beginner's guide to vibram five fingers

Vibram Five Fingers KSO Trek [Barefoot] Toe Shoes

The Vibram Five Fingers KSO Trek (The "KSO" stands for "Keep Stuff Out") is the more aggressive, big brother to the Vibram KSO (Jump to posts on the KSO Trek below!). The KSO Trek's lugged sole and kangaroo leather upper make it the most trail-worthy Vibram Five Fingers model to date, providing added traction on loose terrain and snag-protection against low lying brush.

The Five Fingers KSO Trek has no arch support and only a small amount of cushioning or padding — sporting a 4mm EVA midsole, the KSO Trek is thicker than the KSO or Flow, both of which have a 2mm EVA insole. However, despite the extra thickness and the cleated sole, the KSO Trek still transmits a great deal of ground feedback, making it a fantastic "barefoot" shoe for outdoors wear.

Model specifics

Here are the technical specifications of the Vibram Five Fingers KSO Trek straight from Vibram:

The KSO Trek is a more rugged version of our popular KSO. The kangaroo leather upper and sock liner feels soft against the foot, yet is strong and tear resistant, with outstanding breathability. A 4mm EVA midsole offers plating protection from stone bruising, and a lightly cleated 4mm Vibram performance rubber outsole delivers improved traction on trails and over more rugged terrain.

KSO TREK IS BEST FOR: Light Trekking, Trail Running, & Travel.

The standout features of the KSO Trek include:

  • Closed top providing a fairly tight "seal" around the ankle. The KSO Trek manages to "keep stuff out" by way of this seal.
  • The KSO Trek has a lightly cleated Vibram sole that provides added traction running on loose, natural terrain.
  • The KSO Trek has a 4mm midsole, which reduces "barefoot feel" as compared to less built-up models like the Classic, Sprint, or KSO.
  • The KSO Trek has a kangaroo leather upper which is tough enough to withstand stray trail debris that might otherwise rip into the upper of the toe shoes. Additionally, the leather provides both a luxurious feel on yoru bare foot and a fancy look to the Five Fingers from an aesthetic perspective. A few fans even wear their KSO Treks to work!

Sizing and fit

If you've never sized your foot for Vibram Five Fingers, you need to consult the Vibram Five Fingers sizing chart (image) and measure the length of your feet as presecribed. Vibram sizing does not correspond to standard shoe sizes!

If you've sized in Vibrams before, note that KSO Treks size slightly larger than the same size in the Classic or Sprint models. So a 43 KSO Trek will fit larger than a 43 Classic or 43 Sprint. For this reason, Vibram prescribes you size down in the KSO Trek compared to the Classic or Sprint models.

Generally, it is better to size up if you're in between sizes per your foot measurements and the Vibram sizing chart — you don't want your toes bending out of lack of room! Also, the KSO Trek's closed-top design means that if you have particularly high arches or "high feet" the KSO Trek may not fit properly — also the KSO Trek is a little less stretchy on the top of the foot than the standard KSO.

Read (and see!) more about the Five Fingers KSO Trek via these reviews:

Modifiations

Okay, I want some KSO Treks. How much are they? Where can I get them?

The KSO Trek retails for around $125, making it the most expensive Vibram Five Fingers model available. That said, it can almost always be purchased with free shipping from online retailers. Find the Vibram Five Fingers Trek Sport in stock via the Store or subscribe by email to inventory alerts.

Looking for something else? Try one of these other Vibram Five Fingers models:



Of course, there are other barefoot shoes worth checking out!

More Vibram Five Fingers KSO Trek posts below —

Tags: kso trek

The Women's Vibram Five Fingers KSO Trek is out!

I have some happy news for women — at long last, CitySports now has the womens Vibram Five Fingers KSO Trek in black. The KSO Trek retails for about $125 and you can get free shipping at CitySports using the coupon code BIRTHDAY (Go to CitySports)… more »

Real Men Wear Vibram Five Fingers

Aaron's KSO Treks
Aaron sent us this cool pic of him in the machine shop with his Vibram Five Fingers KSO Treks surrounded by metal shavings and had this to say about it:Don't tell OSHA! I've been wearing my Vibram Five Fingers in the machine shop for over 2 weeks now… more »

