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Update! Photos of the real deal from Dirk!
Categories
Flag-Styled Vibram FiveFingers Classics
The Olympic classics will be using the UK, Italy, Australia and Denmark flags on them. Only available in Europe and the US Vibram store on Newbury for in store purchase only. No phone orders.
Back on May 1, we wrote about the possibility (and first sighting) of Classic Vibram FiveFingers fashioned after certain flags to be released around the time of the Summer Olympics — you can find that post here. At the time, we only had an image of the Denmark-styled FiveFingers; today, I’ve gotten my hands on all the flag-styled Classics.
There are 5 styles of Olympics/Flag-styled FiveFingers being produced — one each for the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Denmark, and the United States. There’s just one catch: they’ll only be available outside the United States — in Europe or Australia — in limited quantities (likely extremely so). As for availability in the U.S.? We’re pretty much out of luck — they’ll only be available for purchase in store (not via phone) from the Vibram retail store on Newbury St. in Boston, Massachusetts.
Want to see what all the designs look like (including the U.S. version not glimpsed above)? Hop on after the jump!
Here they are:
Note that they’re not quite “out” officially yet. Drop date is set to be in a couple weeks (Say around June 20). If anyone state-side comes up with an inventive way to snag these rare birds (international retailers who have all of them or some portion of them willing to ship), please share your solution in the comments!
BirthdayShoes reader Dirk managed to pick up the Italy, U.K., and U.S.A. Olympic Classic FiveFingers (he’s working on Denmark and I think Australia). He shared some photos so I’m dutifully sharing at large here on the blog! Note the “special edition” boxes and tags. Check’em out!
36 replies on “Flag-Styled Vibram FiveFingers Classics”
I wonder why Vibram would want to make these so hard to purchase for the US, especially after offering a US flag version.
@ Justin,
Where did you hear that Vibram in Boston was not taking phone orders?
Those definitely look cute and unique! I wonder how long the colors will last…
Um… it looks like the American flag is in the wrong position.
Those are the coolest looking shoes ever! And also the saddest news ever. That is very unfortunate we will not have a chance to buy a pair of those fabulous looking shoes. I would buy the American and the Australian shoes right now if I could. Let us know if there is anyway we can purchase these.
Yea… The American flag looks wrong. I can’t find a way to look at the shoe to make it look right. It looks mirrored or something. Maybe the other foot will have the mirror image so it will look correct… strange. I am also very disappointed that they are not going to be selling them outside of the store. As someone who makes a point to collect their shoes I find it very very disappointing that they are trying to make it so hard for collectors to purchase their product. That is an easy way to make collectors loose interest in keeping up with their collection.
We never see the other shoe. Maybe the us flag is wrong because they are mirrored l/r shoes for easier printing
Smh, sucks they are not widely available
Well the Flag isnt wrong b/c if you are looking at it form the others point of view there right. But I u did want some were could I get some?
Actually, if you look at it from the other persons point of view the American flag is upside down.
The only explanation is that it is mirrored and the other foot has the proper looking flag. Just unfortunate they are showing the foot that looks flipped.
Finally more Classics!! Then I saw that I will never be able to own a pair. I’m so sad. I live in my Classics (literally wear nothing else) and it is so hard to find them these days, especially in colors I don’t own/haven’t owned.
Well, I was excited until 1) no US availability outside of Boston and 2) I saw the US version. That white fabric would get dirty so fast.
Sigh… and I really want another pair of classics, but I refuse to buy the all black that they currently sell.
I wish they did them in the KSO’s.
I dont like the classics, they move around too much on my foot.
All, I am about to take a backpacking trip through Europe for a month. Might be able to snag a couple pair. Not sure how much they will cost though:-/. Huge vibram fan here. Check out my blog @ Maavrikstravels.wordpress.com
Hoping some friends in Boston can pick me up a pair. Not big on white so the US and Italy are out. Will have to go with the Denmark, UK or Australia. I am keeping my finger crossed.
I agree with you Chelea, don’t care for the white ones, but the 3 others look great.
Such a tease! We should have these available everywhere! Maybe next year they will get them out…can’t even imagine what the price will be.
Fun! Assuming the designs are mirrored (e.g., the big toe is green on each Italy), the correct orientation would seem to depend on who’s looking at which shoe. And, owing to the vagaries of vexillology and physiology, there’s no consistency!
For the US (which is the only version to show the left shoe), the right would be right to the wearer, looking down, and the left would be wrong to everyone. But the left would match the style found on right-should patches (so as to not signal retreat!).
For the Italy, the right would be right for the wearer and the left would be right for an onlooker, facing the wearer. And just the opposite for the Denmark.
For the Australia, the left would be right for the wearer and the right would be wrong for everyone. You know, because everything’s reversed down there.
