The Vibram Womens FiveFingers KSO is modelled on the original FiveFingers design, and allows for the near barefoot experience, but has been modified and improved by incorporating a thin, abrasion-resistant stretch polyamide and breathable mesh that encloses the entire forefoot in order to ‘Keep Stuff Out’. Ideal for off road runner, trekkers, and general outdoor enthusiasts who want the lightweight freedom of the FiveFingers experience but without the added hassle of stones and debris getti
List Price: £105.00
Price: £83.21
Awesome-tastic,
I love my Vibrams. Been running for five or six years now, distances from 10k to a 52km ultra marathon in South Africa – so I like to think I at least know a little of what I’m talking about.
My Vibrams were a little tight to begin with, but over time they’ve loosened up a bit and now they’re just a perfect fit. They’re a nightmare to put on and take off the first few times, but persevere – you’ll get used to it. And the first run you have with them – wow. Seriously, they’re awesome. You can feel the texture of whatever’s underneath you, and also the cold or warmth transferring to your foot. As they’re ridiculously light, you’ll notice within just a few runs the difference in weight as soon as you put your old trainers back on.
A couple of warning:
1. It’s easy to stub your toe on the ground if you’re not careful, I’ve done it twice now. Nothing broken, just painful for a few minutes, though fortunately I could run through mine.
2. Heel strike. If you heel strike then you’ll struggle initially in these. I tend to mid-foot strike so I’ve been lucky, but if you heel strike you’ll have to adapt your running style, although this should happen naturally. But if that’s the case, don’t go out for long runs straight away in them, let your feet adapt. There are lots of other articles on this issue that explain it better than I can, so just google Vibrams and heel strike.
3. The cloth material at the top. Mine is looking a little tatty now. Not hugely, but there are a couple of tiny rips from where I’ve been running cross country and my foot has brushed against something on an overgrown trail. Not a big issue, but it’s a bit of a shame. When I say a little tatty, though, I mean just that – don’t get all paranoid they won’t last, they most definitely will.
4. Social. Be prepared for lots of stares and questions!
Was this review helpful to you?
|The future!,
I did alot of research into these shoes before I bought them, and so far they are great. feel quite unusual when you put them on, but when you get used to the feel its like you are barefoot.
Need to be very patient with them – I wore them for 3 whole days in a row when I first got them, which left me with sore knees a few days later. So now wearing for an hour a day this week, two hours a day next week and so on. I eventually plan to run long distance in them but it will take a long time.
I recommend reading up some of Lee Saxby’s stuff about barefoot running which I found really helpful
Was this review helpful to you?
|VFFs could be the future in sports footwear!,
Ok, so you either love or hate these funny looking feet-things, but reserve judgement if you can until you’ve had a chance to try on a pair. If you feel kinda ‘so what’, then they probably don’t suit your feet (they’re not for everyone! Have a look on the VFF website for guidance)
BUT if like me you get a ‘wow!!’ then they are well worth the replacement cost of a standard pair of runing/sports shoes.
In a way these little things are even better than being barefoot, since if you are used to restrictive footwear, your feet tend to retain this shape out of habit and the VFFs encourage your toes to splay and straighten, allowing tendons and muscles you never knew about to get in on the action.
Two words of warning though:
ONE: Build up time in your VFFs very gradually, and don’t necessarily expect these shoes will completely replace your regular sports shoes. I have been wearing mine about the house and for walking and (very) short bursts of running for about a month, and I’m just starting to feel ready to step it up a little, if you’ll forgive the choice of phrase. I’ve been noticing a slight ache in the tops of my feet and through my toes in the mornings, especially following circuit training etc., and I feel crampy in my calves very quickly when running due to the changes in gait and the new absence of a heel strike. They did work well for bouldering/scrambling in an old slate quarry: even in very wet conditions they proved surprisingly grippy.
TWO: They do tend to get a bit whiffy! But you can machine wash them as often as necessary, and I gather there are products you can apply to you feet to prevent bacteria making smells. Also there are toe socks, but I haven’t tried these.
Final point: they took a week or so to break in before I was convinced I was going to really fly in these, but it was worth the wait.
If you decide to go for it, I hope you enjoy yours as much as I love mine!
Was this review helpful to you?
|