X-Rayed Vibram Five Fingers KSO Treks

Vibram Five Fingers Fan, Tyson, recently went in to have his foot checked and left with an x-ray of his foot. Oh, his foot was still in his KSOs! Tyson gives us the run down:I went in, because I've had pain on the outside of my right foot for some… more »

Interview with Patrick Sweeney, Winner of the Palos Verdes Marathon

Ultra Marathoner Patrick Sweeney
Patrick running in the Orange Curtain 50k wearing his Vibram Five Fingers KSOs
We recently interviewed Ultra Marathoner and barefoot runner, Patrick Sweeney, who, in what may be the fastest marathon ever run in Vibram Five Fingers, recorded an awesome time of 2:37:14 winning the Palos Verdes Marathon. He ran in Vibram Five Fingers… more »

Aussie Vibram Team Five Fingers Takes on The North Face 100

Team Five Fingers runner Jase
Team Five Fingers runner, Jase. working his way up Narrowneck pass. Jase ran the TN100 in Trek Sports. The team also wore Zensah calf compression sleeves and X-bionic Fennec tops and shorts.
Last Saturday, the Australian Vibram Team Five Fingers completed the The North Face 100, a 100Km race through the Blue Mountains.Team member, Max, comments on the race:The four team members were Max and Sally, wearing KSO Treks, and Scott and Jase… more »

Vibram Five Fingers KSO Treks Provide a Firm Footing at the Homestead of the Rocks

John sports his "cool slippers" in Ballinskelligs.
Vibram Five Fingers fan, Mike, recently toured Ireland in his VFF KSO Treks. He and his wife are pictured here in Ballinskelligs, which means "Homestead of the Rocks".
Mike comments on his trip to Ireland and how he found out about Vibram Five Fingers:I just got back from a week in Ireland on March 20th. I enthralled the Irish populace with my "cool slippers". From Dublin to Ballinskelligs, they were a hit, rain… more »

Vibram Five Finger KSO Treks Perfom Well in an Extreme Trail Race (Fell Race)

Vibram Five Fingers fan, Steve, recently put his black KSO Treks through their paces, running the Llantysilio Fell Race in Wales. more »

Barefoot Runners Society Atlanta Trail Run — Lots of Vibram Five Fingers (and a few bare feet!)

Action shot!  Look at all that great barefoot/minimalist running form!  Kudos to Norman (black headband) for braving the trail run barefoot -- his first ever such run!
Action shot! Look at all that great barefoot/minimalist running form! Kudos to Norman (black headband) for braving the trail run barefoot -- his first ever such run!
Check out this motley crew of barefoot and minimally shod (Vibram Five Fingers) runners, as organized for a trail run at Lullwater Park here in Atlanta, Georgia (BirthdayShoes headquarters) by the Barefoot Runners Society.  Note the President of the BRS i
Check out this motley crew of barefoot and minimally shod (Vibram Five Fingers) runners, as organized for a trail run at Lullwater Park here in Atlanta, Georgia (BirthdayShoes headquarters) by the Barefoot Runners Society. Note the President of the BRS is T.J. (the shorty in the group!). The bright glow emanating from the left of the photo isn't an optical illusion: it's merely my hairless head!
Photos from a recent barefoot runners society meet-up trail run at Lullwater Park near Emory University in Atlanta. more »

Volcanology in Vibram Five Fingers KSO Treks

James in the restricted zone!
Ash fills the air near the Icelandic volcano. VFF fan James was able to make it into the restricted zone.
VFF Treks covered in Ash
James' KSO Treks provided protection from the Icelandic volcano ash.
Ash fills the air near the Icelandic Volcano. VFF fan James was able to make it into the restricted zone. James' VFF Treks provided protection from the Icelandic Volcano ash. The volcano fills the air with clouds of ash on a beautiful day in Iceland. more »

CEO Tony Post talks about the Vibram Five Fingers Bikila, Women's KSO Trek, Increased Production, and Sales Growth

The Vibram Five Fingers Bikila in the grey and red (tween the toes) color combination for men.
The Vibram Five Fingers Bikila in the grey and red (tween the toes) color combination for men.
The Vibram Five Fingers Bikila in the grey and bright green (tween the toes) color combination for women.
The Vibram Five Fingers Bikila in the grey and bright green (tween the toes) color combination for women.
A round-up of the recent update from Vibram USA CEO Tony Post on Five Fingers product availability (manufacturing, shipping, inventory, and restocking), sales growth, and the upcoming Vibram Bikila, and the Performa Jane more »

Stretch your toes in Moc Vibram Five Fingers! Trevor talks about his growing collection of VFFs.

