While most BirthdayShoes readers are likely already toe shoe aficionados who own at least one pair of Vibram FiveFingers and often a whole closet full, at least a few readers stumble on our neck of the web looking for information about Fila Skele-toes. You’ll recall that we’ve covered the original Fila Skele-toes and the Skele-toes 2.0. Most interestingly, Vibram is suing Fila for patent infringement around their implementation of toe shoes.
You might say things are a little dicey in the battle for toe shoes supremacy.
And it’s kind of funny in that, as I’ve talked about at length in the above-mentioned reviews, Skele-toes really aren’t quite up to par with FiveFingers. Sure I’m biased just like anyone, but I’ve now tried the Skele-toes, the Skele-toes 2.0, the Skele-toes Bay Runner, and the Skele-toes Voltage (now there’s an interesting beast — stay tuned!) and across the board, none of them really hold a candle to any pair of Vibrams when it comes to flexibility, ground feel, upper comfort, or overall “barefoot” feel. Note that I want Fila to put out a competitive product because I see competition as the lifeblood of innovation. It’s just that in my humble opinion, Fila hasn’t done it (yet). At least not when it comes to competing on design or function.
Where Fila has kicked some tail and taken some names is in the marketing and distribution department.
Fila has massive reach and distribution of their toe shoes: they did a nationwide billboard campaign asking, “What the heck are those?” Since Filas are pretty cheap compared to FiveFingers and they already have their shoes in all kinds of mass merchants and department stores, they were “out there” to be seen in the malls and shops at large (as compared to say specialty running stores or outdoor stores — places the couch-loving, desk’ed populace are less likely to venture to). Fila’s marketing and reach created a huge awareness around toe shoes — awareness associated with Fila. And as FiveFingers fans, this was just a little bit frustrating — how could our beloved Vibram brand get identified with “Those four-toed imposters!”?
If we could all let out a sigh, throw a fist to the sky, and yell aloud about the injustice of it all, let’s do it — and then step back and see the big picture.
I’d like to briefly pass on a comment that I got on BirthdayShoes yesterday from reader, Sean. Emphasis mine.
I bought my KSO’s about a week ago after wearing Fila’s Skeletoes for a few weeks. what a difference. I quickly ousted my Filas and have been wearing these everyday since. The best thing about them is the fit, I love how true to my foot they feel, they bend with my foot very naturally. The only thing is my right pinkie toe doesnt quite fill the pocket whereas the left one pretty much does. I’m looking into getting a pair of classics for around the house but I’ve definitely given Vibram my barefoot loyalty.
What is the big picture you ask? It’s two-fold. One, I’d never opt for a pair of Fila Skele-toes over a pair of FiveFingers to wear around town, to the gym, or to go running — because the Skele-toes are just downright inferior shoes. I’d guess any FiveFingers fan would feel the same way. We’re already converts.
But Skele-toes customers don’t know what I know (or you know) when they buy their first pair of toe shoes. Most all of them do not realize there are better options out there. They simply lack awareness.
What Skele-toes customers do discover with their first pair of toe shoes is that, well, toe shoes exist, they are incredibly comfortable, and they are remarkably functional. Being closer to barefoot via thin-soled shoes with articulated toes, even when poorly implemented, works wonders. A bad toe shoe is still massively better than most regular shoes out there. That’s somewhat remarkable, don’t you think?
What more, just like Sean above, once a Skele-toes fan discovers the world of Vibram FiveFingers, there’s a high probability they’ll ditch their Skele-toes and grab a pair of FiveFingers next. Sorry Fila.
So at the end of the day, while it is frustrating to have toe shoes assume the Fila branding thanks to some large-scale distribution and marketing, I think Vibram should probably see Fila as helping them out in the long run (no pun intended for you barefoot-style, distance runners, I swear).
That is for now, anyway — if Fila ever puts out a truly competitive toe’d shoe to Vibrams, well, you can just about guarantee you’ll hear about it here first.
26 replies on “Fila Skeletoes vs Vibram FiveFingers: Toe Shoe Supremacy”
I think there’s more than enough room at the table for everyone. Having said that, I’m interested to see where this branding is headed.
Fila seems to take pages from the Sketchers playbook when it comes to product development and branding. I sincerely hope that toe shoes don’t become the next gimmick (*koff koff* toning shoes *koff*).
