Barefoot Training: Vibram Five Fingers Shoes Review
A lot of people come up to me wondering what the heck I’m wearing on my feet. In fact, it’s probably one of the biggest questions I get from people who approach me. And for a good reason…
They look pretty darn funny. When I first saw the Vibram Five Fingers shoes I too thought they looked weird and wondered who the heck would wear a shoe like this.
But after the pain in my back and joints became too much I decided to do something about it.
I’ve heard a lot of great things from people in the fitness industry swearing by these shoes and that they did wonders for your lower back and joints. I was skeptical at first but after using them a few times I was hooked.
“The human foot is a work of art and a masterpiece of engineering.”
—Leonardo Da Vinci
When we think back to the history of man kind and how long we walked around barefoot, it’s no wonder our evolution got the foot right in the first place but then we had to come along and try to reinvent the wheel with shoes.
I’m not saying shoes are a bad thing, but we’re so used to wearing shoes, some good and some bad, that are feet are no longer in the shape that they’re naturally supposed to be.
This has caused problems literally from the ground up and things get out of alignment and the constant pounding our bodies take has caused a lot of joint and lower back pain in a lot of people.
If you see a basketball player you’ll usually see them wearing a pair of high top sneakers and this in theory is supposed to protect the ankle joint, and they’ll also usually have their ankles taped too. But once we take away that mobility by wearing sturdy high top sneakers and tape all the force goes straight up to the knee.
This is why many basketball players have more knee and ankle problems…lack of ankle mobility.
After watching soccer players, they’re sprinting and diving all over the field and their shoe’s are very flexible and allow a lot of joint range of motion…the result? Very few ankle and knee problems are ever seen on the soccer field!
Feet are much more pliable then we ever thought, and as we wear shoes our feet will adapt to them. I’m not saying to walk around the mall in your bare feet. But if you’re home be barefoot and if you’re training or walking then wear the Vibram Five Fingers shoes.
I’m currently reading the book, Born to Run and in the book the author goes in search of the Tarahumara Indians in the Copper Canyons of Mexico. They’ve been known as the running people as they can run more than 100 miles at a time in nothing more than a simple sandal made out of flexible rubber. And you don’t see any of them having joint problems like we do in America.
What’s the best version of the Vibram Five Fingers?
To be honest I’ve only tried the Classic version, and I absolutely loved it. It has a very good price, about $75 and it’s great for practically everything. They also have other versions that are more practical for specific adventures, but for me the Classic is my favorite.
Be sure to wash them!
The one downfall I’ve found with the Vibram Five Fingers is that they can get super stinky in a short amount of time. The good part is that you can just pop them in the washing machine and let them air dry. I also just heard a great tip for getting the smell out by placing the shoes in a bucket filled with water and throw in some Efferdent tablets.
Make sure you get the correct size…
Since they are designed to fit comfortably on your feet I would recommend accurately measuring your feet so you get the proper size. They have all the instructions on how to do this on their site, so just be careful, even if you’re off by 1/2″ it can make a significant difference.
26 Responses
I am so glad to read a review on these shoes. I don’t run all that often but experience some low back trouble. I have read you are supposed to stay to soft terrain to avoid the possibility of puncture wounds. Where do you run in these?
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I try to run on a track or on treadmill, I personally don’t think our bodies are designed to run on such a hard surface as cement. But I honesty really like these shoes and think they’ll only get more and more popular.
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Cool…thanks again for the review Josh!
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I’ve had my VFF’s now for a couple of weeks. I’ve stuck mostly to treadmill running and WALKING outside (on all kinds of terrain), however a friend of mine uses them a lot for trail running. He said it took some getting used to, but afterward, it was much more natural.
I definitely wouldn’t take these out on pavement/concrete though.
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Nice review! I will be picking it up in my weekly round-up of latest Vibram Five Fingers reviews over at birthdayshoes.com (updated on Sundays).
Like you, I like my Classic Five Fingers best — they just get worn the most, particularly when the weather is nice. I see them as the flip flop in the Vibram world.
Anyway, thanks for sharing and see your around VFF-town.
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I love these shoes. Have two pairs. And because of Winter, couldn’t really wear them and got lazy. I have to say that I HATE the feel of “normal” shoes now.
As for the cement/hard surfaces thing. Its just fine to run on, but you have to adjust your running style.
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Another great tip for getting rid of the smell is to use an ultraviolet wand and run it over the shoes for 30 seconds to kill the bacteria that’s responsible for the odor. This is more effective than washing it as washing it does not do a great job of getting rid of the odor and air drying it takes the whole day (if it’s sunny outside).
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One might add that in both basketball and soccer, the soles of the shoes allow you to stop and change direction on a dime – something you instinctually won’t do when barefoot or in VFF. These lateral movements are likely behind the large numbers of ligament tears and muscle tears/pulls that you see in most of the major sports. Of course, this ability is kind of necessary to play well, so it’s a bit of a tradeoff.