Trevor demonstrates the flexibility he gets in his Moc Vibram Five Fingers by putting his fingers between the toes!  This photo provides a nice look at the underside of the kangaroo leather Moc VFF, too!
Trevor demonstrates the flexibility he gets in his Moc Vibram Five Fingers by putting his fingers between the toes! This photo provides a nice look at the underside of the kangaroo leather Moc VFF, too!
Trevor provides a Vibram Five Fingers user review/experience covering his Mocs, KSO Treks, Flows, and Classic VFFs. more »

Amazing! KSO Trek Vibrams enable you to levitate off the ground!

Jesse points to his black KSO Trek Vibram Five Fingers after hiking to the summit of North Fortunate Mountain.
Jesse points to his black KSO Trek Vibram Five Fingers after hiking to the summit of North Fortunate Mountain.
Demonstrating the magical powers of VFFs, Jesse is seen here levitating in mid-air.  No FiveFingers don't enable you to fly but they do make your feet feel nice and light!
Demonstrating the magical powers of VFFs, Jesse is seen here levitating in mid-air. No FiveFingers don't enable you to fly but they do make your feet feel nice and light!
Well ... maybe not, but they do make you feel incredibly light on your feet. Above photoed is Jesse atop North Fortuna Mountain in San Diego. Jesse is wearing his Vibram Five Fingers KSO Treks. I asked Jesse to share his VFF story with birthdayshoes a… more »

Two Five Fingers fans make friends in a bar

Making friends is easy when wearing Five Fingers to social settings - even easier when they're post running events as they make great conversation pieces.
Making friends is easy when wearing Five Fingers to social settings - even easier when they're post running events as they make great conversation pieces.
Logan relays a recent VFF experience he had in his KSO Treks:I ran into another Vibram wearer on Saturday during the Myrtle Beach Marathon after-party. The other fellow and his wife from upstate NY have not seen the Treks up close yet. Upon touchin… more »

Derik's KSO Treks at Work and Five Fingers Flows at the Gym

Top: Derik wears his Flow Five Fingers to the gym.  Bottom: Derik sports his black KSO Trek Five Fingers to work!
Top: Derik wears his Flow Five Fingers to the gym. Bottom: Derik sports his black KSO Trek Five Fingers to work!
Here's what Derik has to say about his newly acquired Vibram Five Fingers KSO Treks and Flows:My first pair of VFF's! I received them in the mail about 3 weeks ago and was anxious to hit the gym and treadmill with them. I searched everywhere here in… more »

More 2010 and 2011 updates from Vibram: New versions of the FiveFingers Sprint and KSO Trek Proposed use different materials for the upper

On the heels of the Fall 2010 Five Fingers Sport Trek announced at Outdoor Retailer a few weeks back, and last week's news regarding the Five Fingers Sprint and the Smartwool Classic Five Fingers, comes news straight from the mothership — that is,… more »

Shaun takes his KSO Treks to the Grand Canyon

Shaun writes: "Sitting at the edge of the world! I love them. VFFs are the only type of shoes I own. form the office to the mountain they are the shoes."That top shot looks downright scary! Way to rock the Treks! more »

Vibram Five Fingers KSO Trek Review

Review of the Vibram Five Fingers KSO Trek leather barefoot toe shoes for hiking and trail running. Complete with photos and discussion of design, sizing, and performance and where to buy. more »

Patrick slides and sleds in KSO Treks and then goes "snowfooting"

Patrick demonstrates some cold-weather VFF-style a la KSO Treks!
Patrick demonstrates some cold-weather VFF-style a la KSO Treks!
At an Ice Exhibit in Dallas, Patrick rides down an icy slide!
At an Ice Exhibit in Dallas, Patrick rides down an icy slide!
Wait a second!  Shouldn't Patrick be the one pushing here?  Between ice slides and driveway ice-sledding, Patrick is having a good time in his VFFs!
Wait a second! Shouldn't Patrick be the one pushing here? Between ice slides and driveway ice-sledding, Patrick is having a good time in his VFFs!
This is "snowfooting," as Patrick calls it.  I call it "cold feet!"
This is "snowfooting," as Patrick calls it. I call it "cold feet!"
Above, a wintry update by way of photos from Patrick (forums @linuxracr | blogged previously) who is enjoying his KSO Treks (and bare feet) during a random snow in Dallas, as well as going down an ice slide:As it doesn't snow much in Dallas, Texas, I w… more »

