or what have you.
Question: Are the KSO's waterproof?
Answer: No.
Question: Can you run in them in the snow?
Answer: Yes. And it's cold. Just like snow is meant to be.
They're meant to allow you to reconnect with surfaces and situations you're told over and over again that bare feet or less shod feet aren't supposed to go. SO get out there and have fun! Get muddy! Get wet! Get cold! Get HOT! Step on rocks. Step on logs. Climb trees in them. See how it all feels and teach yourself to run quickly and easily over all of it, just like we're designed to do! Sneak up on animals in them. Allow yourself to be snuck up on by animals in them. Run through dandelion patches and get salad in between your toes in them. Jump off of things and land on your feet in them. Do yoga in them. Go to church in them. Run a marathon in them. Run an ultramarathon in them. Wear them on airplanes...Discover all the ways that being barefoot is so much more fun than wearing shoes!
24 comments:
All very true. Pick out a pair of FF's, wear them around the house for a while, then get outside. Your feet and legs will thank you.
So why not just go barefoot?
A valid question...I suppose because it is nice to have that thin membrane of protection there that allows me to still feel the ground, yet protect myself from punctures...but it's just that - a little protection. No false claims about support or cushioning.
Great FAQ!! I often get asked similar questions. My KSOs are still a conversation-starter after over a year.
Yay for being barefoot (but not)!
You answered my question in email, and I appreciate it a lot. My first pair of VFFs should arrive today, I can't wait to try them.
Keith, I'm just glad that in my VFFs people still talk to me and have some questions. If you want to experience full Pariah-hood, try running around in a pair of huaraches! People literally don't even make eye contact with me.
I love the KSO's, but prefer the Classics. We're all a little different aren't we?
I am going to try the Sprint real soon. I also notice they have a leather KSO coming out. Can't wait for that!
So after my first run (and the coincident adjustment to being more of a midfoot striker from a heel striker) I have a sore left achilles and right calf. I know that my legs are different in that my right foot is more flat and my left has more of an arch. I'm hoping the assymetry of the soreness is a sign of the body adjusting and building strength where it should be. Did anyone else out there get some achilles pain? I'm not frightened of the sore calf/soleus, that's understandable. I'm a bit concerned whenever there is achilles pain because it can be a hctib to deal with. Experiences?
It's so cool to see so many differing opinions and people enjoying their feet and where they can take them - shod or unshod!
Andrew, ease into running in the VFFs, even my calves and Achilles get sore when I change things up -- I ran in sand all weekend and am paying for it this week! Your body will let you know what it can do.
How did people handle the soreness and choosing when to run in their VFFs again? I don't want to push it, but waiting for no soreness might be too conservative.
On the off chance, do you know if the womens sizes differ much from the mens? I ask because I'm trying to get some grey ksos, but my longest measurement (slightly over 9 6/8) puts me at a size 38 or a 39 mens which they don't stock on the vibram site.
Think I could get away with a 40 in womens? :D
Thanks
Christopher, I've read elsewhere that the men's and women's sizes differ. I don't recall where. Maybe someone else here can chime in...
Great post. I know i've been having a lot of questions when it comes to choosing the right shoe size. It was kind of daunting at first. I also included your post in a round up of good reviews for the Vibram Five Fingers. Keep up the good work
Thanks for posting Keith!! Funny - I was just thinking of Qs for you as I tired my first few barefoot (well, socked) miles on my treadmill the other night and am planning to invest in a pair of vibrams.
Ok here's the official answer to the question I asked earlier, in case anyone else has the same problem.
"A man can wear a woman’s FiveFingers shoe as long the measurement in the men’s size you wear is comparable to the sizes offered in the woman’s FiveFingers shoes. Woman’s FiveFingers shoes are also more narrow in the heel and the ball of the foot. If you have very wide feet, the woman’s shoes may be too tight for you."
Hey Folks:
Since this place seems to have a good dialogue going, I was hoping to ask a few more questions. I just completed my third Vibram run last night and admittedly overdid it. I went 5 miles and it felt great until my right soleus simply said "I quit". I don't think that I did anything too serious to it. I can walk fine, it's just sore as all get out. My problems seem to be a soreness in the upper achilles in the left leg and soreness in the soleus on the right leg. I know my legs are very different (arch on left foot, flat on right), so having different problems doesn't surprise me. My questions are more focused on the transition. I obviously need to cut back on the duration of my runs, and am going to cut back to 3 miles as often as I'm not sore. How long did it take for the folks out there to transition to barefoot/ minimilist? For me I'm also converting from being a heel-striker, I'm curious how many out there did this and how long before their legs didn't hate them!
Happy Birthday!
Keith- just a quick thank you for sharing your experiences.
I'm a recent convert to Five Fingers this summer and love 'em. I appreciate your posts; they were very helpful in selecting which type to purchase and how to transition to running in them. As a high-arched runner, it was actually very easy for me; almost instinctive really.
Now I wonder how it would be like to run completely barefoot, without any footgear at all?
Good luck! I hope to see you at the starting line of a race sometime...keep up the good work.
Update: I ran today and finally figured out the technique. For me, it's more of an landing that hits the entire foot at the same time. My recent VFF runs I was trying to hard to avoid heel contact. 1) bend knees, 2) slight tilt forward 3) almost full foot contact and leg cycling as if running in 4" of water, pulling up instead of pushing off. I ran 3 miles in VFFs, and then 4.25 miles completely barefoot! It felt great and I cannot wait to go do it again.
Great article. I just developed a case of extensor tendonitis, so I've been taking it easy. It was from running too much in a short amount of time. I'm about to order the KSO's. How long did it take everyone to get used to them? Were you cycling between the VFFs and normal running shoes? I read that you should gradually change to shoes with less and less cushioning, but I don't have the time or money. I'm studying abroad, and when I get back, the indoor track season starts. Has anyone tried running track in these? Thanks to anyone who answers any of these questions.
I actually went to a nudist colony this past summer with nothing but my KSOs on and went swimming in the lake there...it was all good! No joke.
Like Andrew I was having a lot of issues with sore soleus muscles and it was because I went out too fast and too far at first. It's a total learning experience with a lot of YMMV. I actually started out barefoot and then bought the Vibram's because winter is coming. Now I am worried about cold feet. Waah, I know. So do the Ininji socks fit inside the Vibrams? They look too bulky to fit comfortably...MJ
I have wide feet, and the size 41 KSO sole is perfect for me, but the strap over the top will absolutely NOT close and the elastic "collar" around the ankle cuts off circulation. I very desperately want to wear my shoes, but the lady I talked to at Summit Hut said that there was no solution for people like me. Any advice? This is killing me!
I've waited for months to get these shoes, and now that I have them, I can't wear them!
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