Damien over at Adventure in Progress had his “barefeet to the ground” and happened to notice a tweet by @inov8uk — it has since been de-tweeted (deleted) — that included a link to a photo on yfrog of a new minimalist / barefoot shoe, the Inov-8 Evoskin* (Inov-8 website). The Evoskin appears to be the first five-toed alternative to the original “barefoot alternative” — Vibram Five Fingers (Note: I don’t consider the fake five fingers to be true alternatives to Vibrams as they are just counterfeits produced out of China).
Here is the yfrog photo (it’s still online despite the deleted tweet) of the Evoskin:
Inov-8 is rumored to be coming out with several minimalist shoes in 2011; per a runner over at Barefoot Ted’s huaraches Google group, Inov-8 is working on the the Evoskin, Bare-Grip 200, and Road-X:
EVOSKIN
A “foot glove” made of silicon. A sort of second skin that fits like a glove with individual toes.BARE-GRIP 200
This looks awesome! Zero differential, zero cushioning and no midsole. Has an aggressive grip, so I think it’s made for the wet, muddy, boggy and harshest of trail conditions.ROAD-X
They’re bringing out a range of road shoes! All shoes are neutral with a new anatomical last and no support etc.Looks like the range has been designed to allow a gradual transition from cushioning with a
little differential, to very little cushioning and differential, eventually working towards the Evoskin.
Needless to say, seeing another five-toed shoe (if you can call the Evoskin that) conjures up some weird feelings. Yet I figure something like this was bound to happen eventually. So what do you guys think about this photo? Not a lot to work with, but off the cuff I wonder how the Evoskins will breathe.
What say you?
Thanks again to Damien of Adventure in Progress for finding this!
* If the Evoskin conjures up thoughts of a “foot condom,” you’re not alone.
47 replies on “A five-toed minimalist shoe by someone other than Vibram? Meet Inov-8’s upcoming Evoskin [New Product]”
It’s seems cool but still doesn’t compare to the original birthday shoe I don’t see it bringing anything new/of value to the table
Looking at the Evoskin, I’m thinking: super sweaty and therefore gross and possible slippage issues inside the “shoe;” also not as pleasing to the eye as VFFs; lastly, how long til the silicon wears a hole?
Umm… eww. Wearing that much silicon on & around parts of my foot while living in Texas? Not good. I can hear the squishing as my feet heat up & start perspiring.
The Evoskin link doesn’t go to footwear, but a site offering blog themes “skins”.
ugh, it’s like VFF crocs or something. Pass
silicon! LOL. That would be very uncomfortable (and dangerous). I think they mean “silicone.”
Yeah, silicone is murky and, to my knowledge, cannot be made very durable.
it doesn’t look comfortable at all and my feet start sweating by just looking at it. also those straps make me think of bondage (nothing against it), together with the condom look this is a big no-no.
this is not attractive at all. one of the cool things about five fingers is they look neat and have something to them that makes people curious. all i can see people asking about these are “what are those ugly things on your feet?” not to mention that i cannot see silicon being comfortable at all.
Yikes. No thanks.
In general I’d have to say that I support the idea of competition in the minimal footwear market, and I’d extend that to the five-toed market as well, but I just can’t picture this design giving any model of VFF a run for its money. It does seem genuinely minimal which is good, but I agree with those of you who said it is gross looking and appears to be uncomfortable. Zarzu compared it to a condom and I agree. Also the straps look like they would stick uncomfortably to the foot and ankle like rubber bands. This seems pretty misguided. Let me know when somebody comes up with a five toed design with some “innov8ions” that would actually be considered improvements on Vibram’s fine products. Brand loyalty rocks!
I was expecting smarmier comments based upon the ugliness, so hopefully there will be some forthwith. As for my thoughts, I’m wondering if they will offer a ribbed version, or perhaps a glow-in-the-dark series. Magnums, anyone?
Looking at these I’m already thinking of ways to mod them like maybe removing the tips or the toe pockets and having free toes. Anyone else just looking at ways to mod these?
