Vibram 5 Fingers shoes

[Catrin]

I am curious if anyone here uses the Vibram 5 Fingers for any activity at all?

Whatever I decide, it won't be for running or, really, much in the way of walking. They will be used for my KB lifting & training. Regular gym shoes have too much cushioning for dedicated KB sport lifting, and I've noticed that lifting barefoot feels quite good! My coach has been encouraging me to at least go to a more minimalist shoe than my Nano 2 (4mm drop). My feet are used to a minimal shoe, which helps. I won't go into his discussion of the physiology of why they are better for dedicated KB work.

Currently considering either the 5 Fingers Women's KMD Sport or the Nike Free 1.0 Cross Bionic. I MUST find a local dealer however, I won't purchase either without trying them on. There are plenty of local dealers for the Vibrams, still haven't found a local source for the Cross Bionic. Much to my surprise, the 5 Fingers are less expensive than my usual Brooks!

[ny biker]

Have you done an internet search on the 5 Fingers shoes? I think there is a big lawsuit going on related to injuries sustained from wearing them.

I know my trainer does not recommend them.

[OakLeaf]

The lawsuit related to claims of health benefits that weren't sufficiently documented. IOW they weren't able to prove that the shoes prevent injuries in a sufficiently large percentage of people, not that they cause injuries.

I'm pretty sure Colby ran all seven of her Ironman run legs, plus who knows how many standalone marathons and halfs, in VFFs.

That said, with your history of foot surgery, they might not be the best option for you. Plus, my experience is that the shape means they have to fit perfectly or they don't fit at all. If you want something for the gym without a high heel, you might look at Altra, Lems, or any court shoe that fits.

[Catrin]

Yes, I have researched them. I wouldn't use them for running, and that is what most seem to have problems with them. I know several 60+ yr old kettlebell sport lifters, and older, who swear by them. Of course, while KB Sport is certainly a full body activity, the feet don't actually move very much.

For cross training I've other shoes. Good point though, and thanks for asking. If they would let me go to my coaching sessions barefoot I would :)

All that being said, am very curious about the Nike Free and Merrell Barefoot Run Vapor Gloves. Both look more like a shoe, have a very minimal drop and should provide the connection that I need. I suspect I will wind up with one of the two rather than the 5 Fingers. I might actually take one of my kettlebell herd to the store with me to see how they feel in action.

[Blueberry]

I have and love them. I use them for everything *except* running (and, of course, biking). Weights (when I'm doing that), elliptical even. I also just wear them around. I had always had a lot of foot pain - sore arches, plantar fasciitis, dropped metacarpal heads - you name it. I started wearing minimal shoes (including 5 fingers) in my daily life. Now - it's the odd day that I have any foot pain at all. It took a while, but my feet are much stronger and healthier for the change. http://www.rei.com/product/865514/vibram-fivefingers-kmd-sport-ls-shoes-womens are my current favorites.

Bonus: the 5 fingers will very likely last longer than your usual Brooks as there isn't cushioning to break down.

The lawsuit was, as Oak said, related to health claims and whether they were substantiated. That said, with your quite extensive history of injuries, I would definitely talk to a medical professional before jumping in to prevent more injuries.

ETA: I have actually used the Merrell's too - wore out 2 pairs. Personally, I don't like them as well because my toes are too confined for me to feel as grounded. I need to look at other more "normal looking" alternatives for daily life - when time and finances permit.

[Catrin]

Nice tip about the Merrells, thanks! My LRS doesn't carry the specific Nike 1.0 that I am interested in, though they do have the Free 3 and several New Balance 0 drops. They used to be a 5 finger dealer but no longer. As intriguing as I find the 5 Fingers for lifting, I will hold off on those.

I appreciate the input!

[OakLeaf]

I need to look at other more "normal looking" alternatives for daily life - when time and finances permit.

Lems (http://www.lemsshoes.com/women_c_32.html) Mary Janes are on sale! :D

I might just spring for a pair myself. I need something just slightly dressier than my four pairs of Primals (or my one pair of Boulders). :D Like you, my foot and low back pain went away when I started working on foot strength and flexibility, and wearing foot-shaped, minimal shoes for everything but running was an important part of that.

[Catrin]

Lems (http://www.lemsshoes.com/women_c_32.html) Mary Janes are on sale! :D

I might just spring for a pair myself. I need something just slightly dressier than my four pairs of Primals (or my one pair of Boulders). :D Like you, my foot and low back pain went away when I started working on foot strength and flexibility, and wearing foot-shaped, minimal shoes for everything but running was an important part of that.

NICE! I am tempted...perhaps in the future.

Blueberry, the 5 Fingers you linked to are the very ones I am interested in. REI carries them locally, I MUST at least try them on! They also have a couple pair of the Merrells in stock that I want to try on. We will see what I walk out of the door with :-) I THINK they carry kettlebells, or at least dumbbells, so I can see what it feels like in the shoes I am interested in.

