Black KSO Vibram Five Fingers in "Dress Mode" [modification]
By Justin on Jun 5, 2009 | In guides | 10 feedbacks »
Tim Butterfield, who recently joined the Birthday Shoes Forums, has created a "dress mode" by modding his black KSO Vibram Five Fingers. Tim explains:
For the dress mode, I made a simple modification. I took a fine black Sharpie marker to the yellow logo on the top, the side, and to the top of the yellow padding in the back. The shiny logo thread of the top logo doesn't blend entirely, but it is much less noticeable than before. The side logo has a slight gloss, but almost disappears. The black on the top of the yellow padding fades over time, but is still an improvement and is partially hidden by the back strap anyway. ...
In the one picture, I am wearing some black Injinji performance crew socks. Though wearable, they are a tight fit. For a few hours it is fine. But, after a full day, they get uncomfortable. I'm going to check out some Feelmax toe socks to see if they are a thinner. Still, they do seem to be dress mode capable. And, in the rare case than anyone does notice and mention them, I wear them for health reasons. 
Tim's "dressy" KSOs are one of two pairs he owns. His other pair, which I can only assume he considers casual, are blue camo classics (as he noted in the forums).
Are "dress mode" modded fivefingers enough to meet business casual standards? Maybe so. And like Tim, you can always say you're wearing them for health reasons!
Tim originally posted these photos to his flickr page here.
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10 comments
I just got my KSOs 2 days ago. I already find it a little odd to have something between my toes. I can't imagine trying to wear a toe sock, too!
Currently, I am working at a fair-sized Northeastern-based printing device manufacturing company (very well established in the Fortune 500, they are a verb for photocopying). I wear VFFs to work everyday. Meetings, lab work, whatever. No hassles, nothing.
I've noticed the trend that people who wear their VFFs to work daily feel the need to compulsively include that they work in a very liberal work environment. With the three pieces of information at the end of the first paragraph, arm yourself and wear them to stodgy old Corporate America.
However, since I wear VFFs for everything I've just picked up a pair of KSO Treks in black to complement my KSOs and Classics. The Treks come with "dress mode" built in; no external logos and 100% black with beautiful kangaroo suede uppers. Perfect for wearing to work or anywhere else.
I'd actually go with Black KSO Treks for dressy. This is because the extra structure on the Treks mixed with the svelte suede makes them pass off as a nice, if not eccentric, shoe -- comparatively, the mocs look a nice, but eccentric, sock. A subtle distinction, for sure, but it does make an aesthetic difference.
Plus for an extra $15 you get a much more useful VFF -- just my .02!
Justin
The logos on the side are also glued on and can be removed with a razor blade. You need to be pretty careful how you cut but if you get a good start you can peal most of it off with your fingers. You can get the logos on the side of the Flows off, too.
Here are one of my pairs of KSOs with the top logo removed.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mexican/4591371741/
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