Anyone wear those "FiveFingers" shoes? Do you like them?

[FunkyHiFi]

I'm talking about these. (http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/index.htm)

This style (http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/Five-Fingers-KSO-Trek-Mens.htm) is the one I saw a guy wearing and they looked pretty nice, but am not sure if they are all that comfortable. Kinda pricey I know, but I finally found a job and while it's only part-time, I can finally buy some personal items and shoes are one thing I don't cheap out on (your feet hurt, then everything else does too, with me at least).

Thoughts?

[M|X|Y]

They look like they'd feel like wedgies on your feet

[checkyourprez]

I'm talking about these. (http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/index.htm)

This style (http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/Five-Fingers-KSO-Trek-Mens.htm) is the one I saw a guy wearing and they looked pretty nice, but am not sure if they are all that comfortable. Kinda pricey I know, but I finally found a job and while it's only part-time, I can finally buy some personal items and shoes are one thing I don't cheap out on (your feet hurt, then everything else does too, with me at least).

Thoughts?

they look like a bears paw.

[hardnox71]

I've seen them here and there in my neighborhood. They look uncomfortable for walking and I can't imagine why anyone would want to run in them. What kind of support or cushion could they possibly offer your feet and knees?

[DIGI]

Don't. Hardnox (Hi, btw) is on point if you're looking to buy these for running purposes. Stick with a proven shoe (NB, Asics, Saucony, Mizuno) that offers more comfort and support. Vibram's a great company and make a high quality product, but I see the Five Fingers as a fad. If you're looking for more of an outdoorsy shoe that incorporates a vibram lower, I'd suggest Chaco. Merrell makes an awesome shoe, too.

[JoLovesMCA]

Those things are UGLY! I imagine one of MCA's future verses will be.. I don't wear fivefingers! ha ha..

[NicRN77]

I have a friend that uses those shoes to run and workout in. I guess it is actually better for you because it forces you to strengthen certain muscles...uses your natural stride. I don't think I could wear them myself. I did this run this past weekend and a guy was wearing them, it sounded painful every time his feet hit the pavement.

If you want to go for barefoot run without so much of a change, I would recommend the Nike Free Run (http://nikerunning.nike.com/nikeos/p/nikeplus/en_US/products/free_pdp2?pid=384354)

[DIGI]

Those things are UGLY! I imagine one of MCA's future verses will be.. I don't wear fivefingers! ha ha..

Good lord.....

[kaiser soze]

man, imagine the bigfoot stories though

[hardnox71]

I wear running shoes but I'm not a runner. I hate running. Wouldn't run if I was on fire. Running shoes are just comfortable to me. If I did run I might go with the Nike Free Run. They look nice and comfy.

Oh, and howya been, DIGI?

[gbsuey]

They really are ugly, especially those brown ones...but i'm thinking they might actually be really comfortable. Like the feeling of toes having their own bit of space.

[Yeti]

I have had a pair for a couple of years. I wear them kayaking and at the beach. I have also hiked and ran in them. They are comfortable and when you take them off after wearing them for awhile your feet feel great.

[M|X|Y]

"great" like relieved you're not wearing them anymore or "great" like better than if you'd not worn them at all?

[like2_drink]

I was going to buy a pair of these for rockclimbing. The purpose for them is to be safer on the soles of your feet then barefoot running - which is becoming hugely popular. The thing to keep in mind when purchasing these is that they don't offer any artificial support; its your feet against the pavement with a rubber pad protecting from rocks and glass. The reason people wear comforted running shoes is because of imperfections in the foot, if you have any of these, I can only see the five fingers doing more damage then good. I hear they stink somethin fierce after a while as well

[kaiser soze]

my skin is too sensitive for something like that between my toes for extended periods - I'd get wicked chafed or athlete's foot

I bet they can get stinky - my and my girlfriend's Keens get stinky - bleh!

For the most part if I'm out biking/hiking/exploring some good trail sneeks and socks are best for my feet.

[Yeti]

"great" like relieved you're not wearing them anymore or "great" like better than if you'd not worn them at all?

Great as in they stretch your toes and help with circulation. They are comfortable. Sometimes they are a pain to get on but you get used to it. My wife uses hers for yoga and she tried running in them but prefers shoes and socks. She puts hers on in the evening as therapeutic relief for her feet. She runs at least 5 miles 4 days a week and does a 12 mile run once a week.

I think they are awesome for my use which is kayaking, beach combing, river ratting, swimming and other water sports. I do not have to worry about taking off sandals, shoes, etc. I get home and rinse them with a hose and throw them on the porch. They are also machine washable is they start barking.

I have used them for two years....can you tell that I am a proponent of fivefingers?

[Lex Diamonds]

Shit, these are even worse than Crocs. What kind of weird geeks actually buy this kind of thing??

[paul jones]

Someone would have to pay me to wear those

[Yeti]

Shit, these are even worse than Crocs. What kind of weird geeks actually buy this kind of thing??

Me...... I like them quite a bit and I will stick one up your arse.