There’s another 5 toed shoe company out there, I just can’t think of the name at the moment.
Before taking on the year-long experiment of wearing VFF exclusively, I wore inov8s. I loved them. They’ve been working on shoe designs that ‘allow your foot to more fully do waht it was meant to do.’ They definitely helped make the transition to FiveFingers easier. I have to admit, though, these may be a slippery step in the wrong direction for inov8 🙁
I think they look kind of creepy…
I’d like to see more info before I come to a conclusion. A detailed review would be great!
are those water shoes?
I’m guessing Innov8 has some R&D working on “breathable silicone” — google’ing comes up with various unrelated products (e.g., nursing pads and bras; brewing equipment) and a patent or 2…
The shoes look questionable as far as breathability. But Inov-8 has a respectable line of products so I assume they have done their homework. I have their wrap around waist bladder and it is a great design.
Maybe with different colors other than the orthopedic-old-person-shoe color the silicon frog shoes could sell.
These might just be prototypes with many color and style possibilities.
My initial reaction to these was “meh.” Upon further consideration, I think the silicone foot condom idea is not a good one. I can foresee lots of sweating and chafing. Unless the things are perforated, they can’t possibly breathe (unless Inov-8 really has found out a way to make silicone breathe). The great thing about the VFFs is the material allows for stretch and movement of the toes inside the toe pockets. I can almost guarantee wearing a silicon sleeve over each toe would drive me nuts, whereas the smooth toe pockets of the Bikila are a dream. That said, it is good to see another company trying something new. Competition is good. With this one product (if it even gets to market), Inov-8 has taken greater strides than shoe giants and their crass, half-hearted, and disappointing attempts to cash in on the minimilast/barefoot running movement. I’m talking to you, Saucony Kinvara.
It will be interesting to see where Inov-8 goes with this.
Holy moly. Silicon? My feet are sweating just thinking about it.
Wonder if Vibram has any type of patent protection on the five finger idea ?
@Claude I’m not sure you could patent the idea of a shoe that has toes – like trying to patent a glove. Especially considering toe socks have been around. However, they obviously have several patents related to design. Interesting tho.
These shoes would be very cheap to make once the tooling and molding costs are done as it is simply poured silicon and no fabric sewing involved.
they don’t seem very protective
go vibrams!!!
If they are very cheap I’d think about it for a water shoe maybe or something like that but if theres no protection then why not just go barefoot? I support competition and growth and we can only win but I’m not seeing anything my five fingers dont do.
Just because the fakes are made in china doesn’t mean they don’t count, my vibrams (which i ordered off the main site) say made in china on the insole.
They don’t count because they’re made like shit and are a knock-off
I can just imagine the hairs on my feet being pulled out as I try to put these on or take them off. Not fun.
@Claude- I do believe Vibram has a patent on the five-toed sole used in VFFs.
I’m not sure how different a competing “shoe” would have to be to avoid violating that patent,
but since these have no sole (har har),
thay are probably legally in the clear.
I do agree with the majority that thinks these will get hot and sweaty (and slippery) in a heartbeat. I could also see them being an *utter pain* to put on…
Kinda like all the touchscreen phones that came after the iPhone (hell, one is even called the “Evo”). Good to see competition, but it’ll be a while before I contemplate trusting my toes to something other than a Vibram.
To me what would be good competition would be a Nike Air-Rift type shoe with just a thin rubber sole and no padding.
It was one of the most comfortable shoes I owned. It was like a lycra ninja shoe. When it came out it was considered very minimal. It could be worn with socks or barefoot and the sole was durable enough for me to put on hundreds of miles training for my first marathon.
It was also super easy to put on and very breathable. Although it had the same stank problem from sockless usage as my VFFs.
Ewww! Those things just look awful. Kind of like a discount retailers knock-off like you get with the crocs. They just look totally uncomfortable and, as others have mentioned, I’m sure your feed would sweat like crazy. Reminds me of the evil spawn of the jelly shoes from the 80s and the spray-on shoes from Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs.
