Vibram FiveFingers Fans Through Different Eyes

By Justin Owings on Feb 17, 2012 | In general | 14 comments »

Vibram recently posted on their Facebook fan page their take on a popular internet meme — how people see me. You know, typically a six pane knockdown around misconceptions about things you do, your job, etc. It's constructed by taking some popular archetypes — society, friends, parents, coworkers, whatever — and simplifying how they must view you. It's almost always hilarious because it really captures the difference between how things appear to outsiders versus how things really are to insiders. Anyway, you can see Vibram's take on the "how you see me" meme — it's pretty hilariously accurate, I think.

However, I think Vibram is being too nice in their "reality" pane and besides, not everyone into toe shoes is a runner, right? I thought I might do better and like any good Internet denizen, I decided to riff on their "Vibram FiveFingers fan 'How you see me'" by completing it with my own "reality" pane — one that, I think, gets at something most toe shoe fans know firsthand — something that you're very unlikely to bring up when you're pitching the shoes to your friends and family!

What do you think?

How would you complete this picture? If you want to do your own take, email it to me and I'll share it below AND I'll send you a free sticker (You just have to send it in by Monday, Feb. 20 at 5pm to get the sticker!).

Additional submissions after the jump!

 
About the Author — I founded BirthdayShoes.com in April 2009 on realizing just how much I enjoyed having "free feet" - I mostly wanted to use them for weights, sprints, and plyometrics (I'm not much of a runner!). I'm a Googler by day and minimalist footwear aficionado by night; you can find me 'round Atlanta. If you want to catch up with what I'm doing outside of the site here, follow me on twitter @bdayshoes or @justinno or check out my personal site JustinOwings.com.
has written 754 articles and 302 comments.

wait! before you go —

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Comment from: dirk verelst [Visitor]
dirk verelstI prefer the original, sorry, I don`t have stinky feet at all, and even feel a bit offended - must be the Tarzan in me :)
02/17/12 @ 13:04
Comment from: Shelley [Visitor]
ShelleyI love the adapted version!! Got some great tips on the Facebook page regarding getting rid of the stink - gonna give it a try.
And you're spot-on : we never mention the smelly toes when pitching Vibrams to friends and family!! :-)
02/17/12 @ 13:09
Comment from: JustinB [Visitor]
JustinBI just don't ge it about the stink. I wear my Speeds as my exclusive casual shoe, I exlclusively wear Bikila's for running, and any workout is done in a pair of KSO and I have never once had even the slightest inkling of stink. Even when after a workout and the shoe is soaked heel to toe in sweat. Now I've never had foot smell so maybe that's just me. In my opinion if you have a smelly foot, it isn't going to matter what kind of shoe you are wearing.
02/17/12 @ 13:44
Comment from: Justin Owings [Member] Email
@Dirk,

No offense, obviously :) I doubt any of your pairs stink, either! So how would you phrase reality as I don't think you're a runner?

@JustinB,

It's true that not everyone has the stank -- I think I ran a poll and it was less than half who said they had a stench problem. But for those who have it, it's Biblical.

Curious how you'd finish it out? What's your "reality"?
02/17/12 @ 14:00
Comment from: Robert [Member] Email
I was thinking about trying to make one of these when I saw this meme going around. I could not come up with a good one. These are much better then what I had come up with.

I never had an issue with the smell at all. So my reality would not be the last fame of the modified version. I like the first version more.

I think if I were to finish off the reality it would be similar to the first one except probably just me standing in line at the grocery store waiting to check out.

The way I see myself would be the same as the reality but you would just replace me with Fabio.
02/17/12 @ 15:31
Comment from: RNLucas [Visitor]
RNLucasHow about one of you just looking casual in the Trek LS? (Not funny, but reality.)
02/18/12 @ 09:20
Comment from: Matt [Visitor]
MattKSO's for 2 or 3 days without socks = rotten smell and another trip to the washer. Yeah, I totally get it. It's why I now wear at least toesock liners with my shoes - vibrams or not.
02/18/12 @ 10:18
Comment from: Horse Rider [Visitor]
Horse RiderI prefer the original version, I run, and my shoes never stink! Even if I forget to wask my socks (winter running) they still smell great after 4 runs!
02/20/12 @ 12:27
Comment from: Horse Rider [Visitor]
Horse RiderAnd the guy in the last could just be walking with his dog.
02/20/12 @ 12:31
Comment from: Rick [Visitor] Email
RickI think it would be funny to have a person wearing VFF's with his feet propped up, sporting a huge beer-gut, sitting on the couch, guzzling a 12-pack. Not my reality...but I'm sure it resonates with a group of people!
02/20/12 @ 13:02
Comment from: not a Runner [Visitor]
not a RunnerI'm not a runner so I would finish the meme up with me walking on the treadmill in front of the tv or propped up on the table playing xbox.
02/21/12 @ 13:05
Comment from: Mo [Visitor]
MoMine would be me hiking a trail while wearing my 2 kids... A paleo workout for sure!
02/21/12 @ 22:34
Comment from: Seth L. Grren [Visitor]
Seth L. GrrenA picture of me playing guitar while leading worship at my church wearing my Bakila's.
02/23/12 @ 13:48
Comment from: Bryan Troyer [Visitor] Email
Bryan TroyerI agree with all of them. I am a runner, my feet stink with or with out fivefingers (worse with fivefingers), and I feel like jumping for joy everytime I put them on.
02/25/12 @ 22:43