[GLC1968]

Catrin - what size shoe do you wear? I have many pairs of 5 fingers that I no longer wear. I'd be happy to give you a pair!

I don't wear them much because they are too warm for me in the summer and not warm enough in the winter. They fit great though! I even did a couple of long backpacking hikes in them with good success.

Now I've settled on NB Minimus Zero for running and athletics and Vivo Barefoot Kayla's (similar to their new Daisy) for most everything non-athletic. I have the Lems mary jane style and they are OK but a little too stiff for my tastes. I assume they'll 'break in' at some point. I also ordered the Lems Primal 2, but they were way too big and I haven't received the smaller size yet.

Vivo Barefoot Neo's and a couple of different Merrell's (including a child's version since I have small feet) were all too narrow for me. I've never tried any of the Nike styles.

[Catrin]

I don't know what size I wear in the 5 Fingers, but I take a size 10 in my Brooks Ghosts and Cascadias, and a 9 in my Clark Mary Janes. I will take this to the private messages. I do think they are worth checking out since I am not planning on using them for anything more than actual KB lifting and walking from the locker room, and I will be indoors with them. I wish they would let me lift barefoot at my gym :-)

Thank you!

[NbyNW]

I have a pair of VFFs that are designed for yoga, so I wear them around the house in rotation with Birkenstocks and flip flops. I'm trying to strengthen my arches and reduce or even reverse the development of bunions, so I'm also trying to choose shoes with wide toe boxes and rotating in some minimalist shoes with conventionally supportive ones so that I can gradually strengthen my feet. I recently got a pair of Altras which I walk everywhere in, but I will take a day off of them a couple of times a week. Now that the weather is warm, I'm rotating between a pair of squishy Montrail flip flops and Chaco sandals. A lot of my foot pain went away when I wore the Montrails on a warm-weather vacation last winter so I'm hoping to duplicate that.

[Owlie]

I have some I bought on sale. They are good for keeping sand out at the beach. Personally, I prefer more shock-absoprtion for walking, better for the joints IMO. I wouldn't wear them on concrete. But I guess other people don't agree with me.

If you do get some, you should try them on and have someone explain how to put them on properly. That can be difficult. Plus, they have a specific toe shape, and if your toes are very different, they could be quite uncomfortable.

It always freaks me out to see my toes while wearing them, the shape does not match my real toes. It's weird! The wrong shape can also lead to blisters. My small toes get them. My real toes are very long, and the 5 Finger assumes pronounced, graduated lengths, with the first to much longer than the second. While my toes are graduated, they are not that different in length, and though the footbed fits perfectly, none of my toes have enough room. A size up would result in the footbed being too big, and the toes still too short.

I'm a size 10.5 in Clarks and most shoes, the vibrams are size 10. (I did't try on 10.5's). They need to be tight to avoid blisters, though.

Edit: didn't notice the offer from GLC until after I posted, obviously, ignore the part about trying them on if she can help you. :)

Good to know. I'd been thinking about trying them last year, and I decided against it. Based on your notes about the toes, they probably wouldn't have worked anyway. (My big toes and second toes are about the same length.)

[ny biker]

I wish they would let me lift barefoot at my gym :-)

You've obviously never dropped a 10-lb weight on your toes. (And trust me, you don't want to.)

[Catrin]

You've obviously never dropped a 10-lb weight on your toes. (And trust me, you don't want to.)

Actually, I HAVE, and somehow managed to NOT break my toe :-) Thankfully it didn't fall from a height, and my coach had us in our socks that day. I do work barefoot in my kettlebell gym at home. As explosive as kettlebell sport lifts are (especially the snatch), frankly I doubt it would make a difference if I dropped a 20-40 pound kettlebell on my foot no matter what kind of shoes I have on. I feel much more solid when lifting barefoot, the cushioning in the shoes gets in the way.

[OakLeaf]

Ha, Catrin, for some reason I thought you had tiny feet which is why I didn't offer you my VFFs right off. But it sounds like GLC is the one with tiny feet.

I have a pair in size 41 that I don't wear any more. Not sure which model, but they're one of the ones that's more open on top, and a few years old. I really wanted them to work for me, but they're just the wrong shape for my feet, especially in the toes. I'm thinking they're probably still too big for you, but if you want to give them a try, PM me. (And if they're too big for you, anyone else who wants them let me know!)


ETA - while digging for my VFFs to find out what size they were, I ran across the old Inov-8 toe shoes that I forgot someone even gave me. They're just nasty to wear - some kind of synthetic rubber throughout with no ventilation, so if your feet never sweat it's a really nice stretchy fit and feel, but once you start to sweat, ewwwwww - but anyway, that reminded me to look at Inov-8 (http://www.inov-8.com/New/Global/product-select-fitness-womens.asp?L=27&A=Fitness&G=Female), and they are now making several models of gym shoes with a traditional but wide toe box, 3 mm soles and zero drop, that they advertise as flexible enough for rope climbing. You know what I know now.

