Fit of Bikilas Vs. KSOs

[Jimmy Hart]

good feedback south i appreciate that.  i was just in the store today looking at them again after the barefoot ken clinic and they still seemed so much stiffer to me than the 5.0s i have collecting dust in the closet.  if they work for you then you are doing the right thing and more power to you.  again though thank you for the information because even standing there comparing them i felt the opposite of what your measurements found.  good to know though, maybe i should back off of them a little when i talk to people :-)

[TsuaSai]

good feedback south i appreciate that.  i was just in the store today looking at them again after the barefoot ken clinic and they still seemed so much stiffer to me than the 5.0s i have collecting dust in the closet.  if they work for you then you are doing the right thing and more power to you.  again though thank you for the information because even standing there comparing them i felt the opposite of what your measurements found.  good to know though, maybe i should back off of them a little when i talk to people :-)

We were just at Lukes yesterday to get our Bikilas but couldn't go today for the clinic cause we live about two hours away. Was wondering if there would be any bday shoes members there.

[southnc]

good feedback south i appreciate that.  i was just in the store today looking at them again after the barefoot ken clinic and they still seemed so much stiffer to me than the 5.0s i have collecting dust in the closet.  if they work for you then you are doing the right thing and more power to you.  again though thank you for the information because even standing there comparing them i felt the opposite of what your measurements found.  good to know though, maybe i should back off of them a little when i talk to people :-)

I appreciate your thoughts as well.  As I indicated, the Free 3.0 is still my overwhelming favorite for long-distance runs.  My only complaint on the 3.0 is the tongue, which moves around too much and puts pressure on the top of my foot.  The tongue-less design of the other Free models feels better.  I know the 7.0 is a good shoe, but the foot placement is too "far" from the ground, which is getting away from the barefoot mantra, imo.  A Nike rep told me to think of the Run+ as a Nike 4.0.

The Run+ would probably be a good choice for those wanting a more substantial shoe that has a more stable ride.  They may be more stiff than the other models, but I can still bend the shoe to wring out the rocks that get stuck in the sole grooves.  Perhaps the stiffness you noticed will decrease with use.  As I run more on it, I'll try and post some differences between it and the 3.0.

I can go about 6 miles in the Vibram KSO now (well over 10 in the Nike Free) and am hoping to get in double-digits with the Bikila.

[Jimmy Hart]

south keep up the good work.  i was looking at those danged free+ again today at the store to see if i could get a better idea on them and the one thing i noticed is that the cuts do not seem to be as deep as other models and that may be what's led to my thoughts on it so far.  i no longer use the free for anything as i'm either in vffs or bare but i do still keep up with all the shoes out there for when my clients need advice. 

tsuasai what area are you in?  i am the chapter chair for texas in the barefoot runners society and i'm gonna be putting together some group runs and get togethers.  would love to have you be a part of all that if you're interested.  check us out at barefootrunners.org

[rmp]

Just received the two pairs of Bikila's I ordered.  Men's 40 for me (I was pretty sure they'd be too big) and Women's 40 Bikilas for my wife (her size in KSO).

The Men's 40 fit me as expected - a bit too long.  I have a pair of KSO 40s and KSO Treks in 39, I like the fit of the 39 much better.

I was surprised to find that the Women's 40 Bikilas were/are basically the same length as both pairs of my Men's 40s.  I slipped em on, and they are a bit narrow for me, and surprise, just about as long in the toes as my Men's 40s.

sorry, low res iPhone pics below:

My M40 KSOs on the top, and Men's 40 Bikilas on the bottom:



Here are my M40 KSOs next to the W40 Bikilas I bought for my wife:



And finally, a side by side shot of the men's and women's Bikila, both size 40:



So I'll let my wife try the W40s tonight, but I'm guessing they will be too long.  I had planned to size down to women's 40s, but after trying these I think they are too narrow.  Guess I'll have to wait for a true men's size 39 in the Bikila.  I've run 100 or so miles in my 40 KSOs, so I'm sure the 40 Bikilas would work for me, but my M39 Treks really do fit much better.  Bummer.

[casE]

just got my 1st VFFs (bikilas) from REI, had to order womens 38 because they didn't have a mens 38.  very glad to see the womens vibrams and about the same size, i checked the website and it says womens are the same size as mens but the mens have longer toes and wider bottoms.  anyways, took em for a 5k run today and they felt tight, but i managed.  these shoes make you want to RUN fast, think i ran my best time ever, now my calves are shot and the ball of my feet + forefoot are hurting but it was a blast, haven't been this enthused about running for years.

[cla]

I bought my first pair of VFFs about a month ago. The only selections the shoe store had in what I thought my size would be (M41) was  a black KSO and a Bikila.  I think I would have preferred the Bik but it was just too tight on the forward top half and the toes were too constricted. I ended up getting the KSO and have run about 30 miles in them so far. One slight irritation on the top half of the right arch that didn't need even a band aid. I have thought that just wearing them around the house gets uncomfortable after a couple of hours though.

[Rana]

Hmm.  Hard to tell from the pictures, but I do see a slight length difference between the white Bikila and the other VFFs.  But it's hard to gauge unless you put them both up against a wall, with a ruler between them to keep them straight.

[ems]

It's all so tricky isn't it? I have w39 kso on one foot they are great, but on my right the big toe slides round a bit, so a bit big. If I downsized the left foot would be way too tight. I got the 39 in the classic, they fitted fine at firts but then got tighter and tighter over the summer to the extent my feet would ache when in them and I had to stretch the big toe out. Have just got w39 bikila's. On a quick first fitting they seemed fine. I can't stand my shoes too tight on the toes.
Since wearing vff's my feet have definitely grown in length. My normal shoes, like trainers are too short now

[Atomicunderware]

I just bought a pair of Speeds, which given they use the same sole as the Bikila probably size similarly. I am comfortable 43 in KSO's and Treks, but a 44 in the Speeds. The 43 was way too tight, I could barely get them on. Length wise the 44 Speed is almost exactly the same is my 43 KSO.

[crjcapt]

I have the KSOs in 43 and i ordered the Bikilas in the same size.  Too small.  Ordered a 44 so we will see if those fit.