But Vibram also needs to be careful about becoming too elitist. This style of branding has never sat well with me as it all too easily slides into snob culture. I just want to wear shoes, not a statement.
Sure, I favor Vibrams over Filas. I love my Bikila LS. But I also love my Bay Runners. Just as I love my Chacos, Tevas, Birkenstocks, Keens, New Balance, and the list goes on.
Options are indeed good. And I encourage more options. 🙂
thats my conversion review 🙂 thanks Justin, your site is great, it actually helped to convince me to get a pair of classics after reading your blog about why they’re the kings of the VFF world. everyone is going to have a different opinion but you nailed it on the head, I knew VFF’s existed but I didn’t know they would have initially been worth the extra cash. the skeletoes dont even begin to compare as far as quality and comfort. they were big and floppy looking, they didnt breathe well, they felt more bulky than my own feet. my toes had way too much room since a 10 was too small and an 11 was just a little too big. your feet WILL thank you for choosing the shoes that have been engineered way more extensively to give the barefoot experience.
It seems like Fila is going in the opposed direction as VFF. I would expect their stuff to get more minimal with time but it seems like it is going more towards regular shoes with toe pockets. I say this because the newer models have what look like a pretty significant heel drop. That is a major turn off for me. I like the Skele-Toes 2.0 I don’t wear them often but I like to mow the lawn in them. I would never ever ever buy toe shoes with a heel drop.
I was bitten by the Fila “paper tiger” and in a moment of weakness purchased, not one, but two Fila Skele-toes voltage shoes; one Black and one Blue. After an extensive trial period, appox one to two hours, I realized the error of my ways. I was sucked in by the new look but mostly by the price. Being the frugal shopper I am, I realized I could buy two Filas for the cost of ONE Five Finger; so, who could pass up that offer, right? I should have, I was blind-sided though and left the store with two huge black and blue monstrosities attached to my feet. But my weary heart was calmed after purchasing my second “new” speed of the season. It’s much better, the blood is now being pumped back into my head after completely loosing my mind! Filas are toe shoe imposters, bastard hybrids, Vibram want-a-b’s; and I am sure anyone with sense would switch to the real deal if they knew about them. My personal opinion is this: Fila Voltage was designed on a shoe platform; there is little flexability, hardly any ground feel, and that stupid two toe pocket for the pinky toe was highly uncomfortable. I just gave the one pair I wore to my brother (because the store would not take them back), and will return the other pair tomarrow (Oh happy day!!). In any case I will not stray, I will stay dedicated to my brand, and one day (this spring) will be 18 VFF richer, I am near this goal now with 16 pair, yep… I’m hooked!
Even if the Fila wearers switch over to VFFs shorty after discovering them, Fila still sold their shoes and made their money.
They just need to get out of the lawsuit without getting too hurt and may need to differentiate their product more.
I agree, the more people that are made aware, the better. I’m surprised how frequently I still get asked about my VFFs when I wear them.
Who cares about the skeletoes. I am interested in seeing something about the Fut Gloves that are advertised on your site. I am very curious about them.
My favorite toe shoes are actually the Evoskins, although they’re hard to find. They have held up extremely well despite being thiner on the on the bottom than any of the other options (though, I do not run in them).
Vibram has turned me off with their lawsuits and support of SOPA. I doubt I will buy from them again, so here is hoping Fila starts making some truly barefoot shoes. Otherwise, I might just stock up on enough Evoskins for the foreseeable future.
My first toe shoes experience was with the Fila ST2’s. I liked them enough that I purchased…ummm…two more pairs. Then the various sales by various authorized Vibram vendors hit (and announced courtesy of this site). This led to me purchasing a pair of Treks followed by various Bikilas, KSO’s, Treksports, Sprints, (curse you Leftlane Sports!…I jest of course) and finally a sole pair of Komodos. Yes, I became “that guy” with a closet full of Vibrams…and three pairs of Filas. I rarely wear my Filas. Now and then I will since they are fairly comfortable, but no way near the level of comfort experienced when wearing any of the Vibrams.
I for one hopes that Fila survives a suit by Vibram as I really do thank them for opening up my eyes (and toes) to the joys of toe shoes.
