When I first started distance running my coaches told me that I over-pronated. They said that I was prone to injury because of it. My IT band would get tight. My knees might start hurting. My arches would swell up and ache. All of that might happen because of natural dysfunctions in my running form. Apparently I wasn’t the only one prone to those injuries though. According to my coaches and pretty much every distance runner around me, those injuries were just a natural part of running and everyone had to deal with it.
So I was advised to get the best running shoes and find something “with support.” From the beginning I’ve run with motion control shoes with massive arch support, a 2 inch heel, and a pair of Super Feet insoles to “prevent over-pronation.” Then I went out and ran. And ever since I started running marathons I’ve consistently been hurt despite buying the gear that they recommended I buy.
If this sounds familiar then don’t be shocked. There’s a good chance that 90% of you reading this are in the same boat as I was.
Fortunately, one day I stumbled across some literature on barefoot running and it’s advantages. I read about how the foot is naturally designed for running without the assistance of a shoe and of the successful barefoot runners around the world both past and present who ditched shoes and were healthier runners for it. Since coming across that literature I’ve learned more about barefoot running and have decided to test out barefoot running products.
Introducing the Vibram Five Finger Barefoot Running “Shoe”
It’s thin, lightweight, offers little to no arch and heel support, and only sports a then rubber sole meant to prevent cuts and abrasion wounds and a breathable mesh top to keep out dirt and rocks. In this video I review the Vibram Five Finger running shoe and point out it’s strengths and areas of improvement. Enjoy!
But to recap the main talking points in the above video I’ve listed the strengths of the Vibram Five Fingers, and the weakness or areas of improvement that the product can make.
Strengths of the Vibram Five Finger Shoes
- Lightweight – the shoes are 5.7 ounces each so they offer little weight resistance, meaning a quicker cadence and less energy cost associated with moving a heavy shoe.
- Breathable – the mesh upper top effectively wicks away sweat keeping your feet dry and preventing blisters.
- Flexible yet sturdy sole – the rubber sole is only a few millimeters thick – making it very flexible – yet it’s incredibly strong and resistant to wear and tear.
- Inexpensive – you can buy the Vibram Five Fingers for approximately $80 and they can last you several months.
- Traction – despite not having massive grooves on the sole like most shoes the Vibrams offer an impressive amount of traction because they allow you to engage your toes as a braking mechanism. The rest of the foot is also free to move and “grip” the ground more effectively than in typical running shoes which separate the foot from the running surface by 1-2 inches of rubber.
How the Vibram Five Fingers can be Improved
- Keeping stuff out – the KSO’s (Keep Stuff Out) line is a big improvement on the original Vibram’s that did not have a mesh upper. However, Vibram might want to experiment with elongating the mesh upper so that it travels up the base of the ankle more since I found that dirt and rocks sometimes entered the shoe from the top and not through the mesh itself.
- Velcro clasp – I think a wider velcro clasp would be more comfortable and offer a tighter fit. The current clasp is only about half of an inch wide so it can be somewhat uncomfortable when clasped tightly. A thicker clasp would distribute the tightness across more of the foot, making it a bit more comfortable and also locking in a greater area of the ankle, keeping the fit nice and snug.
- Toe protection – the rubber lip at the tip of the toes is a savior when running on tough terrain. However the rubber can be aggravating to the tips of the toes, especially the pinky toes. The current cut of the rubber leads the sole to end abruptly, leaving a somewhat sharp and pointy edge. Vibram should “round off” the rubber so that it transitions more smoothly at the tips of the toes. The current cut leaves a protrusion of rubber that can sometimes rub against an adjoining toe.
Where to go for More Information on the Vibram Five Fingers
- If you want to buy the shoes then check out the official Vibram website here.
- Or if you want more information check out this blog dedicated to the Vibrams.
Have you tried running in the Vibram Five Fingers? Have you tried running completely barefoot? Share your experiences to help other runners who are considering giving barefoot running a shot.
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Solid review, here is mine:
http://www.runcolo.com/Product-Reviews/Vibram-Five-Fingers.html
I do all of my running in the Classics, never had a problem or a need where I thought I would want the KSOs.
I actually haven’t tried the Classics out yet. I want to try those and the Sprints to see what the difference is. I did however do some running at Lake Tahoe and had to wade through some water. The mesh upper on the KSO’s remained moist for a long time, keeping my feet comfortable despite the heat that day. No blisters either!
Thanks for your feedback!
great review. I found that the toe was my main concern as well. the only “foot” injury I seem to get from the VFF’s, albeit mild is light blistering on the toe which goes away quite fast after the run. The nike free’s aren’t too bad either. this review talks a bit about how they compare with vibrams.
