beginner's guide to vibram five fingers

What are Vibram FiveFingers and other Minimalist Shoes fans doing "almost barefoot?" Everything.

Vibram FiveFingers and barefoot or minimalist shoes enthusiasts are doing just about everything under the sun while being just a little bit closer to barefoot. From running any race out there (5Ks to 100 mile ultramarathons), to working out, playing, going to work, hang-gliding, sky-diving, or even playing golf.

Part of the mission here at BirthdayShoes has been to document these fan experiences in the words and photos of the wearers of toe shoes, minimalist shoes, or barefoot shoes (or whatever you call these things) — if you've got some great photos of you doing what you do in your Vibram FiveFingers, NB Minimus, huaraches, VIVO BAREFOOTS, or whatever, consider sending them in (learn more) and sharing with the community!

Below you'll find pages and pages of Vibram Five Fingers user photos and stories that display just what you can do when almost-barefoot as with everyone's favorite five-toed shoes. If you want to see the posts below listed out by model, check out the comprehensive list of Vibram Five Fingers fan photo stories here.

Category: User Stories

Sprint Triathlon in Vibram Five Fingers KSOs

Jason doing the East Fork Sprint Triathlon in his brown KSOs.
Jason, a Vibram Five Fingers fan, recently ran in the East Fork Sprint Triathlon in his brown KSOs and sent us this report:I have enjoyed your site for a while now and love to see all the different things that people do in their Five Fingers, I hav… more »

Relaxing in Vibram Five Fingers Bahamas Style

In the photo above, Paul and Janette enjoy some beach time in their Vibram Five Fingers while on vacation in the Bahamas. Paul sent us this message:My wife and I, took a trip to the Bahamas this July and of course we brought our VFF's (SPRINT and KS… more »

Finnish Girls Hike Alps in Toe Shoes

Sara and Eeva were ready to get the heck out of Finland after graduation, so it was off to the German Alps where they could hike through the snow in their Five Fingers. They sent us some pics and a summary of their trip:We are two Finnish girls who a… more »

The Boilermaker, Bikilas and Beer...a winning combination

Ryan runs in Vibram Five Fingers and says they, "simply made running fun again." He sent us a recap of his recent participation in "the nation’s biggest 15K road race."Race RecapThis past weekend I took part in the nation’s biggest 15K road race… more »

Hiking in Vibram Five Fingers Bikilas through the Rocky Mountains of Colorado

JJ and her dad
JJ and her dad at the Cataract Gulch Trailhead.
JJ's dad was skeptical that her Vibram Five Fingers Bikilas could handle two days of hiking through the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Did JJ's dad become a barefoot believer? Read about JJ's adventure to see how it turned out!I wanted to share some exci… more »

Black KSOs on Buzzards Rock Trail

Buzzard Rock Trail
The entrance to Buzzard Rock Trail in Baltimore County, Md.
Aaron recently broke away from the daily grind and got some time to himself in the Patapsco Valley State Park on Buzzards Rock Trail. It was just him and his black KSOs and here is his story: by AaronMy first real trail experience in VFF’s is abo… more »

Why I Chose $99 Red Bikilas over a $1,000,000 Red Ferrari to Solve my Mid Life Crisis.

Running in my Bikilas
Me running in red/grey Vibram Five Finger Bikilas. (All photos by Kent)The Birth of birthday shoesOver a year ago, when Justin mentioned to me that he was starting a blog about Vibram Five Fingers and minimalist footwear, I thought it was interesti… more »

Fantastic Father-in-law Favors Five Fingers!

Mike and his father-in-law
Mike and his father-in-law on the left in their blue Bikilas after running the San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon, and on the right, Mike runs in a pair of red and white Bikilas while his father-in-law strides along in his KSOs.
Mike is a lucky guy to have a hip father-in-law who encouraged him to try running in Vibram Five Fingers. He shared his story with us:I started running this spring due to my Father in Law's influence and it's been a great experience. He introduced me… more »

Self Defense Instructor Teaches and Trains in Vibram Five Fingers

Michael hanging loose
Michael in his Classics with instructors and students at a Detroit self-defense school.
Michael "Sifu" Banaag is quite an accomplished martial artist and self-defense instructor. He was taught by James DeMile, a student of Bruce Lee. He is also a Vibram Five Fingers fan and wears KSOs to train and teach self defense. He recently acquired a… more »

Outdoors in the Pacific Nothwest with Vibram KSO Treks, Camping and Hiking

Jake at Olympic National Park
I have a little traditon where I always do a Burpee on top a mountain or on the end of the trail. Climbed up on a rock that was into the lake 10 feet or so.... my friend and photographer Jeremy, shot several photos, but this one turned out the best.
Jake, a Vibram Five Fingers fan and Personal Trainer, recently hiked through Olympic National Park in the state of Washington. We noticed a cool picture (above) he posted on the BirthdayShoes Facebook page, and had to find out more. Here are a few more p… more »

