Vibram 5 Fingers - a Couple of Questions (Read 2387 times)

I've never tried the flow, I'm curious what they're like. I have the sprints, which are indeed not very warm for winter running (although as I've spent more time barefoot my cold tolerance has increased substantially). I have tried Injinji toe socks with them, but usually I go with no socks. They don't make a big difference either way for me. They make it slightly warmer, but only if they stay dry. One thing about the sprints is that there are cloth parts relatively low to the ground, so they suck up water very easily. The flow model is all neoprene, so probably dryer. Good luck with the mail ordering, sizing may be hit-or-miss. Perhaps you can order from somewhere that has free exchanges, like Zappos.com. My feet are about 8.5 very wide, and I wear size 42 (european) vibrams. They're actually longer than I need, because I need the width. There are adjustable straps at the back that make it work well anyway. Some people complain of blisters on their heels if the fit is too snug there. My very first run in the vibrams I simply didn't get it. I went about 400 yards and called it a day. I strongly recommend doing some truly barefoot running too, it makes the learning process much easier.

Shouldn't they be called Vibram 5 toes?

One of Ted Nugent's nicknames is "The Ten Fingers of Doom". Ed, if you ever race in Vibrams... particularly on a day like Halloween... that would be an awesome nickname for you too.

Thanks for all of the info... In the end, I ordered the KSO's. It seems like the Flows would be superior in the really really cold stuff, and there's not a whole lot of that in PA.... And if the KSO's are too cold but I like the whole Vibram thing, well the wife's looking for Xmas shopping ideas anyway. Looking forward to having a good marathon this weekend, and then using my slow easy recovery month as a way to try this whole thing out... stay tuned.

Ed, if you ever race in Vibrams... particularly on a day like Halloween... that would be an awesome nickname for you too.

I do race in them, and I can confirm that they increase the intimidation factor. I've had people ask me if I want to start in front of them after they saw my shoes.

That could be the normal adjustment process as you use muscles you've hardly used before. But if you find your calves are continually over tired, you're not really doing the forefoot form right. It's a common mistake to run up on your toes and tire out your calves. I didn't really find the sweet spot until I mixed in significant amounts of truly barefoot running.

Your right on both accounts. I've caught myself several times landing too far forward. Things seem to go better when my entire foot helps absorb the impact instead of just the forefoot area. Is your log correct? You have 900+ miles on 1 pair of Vibrams? If so, my wife is going to be so happy.

Is your log correct? You have 900+ miles on 1 pair of Vibrams? If so, my wife is going to be so happy.

Yes, that's correct. Well, it's pretty close. I often switch back and forth between Vibrams and barefoot during a run, and I usually don't bother logging the separate parts differently. Plus I've used them on backpacking trips, which aren't included in that mileage. Typical shoes wear out when the cushion gets too broken down. Since these don't have any cushion to begin with, you're good until they fall apart. At 900 miles I can't actually see any wear at all on the soles -- but that has more to do with how you run than with the soles themselves. As for the upper, there's one little tear I got when I took a fall in the dark. I have a matching scar on my foot.