And for the UK, assuming the flag is right at all (it’s hard to tell), both the left and the right should be right for both the wearer and an onlooker because of that flag’s rotational symmetry.
Again: fun!
Or at least one of the UK should look right to everyone, depending on the mirroring…
The UK version would be great when my wife and I attend the “British Invade Gettysburg” or “Taste of Britain” car shows here in PA.
Reconsider US sales Vibram….
Bummer about the lack of sales in the US. I would like to see the sales figures globally. I would think the US is probably one of the largest if not the biggest market they have currently. I know they are an Italy based company but even if you take just the VFF out of the picture. Vibram itself makes tons of $$$ off of US buyers in the whole shoe market. I also would think the white VFF with the American Flag would get dirty fast. My grey Bikilas LS are dingy looking and I wash them regularly.
If anyone is interested I may be able to source them in Europe and send them over. Message me and I can check shipping prices if you like.
Luckily I live in Boston 🙂
I’m working with a friend in England to see if he can grab me a pair. Fingers are crossed.
Actually if you look at the US flag version it’s kind of a salute to the military as the US flag patch on most Army uniforms looks that way as a reminder of their cavalary past. Think someone riding a horse and carrying the colors and how it would look as it flies on the riders left, thats how the Army patch looks…same as the shoes! Just my two cents.
I so want the ones with the British flag. You can order them from the Vibram site but they will only ship to a UK address. How stupid! I wish these had come out sooner because I was just in the UK for business mid-May. I would have definately been on the prowl for a pair of these. I don’t know why they want to limit the US from buying these.
After I was disappointed with the “only sold in Boston” bit, I realized that I’m going to Boston anyways in a few weeks for a Mu Alpha Theta (math) national convention! I mapquested the hotel that we’re staying at as well as the Vibram store on Newbury Street and found out that they’re only 0.9 miles away!! It’s funny how God works stuff out for you 🙂
It’s marketing ploys like this that are causing my love of VFF to wither away to bare nothing.
@lacidtoes — sort of ironic calling this a marketing ploy when it is almost impossible to get these in the U.S. and they’ve done zero advertising about it.
@Justin – They don’t have to market because websites like this do the work for them! Word-of-mouth amongst brand lovers + hard-to-find items = sell out item = profit. A great example of viral marketing: If anyone state-side comes up with an inventive way to snag these rare birds (international retailers who have all of them or some portion of them willing to ship), please share your solution in the comments!
I live in the UK. They seem to be limited but available cheaper than normal, but we pay nearly double the US price normally. So far I have seen the UK ones available from primallifestyle.com where I have mine on preorder. And barefootlondon.com who I can recommend. They might send them to the US?
@lacidtoes,
Except they’re selling these at a price lower than standard and at limited quantities. Honestly, I don’t think Vibram really expected these to be that big b/c if they had they would have ordered a lot more of them. As it is, US hardly gets any. International resellers don’t seem to have a ton either. Anyway, I don’t see how this is really a marketing play so much as someone’s fun idea that they said “ok we’ll do it, but only on a small scale.”
Do we have a price point for those here at the Boston store?
A big thank you to the Barefoot osteopath. I could not find any pairs at primal lifestyle site, however, the barefootlondon site did have the union jack available (to pre-order) and they will ship to the US, but according to their site they are going quick. Just go to their site (it is a co.uk site) and follow link for olympic classic and it gives info of where to email request. The shoes run 60 GBP (or roughly a little over $90) PLUS shipping. I reserved my pair yesterday – they are due at barefootlondon by end of the week. good luck
According to vibram Facebook page – the olympic classics will be available tomorrow – thursday – only in store though…if anyone is able to get there I am a size 43 mens and would pay via paypal for a pair to ship out to Northern California.
A friend of mine was going to Boston this week so I asked her to pick up a pair for me. The US version was sold out in my size (M42), so she snagged an Australian pair. Can’t wait to try them on when she gets home this weekend. They were priced at $90 at the Boston store.
Sweet!! Just called boston vibram store this morning and they ARE able to ship the olympic classics NOW (since they filled their store orders) – you can goto store locator on five fingers site to get number for the newbury store. They are $90 a pair and only $5 shipping (no tax) – I just bought mens 43 in great britain, australia, and italy (so they still have some in stock). So I can sport these around Northern Cali in time for olympics – gonna ship today!!
Posting here first before Facebook (not even going to post there) – since this is where i get all my news and reviews on five fingers…although the Facebook page is cool to enter contests (check out tongal website – advertising site where you can take part in developing commercials – there is one on now for five fingers and you can win cash and a pair of five fingers).
I checked with Vibram USA. The big sad news is Classic is being discontinued. Anyone know how to get them?