The great thing about these shoes, is the potential ability to stretch. They do look weird, but if they are durable and can stretch to form easily around the foot, they might be a far superior training/sprinting shoe over a fivefinger. If they are thin enough to stretch and are somewhat durable they will also provide better feed back. Perhaps not as stylish as a fivefinger, but Inov8 is kind of in the adventure racing/Ultra/Awesomeness running sports community. These would more than likely be considered a training tool not a fashion statement.
If these “foot-condoms” came in a different color I would buy them!!! In my personal opinion they appeal to me I like them and would buy a pair if they were a bright green silicone! I can’t wait til these things hit the streets I want some! HOWEVER, I do prefer the vibrams we all love and adore!
Here’s a alternative way to make your own pair. Get a dish of silicone step in it and voila you own toe shoes!
It’s good to see inov8 working through more minimalist stuff though.
That just looks gross.
It seems theres a review on the fitness footwear blog page.
At $60 they look good value.
Keep in mind this is probably just a prototype. I’ve tested prototype shoes in the past and quite often the final product may look nothing like the prototype, hopefully that will be the case with these Inov-8 Gorilla Feet!
over at fitness foot wear there is a review by some one who got to try these out. apperantly they fit better than that vibrams because the silicone molds to you feet.They don’t look bad… and the come in grey and blue which is pretty cool.
here is a link to the review:
http://blog.fitnessfootwear.com/inov8-evoskin-review/
and a link to the 2 colors with price:
http://www.fitnessfootwear.com/c-418-inov-8-evoskin.aspx
I see a very good purpose for these shoes. I love my VFF’s but they are actually heavier than my Mizuno Wave Universe racing flats. My flats also have a wide toe so I still get a natural movement.
I would love to run barefoot but am not ready to be exposed to glass and the elements. The VFF’s are heavier and because of the bulk on the tips of the toes I tripped all the time. I actually trip walking in them sometimes as well. These have a smooth toe and look a LOT lighter than the VFF’s. They also look like you’d feel the ground even better. So I think they may end up being a good edition to the barefoot shoe market.
Reminds me of Flint Lockwood’s spray on shoes from “Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs.”
My first though, “Why even bother?”. But after some consideration, and realization that my state mandates that shoes be worn during XC races (for highschool) I think these seem like a pretty good idea. No shoe is the same as barefoot, but I think these look like they’ll get closer than anything else I’ve seen. And I think I can deal with sweaty feet for the duration of a 5k, and if I can’t, well just more motivation to run faster.
I love my VFFs and wear them all the time. What I dream of is toe shoes with little heels, a couple of inches, to dance in. Scary and delicious!
Anybody seeing shoes like this?
This look interesting – Not too keen on the colour. I think Innov8 would know better than to make something that would breathe badly as many in the comments have assumed…
YUK!
I have a pair and did love them while I used it before I become a total barefooter. I remember I was afraid that ticks might bite me through the air holes, now that I’m totally bare I dont have to worry about it!
They are quite easy to clean and provide more sensations than Vibrams. Drawbacks were that the little toe was quite difficult to insert (though getting the fingers in is sort of fun…like blick, blick blick!), and the largest size was a bit smaller for my 10.5 UK size (28.5 cm) feet, It was impossible to not feel uncomfortable if you are sitting or lying in them for a long time. Walking and running was sort of ok. Don’t remember how hot it was, but it is definitely good for winter.
What I see from the comments is mainstream attitudes towards sexuality and asthetics na d ‘what would other people think’ affecting an other useful product. It wouldn’t have ‘yucked’ if Evoskins were more common. To me, they look way prettier than vibrams! hummph!
Saw these on YouTube being compared to vibrams the guy said that they were slippery and hurt when running on asphalt and he felt every little stone. And did not like them and said that the vibrams were the best. Go vibrams!!!