Vibram Five Fingers
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I was looking at some new trail running shoes and have heard some good things about the Vibram Five Finger Models, but they are pretty pricey so I was looking for some feedback before I commit, I'm looking at either the Regular KSO or the KSO Trek. So what do you think worth the price or not? |
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Jimmie Espenoza wrote:I was looking at some new trail running shoes and have heard some good things about the Vibram Five Finger Models, but they are pretty pricey so I was looking for some feedback before I commit, I'm looking at either the Regular KSO or the KSO Trek. So what do you think worth the price or not?Don't be a hippie. |
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way more going on here than just the price. if you haven't been running barefoot or in minimalist shoes, you're in for some serious soreness in muscles you didn't know you had. |
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I use the regular KSOs for walking around, approach shoes and driving, they're great for all three. As berl said, they do use different muscles, so walking before running might be a good idea. You'll also learn to be more careful where you put your feet, I still stub my toe at least once a day in the things. |
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I got a pair of the traditional ones back when they first came out. I've never gone back to running shoes. I have the Flows. They have a little thicker bottom and neoprene top for cooler weather. I love taking them on trails. You find that you hook your toes over things and just go about walking/hiking differently. Terrain can be an issue for them though. Any sort of scree or boulder fields are not very fun in this type of footwear. You also have to pay attention to where you are placing your feet a lot more, and plan a few steps ahead, so if you are big into looking at the scenery... |
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I've heard feedback that spans the gamut, though the the thread that seems to run through both the positive and negative sides is if you want to experience some pretty significant regression in your mileage, buy a pair. You will, without a doubt, have to re-invent the mechanics behind your personal stride. My advice is if you've had good luck with specific brands/models up to now, stick with them. Why fix something that isn't broken? |
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Thanks for the replies I apprectiate it. I have been using minimalist shoes but I'm heading to try some on tomorrow and I suppose then I can make my final decision. If I don't like them then it's back to my old pair for a while I suppose. Thanks for the input |
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Chris Duca wrote:I've heard feedback that spans the gamut, though the the thread that seems to run through both the positive and negative sides is if you want to experience some pretty significant regression in your mileage, buy a pair. You will, without a doubt, have to re-invent the mechanics behind your personal stride. My advice is if you've had good luck with specific brands/models up to now, stick with them. Why fix something that isn't broken?By the time you realize something is "broken," maybe you're in for extended periods of injury (assuming you are using these for running for example). |
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Be careful with barefoot shoes: my wife started running in Vibrams this winter, and probably overdid it too soon. She ended up with intense heel pain, likely plantar fascitis or achilles tendonitis, that has prevented her from running for 2 months...and she sold her Vibrams on Ebay. |
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JohnJ80302 wrote:Be careful with barefoot shoes: my wife started running in Vibrams this winter, and probably overdid it too soon. Can you elaborate on this a bit more? I am just getting into bare footing and want to avoid injury. Thanks, and sorry to hear that your wife had a tough go at it. |
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I agree with those who have said to start slowly at first. You will get very sore feet and calves for a while until you adjust. My feet would crack and pop every morning for a few months until my body adapted to a new gait. |
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Having been barefoot running for a while now, I disagree with the advice of starting on a soft surface. |
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Julius Beres wrote:Having been barefoot running for a while now, I disagree with the advice of starting on a soft surface. Soft surfaces are great, but when you switch from a "normal" shoe to a minimalist shoe, you need to change your stride and the best way to do that is on a hard surface.Great point Julius. I totally agree. If one decides to go with fives, running on a soft surface may prevent you from running in the 'barefoot style,' i.e., you may still heel strike. |
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Sounds like Julius knows what he's talking about. My wife, I believe, made the mistake of running long distances before her stride changed. I think she incurred too many heel strikes on hard surfaces, and would wake up with severe heel pain upon getting out of bed. After a 2-month hiatus with icing and light stretching, she's back to light hikes. |
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A good rule of thumb for switching to VFF is: |
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Found this video |
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I ended up coming home with a pair of komodo sport five fingers yesterday as the store I went to was having a great clearance sale and I managed to snag them for about $50 so I thought I'd give them a try. I've been running in some pretty thin, flat, enclosed sandal type shoes and primarily using a front strike these seem like they might be a little different but I'm guessing/hoping that the change won't be too dramatic. I'm definitely not going to push it too much with them for a while regardless and spent most of the day yesterday and all day today walking around in them to try to get a feel and start getting my feet adjusted. |
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Has anyone sent or know if you can send these shoes in to have them resoled somewhere? |
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I use my trek KSO's for trail running. I bought them after I got cleared to run after I ruptured my achilles last year. So I went from not running for a little over 6 months to jumping back in with these. |
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I have never used mine as my exclusive running shoe. I used to have problems with heel striking in my running stride so I started using the five fingers one day a week or so. I was logging between 35 and 40 miles a week and I would only do between 3 and 5 in the five fingers. It took care of my heel strike in a hurry and eventually I was able to take quite a few seconds off of my mile times. I still can't get over how they look though. |
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on a side note, minimalist shoes not only fit really nice on a harness but they're also a bit more lightweight than regular running shoes |