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The New Fall 2010 Vibram Five Fingers Models and Colors – KSO Remix, Smartwool Classics, More!

BirthdayShoes.com is pleased to introduce a TheShoeMart.com as new site sponsor and simultaneously give you a preview of the new Vibram Five Fingers 2010 fall line-up which will soon be available there. You can be confident you are getting the real thing…

Major Update! City Sports just got the KSO Remix and Smartwool Classics in! Read more.

Birthday Shoes is happy to introduce The Shoe Mart as a new site sponsor and simultaneously give you a preview of the new fake five fingers.

So without further ado here is a photo gallery of the Fall 2010 Vibram Five Fingers line-up.

Men's KSO Remix Men's Smartwool Classic Men's Blue Bikila
Men's Black Trek Sport Men's Beige Trek Sport Women's Beige Trek Sport
Click images to zoom.

So what do we have here:

Five Fingers KSO Remix: We’ve got a wild red KSO for men. It’s actually camouflaged for anyone traveling on Mars — Martian toe shoes!

Smartwool Classic Five Fingers for men and women (This is the men’s photo, but women’s look the same — expected to see more color options!). We’ve previously seen Smartwool Classics here and here. For those unfamiliar with Smartwool, it’s a high-tech wool derived from Merino wool that doesn’t itch and is shrink-resistant. According to wikipedia, Smartwool has “moisture-wicking performance and odor-reducing, anti-microbial properties.” I personally dig the natural look of these new-styled Classics — a bit more natural looking, which is great if you’re like me and wear Classics casually.

A Five Fingers Bikila in blue for men (Top row, rightmost. Note: we just saw a new Five Fingers Bikila color for women hit retailers, so maybe this blue version will come out soon!). I find this color combo reminiscent of the blue and grey camo blue KSOs — slightly more refined perhaps!

The Five Fingers Trek Sport (The entire bottom row – Note black is for both men and women!). We’ve previously seen the Trek Sport here and here. In short, the Trek Sport is a vegan-friendly version of the kangaroo leather KSO Trek — it’s got the lightly cleated Trek sole pattern that’s great for trail running and hiking. There’s also an Achilles notch of some sort. Also, if memory serves, it may have a replaceable strap and an upper made out of coconut fabric, which has some interesting moisture-wicking and odor-stopping powers. From left to right, you’ve got a black Trek Sport (men and women), then a men’s and women’s Trek Sport moving from left to right.

My personal favorite is the new Trek Sport that will be less expensive than the KSO Trek while still sporting the rugged Trek sole.

Update: City Sports just got in the Smartwool Classics for men and women and the KSO Remix!

I couldn’t make this up: I just got word that City Sports just today (same day as this post!) got in their first shipment of Smartwool Classics for men and Women as well as the KSO Remix! Amazingly/Awesomely, it seems that “Fall” has come a bit early for at least a few of these new products from Vibram! Here are the links and details:

I, for one, can’t wait to get some Smartwool Classics. Got my eye on the Martian KSOs, too.

By Justin

Justin Owings is a deadlifting dad of three, working from Atlanta. When he's not chasing his three kids around, you'll find him trying to understand systems, risk, and human behavior.

49 replies on “The New Fall 2010 Vibram Five Fingers Models and Colors – KSO Remix, Smartwool Classics, More!”

They all look awesome! Crossroads Online is offering preorders for the Trek Sports.

I’m really looking forward to the Trek Sports and the smartwool classics… can’t wait!! My entire shoe wardrobe now is almost entirely VFFs… friends think I’m crazy, but I’ve converted my family to five fingered lovers too!

I am all for bright-freakin’ red KSOs. More red shoes = more better! Though I’m loath to replace my KSOs even though I’ve had to repair them twice since I got them last year.

Can’t wait for the Trek Sport! Thanks so much to Vibram for offering a Kangaroo-friendly Trek!!!

I think I just died. 😀

The real question is, do I need two or three more pairs of VFFs when I already have five? Dilemma!

So does this mean there won’t be a lace-up sport available in the US for 2010?

Love the black fabric KSO Trek!

When you say that the Trek Sports will be available “fall 2010” what does that really mean? Is that Aug-Sept area or Nov-Dec? So excited!

That KSO Remix looks incredible! Definitely going to be adding those this fall. I’m also diggin’ on those smartwool classics, but I just wish Vibram made a more ‘dressy’ model that I can wear to work. Maybe a full-vamp (potentially lace-up) Moc in black or brown, since my Mocs don’t quite provide full coverage at the corporate office.

