Five Fingers Review
I got my KSO's back in January and have roughly put around 200 running miles on them so far. I'm averaging 14-18 miles a week and I must say these things are really cool just because they are so different. The reason why I decided to try these was because I was inspired just like everyone else who read the book "Born to Run" or was interested in barefoot running. I also had a few friends that recommended them to me. At first I was very hesitant about purchasing a pair because of the $85 price tag for a shoe with no cushion. My families first reaction when I brought them home was that I could have saved money and bought a pair of water shoes at Walmart for $5. They even encouraged just going totally barefoot just for the fact that it was free. To them, they just thought it was another gimmick trend. But there was only one way to find out and that was to try them out for myself.
QUALITY AND DURABILITY - 5 out of 5
After 200 miles of road and slight trail running, they are holding up pretty good. The wear seems pretty even and all the mesh and the stitching is holding up very well.
COMFORT AND PERFORMANCE - 4 OUT OF 5
I like the feel of the Vibram's because its something totally different and I also liked how each of your toes are separated. It is really like being barefoot but with protection. And as we all know, protection is always good, whether it be in bed or on the road. The only issue I had with them, which was a real deal breaker was that I was getting severe blisters. Who would have though I would have gotten blisters wearing my foot condoms.
This might have been partially my fault because they say that you should work your mileage up slowly, which I didn't. It couldn't have been the size because I tried all the sizes above and below the size I purchased. If I purchased one size smaller, it would have been too tight and one size larger would have been too loose. But the blisters were really nasty and I'm lucky I never popped them because I would have been out of commission for a while. Another thing it could have been, is my running style. Who knows... The one thing though, is that since I've been running in these, my feet and calves are the strongest they have ever been and that is why I'm giving them a 4. My calves were sore for the first month running in them. I give all you bareback runners a lot of props because I can't see myself ever going totally barefoot. It is true though that when you go barefoot, you really do work out different muscles in your feet that you have never used before. This is probably due to the fact that most shoes have so much cushioning and prevent you to use those tiny litlle muscles. But since I had blisters, I would rotate running with my Asics and the Five Fingers. With the Five Fingers, you can feel the road so much better, its really hard to describe. But if your just going to use them for walking around, these things are totally comfortable!
COOL FACTOR - 4 OUT OF 5
If you ever get a pair of these Five Fingers, get ready for a lot of attention. Every time I wear these, people are always asking me about them. I bet you could probably even pick up girls just wearing them around. If you love attention, you will for sure love these. But just like all things that seem too good to be true there is was major drawback. If it wasn't for this drawback, I would have gave it a 5 out of 5. Now that I got all of you wondering about what's not cool about a foot condom. Imagine sitting with a group of friends and someone asks "What's that nasty smell!!!" ..... Guess who???? That's right, must be the guy with the Gorilla feet. These things really start to smell after a few uses. I wash mine once or twice a week and Febreeze them because they get so bad. I've never had a foot odor problem, but when you don't wear socks and you have trapped moisture/sweat, it smells really bad quick! You know its bad when your even alone and your wondering if that smell is coming from your feet. But sometimes you get use to that sweet and sour vinegar smell. It might even work as a natural pheromone to help you pick up the hot girls or it might not... If anyone has any luck, make sure you post comments!
OVERALL - 5 out of 5
I like my Five Fingers and don't regret purchasing them. They are on the expensive side but I know they will last just like any other pair of shoes. It really is something different and they're just plain cool. I just love them because it made running more interesting for me. It even motivated and inspired me to run more.Your probably wondering if I would ever make the change to completely barefoot. Probably not. I don't think I could ever abandon shoes totally but the Vibram Five Fingers will always be there to give me some variety on my runs.
QUALITY AND DURABILITY - 5 out of 5
After 200 miles of road and slight trail running, they are holding up pretty good. The wear seems pretty even and all the mesh and the stitching is holding up very well.
COMFORT AND PERFORMANCE - 4 OUT OF 5
I like the feel of the Vibram's because its something totally different and I also liked how each of your toes are separated. It is really like being barefoot but with protection. And as we all know, protection is always good, whether it be in bed or on the road. The only issue I had with them, which was a real deal breaker was that I was getting severe blisters. Who would have though I would have gotten blisters wearing my foot condoms.
This might have been partially my fault because they say that you should work your mileage up slowly, which I didn't. It couldn't have been the size because I tried all the sizes above and below the size I purchased. If I purchased one size smaller, it would have been too tight and one size larger would have been too loose. But the blisters were really nasty and I'm lucky I never popped them because I would have been out of commission for a while. Another thing it could have been, is my running style. Who knows... The one thing though, is that since I've been running in these, my feet and calves are the strongest they have ever been and that is why I'm giving them a 4. My calves were sore for the first month running in them. I give all you bareback runners a lot of props because I can't see myself ever going totally barefoot. It is true though that when you go barefoot, you really do work out different muscles in your feet that you have never used before. This is probably due to the fact that most shoes have so much cushioning and prevent you to use those tiny litlle muscles. But since I had blisters, I would rotate running with my Asics and the Five Fingers. With the Five Fingers, you can feel the road so much better, its really hard to describe. But if your just going to use them for walking around, these things are totally comfortable!
COOL FACTOR - 4 OUT OF 5
If you ever get a pair of these Five Fingers, get ready for a lot of attention. Every time I wear these, people are always asking me about them. I bet you could probably even pick up girls just wearing them around. If you love attention, you will for sure love these. But just like all things that seem too good to be true there is was major drawback. If it wasn't for this drawback, I would have gave it a 5 out of 5. Now that I got all of you wondering about what's not cool about a foot condom. Imagine sitting with a group of friends and someone asks "What's that nasty smell!!!" ..... Guess who???? That's right, must be the guy with the Gorilla feet. These things really start to smell after a few uses. I wash mine once or twice a week and Febreeze them because they get so bad. I've never had a foot odor problem, but when you don't wear socks and you have trapped moisture/sweat, it smells really bad quick! You know its bad when your even alone and your wondering if that smell is coming from your feet. But sometimes you get use to that sweet and sour vinegar smell. It might even work as a natural pheromone to help you pick up the hot girls or it might not... If anyone has any luck, make sure you post comments!
OVERALL - 5 out of 5
I like my Five Fingers and don't regret purchasing them. They are on the expensive side but I know they will last just like any other pair of shoes. It really is something different and they're just plain cool. I just love them because it made running more interesting for me. It even motivated and inspired me to run more.Your probably wondering if I would ever make the change to completely barefoot. Probably not. I don't think I could ever abandon shoes totally but the Vibram Five Fingers will always be there to give me some variety on my runs.