Jason KSO Trek Trail-Running in Austin

Jason runs at a local trail in Austin in his Vibram KSO Trek Five Fingers.  He's giving his feet a nice impromptu massage on those rocks!
Jason runs at a local trail in Austin in his Vibram KSO Trek Five Fingers. He's giving his feet a nice impromptu massage on those rocks!
Jason (birthdayshoes forum member jcarneytx) recently posted a few photos showing off his Five Fingers KSO Treks in action on Ken's Trail in Austin, Texas. Gotta love the mid-air photos — you're looking might nimble there, Jason! more »

Channing Tatum runs in KSO Treks (via TMZ.com)

Channing Tatum was caught heading to workout in his KSO Treks.  This might be the first celebrity sighting of VFFs — will FiveFingers go mainstream soon?
Channing Tatum was caught heading to workout in his KSO Treks. This might be the first celebrity sighting of VFFs — will FiveFingers go mainstream soon?
Recent G.I. Joe, She's the Man, and Stop-Loss star Channing Tatum has been spotted wearing KSO Trek Five Fingers while on his way to workout. TMZ had a video segment titled "If the shoe fits" on the VFF-sighting that aired on television on January 1… more »

VFFs for Christmas!

Looks like a lot of people got their Christmas wish granted — a new pair of FiveFingers!
Looks like a lot of people got their Christmas wish granted — a new pair of FiveFingers!
It seems a number of "nice" boys and girls got the Christmas gift of free feet from Santa this year! Above at the top of the collage is Sandra sporting her new Sprint Five Fingers:Here's a photo of my Christmas present VFF's! At first I was morti… more »

Chad's Thunder Road Marathon in KSO Treks

Chad Randloph is seen running in the Thunder Road marathon in Charlotte.  He's wearing his KSO Treks plus a couple pairs of Injinji socks for added warmth.  Chad had his best marathon time in three years and eight marathons in this race!  Congrats, Chad!
Chad Randloph is seen running in the Thunder Road marathon in Charlotte. He's wearing his KSO Treks plus a couple pairs of Injinji socks for added warmth. Chad had his best marathon time in three years and eight marathons in this race! Congrats, Chad!
Got an update from Chad Randolph (twitter) who just ran the Thunder Road marathon in Charlotte in his KSO Treks (plus two layers of Injinji socks!).You might recall Chad shared his initial thoughts, which were mixed, on the KSO Treks here.Here's… more »

Aquathlons and Vibram Five Fingers (KSO Treks and Sprints)

A photo montage from Luis Manuel Cid (Inset in blue wetsuit, KSO Treks) and Luis Armando Santiago (Sprints) at an Aquathlon.  Click the image for a larger version!
A photo montage from Luis Manuel Cid (Inset in blue wetsuit, KSO Treks) and Luis Armando Santiago (Sprints) at an Aquathlon. Click the image for a larger version!
Vibram Five Fingers fan sends in photos of him running in an Aquathlon. more »

Using tape to add strength, durability, and even style to the Vibram Five Fingers KSO (and KSO Trek) straps! [modification]

A pair of blue camouflaged KSO Five Fingers showing off the Marley Mission Tape Mod!
A pair of blue camouflaged KSO Five Fingers showing off the Marley Mission Tape Mod!
A drawback to the hook and loop Vibram Five Fingers KSO strap design is that the bend in the loop can cause friction that may ultimately degrade the nylon and break the strap. Use tape to add style and strength to your KSO Vibrams! more »

Shawn's 25 pairs of Vibram Five Fingers: Collect the Whole Set!

Shawn shows off his pile of Vibram Five Fingers — 25 pairs in total.
A huge collection of Vibram Five Fingers — 25 pairs in total, covering virtually every model ever produced.
Shawn is quite possibly the biggest Vibram Five Fingers fan I've encountered so far as he has a whopping twenty-five pairs of Vibrams! more »