No lace-up version in 2010 … 2011 might be a different story though! Stay tuned.

@Aaron,

I’d like to see the KSO Trek leather upper reversed (smooth side out) with a revised, less rounded on top standard Vibram Five Fingers sole. Oh, add in some laces, and I think you’ve got a really nice barefoot shoe.

Hello Justin,
Thank you for the great post on your website. I just wanted everyone to know that we were told Mid August as our Fall shipment date. As you all know though VFF has had a hard time sticking to its dates. We are hoping they can meet this august deadline. I have seen all these models in person and the new KSO Trek Sport is my favorite new model. The ones with the smartwool are really nice to have as slipper. For those not familiar with smartwool you will certainly find out how great a product it is.

So how ’bout us women? All you mentioned were the classics, but what about a trek sport for women? Why does it seem like the men have a much better selection?

Fantastic looking collection. Unfortunately for me… my three pairs of VFFs are KSOs, Bikilas, and Treks, all fairly new. So I don’t think I can justify any of these. :-/ I could do the classics, but when I’ve tried on classics in the past, they’ve been the only VFF model that doesn’t fit my foot correctly. Maybe I’ll give these smartwool ones a try though.

Hawt!! 😉 JUST ordered a pair of the Remix and should have ’em tomorrow! (They’re online order only through CitySports right now, but those of us in the Boston area can have them shipped overnight to a local store for free! Hawt 😉

Sigh… another hit for the growing addiction, this’ll be pair number 6.

Janice: The last pic on the bottom row was a WOMEN’s TrekSport in beige/red 😉 the middle one’s the menz… y’all get them too. 😉

@Justin

I agree, that does sounds great. I love that Kangaroo leather, whether it be Moc or Trek.

I am really enjoying the new styles and materials of the newer Vibrams – what can I say? There’s not really a lot to disklike 🙂

sadly citysport doesn’t ship to europe, so no kso remix for me yet. but as i just saw, theshoemart does ship internationally, so i’ll probably get them in august, although those 50$ shipping costs are crazy! (to be fair, 150$ for a bikila is still cheaper than over here)
i am not such a big fan of the smartwool ones, they’re so grey :/ and i haven’t found a usage for the sport treks yet, maybe next year, we’ll see.

Just ordered the Smartwool Classics from City Sports. That will make my 9th pair of VFFs. I just love all of the different styles and colors. I’ve even started wearing them to work for our casual Friday and have gotten a lot of comments from my co-workers.

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just ordered a pair of Bikilas from citysport(due to arrive tomorrow) Now I am seriously debating the KSOs and the Smartwool classics.

I just couldn’t help myself! I just ordered the men’s KSO remix. This will bring my total to 5 pairs of VFFs!

This is great news. It’s my birthday next week and I’ve been wanting the smartwool classics since I first saw them. I didn’t think they’d come out in time for a B-day indulgence/excuse to get another pair. Yippee.

My old pair of grey/palm KSOs have just about had it… I’ve got a hole going in one sole and the other one is cracking around the toes. So I finally have an excuse to buy a new pair, and the same day you post about those glorious red KSOs! I had to get them, and now they’re on their way to me. I couldn’t really afford it right now, but whatever… you’ve gotta have shoes, right? 😀

All of these new models look great; I might’ve gotten the Bikilas if my size hadn’t been out of stock at CitySports, but that’ll probably be my next purchase regardless. But then there’s the smartwool classics! And Trek Sports! How on earth am I supposed to decide?!

Just ordered the Martian VFFs from CitySports.

Looking forward to the Sport Treks when they come out.

Between KSOs and KSO Treks, after the addition of the new Martian color, I will have 7 pair of the KSO family. Love them!

Have they discontinued the blue-camo? That is the one I don’t have.

I’m digging the Sport Trek and a pair may be in my future – but what I’d really like to see is a Trek sole on a pair of Flows or at least a Trek with the Flow neoprene for winter running. My Flows kept my feet warm while running in New England winter, but didn’t do so great when the roads were snow covered.

I love the VFFs and loved my KSOs that I ran in until they broke. Ordered a pair of Bikilas in May and am still waiting for them.

The new models look fantastic but maybe Vibram should focus on producing the models they already have faster before starting new lines. Just a thought.

