does vibram use different sole material?/bikila start braeking after less 200mi

[flobber]

hello

for 14 month now i am addicted to five fingers and wear them as all day shoes in the city, to work, hiking or running.

my first pair are those (ok a bit ugly) classics, which i bought for cheap on ebay. the sole surviced over 800 miles and uncountable wash loads and still doesnt looks like that.
in november 2011 i got some trek tex / kso trek which i wore with socks this winter for less than 200 miles. in the end of february i got those bikilas i wore now for less than 200 km. i bought both in a licenced five fingers reseller.

it seems that vibram changed the rubber for the sole or uses different rubber for classic and the other models. is this true? or is maybe my classic model a fake and surprisingly with a indestructable and durable rubber,but not the original?

the point is, that these old classic still look well after such a long range and the sole of the trek tex and the bikilas look are worn through and start to tear. and the toes start to go from the glue. watch attachment

it is disappointing to pay more than 165 $ (incl tax, yeah expensive in germany) for shoes, which are broken in less than 3 month.

with a BMI of 23 i am not fat or something.

the point is, is this normal? or do i wear them wrong? what are your experiences with this "new" sole?

i would be glad for some adivce

thanks

flobber

[franzn]

It would make sense that those would break wear faster because of the small individual shapes sticking out. Doesnt mean they are broken though, with the bikila i dont see why you couldnt keep using them even though the pads lost some of their detail

[BearFooted]

Those don't look that bad.  You should be able to wear them still.  The pods on the bottom of the Bikila LS wear down a little quicker.  Simply because the stick out more then the rest of the shoe.  How is your running/walking form?  Do you drag your feet at all.  If you create any type of friction when you walk/run it will wear the sole quicker.

[flobber]

thanks for your answers!

i have very less drag on the ground by walking or running.

but i have splayed feet, that is why at medial column / transfer arch is too much load. but the classic model has no problem with that!

i train a lot physio gymnastic stuff to heal the splayed feet as much as possible. but i cannot expect that it will recede so much.

as i found out that the flatfoot can go away by wearing five fingers completetly but it seems that this doesnt work with splayed feet.

but to came back to the point. i still think there is a huge difference in the quality of the material which is used for classic or bikila, respectivly. and i think that cannot explained by the difference if there a small individual shapres sticking out or not.

[Mr. Leigh]

hello

for 14 month now i am addicted to five fingers and wear them as all day shoes in the city, to work, hiking or running.

my first pair are those (ok a bit ugly) classics, which i bought for cheap on ebay. the sole surviced over 800 miles and uncountable wash loads and still doesnt looks like that.
in november 2011 i got some trek tex / kso trek which i wore with socks this winter for less than 200 miles. in the end of february i got those bikilas i wore now for less than 200 km. i bought both in a licenced five fingers reseller.

it seems that vibram changed the rubber for the sole or uses different rubber for classic and the other models. is this true? or is maybe my classic model a fake and surprisingly with a indestructable and durable rubber,but not the original?

the point is, that these old classic still look well after such a long range and the sole of the trek tex and the bikilas look are worn through and start to tear. and the toes start to go from the glue. watch attachment

it is disappointing to pay more than 165 $ (incl tax, yeah expensive in germany) for shoes, which are broken in less than 3 month.

with a BMI of 23 i am not fat or something.

the point is, is this normal? or do i wear them wrong? what are your experiences with this "new" sole?

i would be glad for some adivce

thanks

flobber

Are those Suomy Classics by chance?  I agree with BearFooted that Bikila soles can wear a little quicker,which is surprising since they are made to be a pavement running shoe.  One would think they would be made to withstand that a little better. 

[flobber]

Are those Suomy Classics by chance? 

yes. means suomy something special? i thought it is just about the colour. it was my first modal and cheap.

One would think they would be made to withstand that a little better. 

yes for that price, absolutely!

[Mr. Leigh]

Not really anything special about the Suomy Classics, other than their unique appearance.  They are just an early release in a foreign market, marketed exclusively to motorcycle enthusiasts if I recall correctly.  Mine came from Germany.  Not too many people have them stateside.  They are pretty cheap these days by EU pricing standards, but with the exchange rate and the shipping they cost more than a domestic pair of Classics.