[Planetary]

Me...... I like them quite a bit and I will stick one up your arse.

lol

[kaiser soze]

Me...... I like them quite a bit and I will stick one up your arse.

with his toes still in em'

[Bob]

i dunno if i'd call it a fad exactly for running purposes - there is a sort of proper debate behind whether barefoot running is better for you. i've heard very good things about this book (http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Superathletes-Greatest-Vintage/dp/0307279189/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305869325&sr=8-1), though i've never read it myself. it's about, in part, a tribe in...i want to say mexico? that runs a lot and hasn't invented shoes yet and they do fine, or something along those lines. again, haven't read it

so there could maybe possibly actually be some benefit to them for running. i honestly don't know enough to comment smartly on that. i will say that i don't wear them. and i will also say that they look really fucking goofy and wearing them for walking around purposes is kinda like wearing bike shorts for comfort - they have their uses but you do not look pretty in those things

[FunkyHiFi]

Sometimes they are a pain to get on but you get used to it.I wondered about that! I figured you had to pretty much insert each toe, one by one, into each....er....toe pod or whatever they call them.

...but i'm thinking they might actually be really comfortable. Like the feeling of toes having their own bit of space.There's soemthing that just seems...natural...about these things. Sorta like unbleached coffee filters or homemade bread that uses organic ingredients. :)

man, imagine the bigfoot stories though
:D
What kind of support or cushion could they possibly offer your feet and knees?As somebody else mentioned, more & more people are running barefoot (according to them, safety issues like broken glass and nails are not actually all that much of an issue out on the street) and going barefoot is suppoosedly better for you....so I've read.

As far as the cushion thing, I used to wear a pair of worn out wrestling shoes, similar to these (http://www.asicsamerica.com/products/product.aspx?PRODUCT_ID=240014953&TITLE_CATEGORY_ID=250001243&PARENT_CATEGORY_ID=250001240) out & about and they also have no cushioning whatsoever, but surprisingly they were pretty comfortable after I got used to them (I guess the muscles in your feet/legs need to adjust to them). Btw I'm talking about *real* wrestling not the fake crap on TV.

[Lex Diamonds]

Me...... I like them quite a bit and I will stick one up your arse.
So it's the weird geeks who like putting things up people's arses. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

[jabumbo]

who the fuck cares what they look like if they are comfortable?


i'd really like to give them a shot, but i've always been leery on spending the money on something i don't know how i'd adjust. i imagine its not worth it if you need arch support, but i would much rather move around with less on my feet if i could. these things force you to run from the ball of your foot which is so much better than slamming your heel down every stride with regular running shoes.

[Helvete]

Yeah, people ran (and still run) for thousands of years with nothing on their feet, so it's not essential to wear footwear for support. BUT running without shoes is different to how most people run with. You don't strike your heel first when running barefoot, it's more of a ball of the foot that hits the ground first.

[M|X|Y]

I've seen dudes jogging barefoot.. I learned when I was a boy that landing on a pebble hoits!

[Dorothy Wood]

Wait, I don't strike with my heel first when I run in running shoes....

as for the five fingers...I think they should be for sporting only...they look terrible as casual footwear. I tried some on once and they made my toes feel suffocated. but I can see how they'd be useful for some.

[yeahwho]

they should call those shoes dog shit catchers.

[Drederick Tatum]

wow. those things look truly awful.

part-time job eh, Funky Hi-Fi. well, a fool and his money are soon parted.

[FunkyHiFi]

part-time job eh, Funky Hi-Fi. well, a fool and his money are soon parted.Fools don't usually ask about a particular product's positives and negatives before purchasing it. ;)

As far as part-time is concerned: if you've looked for a decent-paying job lately, you'd know that they are very scarce, especially in the two fields my two degrees are concerned with. And nope, I'm not telling what they are :D* but one field is trashed because all the positions have been moved overseas & the other is currently under attack from politicians and is experiencing severe budget cuts.



* before hiring anyone, many companies nowadays pay for the services of other companies who scour the net for a potential employee's discussion messages, Facebook pages, photo site postings, etc etc to find out more about that person's personal life

[Drederick Tatum]

no knock on the job. just saying that if it was part-time I wouldn't spend my disposable income on shoes that look like gloves.

[FunkyHiFi]

no knock on the job. just saying that if it was part-time I wouldn't spend my disposable income on shoes that look like gloves.O.K. gotcha.

It actually pays pretty good, and several times I've been scheduled for 40 hours/week......but since it's still technically part-time, like many other companies that means they don't have to pay all the expenses (health care for example) connected to a full time position. The wave of the future in other words. :rolleyes::mad:

But yea, these shoes(?) were sort of just something I've been vaguely interested in and thought I'd ask around about them. I actually need a pair of good hiking boots, probably these Keen Targhees (http://www.keenfootwear.com/product/ss11/shoes/men/trailhead/targhee%20ii%20mid).

[Michelle*s_Farm]

not convinced by the footwear, i think trying them on a five-finger discount would be a good idea in this instance.

[Helvete]

Good idea ^^

Why arên't they called five toes anyway?

[kaiser soze]

will we ever see gloves in the shape of a shoe?

[Lyman Zerga]

today i bought shape up shoes, feels like im walking on sand