Mini-review: Vibram Five Fingers KSO
For years, I didn't own any "athletic" shoes. I had combat boots and dress shoes. Then I started kung fu and wore Feiyues. Around this time, I stopped wearing combat boots (heavy things on your feet are bad for your knees), and of course the kung fu shoes were only for the temple. So, I was down to work shoes for general use. I also had a pair of water shoes that I wore as slippers, and sometimes in/on the water.
One day, I decided that I wanted to go for a run. So, I needed running shoes, right? I certainly wasn't going to run in my work shoes. So I went to Pay Less and got a pair of obnoxiously ugly Champion running shoes for $20. Incidentally, they are a fantastic value and are quite comfy and breathable.
Anyway, I fell into a bad crowd (not a member, just a reader) and learned all about POSE running and the like. Turns out those "running" shoes I bought were tools of the devil, designed to encourage bad running form and generally fuck my shit up. So I started running in my water shoes. This actually worked out quite well.
Fast forward a while, and on a fateful trip to Hawaii, my water/running shoes started to smell bad. Really bad. The stank was so deeply embedded into the shoes that bleaching didn't really totally fix them. Anyway, the thin soles had pretty much worn through. So, into the trash they went.
Except I needed shoes. I couldn't run in my Pay Less Devil Tools, and I certainly couldn't life weights in them. I wanted to get a pair of Vibram Five Fingers but I couldn't bear to spend $80 for a pair of exercise shoes.
So I went to Modell's and got a pair of $10 water shoes.
They sucked.
And ripped out after a month.
So I broke down and got the damn Five Fingers. I figure if they last 8 months I'm cool, and they're supposed to not suck. I went up to City Sports, tried them on, and was in love. They are utterly lacking in suckage. Other folks give good advice about choosing a pair and sizing details: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=how-to+vibram+5-fingers. Anyway, I first tried on a pair of 44's (my normal euro size). I had no problem getting them on. They felt a little loose sitting down, but fit perfectly once I stood up. There's a lot of stuff about adjusting to the shoes and getting used to them. I think this has to do with the lack of padding, as opposed to the toe thing. When I started wearing my water shoes around, it definitely hurt a lot for a week or so. There was no adjusting to the Five Fingers for me. I put them on and was ready to go.
So, the review:
They grip like crazy. If you slip in these, you would slip no matter what.
If you're used to thin-soled shoes with no heel, you shouldn't have any trouble adjusting to these.
They actually have decent padding, the rubber under the ball and heel is pretty thick.
They're super-breathable, except in the toes.
They weigh next to nothing.
They're machine washable!
They look ridiculous.
I matched my PR in the squat the night I got them, and set a new PR in the bench, deadlift, and 1 mile run. It's gotta be the shoes!
So, yeah. If you don't mind looking like a dork, get a pair. They're awesome!
One day, I decided that I wanted to go for a run. So, I needed running shoes, right? I certainly wasn't going to run in my work shoes. So I went to Pay Less and got a pair of obnoxiously ugly Champion running shoes for $20. Incidentally, they are a fantastic value and are quite comfy and breathable.
Anyway, I fell into a bad crowd (not a member, just a reader) and learned all about POSE running and the like. Turns out those "running" shoes I bought were tools of the devil, designed to encourage bad running form and generally fuck my shit up. So I started running in my water shoes. This actually worked out quite well.
Fast forward a while, and on a fateful trip to Hawaii, my water/running shoes started to smell bad. Really bad. The stank was so deeply embedded into the shoes that bleaching didn't really totally fix them. Anyway, the thin soles had pretty much worn through. So, into the trash they went.
Except I needed shoes. I couldn't run in my Pay Less Devil Tools, and I certainly couldn't life weights in them. I wanted to get a pair of Vibram Five Fingers but I couldn't bear to spend $80 for a pair of exercise shoes.
So I went to Modell's and got a pair of $10 water shoes.
They sucked.
And ripped out after a month.
So I broke down and got the damn Five Fingers. I figure if they last 8 months I'm cool, and they're supposed to not suck. I went up to City Sports, tried them on, and was in love. They are utterly lacking in suckage. Other folks give good advice about choosing a pair and sizing details: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=how-to+vibram+5-fingers. Anyway, I first tried on a pair of 44's (my normal euro size). I had no problem getting them on. They felt a little loose sitting down, but fit perfectly once I stood up. There's a lot of stuff about adjusting to the shoes and getting used to them. I think this has to do with the lack of padding, as opposed to the toe thing. When I started wearing my water shoes around, it definitely hurt a lot for a week or so. There was no adjusting to the Five Fingers for me. I put them on and was ready to go.
So, the review:
They grip like crazy. If you slip in these, you would slip no matter what.
If you're used to thin-soled shoes with no heel, you shouldn't have any trouble adjusting to these.
They actually have decent padding, the rubber under the ball and heel is pretty thick.
They're super-breathable, except in the toes.
They weigh next to nothing.
They're machine washable!
They look ridiculous.
I matched my PR in the squat the night I got them, and set a new PR in the bench, deadlift, and 1 mile run. It's gotta be the shoes!
So, yeah. If you don't mind looking like a dork, get a pair. They're awesome!