Fila Skeletoes vs Vibram FiveFingers: Toe Shoe Supremacy

By Justin Owings on Feb 9, 2012 | In general | 12 comments »

While most BirthdayShoes readers are likely already toe shoe aficionados who own at least one pair of Vibram FiveFingers and often a whole closet full, at least a few readers stumble on our neck of the web looking for information about Fila Skele-toes. You'll recall that we've covered the original Fila Skele-toes and the Skele-toes 2.0. Most interestingly, Vibram is suing Fila for patent infringement around their implementation of toe shoes.

You might say things are a little dicey in the battle for toe shoes supremacy.

 

And it's kind of funny in that, as I've talked about at length in the above-mentioned reviews, Skele-toes really aren't quite up to par with FiveFingers. Sure I'm biased just like anyone, but I've now tried the Skele-toes, the Skele-toes 2.0, the Skele-toes Bay Runner, and the Skele-toes Voltage (now there's an interesting beast — stay tuned!) and across the board, none of them really hold a candle to any pair of Vibrams when it comes to flexibility, ground feel, upper comfort, or overall "barefoot" feel. Note that I want Fila to put out a competitive product because I see competition as the lifeblood of innovation. It's just that in my humble opinion, Fila hasn't done it (yet). At least not when it comes to competing on design or function.

Where Fila has kicked some tail and taken some names is in the marketing and distribution department.

Fila has massive reach and distribution of their toe shoes: they did a nationwide billboard campaign asking, "What the heck are those?" Since Filas are pretty cheap compared to FiveFingers and they already have their shoes in all kinds of mass merchants and department stores, they were "out there" to be seen in the malls and shops at large (as compared to say specialty running stores or outdoor stores — places the couch-loving, desk'ed populace are less likely to venture to). Fila's marketing and reach created a huge awareness around toe shoes — awareness associated with Fila. And as FiveFingers fans, this was just a little bit frustrating — how could our beloved Vibram brand get identified with "Those four-toed imposters!"?

If we could all let out a sigh, throw a fist to the sky, and yell aloud about the injustice of it all, let's do it — and then step back and see the big picture.

I'd like to briefly pass on a comment that I got on BirthdayShoes yesterday from reader, Sean. Emphasis mine.

I bought my KSO's about a week ago after wearing Fila's Skeletoes for a few weeks. what a difference. I quickly ousted my Filas and have been wearing these everyday since. The best thing about them is the fit, I love how true to my foot they feel, they bend with my foot very naturally. The only thing is my right pinkie toe doesnt quite fill the pocket whereas the left one pretty much does. I'm looking into getting a pair of classics for around the house but I've definitely given Vibram my barefoot loyalty.

What is the big picture you ask? It's two-fold. One, I'd never opt for a pair of Fila Skele-toes over a pair of FiveFingers to wear around town, to the gym, or to go running — because the Skele-toes are just downright inferior shoes. I'd guess any FiveFingers fan would feel the same way. We're already converts.

But Skele-toes customers don't know what I know (or you know) when they buy their first pair of toe shoes. Most all of them do not realize there are better options out there. They simply lack awareness.

What Skele-toes customers do discover with their first pair of toe shoes is that, well, toe shoes exist, they are incredibly comfortable, and they are remarkably functional. Being closer to barefoot via thin-soled shoes with articulated toes, even when poorly implemented, works wonders. A bad toe shoe is still massively better than most regular shoes out there. That's somewhat remarkable, don't you think?

What more, just like Sean above, once a Skele-toes fan discovers the world of Vibram FiveFingers, there's a high probability they'll ditch their Skele-toes and grab a pair of FiveFingers next. Sorry Fila.

So at the end of the day, while it is frustrating to have toe shoes assume the Fila branding thanks to some large-scale distribution and marketing, I think Vibram should probably see Fila as helping them out in the long run (no pun intended for you barefoot-style, distance runners, I swear).

That is for now, anyway — if Fila ever puts out a truly competitive toe'd shoe to Vibrams, well, you can just about guarantee you'll hear about it here first.

