beginner's guide to vibram five fingers

Vibram Five Fingers Models - What are VFFs?

By Justin on Apr 17, 2009 | In classics, kso, frequently asked questions, sprints, moc, kso trek, flow, performa, bikila, flow trek, vibram five fingers

A huge collection of Vibram Five Fingers — 25 pairs in total, covering virtually every model ever produced.

What are Vibram Five Fingers?

Vibram Five Fingers (a.k.a. VFFs, Vibrams, Vibram 5 Fingers—see a full list of alternative names) are the ground-breaking first "shoe" by the Italian company Vibram. They are at the forefront of emerging minimalist footwear and barefooting movement, a movement that has gained huge momentum thanks to Christopher McDougall's national best-seller Born to Run.

Not a sock nor quite a shoe, "VFFs," which I also refer to as "my birthday shoes," are one of the strangest-yet-intuitive, compelling products to ever be created for feet. What exactly are they? FiveFingers are little more than a five-toed Vibram sole with a thin-fabric (or neoprene or leather depending on the model) upper.

Below is a listing of all primary Vibram Five Fingers models (excludes discontinued models like the Surge; small-batch Europe-only models like the Flow Trek and Speed; and unknown-future models like the Performa Jane). Note that Vibram Five Fingers have zero arch support and minimal to no "cushioning" or "padding" ("EVA" foam).

Go to the store to start your search on where to buy Vibram Five Fingers!

Vibram Five Fingers model rundown

Classic
KSO
Vibram Classics are open-topped and secured to the foot by a bungee strap that cinches at the heel. They sport only a 3.5mm razor-siped rubber sole. Used most for fitness, travel, everyday wear: MSRP $75The "does anything" VFF, the KSO is closed-top to "keep stuff out" with the standard razor-siped rubber sole and a 2mm EVA midsole. Most common uses include hiking and running. Best-selling Vibrams for men: MSRP $85
Sprint
Flow
Sprints are open-topped Vibrams with three velcro-straps (1 over top, 2 at heel) which provide the airy feel and 3.5mm razor-siped rubber & zero-EVA sole of the Classic with a considerably more secure fit. Three-strap method a bit tricky to fit "just right." Used mostly for running, sprinting, high-intensity fitness: MSRP $80Flows combine a neoprene upper with the standard Vibram sole for a full-coverage, insulated VFF (Neoprene locks in moisture like a wetsuit—not waterproof!). Most commonly used for watersports and winter activities: MSRP $90
KSO Trek
Bikila [coming soon]
Most rugged Vibram available, the men's KSO Trek combines a durable kangaroo leather upper with an aggressive, lightly-cleated rubber sole with a 4mm EVA midsole. Great for trail hiking or running, but less "barefoot" than other VFFs: MSRP $125A new model from Vibram, the Bikila is a barefoot running shoe named after Abebe Bikila, winner of the 1960 Olympics marathon. Brand new podded sole technology, the first running-specific Five Fingers model slated to be released in Spring 2010.
the barefoot running shoe Vibram Five Fingers Bikila
Performa
Moc
The indoor only Performa for women is little more than a kangaroo leather glove for your feet that has 7 Vibram rubber "pods" at key spots underfoot. This makes the Performa the most barefoot-like VFF (for women) but also resigns it to indoor-only fitness, leisure, yoga and work: MSRP $110The indoor only Moc for men is little more than a kangaroo leather glove for your feet that has 7 Vibram rubber "pods" at key spots underfoot. This makes the Moc the most barefoot-like VFF (for men) but also resigns it to indoor-only fitness, leisure, martial arts, and work: MSRP $110
this is the performa with the classic-style vampthis is the moc with the higher vamp than the Performa

For the official Vibram FiveFingers website, go to Vibram Five Fingers dot com.

Tags: classic, classics, five fingers, flow, flows, kso, kso trek, kso treks, ksos, moc, mocs, models, performa, performas, sprint, sprints, treks, vibram, vibram five fingers

a message from Justin —

Buy Vibram Five Fingers at CitySports.com and get FREE SHIPPING with coupon code BIRTHDAY

other Vibram Five Fingers Fan Photo Stories (view all)

Jason Robillard of Barefoot Running University demonstrates barefoot running on the trails in Michigan.Ville shows off his pre-production FiveFingers Bikila. While not the final version, this photo makes clear the seamless upper design, which VFF fan Orlin recently confirmed via a third party source who met directly with Vibram.The Vibram Five Fingers Bikila is coming Spring 2010 (mid-April being a best guess). Right click this image and either open link in a new window or "save target as" to grab this 1000x625 VFF Bikila wallpaper based on existing pre-production or stock imagJosh kicks back and relaxes with his son on his hammock in his black KSO Vibram Five Fingers.Raymond running a 30K race in his black KSO Vibram Five Fingers (2 of 2)Raymond running a 30K race in his black KSO Vibram Five Fingers (1 of 2)Dave went on a couple recent snow runs in the countryside of the United Kingdom in his black KSO Vibram Five Fingers.Hiking in Vibram Five Fingers Flows, Andrew snaps a shot over some rocky terrain.Enjoying a bit of snow between the toes in his Classics, Andrew snaps a shot of a rose.
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