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I wouldn’t worry too much about drying them off if you plan on going for a run the same day. I went on an 8 mile run today and they dried off within a few minutes while I was running. The KSOs work great because no rocks can get in them while you are trail running. I wouldn’t recommend running on cement though.
I also noticed my calves working a little harder and because of that, a lot less joint pain. Also, they are lighter weight than normal running shoes so you might be able to shave off some time off of your mile/be able to run longer.
Everyone should get these shoes because the human foot is better than any other shoe!
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going by the comments, so the 5-finger shoes are not good for walking/Running on pavement or concrete? can they be use for walking, meaning, like when wearing “normal” shoes?
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@orochi Yeah I don’t recommend them for running on the concrete. When you think about it our bodies were never designed to run on hard concrete. Only in the near past we started running on concrete. I use my Nike Frees for running on concrete, but use my fivefingers for training and walking around the house, etc.
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Definitely do not wear these on pavement. I did for three two mile runs and my feet hurt so bad I haven’t run for two weeks. I hope I haven’t ruined my feet. The five finger shoes may be great for barefoot running on soft surfaces, but I will never again wear them to run on pavement.
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Josh Schlottman Reply:
June 18th, 2010 at 2:16 pm
Yes I would recommend not wearing these on concrete. When you think about it our bodies weren’t meant to run on the pavement.
But I have seen some people adapt to it and run around barefoot all the time.
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I’ve run 8 miles on the pavement with no ill effect and I did it in under an hour. The human body is perfectly capable of adapting to barefoot running on any surface you just need to facilitate the muscles and work up to it.
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Just bought my first pair and, because I prefer to run the outdoor world, I opted for the TrekSport. These have a slightly thicker sole with some mild cleating for grip. Haven’t had them long but I can say that, even though it took some getting used to and training of the stabilizer muscles, I see no problems with my turf/pavement/concrete routes. Maybe in a year or so, who knows?
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I’ve run 2 half marathons on my FF. No joint pain after at the event all and I was able to improve my time. My recovery time also is a lot quicker now. BTW, I’m 49 y/o and 195 Lbs. I used to use Saucony ProGrid and Brooks Glycerin (I loved Saucony and hated Brooks) but since I tried FF I no longer like either shoes. I’m heavy for a runner of my age and before getting my FF I used to have all kind of pains. Now, even running on cement I feel no pain at all. My next pair of shoes? Oh yeah, FiveFingers!
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Josh Schlottman Reply:
May 10th, 2011 at 4:53 pm
Glad you’re a fan of the FiveFingers too Guillermo!
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Holly Orvin Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 7:56 am
What style of FF do you wear?
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Josh Schlottman Reply:
January 30th, 2012 at 1:40 pm
I just use the classics.
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Are these shoes any good for bunion sufferers – in order to keep the toes apart?
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I have had a bunionectomy on both feet. I have a screw in one foot and two screws and a wire in the other. Are these shoes recommended for running with all of this hardware in my feet?
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Josh Schlottman Reply:
July 15th, 2011 at 6:14 pm
Hi Amy, I’m not sure if these would be a good fit for you or not because of the screws in your feet. I would talk to your doctor about it.
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I have a few comments to add…
I just got my first pair of VFF, Speeds ( I dont run or kayak, or rock climb, etc…) only worn them about a week in total.
I am a machinist and work 10 hour shifts on concrete floors, and I wore these for whole shift first day I had them, zero problems. Before the flaming starts, we do not manufacture large/heavy products, so steel toes are not required….
Regarding fit in cases of surgery, I had a green twig fracture of 5th metatarsil some years back, this left me with some hardware in foot as well, and small toe that is shorter than other…fitting is issue-takes longer to get one FF on than the other…other than that no problems so far. I suspect I have done my feet far worse damage by wearing ‘normal’ shoes than FF will ever do…
good luck!
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Josh Schlottman Reply:
September 16th, 2011 at 7:16 pm
Thanks for sharing your story Brian!
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I started running last year and somehow injured my back resulting in a herniated disk in my lower spine. I used Saucony and still had pain having to get cortisone injections to run the 10k I was training for.
After seeing a spine doctor he recommended FF for running so there is no heel strike impact or shockwaves – but after reading these comments I’m afraid to use them to run on concrete. I train on a treadmill – but if I did get some for my races, which brand has shown to be the best fit for my circumstances?
Thoughts or suggestions?
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Josh Schlottman Reply:
January 30th, 2012 at 1:39 pm
Hi Holly,
I probably wouldn’t recommend using the Five Fingers on the pavement at least right away. Look into getting some Nike Frees but I would also recommend loosening your hips especially your hip flexors because running can cause them to put an enormous strain on your lower back.
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