[Catrin]

I will send you a message, thanks! I think I wear a 40 in the 5 Fingers, but it would be interesting to give them a try and see how they feel, at least at a home KB session.

I've tried on Inov-8's before and I just don't care for them. I've worn minimalist shoes before at the gym (Reebok's Nano 2), and they were great for the type of high intensity cross training I was doing with my previous coach. They are worn out though, and are too cushioned for KB lifting. To be fair to the Inov-8 shoes, I did (reluctantly) try on a new pair last night. While too much cushioning for my purposes, they DID feel better than earlier models did. I still don't like them but I didn't dislike them as much as in the past. They would be fine for my past training style though. I don't need new shoes for that :-)

[Wahine]

I use the New Balance minimus for my cross training. It's pretty much the same idea as the 5 fingers but with a regular toe box, but wide. My toes don't work in five fingers but I love the minimus for cross training. I think this is the current version of the shoe I have (http://www3.newbalance.com/WT10-V2.html?dwvar_WT10-V2_color=Black_with_Diva%20Pink#color=Black_with_Diva%20Pink). I didn't realize how much NB had expanded the line until I went to look just now.

[Catrin]

I did purchase the 2013 version of the New Balance Minimus of the show that Wahine posted. By purchasing last year's model I saved $60 and grabbed the last one my LRS had in stock :-) I still want to try out the 5 Fingers, and will try out Oakleaf's when they arrive. I did have a problem getting my two smallest toes into the 5 Fingers at the store, but of course it isn't something I've had to worry about before!

So far the New Balance Minus is working out fine - even a little better than barefoot at home. I still won't use them for running as they have no cushioning at all, but that isn't why I bought them. They also feel much better than I once would have though a 0 drop shoe with NO cushioning COULD feel. I am actually not really aware that there isn't any cushioning. Because the uppers are so thin and flexible, there is something strange that happens with the uppers when I am completing a weighted Turkish Getup but I can live with that. I do feel more stable in the Turkish Getup in the Minimus than I did in my Reebok Nano 2 shoes, or even barefoot - especially on carpeting.

[Blueberry]

Lems (http://www.lemsshoes.com/women_c_32.html) Mary Janes are on sale! :D

I might just spring for a pair myself. I need something just slightly dressier than my four pairs of Primals (or my one pair of Boulders). :D Like you, my foot and low back pain went away when I started working on foot strength and flexibility, and wearing foot-shaped, minimal shoes for everything but running was an important part of that.

Those are really neat! I like that they have boots - I might look into those (well in the future!).

I'm actually planning to try the Soft Star shoes (http://www.softstarshoes.com/adult-shoes.html) when my budget recovers:) Made in Portland, and very positive reviews. I think either the Mary Janes or the Ballet Flats would work pretty well for my daily life. We shall see!

[Blueberry]

Here's a somewhat related question: has anybody that wears minimal shoes found a sandal they like? I'm looking for something that could be a Chaco replacement (so - ok with wet and hiking and general heavy wear)? I have considered the Lunas, but wasn't sure how well I would like them.

[Catrin]

The 5 Fingers from Oakleaf arrived yesterday. I tried them on, and they fit far better than the size 41 at REI. My toes actually filled the, well, toes, though there was a bit of room in the heels. I will try them for my usual Saturday morning home kettlebell workout, assuming my body has recovered by then. I've over-done it a bit this week, which I am quite sure will come as a surprise :rolleyes:

[GLC1968]

My feet are not tiny! ;)

Catrin - I thought you might like the Minimus, so I'm glad you tried them. A lot of my local friends wear them for Crossfit workouts. I think if I were to lift in a gym again, that's what I'd wear. Lifting in my garage allows me to go barefoot, of course!

Blueberry - I have a hard time with sandals. I've settled on two - one is by Jambu and while it's not minimal, it's flexible enough that I'm ok with a little cushioning. I have found that I don't like structured shoes at all now. This is the newer version of the Jambu ones I have: http://www.onlineshoes.com/womens-jambu-crepe-woodsmoke-p_id320402

The other sandals I wear (besides old-school Ralph Lauren ones with completely flat leather soles and a leather upper that have been beaten to death over the years!) are actually ones I 'made' myself: http://xeroshoes.com/shop/diy-kits/diy-feeltrue/ . This same company now sells a ready to wear style but I've not tried it.

Lastly, Vivobarefoot has some interesting sandals as well. I've not tried them, but the ballet flat styles from them are my go-to work shoes. The sandals do look comfy!
http://www.vivobarefoot.com/us/womens/ulysses-ladies?colour=Black/Graphite

[Catrin]

I do like the Minimus much more than I thought I would. There IS a strangeness with the upper in the Turkish Getup, but I can live with that.

Your feet are tiny, compared to mine :-)

BTW, I post more frequently from my phone these days, and I don't always catch the...creative spellings that my phone sometimes chooses rather than what I typed. Apparently "Turkish" is one of those words :)