100 Miles, one blister, awesome calves...

Well, according to my log, I topped 100 miles of walking/running in my Vibram Fivefingers today.  So, I thought I would provide a "century review" of them for those who were interested in them, but didn't like the risk of getting them to try out...

So, overall I would have to say I absolutely love these shoes.  So much so, that I am getting one or two more pairs (more on that in a bit).  After 100 miles of mostly asphalt walking/running, the soles look brand new, with the exception of the black "dirt" on them from the asphalt.  I have noticed no wear and they feel like the day I got them.

As far as getting used to them goes, it cost me a couple days of sore calves when I pushed too hard and a blister as I adjusted my running style.  That happened in the first week or so.  Since then, I have gotten no blisters and I recover much quicker from walks/runs that I push it on than I did when I wore boots or shoes.

The feel of these shoes is incomparable to anything else I have worn.  You sense the nuances of the surface you are walking on and you feel much more sure-footed on uneven surfaces.  I am thinking these would be great for recreational climbing, would defer to a climber on that though.

Another positive note is their impact on the tone of your legs.  Since you are absorbing more impact through your musculature, as opposed to transmitting it up bone to your hips, you will quickly find that your calves turn into rocks very quickly and the rest of your leg muscles quickly start to define.  I have a lot of slacking off to compensate for, but I am seeing marked improvements in the toning of my legs.

Now, it isn't all rainbows and unicorns.  There are some negatives.

My particular model, the KSO version in grey, black and camo, make me look like I have gorilla feet.  They are seriously dorky looking.  However, I like them enough not to care.  The other negative is the fact that you really need to clean these regularly.  They don't smell as bad as regular shoes, but if you don't wash your feet before putting them on, or if you have problems with dead skin on your feet (my feet have been messed up since the military, lots of dead skin) you build up "funk" inside the shoes it the natural eddies formed where your foot doesn't apply pressure.  You will want to throw the shoes in the wash at least once a week.  Now, while that is a negative, it does illustrate how easy the shoes are to clean.  Just toss them in with a load of clothes and hang dry overnight.

Which brings me to why I am purchasing a couple new pairs.  First, I want to get another pair of the KSOs like I have so that I can rotate them for use and cleaning.  While the shoes will dry overnight, sometimes I sleep less or I forget, so having a second pair would be nice.  The other pair I want to get is a pair of the KSO Treks, which are made of brown kangaroo leather.  They seem like they would look a bit less dorky in public.

So, long story short, if you have been wanting to try out the Vibram Fivefingers, I would suggest popping into REI and trying on a pair.  If you order them online, make sure the place has a good return policy if the fit is off (follow the directions for fitting).  However, I highly recommend them and give them an 9 out of 10.  They only got an 8 because they are so damn weird looking.  That aside, I would put them at more like a 9.8 out of 10.

Hope it helps...

Oh, if you are going to purchase, please support one of my favorite stores, either REI or Erehwon.  You can get more info on the shoes from Vibram.