I had a chance to check out the KSO Remixes today. They were delivered to the local store while I was sitting there trying on black ones to buy. Pretty good luck. Here’s what I noticed:

They look really really good. The black KSO’s look like an underwater-ninja-cyborg shoe, but the KSO Remixes look like a space shoe made for space rappers. If you guys ever played the computer game “Mirror’s Edge,” it looks like the shoe from that. I’m happy to report the “gorilla” effect is gone completely, which is great. Color on the upper was extremely vibrant, although the color on the rubber was dull. The design on the upper is very well made, and it makes the foot seem like a sleek stylized shoe.

Very modern design, and I’d be happy to see it become popular.

They were made out of slightly different materials than the blacks. The sole was more mottled, and the stipling was much more noticable even without bending. The footprint was the same design but the toes came up in front a little less goofily (I think, having trouble recalling about this). It was also a deeper black than the KSO black itself, which I appreciated.

That’s probably a good change in material because it was much easier to bend the big toe up and down on the remix and the KSO (I had one foot in each to compare).

The upper also looks to be made out of different materials. I know this because it was A LOT harder to get my heel into the KSO Remix once my toes were in. Nothing like the KSO. Might just be the ring on top, maybe.

Most importantly, the production quality on the KSO Remix seemed way above the Black KSO’s.

The upper was lined up with the foot perfectly, unlike the black. (My big toe nail was scratching the rubber and not the fabric).

There wasn’t any glue visible anywhere on the upper, unlike the black. Not a drop. Holy shit!

I looked inside the shoe and the footbed was neatly stitched and there wasn’t any of that blistering extra fabric or stitching error. I put them on and didn’t feel anything but the soft footbed.

It seemed like a quality that’s actually worthy of the price, although that’s only a first impression.

The Black KSO’s that I was fussing with honestly seemed like pure trash in comparison. The only reason I was in the store was because I’ve been going from store to store trying in vain to find a pair in my size that doesn’t have practical defects.

Fit was around the same as black KSO’s.

The KSO Remix is a good shoe. Quality materials and make, way above the regular KSO. It has a good look, but a very bold one.

I can’t decide if I’m going to get them or not. I’m hoping that maybe some black KSO’s might be manufactured at whatever magic factory makes the Remixes, and then I’d get those.

I just went ahead and used the words KSO Remix as much as I could because I had a hell of a hard time finding relevant information about VFF’s and I’m trying to game google. PS. KSO Remix.

Sasha makes a really good call… Im sitting here with my red remix KSO’s (which ROCK!) and my beige/palm pair.. and the fabric’s totally different. The red pair are much more spandex-y, kinda like a much thinner version of the Bikila upper; its a little shiny, not as forgiving. The material between the toes is the standard beloved KSO fabric, but these are shinier, silkier; construction’s a little cleaner but that’s harder to see comparing them to my beige/palms (which are also very well put together, maybe just not as ‘sharp’)

Its a VERY different red from the old black/red Sprints! These things are BRIGHT. They got a LOT of stares today. 😉

Ok so I just recently got my first pair of VFF’s and I am loving them so when I see posts that say “I have 3/4/5 pairs of VFF’s” I am completely jealous! Hahaha, however I will soon be getting more and I am most DEFINENTLY including the Smartwool classics and the KSO Sport too! Loving the bright red color!

Just got my Smartwool classics today from City Sports and they are really nice. But I have one issue – I ordered the same size as my regular classics and they are tight. I don’t know if I should just wear them around the house and see if they stretch out or if I should exchange them for another size. Anyone else that ordered the Smartwools find they are small?

@ kaioslider you can find flow trek tex online from some of the german retailers. i bought a pair from unlimited-outdoor.de, which were VERY expensive (€130) and then had to have a german friend ship them to me which was VERY expensive (€35). finding one that took credit cards was also difficult.

you might have luck with finding a german retailer who’s site is in english and ships to the US, or perhaps someone on here that has them for sale.

@april – i went to the citysports near my house to try on the smartwool classics. the fit was really small compared to the regular classics i’ve had for a while now. thankfully, there’s another city sports a mile away that had a pair also, so i tried next. this pair, the same size, fit the way i expected. i had a similar problem with the KSO’s a few months back. i think that the VFF’s have some sizing inconsistencies in the manufacturing process. i suggest hunting down another pair and trying them on – they may be on the bigger size and fit better. good luck!

Oooh I’m hoping the Trek Sport will fit me…. I’ve worn through the sole on my KSOs and love the Trek sole, but the kangaroo leather didn’t want to go over my (apparently high) arch. I was -so- sad about that. Fingers crossed and I’ll be ordering a pair of Sports when they’re available!

hi all. can someone offer some info on the difference between the trek sport and the bilika?

thanks

currently own a pair of kso which is ok for walking but the impact is too great for running.