RunColo, don’t you think the kso’s fit a bit better? also during my run in them I did get a small piece of leaf and a rock in the shoes.. what time of environment do you run at? Here’s another comparison of the KSO’s and Sprints:
http://barefootrunningshoes.org/2009/10/23/vibram-five-fingers-ksos-vs-sprint/
I’d rethink these If I were you! I have run for about a year and a half now with sneakers and had no issues. I bought the Vibrams with the hope to increase my times and gain better form. Well in one month I did get faster and improved my time and pace, however I broke my foot from a stress fracture! These damned things offer no shock absorption and thus caused a stress fracture. Now I’m screwed. I can’t run for 6 to 8 weeks. I’m miserable, Thanks Vibram! Thanks for nothing but pain.
Now I’m fielding questions from every runner that I meet asking WTF was I thinking running with these. I don’t even have an answer…. friggin’ shoes.
We’ve seen many different success and failure stories with the Vibrams. It seems like most runners who get injured in them do so because they charge the barefoot approach much too quickly. You bring up a very valid concern though. In the end each running should listen to their body for advice on what to do with respect to running shoes.
hey tom, did you give your feet time to get acclimated to your new footwear? i found i used a complete different set of muscles and tendons and started out slow .5 miles at a time for a few weeks and transitioned up to 5 miles slowly. also am running on the balls of my feet instead of heel striking.
Hey Andy,
Thanks for the analysis of the Vibram 5 Fingers, these are by far the coolest running shoe I have ever used. I was questionable about these shoes when I first saw them but after reading your review and watching the video, I felt safe to take the $75 investment. When I was in Zombie Runner in Palo Alto, I asked their sales folks about how many of the Vibram 5′s they sell when compared with traditional running shoes, they said 20 to 1, no I know why. These shoes have allowed me to run off the asphalt or trail in areas that I have never been before, as a result I am having more fun than ever!
Thanks!~
Tom,
Where is your stress fracture? This morning I ijured either my metatarsals or strained the tendons in that region.
I also recently broke my 4th metatarsal wearing the VFF. I have been wearing them for 6+ months, about 50 miles per week… and then the pain showed up on an everyday run. I didn’t land on it funny or anything.
I’m really torn about what to do. I’ve never enjoyed running more than in the VFF, but I think they were a major cause of my broken foot. I’ve been running 50+ miles per week for years and this is the first significant injury I’ve had.
I am responding to all of those that hurt themselves with the VFF’s. I am an avid marathon runner that recently switched to Vibrams in February. I will say that because I was so excited about these shoes, I probably started running on them too much too soon. My first two weeks I only put in 3-5 miles with each run. Granted, I did some barefooting on the beach a few weeks before.
Anyway, I continued my marathon training and didn’t have any big problems, I loved running with them. However, two weeks ago I put a stress fracture on the upper side of my foot, 2nd and 3rd metatarsal. It occurred on a regular, and almost light, run a week after I had run 20 miles. I am so confused and torn what to do/think. I loved running with my VFF’s but received advice from the doctor not to.
I agree with the whole barefoot movement, but I wonder if I am one of those “classic cases” who jumped on the bandwagon before properly researching all necessary prep work. Also, my doctor said he fears barefooting is the next gravity shoe fiasco where people will only realize their injuries after significant time and it becomes a fad. Thoughts?
My sense is that runners will get injured whether they go barefoot or with shoes. However, it’s clear to me that we were meant to run barefoot. That’s what people have been doing for thousands of years and what evolution dictated for us. Barefoot running is what we are meant for.
But we were also meant to go barefoot beginning at childhood. And from a very early age condition our feet to be strong and durable so that they could stand up to distance running on a regular basis. We were persistence hunters and that required us to cover great distances on a weekly basis.
So for modern barefoot runners I think the underlying issue will continue to be the lack of conditioning in our feet from early childhood. And I think that necessitates us slowly conditioning our feet over a long period of time. Some are able to knock out 10-20 miles barefoot after 6 months of doing it. But the likelihood may be that we need several years of running/walking barefoot before our feet get to a state where injury is likely to never occur simply due to repetitive stress.
That’s just my opinion of it. But there could be other factors at play such as switching from barefoot to shoes and back on a regular basis. Doing that may “confuse” our musculoskeletal system to a certain degree and cause weakenesses/dysfunctions from constantly changing the way our feet impact the ground.
I’ve just finished recovering from my minimalist shoe stress fracture. It happened just as I was starting to ramp up my 5k speeds and has taken a good 6 weeks to heal. I fully second all the statements above concerning quality of runs in the Fives or similar. The sudden disappearance of my chronic knee pain (since high school) is too significant to sign off on the Fives. The runner’s high comes too often these days to ever want to go back to conventional shoes.
Barefooting isn’t the cause of the problem. Over-zealousness is. I’m not concerned about this either. Critics complain about the lack of sufficient statistical data. I fail to see how a statistical sample size consisting of millions upon millions of people around the world who can’t afford shoes, is insufficient. If they were falling down left and right from painful tendon or bone injuries, they wouldn’t also be turning into the best soccer players or long distance runners on the planet! My problem was that I am a mouse-pushing office-yuppy who hit it too hard right out of the office at the end of the day.