About the Author — I founded BirthdayShoes.com in April 2009 on realizing just how much I enjoyed having "free feet" - I mostly wanted to use them for weights, sprints, and plyometrics (I'm not much of a runner!). I'm a Googler by day and minimalist footwear aficionado by night; you can find me 'round Atlanta. If you want to catch up with what I'm doing outside of the site here, follow me on twitter @bdayshoes or @justinno or check out my personal site JustinOwings.com.
has written 750 articles and 302 comments.
Tags: skeletoes

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Comment from: WereCougar [Visitor]
WereCougarI think there's more than enough room at the table for everyone. Having said that, I'm interested to see where this branding is headed.

Fila seems to take pages from the Sketchers playbook when it comes to product development and branding. I sincerely hope that toe shoes don't become the next gimmick (*koff koff* toning shoes *koff*).

But Vibram also needs to be careful about becoming too elitist. This style of branding has never sat well with me as it all too easily slides into snob culture. I just want to wear shoes, not a statement.

Sure, I favor Vibrams over Filas. I love my Bikila LS. But I also love my Bay Runners. Just as I love my Chacos, Tevas, Birkenstocks, Keens, New Balance, and the list goes on.

Options are indeed good. And I encourage more options. :)
02/09/12 @ 13:35
Comment from: sean [Visitor]
seanthats my conversion review :) thanks Justin, your site is great, it actually helped to convince me to get a pair of classics after reading your blog about why they're the kings of the VFF world. everyone is going to have a different opinion but you nailed it on the head, I knew VFF's existed but I didn't know they would have initially been worth the extra cash. the skeletoes dont even begin to compare as far as quality and comfort. they were big and floppy looking, they didnt breathe well, they felt more bulky than my own feet. my toes had way too much room since a 10 was too small and an 11 was just a little too big. your feet WILL thank you for choosing the shoes that have been engineered way more extensively to give the barefoot experience.
02/09/12 @ 15:34
Comment from: Robert [Member] Email
It seems like Fila is going in the opposed direction as VFF. I would expect their stuff to get more minimal with time but it seems like it is going more towards regular shoes with toe pockets. I say this because the newer models have what look like a pretty significant heel drop. That is a major turn off for me. I like the Skele-Toes 2.0 I don't wear them often but I like to mow the lawn in them. I would never ever ever buy toe shoes with a heel drop.
02/09/12 @ 17:03
Comment from: eoin [Visitor] Email
eoinI was bitten by the Fila "paper tiger" and in a moment of weakness purchased, not one, but two Fila Skele-toes voltage shoes; one Black and one Blue. After an extensive trial period, appox one to two hours, I realized the error of my ways. I was sucked in by the new look but mostly by the price. Being the frugal shopper I am, I realized I could buy two Filas for the cost of ONE Five Finger; so, who could pass up that offer, right? I should have, I was blind-sided though and left the store with two huge black and blue monstrosities attached to my feet. But my weary heart was calmed after purchasing my second "new" speed of the season. It's much better, the blood is now being pumped back into my head after completely loosing my mind! Filas are toe shoe imposters, bastard hybrids, Vibram want-a-b's; and I am sure anyone with sense would switch to the real deal if they knew about them. My personal opinion is this: Fila Voltage was designed on a shoe platform; there is little flexability, hardly any ground feel, and that stupid two toe pocket for the pinky toe was highly uncomfortable. I just gave the one pair I wore to my brother (because the store would not take them back), and will return the other pair tomarrow (Oh happy day!!). In any case I will not stray, I will stay dedicated to my brand, and one day (this spring) will be 18 VFF richer, I am near this goal now with 16 pair, yep... I'm hooked!
02/09/12 @ 23:57
Comment from: Steve [Visitor]
SteveEven if the Fila wearers switch over to VFFs shorty after discovering them, Fila still sold their shoes and made their money.

They just need to get out of the lawsuit without getting too hurt and may need to differentiate their product more.