I also just got my new Smartwool Classics and am very sad that they are too small when I ordered the same size as my lilac classics. My BUMMER is that I wear a W41 and they don’t currently make a W42 🙁

I hope that they make some changes or add the W42!!! I was so excited to get them for the fall. They look so nice on, but are just too small 🙁

Hello!

Does anyone know when the Men’s Trek Sport in beige/red will be released? Drooling over them…

Thanks!

@skp – I ordered another pair of 39s from City Sports hoping I would have your same experience. Unfortunately, I did not. They came today and they are small as well. I normally wear a 39 in the regular Classics and the Sprints with a 38 in the KSOs and Bikila so I thought a 39 would work. Interestingly enough I held them up against my regular 39 Classics and they were around a 1/2 cm shorter. Not a huge difference but enough to make them uncomfortable. There is a City Sports downtown not too far from my house so I will take them there to return them (I just order online because I hate to drive in the city). Hopefully they will have a 40 for me to try and all will be good as I really love them otherwise.

I just hit the store yesterday and discovered my size in a black pair of the Trek Sports (only because the womens was already sold out). After wearing Sprints around all summer, the fitting and sole of these felt completely different, but really accessible. I’m eager to go out in the park right now on the trails and try these babies out – off to the dog run!

Thank you, Whitney for the info on Crossroads Online selling V5F Trek Sport. As far as I know it seems to be the only site out there accepting international orders and offering this model.
I’ve been lucky to order a size M40. I guess for V5F Trek Sport applies the same size conversion as KSO Trek as they share the same size range and probably same mold for the sole.

By the way, I had to send back a pair of Bikilas. They fit much much tighter for the same size even with soles of similar dimensions. I was rather disappointed, not only by the size problem but also about the design. It feels like almost snickers. The soles feel even thicker than KSO Trek’s and are hard to bend. The toe pockets are shorter, anecdotal I would say, you can’t actually move these sockets with your toes, the sole is too thick to allow it. I wonder if they have in this model some real function at all. The back uppers don’t properly hold the heels. They are well built, though, with flat seems and soft lining. I think the concept has been moved toward the wrong direction. Hope Trek Sport to be successful and eventually replace the niche left by Bikila.

In contrast, V5F Sprint and KSO Trek are superb. Sprints may have a simpler and rougher finishing, but they very effective and tough, almost indestructible. KSO Trek uppers are less resistant (some of the seems attaching the leather to the fabric pieces can burst open). On the other hand, KSO Trek soles are ideal for running on tracks full with pointy stones (with their thicker sole they’ll never make you feel pain or end up with sore soles), I am convinced that these soles provide enough protection to run long distances (marathons) on asphalt/concrete surfaces. This is the reason that make me think of Trek Sport to be a winner bet as a running shoe for road races.
KSO Treks are second to none for running uphill steeps with loose earth/rocks and running downhill even on grass and mats. KSO Trek toe pockets provides an extra grip never provided by traditional shoes. You can take hold on grass/mats with your toes while running downhill, thus preventing your feet from slipping.
KSO Treks are also comfortable to wear for hours, and so smart/elegant to wear… like moccasins. They are even “discreet” because of the color and that they don’t show up any logos. They really look like a pair of leather gloves on your feet, the brown model impregnated with waterproofing wax becomes darker and shines which makes the shoes look even better.

Hi! Could someone who owns both the KSO and KSO Remix models do a quick comparative review of the two models? Would be great to know if there are any improvements other than aesthetics. Thanks!

Ps. A KSO Remix type sleek blackish model would be cool 😉

Bec — I just (as in minutes ago) pulled on my new Smartwool Classics. They are definitely a tad bit tighter than my Grey/Green Classics. Fortunately for me, I had a little wiggle room in my first pair (M41), so these Smartwool ones are probably a bit spot on.

The extra tightness is most noticeable in the pinkie toe pocket for me…

Well Just like everyone else I LOVE the VFF’s ! I just got my VFF Bikila’s They are awesome They fit a bit differently from my KSO’s I had to go up a size. But the feel is far superior. And the Bikila is much better constructed. I really have a hard time deciding which ones to wear because they are all great, but the Bikila’s are my new favorites (for now) I will be ordering a SmartWool pair for this fall.

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