I jus bought a pair of Filla skele_toes. They r amazing. I am a female so my feet r really small. So I love the way the Filas fit. I have tried the Vibrams before and my feet did not fit right in them. Not only that but my pinky toes r very tiny they won’t even fit in the last pocket of Vibrams therefore the Fila ez slide pocket (which combines the two toes at the end) for me is perfect.
I LOVE MY FILAS THEY R GREAT!
Vibrams were the first toe shoes that I heard of, but because I am stationed overseas I couldn’t find them anywhere but online. And I had reservations about ordering shoes that may or may not fit my toes online, especially for the price. The Skeletoes actually got offered onbase last year and I bought a pair. I don’t have anything to actually compare them to except my normal running shoes, but with the skeletoes my run time did improve by 30-40 seconds. I’d still like to try a pair of Vibrams, but I have no complaints about my skeletoes.
Ever since i saw skeletoes on billboards and all over the mall, i noticed the inferior quality. My first pair of toe shoes were a pair of Vibram Fiver Fingers Sprint. I havnt looked back since, and refuse to ever slip my feet into anything that doesnt match vibram quality. Skeletoes fans should spend the extra money for better quality and experience. Also, its really annoying when people point at my feet, “look, shes got skeletoes” it makes me want to kick them with all 5 of my toes (since ppl have 5 toes, not 4)
Well, Skeletoes caught my eye recently, and as I have a terribly difficult foot to fit (5E size 9), the apparent width looked inviting. My feet have given me a lot of problems if I don’t get a shoe wide enough. Most traditional types are foot coffins, and my feet are crammed in junk so-called “Extra-Wide”. What a crock! Plus the discounted pricing @ *ohls was a bargain (after chasing them down 2 stores later). At first, they felt strange, but after an evening walking (I’m not a runner) I liked them better. Toes feel great, but are a REAL PAIN to get organized. The worst of them is the stupid, moron-designed strap. There is not enough velcro, and it isn’t properly placed on the straps. I could barely get the heel and top areas to both connect enough for a secure closure. I resorted to dragging the heel portion inside through the loop it goes thru, instead of outside as it comes in the box. What this does is allow more velcro contact. Durability, we’ll see. Being this is my first pair of toe shoes, if I trash them, my poor judgment for being an impulse buyer. At least I only paid $26 for them.
i think skele toes 2.0 puts up a better fight against vibram i also think skele toes arnt meant to compete with vibram but to offer a in between, between the vibrams and regular sneakers.
I Just have a question i have a pair of skeletoes i got them when they first came out and ive worn them a ton and i ordered a pair of Vibram Bikilas and im really excited for them but my question is will me wearing my skeletoes make my body ready for the transtion to Vibrams? Im aware not to run in them very much (10% of weekly mileage) until wearing them for like 3-4 weeks but will me wearing the skeletoes allow me to transtion to the Vibrams?
I just purchased a pair of Skeletoes and I like them a lot. I knew about Vibrams already and in the course of researching them, I stumbled across Skeletoes. The reason I went for the Skeletoes was the price. I got them for about 1/3rd of what a pair of Vibrams cost. Since I’m not at all sure about making this sort of transition, I didn’t want to, nor could I afford to, plop down the bucks for some Vibrams that might wind up in the back of my closet. If the Skeletoes work out for me (so far, so good), I might spring for some Vibrams next. I’ve seen Skeletoes referred to as training wheels for Vibrams and I think that’s a pretty apt description.
Staying in India,we get to know about 5 fingures and its just lust for us ,cause these 5ers feel we will not justify the volumes ,any way coudnt dare ordering through E Bay ,if they dont fit well ,the heavy premium of shipping charge on imports and customs goes down the drain,Fila at least launches their products worldwide and we guys get to graduate to haves from havenots ,unlike the snoots who boast of ultimates which are unavailable,so am happy with somethings better than nothings.
I recently got a pair of Fila Ez-slide skeles…. moment of weakness (because 2 pairs of my classics are wearing out). When they came it was a battle to get them on, it went downhill from there.
They were too big (this style only came in even sizes, i need a 9.5) but in weird places. My big toe was crammed in the slot, but all of my other toes barely fit into theirs. Plus the heal had slippage & wiggle room, the too tight neck band and the strap were the reasons they stayed on. The shoe felt stiff and bulky, they are considerably thicker than Vibrams. The killer was they made my feet go numb 20 min into my workout! NUMB, as in they were cutting off circulation – I was limping the next day and bruised, with blisters were the seams rubbed!