I agree, the more people that are made aware, the better. I'm surprised how frequently I still get asked about my VFFs when I wear them.
02/10/12 @ 07:09
Comment from: Von [Visitor]
VonWho cares about the skeletoes. I am interested in seeing something about the Fut Gloves that are advertised on your site. I am very curious about them.
02/10/12 @ 21:54
Comment from: Bakaiya [Visitor]
BakaiyaMy favorite toe shoes are actually the Evoskins, although they're hard to find. They have held up extremely well despite being thiner on the on the bottom than any of the other options (though, I do not run in them).

Vibram has turned me off with their lawsuits and support of SOPA. I doubt I will buy from them again, so here is hoping Fila starts making some truly barefoot shoes. Otherwise, I might just stock up on enough Evoskins for the foreseeable future.
02/10/12 @ 22:12
Comment from: sramfl [Visitor]
sramflMy first toe shoes experience was with the Fila ST2's. I liked them enough that I purchased...ummm...two more pairs. Then the various sales by various authorized Vibram vendors hit (and announced courtesy of this site). This led to me purchasing a pair of Treks followed by various Bikilas, KSO's, Treksports, Sprints, (curse you Leftlane Sports!...I jest of course) and finally a sole pair of Komodos. Yes, I became "that guy" with a closet full of Vibrams...and three pairs of Filas. I rarely wear my Filas. Now and then I will since they are fairly comfortable, but no way near the level of comfort experienced when wearing any of the Vibrams.

I for one hopes that Fila survives a suit by Vibram as I really do thank them for opening up my eyes (and toes) to the joys of toe shoes.
02/13/12 @ 14:54
Comment from: Zombie [Visitor]
ZombieI jus bought a pair of Filla skele_toes. They r amazing. I am a female so my feet r really small. So I love the way the Filas fit. I have tried the Vibrams before and my feet did not fit right in them. Not only that but my pinky toes r very tiny they won't even fit in the last pocket of Vibrams therefore the Fila ez slide pocket (which combines the two toes at the end) for me is perfect.


I LOVE MY FILAS THEY R GREAT!
03/18/12 @ 16:01
Comment from: Phil [Visitor]
PhilVibrams were the first toe shoes that I heard of, but because I am stationed overseas I couldn't find them anywhere but online. And I had reservations about ordering shoes that may or may not fit my toes online, especially for the price. The Skeletoes actually got offered onbase last year and I bought a pair. I don't have anything to actually compare them to except my normal running shoes, but with the skeletoes my run time did improve by 30-40 seconds. I'd still like to try a pair of Vibrams, but I have no complaints about my skeletoes.
04/09/12 @ 06:55
Comment from: Samantha [Visitor]
SamanthaEver since i saw skeletoes on billboards and all over the mall, i noticed the inferior quality. My first pair of toe shoes were a pair of Vibram Fiver Fingers Sprint. I havnt looked back since, and refuse to ever slip my feet into anything that doesnt match vibram quality. Skeletoes fans should spend the extra money for better quality and experience. Also, its really annoying when people point at my feet, "look, shes got skeletoes" it makes me want to kick them with all 5 of my toes (since ppl have 5 toes, not 4)
05/15/12 @ 13:42
Comment from: Gary K [Visitor]
Gary KWell, Skeletoes caught my eye recently, and as I have a terribly difficult foot to fit (5E size 9), the apparent width looked inviting. My feet have given me a lot of problems if I don't get a shoe wide enough. Most traditional types are foot coffins, and my feet are crammed in junk so-called "Extra-Wide". What a crock! Plus the discounted pricing @ *ohls was a bargain (after chasing them down 2 stores later). At first, they felt strange, but after an evening walking (I'm not a runner) I liked them better. Toes feel great, but are a REAL PAIN to get organized. The worst of them is the stupid, moron-designed strap. There is not enough velcro, and it isn't properly placed on the straps. I could barely get the heel and top areas to both connect enough for a secure closure. I resorted to dragging the heel portion inside through the loop it goes thru, instead of outside as it comes in the box. What this does is allow more velcro contact. Durability, we'll see. Being this is my first pair of toe shoes, if I trash them, my poor judgment for being an impulse buyer. At least I only paid $26 for them.
05/16/12 @ 00:25