Becky Runs Blister Free in Her Bikilas

Becky in her Vibram Five Fingers Bikilas after the Slacker Half Marathon
Becky, a Vibram Five Fingers fan, is no slacker, but she recently ran in the Slacker Half Marathon in her new Bikilas. Becky told us about the race:My Bikilas went the distance with me yesterday in Colorado's Slacker Half Marathon, and I couldn't… more »

U.S. Marine Captain uses his Vibram Five Fingers KSOs for Track, Crossfit and Boating

Patrick relaxing on the Saco
I snapped this picture of the Saco River and my KSO's. They didn't even have any "river stink" on them when the dried out at the hotel later.
Patrick, a U.S. Marine Captain and Vibram Five Fingers fan, sent us the above photo and had this to say about his recent canoeing trip to the Saco River:Love reading your blog entries. I took a trip back to Braintree, Massachusetts to visit my fami… more »

From Skeptic, to Barefoot Runner, to a Collector of Vibram Five Fingers

Lindsey and her Five Fingers
Photos of Lindsey's collection of Vibram Five Fingers and her recent trip to Maine.
Lindsey started out as a skeptic, but like so many of us, ended up with a closet full of Vibram Five Fingers. Now she not only runs in them, but wears them everywhere. Here is her story:I first heard about VFFs in the fall of 2009, and while I was… more »

Free your Feet on the "Birthday of Independence!"

Some call the 4th of July the birthday of the United States or the birthday of independence. The fo more »

A Family Who Wears Five Fingers Together, Stays Together

Emily crossing the finish line
Emily crossing the finish line in her Vibram Sprints - this was a 5k "CdA Race" in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
Emily, her husband Gary, and their 9 year old daughter are a family who all wear Vibram Five Fingers. Emily sent us these photos of their active lifestyle:Here's one of me "CdA Race" crossing the finish line in my VibramSprints - this was a… more »

Edward Edmond's Minimalist Approach to Marathon Training utilizes Barefoot Running and Racing Flats

Edward on a training run through the German countryside wearing his Nike Air Zoom Streak XC 2 racing flats.
We first ran across Edward Edmonds a few weeks ago in a youtube video of him running barefoot and posted it in our Link Love section. Later we discovered on his blog that he training full time as a runner and has the ultimate goal to run a marathon under… more »

Seven Days at DisneyWorld were a Walk in the Park with Vibram Five Fingers Sprints

Jason at DisneyWorld
Jason and his kids enjoy a photo op with Sulley from Monsters Inc.
Anyone who has ever been to DisneyWorld knows there is a lot of walking involved and that South Florida can get pretty hot. If you are pushing strollers and carrying kids, it can feel more like work than a vacation. Armed with his Vibram Five Fingers Spr… more »

Extreme White Water Rafting in Vibram Five Fingers KSOs

Tony, a Vibram Five Fingers fan, recently maneuvered through some big water in his black KSOs and sent us this note with the pic above:Pic of me in my b-day shoes. Whitewater, New River, W.V. Keaney Rapids. June 12th, 2010. Just showing! great for wa… more »

The World's First Ever Five Fingers 5k race

Five Fingers 5k Starting Line
Runners line-up for the start of the first annual Five Fingers 5k.
The World's First Ever Five Fingers 5k, sponsored by Mahoney's was held this past weekend in Johnson City, TN. It was open to all runners, regardless of footwear. However, the winner was wearing fivefingers and finished the race in 17:33. Vibram Five Fin… more »

Competitive Runner Trains in Vibram Five Fingers

Sean training
Sean blasts out of the curve as he trains in his Vibram Five Fingers Classics.
Vibram Five Fingers fan, Sean, is a competitive runner from Canada. He runs for the Phoenix Athletics track club and has competed in the Canadian Championships. Read what Sean had to say about discovering and later training in Vibram Five Fingers:I… 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 »

Volcanologist and Vibrams fan James Says Good Bye to Iceland

Vibram Five Fingers fan, James, is wrapping up his work at the Icelandic valcano and sent us so final shots of this beautiful island. more »

Cloud Computing Gurus Seek the Clear Skies of Red Rock Canyon to Test Drive their Five Fingers

Adam and Taylor
L to R, Adam and Taylor conquer Red Rock.
While attending a conference in Vegas, cloud computing experts, Adam and Taylor, escaped the Vegas hubbub to try out their Vibram Five Fingers at Red Rock Canyon. After the jump, read Taylor's description of the day's events.This was actually both… more »

Blood Sucking Leeches attach themselves to Vibram Five Fingers KSOs on Mt. Makiling

Joey at the Summit
Joey and his fellow hikers at the Summit of Mt. Makiling. Those other shoes sure do look heavy.
Vibram Five Fingers Fan, Joey, wore his Vibram Five Fingers KSOs on a 12 mile hike to the summit of Mt. Makiling, a potentially active volcano on the island of Luzon, Philippines.. He encountered all types of terrain and ground conditions. He even had to… 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 »