I bought Vibram Five Fingers KSO and found that they are *not* for everyone. I have a raised joint in my big toe (missing one out of two sesmamoid joint) in my right foot. I found it hurt to walk in the Vibram Five Finger because the design seems to anticipate that joint hitting the ground normally when your foot hits the ground. I tried running in the shoes, just a short bit – and developed back strains within a day of doing so. That was about six weeks ago and I’m still working my way out of the problem. Otherwise I have acquaintances who have Vibrams and they love them. But the shoes are not necessarily for every foot.
I am a near 3 hour marathoner, so it’s not like I’m not accustomed to running. I think I’ll just stick to my regular shoes as opposed to trying to run in Vibrams.
I know I am late here.. but I too am an injured VFF runner.
I am a 4:30 marathoner. I will admit my mistakes, however. I started off running way, way too much in them. I found running in them to be like nothing else I’ve ever done. Very quick, very efficient runs that made me feel amazing. I worked up to running 30-40 miles a week in them, and then a longer run on the weekend. Decided to run a 5K on July 4th this year and ended up clocking in a 22:30… and I am typically an 8 minute mile runner at best. Later that day, top of the foot pain. MRI results showed a 2nd metatarsal stress fracture so I am completely out of the game for a little while. Sucks sucks sucks.
I know I jumped off the deep end in them, and my doc says I’m more than likely better off sticking to regular shoes. I hate to hear this… I love them so much. Not going to continue to injure myself though.
This is a perfect walking shoe for summer. It is light, has plenty of toe room and looks good.
I’m joining the ranks of those who’ve suffered a metatarsal stress fracture while wearing VFF. Went to them after long battle with plantar fasciitis, but too much too soon led me to struggle with tendon issues. After a 4-week recovery, went super-slow and was logging about 15 miles a week. Felt great. Ran a 5K race in one of my best times ever and developed top of foot pain two days later. MRI confirmed stress fracture.
Kristin, your situation sounds very similar to mine. What did you decide to do?
I’ve just completed the required six weeks of recovery and I’m anxious to get back to running. (Have a Half Iron Man in four weeks, for which I downgraded to Aquavelo because of the stress fracture, and Half Marathon in mid-October.)
I am a believer in the merits of barefoot running and the philosophy that our feet were evolved to run without shoes (though our feet have become week from years of being shod). However, the contradiction to this, that I rarely see raised is–our feet did not evolve to run on concrete and asphalt! I believe having no cushioning while running on hard surfaces is what may have led to my fracture.
So, big question is–how to proceed? Back to regular shoes? Back to VFFs? Alternate between the two? Try minimalist shoes? Any input would be greatly appreciated!
Sherri
@Sherri – speaking from personal experience as well I opted for the middle ground. I opted for the Nike 5.0′s and slowly increased my mileage in them. I ran a 50 mile ultra in April (on mountain trail including over 10k feet of total elevation change) and didn’t really have problems. Feet hurt like a #$&%$# but that’s just because it was 50 miles. I think you can find a middle ground but unfortunately the Vibrams may be too little of a shoe for most.
Thanks, Andy. Though, in reviewing some of the earlier posts, I point again to the difference between today’s running conditions and that of people thousands of years ago–of course, people have been running without shoes for thousands of years but they have been running on packed earth, grass, etc. I really don’t want to go back to regular shoes for the same reason as everyone else, but I can’t seem to wrap my mind around the idea that any amount of conditioning can properly prepare the foot for today’s typically hard running surfaces (concrete, asphalt). Can proper conditioning really overcome this?
You can always try a sandal of sorts (like a huarache). Many indigenous people in South America, Central America and Africa use them. They are minimal but provide enough support against tough terrains.
But to specifically answer your question I think that people can condition their feet for hard surfaces. But it would probably require going about barefoot for most of your day to day activities. I know a former elite college and professional runner who doesn’t allow his children to wear shoes around the house (they only wear them when they go to school). That’s the approach he is taking to getting their feet conditioned at an early age because he feels he was a much better runner when he was barefoot (or nearly shod).
Hope that helps!
Hey Andy,
I’m a serious over-pronater, weak ankles, and my posterior tibial tendon is pretty weak. I used to use jacked up Brooks stability sneaks and superfeet, but I still would get sore ankles, and my arches would cramp up pretty easily. I switched to VFF’s (first classics, then Bikilas, but i find the bikilas to run a bit large in the toe and not provide as much support around my foot, I might try the KSOs, anyways..)
I’m not a crazy marathon runner i may do 1-3 miles 4x a week. I wear my classics nearly every day (basically as long as I’m not going out to a nice dinner or wearing a nice dress) because they just feel better than flats and my arches don’t hurt
. unfortunately the past couple weeks I’ve started to get realllly sore metatarsals on my right food ( between the 3rd and 5th). I’m nervous about getting a stress fracture or injuring myself.
Do you or anyone else on here have any recs on how to correct that? Is it due to my weak ankles or am I running incorrectly? Will the VFF’s help with the weak ankles? I’m not heel striking or only running on the balls of my feet, i’m trying to do a midfoot strike.
Thanks
Yvonne