They have sat ignored in the corner since then… and now I went back to my broken Classics & new Bilkas. Sorry Fila – nice try but you need some serious work to come even close. I’d rather pay the $ for shoes that fit & work!
lots of mumbo jumbo, nothing wrong with the skeles
I’m sure Vibram has a cult following however I just purchased some hot-pink & black Fila’s. THey are great! I understand that at some point, I must try the real-deal to see what I’m missing but based on the info I’ve read, the soles will be thinner (lame), & they’ll have 5-toes, instead of 4. I’m actually pretty stoked about the latter. BUT from what I’ve seen online, Vibrams has a real issue with their color combos. Not a fan. I do not want to appear like I have ape-feet.Not cool, vibrams. Not cool.
I started with Filas. They were far less expensive, and lets face it: When you are looking at trying something new out, you don’t want to spend a great deal of money only to find out you can’t stand having something between your toes. I now own a pair of Vibrams as well. They are better constructed, fit better, and feel better. They also cost me three times as much. When people see me wearing them and have questions (happens a lot) Their first comment is they don’t know if they could stand having something between thier toes. My recommendation to them is to wait for thier next Khol’s coupon, and get some of the less expensive skeletoes to try for a while and see if they like the experience. If they do, invest in the Vibrams. Skeletoes is a great “gateway” shoe.
I made the transition to barefoot running first with teva terri-fi sandals to vibram kso’s and the kso’s were great, but I run mostly sidewalks and paved roads and the kso’s didnt last long approx 60 miles(hole in mid-foot area). I’ve been running in fila skeletoes 2.0 ($30 a pair) 100 miles so far. So its fila 2.0’s for me (running at least) I purchased vff speed’s for casual and everyday wear.
I wondered what all the hype was with all the toe-shoes and I’m also very very new to running. I literally ran into some foot problems with regular running shoes and have tried about 6-10 different brands. I found the Fija Amps at a discount store and figured I’d give them a try on one of my lower mileage days and I absolutely LOVE them. I feel they’re not as minimalistic as the Vibram and for me, that works out perfectly. I’ve tried more minimalist shoes, like Brooks Pure Flow and end up with sore calves and bad runs. (which I know is normal as I’m just working different muscles due to how the shoe is making my feet fall) I’m currently training for my 1st half marathon and love the Fila’s. As we all know, shoes are a VITAL part in running and for me, I LOVE the Fija skele-toes. 🙂
I’ve had my Vibram Sprints and KSO since they’ve came out. I’ve also been a lifelong distance runner since cross country in high school, military, etc. I mostly got the Skeletoes because they were on sale. Now that I have them though I prefer them for what I intend to use them for. I absolutely love my Vibrams for being active, jogging, and running dry. Where they don’t excel for me is being stationary or wet. For that standing around on my feet all day on hot asphalt or concrete I prefer the more traditional footbed of the Skeletoes. They are definitely a different beast but there’s room in the stable for both.
Maybe I’m just different and have completely abnormal feet. However, my experience after having tried most of the different vibram models, in various sizes, is that they simply do not fit my feet comfortably. The Skeletoes on the other hand came remarkably closer to a comfortable fit, and I enjoy having purchased them. I found that the VFF’s, while I would love to buy a pair, are just ridiculously uncomfortable on my feet. Just some food for thought.
I love my Skeletoes but am now ready to purchase my first set of Vibrams. The big problem is that the sizing information is completely different on each site I go to. It was so much easier to just pick my shoe size when I bought my Skeletoes.
Also, because I’m an 8 mens, I have to buy women’s Vibram sizes.
This whole sizing process seems overly complicated for Vibrams.
I’m looking for a new pair of Fila’s , I’m not sure if they’re around anymore, but Everyone is failing to mention the advantage Fila’s have/had over Vibrams, Price.
Vibrams start at $100. Which if you know you like toe shoes, that’s fine. However that’s a a lot of money to spend on a shoe style you may not like. Skeletoes are about $50. I got my Skeletoes at a place that was Buy one get one 50% off. So I bought some asics and got my Skeletoes for $25. good price to try out things.
I’ve had my Fila’s for 2 years & am just now needing to replace them. If I find a big sale on Vibrams I’ll go that route but until then finances say otherwise.