So I just found out about Five Fingers.....
 

After borrowing a friend's Men's Health magazine with an article on barefoot running, one thing lead to another and I found the Vibram Five Fingers website. This led to other Googling and I was immediately intrigued and found a pair nearby the next day. I ended up with these, the VFF KSO's in Black/black.....

http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/pro...148//large.jpg

After wearing them for a few hours, I can say that I am absolutely AMAZED at how natural and comfortable these things feel. I even walked around out back in dirt, rocks, sticks, stickers, grass, brush and so on and it felt so.....right. Even walking on gravel and river rocks wasn't a trying experience. Absolutely amazing feeling!

My feet are a bit tired, but as I've come to understand it takes time for your feet to get used to using all those muscles it hasn't used wearing normal shoes. About the only drawback I can see is that my feet got a bit toasty in the sun, and I can imagine that I'll need to be washing these often to fend off stink.

I know that there are at least a couple people here who have them, anyone else enjoy these "shoes"?

My brother owns a pair of them and absolutely swears by them. I think they are really sweet and would love to get a pair someday, I am just horrible at buying shoes. I have been meaning to buy a pair of shoes for over a year now. I just walk around in my dirty ass work boots.

And yes they do stink pretty bad, my brothers stunk up the house the second he took them off!

I want a pair of these for windsurfing...

I have a pair of Five Fingers. Crompsin does, too, and he'll probably squee when he sees this thread.

I've been running in mine a few times, and they're awesome on pavement. My calves get REALLY sore from running in them. I don't walk about in them very much, but have worn them to the beach and out on trails a few times. Do NOT run in them on a gravel road - especially at night. Bruised soles aren't fun.

My feet don't get sore wearing them, but I spend a lot of time barefoot.

There's a guy on the ground floor of my apartment building who leaves them outside his door all the time. Must be because of the smell.

Two people I know have them and love them. I don't think I will ever be able to own a pair since I have "double-E" wide feet. As my podiatrist said, they aren't so much feet as they are boat oars with five wiggly things at the ends, really. Plus it seems the maximum length for this brand is 12, and I need a 12 1/2 really wide.

I would love a pair, since these would be the natural evolution of the paper-thin flip-flops I sport around, but I have inconvenient feet. )-:

This thread totally made me happy. Haha. Did anybody reference TwistedMosaic's original FiveFingers thread? Spinelust showed me these a while back.

Yeah, Five Fingers are totally gnarly. I use them for all sorts of activities. Running, beach trips, martial arts, SCUBA diving, etc. I don't run in them a whole lot because I run too fast to feel comfortable with no sole support... the first time I rolled my ankle on a walnut-sized rock did it for me. They're perfect for karate... great for sparring because they're so low profile (unlike karate shoes like Ring Stars or those cheap ass Bruce Lee Kung Fu shoes) and you can really get some ground torque with the added rubber (good for kicking people in the head). They also prevents tearing skin off your paws during grappling.

The KSO model, with Velcro strap and enclosed foot, is the only one to get if you're gonna be active in them. The original "Classic" model is like a ballet slipper and that's totally a bad idea for something you want to stay on your feet while you're acting like a bipedal mountain goat on crack.

Who's bitching about the smell? Febreeze them lightly if you wear 'em repeatedly during the week and they're machine washable for your day off. I keep 'em in my karate bag and they're not funky if you treat 'em like socks (let them air out before putting them back in your bag). They have Velcro straps and rear pull rings... secure them to the outside of your bag when you leave the gym so they can breathe to avoid the hoof stank.

Proper fit is absolutely crucial. These things don't fit like shoes. I wear a size 43 (my shoe size is typically a 10.5R). I have narrow feet so I have to cinch down the instep straps pretty good. Based on my experience with them over the last year, your real toes should feel hugged by the front end (not baggy in the rubber toes), and you'll get a little gap on the back in the heel cup (to allow for walking flex) if you're sized correctly.

Although expensive, the Injinji company makes high quality toe socks compatible with Five Fingers if you prefer to have a liner to your rubber foot-shoes.

I'd love to get my hands on a pair of these if they could get a proper fit for my wide feet. I too have the 12 1/2 wide curse. I'm not sure I'd be wearing them for anything but athletic activities though. I'm not that brave.

I wear 'em in public... grocery shopping and at bars. They're a great conversation piece. Perhaps the curling of toes attracts the ladies.

You wear shoes during karate huh? We used to kick the shit out of each other barefoot at my old dojo. Huh.

Anyway, these look kind of dumb to me. Alot of people here seem to like them, but I dunno. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.

Hm. The odor is actually bacteria. So I'm not sure Febreze would do the job. Some people just have smelly feet more than others.

can you wear orthotics in them?

You might be able to cram 'em in there, Dlish... but I think the idea is to just cover your foot with a thin layer of rubber.

...

No, really? :oogle: Yeah, I use Febreeze because it's what I've got. I suppose you could carry a can of Lysol around with you.

According the their website's FAQ... no. Orthotics defeat the purpose of these shoes.

Yeah, we still do that for competition and testing. Sure, it's good to toughen up your feet, but it's bad to damage them to the point where you're limping around when you fight the next day. Fight smarter, not harder. You can toughen up your feet with katas and bag drills... don't try to toughen 'em up in the ring... that's the wrong place to multitask. I also never have any embarrassing high-kick-heel-slide-ass-plants when I wear these rubber toe sock thingamajigs... something that happens occasionally when I spar barefoot with those way-too-slippery Century pads. Fall-down go-boom.

So do socks, I suppose. Stop playing by the rules!

I've seen them before, but never thought to try them.. After this, I'm looking them up!

Ya think? :|

Febreze isn't anti-bacterial. So before anyone runs out and buys Febreze thinking it'll work, halt. I'm not sure if Lysol will work but I don't see why not - kills everything else.

Oh, but Febreze is the closest I can get to spraying gasoline (best scent ever) on my car seats without it causing brain damage. :shy:

Oh don't believe everything you hear.

I've been huffing for 12 ye ar s and its dun noooothing t em.

You should try dabbing it behind your ears and on your wrists before you head out to the bar.

...

Or rubbing it between the toes of your Five-Fingers. That way they'll smell like "Victory!" instead of funk.

We didn't do many headkicks during kumite. Too many fucking kids. Man...I remember some katas, like saipha (probably didn't spell that right), took some getting used to as far as calluses go. I remember once I kicked at a kid during promotion; I lost my balance, but I managed to not embarrass myself by turning it into a suicide throw.

you guys got to wear fucking shoes?!

we were barefoot, even for the outdoor running. looks like i should have went with karate instead of TKD.

I've wanted a pair of these for ages, just saving up the money is the problem.

http://www.toesocks.co.uk/images/over_knee_rainbow.jpg

Pretty sure this version is even more manly...

i would shamelessly rock the fuck out of those toe-toes.

So it's NOT a fisting thread?

lol just go barefoot.... the skin will toughen up pretty quick! I barefoot as much as possible!

LOL

wow... these have been alot of hilarious comments... thank god i'm able to keep quiet or i'd wake up those two

those shoes... they look weird... but at the same time i'm wildly curious at them... i'm left with the wondering what they'd be like
but at the same time i'm wondering why would i wear something that will more like grab people's curiousity and have to talk/deal
with them. I'm not so much anti-social, As long I'm around people I know really close or some family members. It's the people in
stores/etc that I feel very anxious, want to get the list done, and get out asap. Strange? Yeah, it makes for interesting times when
the S/O goes with.

but, am i looking right at the sizes of them? like they go from 8 1/2 inches to 42 inches. I know some said about a size problem for them.
I have very small feet. kinda the one in the family does, and my dad ... it's a tough call to see diferences. i'd need a 6.

They are sized in European sizes. Vibram Five Fingers: Discover the Barefooting Alternative has a sizing chart and a how to measure your feet tutorial. I'd also recommend trying them on at a store. I "thought" I needed a 42 based on the tutorial, but found that a 43 was a better fit. YMMV.

Yes, you will be answering questions out in public, (but IMHO, these shoes are WORTH it...) so you may limit their use to walks around the block. But for me, they are much too comfortable to not wear out and fully expect to develop an entire catalog of comebacks, retorts, and replies after a few outings.

The world will become your living room carpet with these shoes.

Minus the rocks, broken glass, and whatever fluids happen to get in between your toes.

~$85 for a rubber sock?

Am I missing something here?

I have the same thing in my tabis that have more toe protection and only cost ~$25. Can wear socks with em too that are a lot easier and cheaper to find.

:orly: :lol:

@Crompsin Yes, haha, ninjas wear them. Your ethnocentrism is appalling. Non ninjas wear them too, they're much bigger in Japan than the US. The Japanese have long known about using and developing the muscles that result from barefoot activities. Longer than the US has known about the Huarache.

Wow. Glad your Wikipedia is as good as your assumption'd powers, longhair. I was simply referring to the fact that most tabis commercially available in the US are poorly constructed from cloth that a pantless Ethiopian child wouldn't wear and rubber that wouldn't see use as a doormat to a strip club in NC.

The benefit of buying Vibram Five Fingers is that the product is durable... probably because the Vietnamese slave children putting them together get paid more than those that make tabis. I've seen Kung Fu flats, tabis, and Five Fingers. Five Fingers make the rest look like bad 6th grade home ec projects.

...

One of the best ways to toughen up your paws is to run on the beach as a part of life guard training. The sand and shell fragments will toughen you up right quick. I got blisters the size of Gary Coleman the first time I did it and I spent 4 years as a mother ruckin' para. Shit is way tough on your tootsies.

Yeah, I guess I should have known by the inclination of the smiley face's eyebrows and cheek muscles :shakehead:. Maybe post with actual information then instead of subtly making fun of my posts.

And yeah, US clones are a knockoff. Big surprise. Order them from Japan. My orders are only like ~$60 for a pair with reinforced toes, like 6 pairs of socks, and the shipping fees.

And wikipedia? What does that have to do with anything?

There was a huge thread about these shoes on Something Awful, and after a few idiots threadshitting, it turned out that dozens of people had them and all loved them. The only problem was the smell. I'm curious, but I also have a bad ankle and flat feet.

Maybe FiveFingers are kinda like tuxedo t-shirts: They're not for everybody.

I have two pairs and love them!!!
I'm a barefoot type of person. I find myself feeling unstable in regular shoes. With these I can climb a ladder and feel stable. They are great for working in the yard and boating. Their website has measurement directions for proper sizing. I used that chart when I bought the KSO and found the shoes to be a little bit small. Agreed that it's best to try them on in a store before ordering online.

My fiance and I went to check those out at REI before our vacation. We ALMOST bought some but I couldn't get past the feeling of having stuff between my toes while walking.

Other than that... they were great. =)