Latest Vibram Five Fingers Reviews 2/28/10

Below are this week’s last VFF reviews:

• Pros and Cons: Vibram Five Fingers at One Foot Tsunami [ KSO ]:
  

  Pro: Thin soles make the Five Fingers perfect for nighttime cat burglary and other skullduggery.
  Con: Kleptomania is a serious problem, and these shoes are an unhealthy enabler.

  Nice humor-based review of VFF KSOs!

• 3 years wearing Vibram five Fingers at Do more Trail RuNZ [ Sprint ]:
  

  My first pair of vff sprints lasted just over two years and I trashed them like no tomorrow, They are are super-well made, tough and durable. I did a lot of trail running on abrasive volcanic ash so I eventually wore holes in the forefoot of both shoes and needed to replace them with a new pair. After two years of constant use, some of the stitching started coming apart – but it was no big deal. A less heavy-user (i.e. using them for walking, hiking, boating etc.) will get a longer lifetime out of them. I am very pleased that the hole I made in these vffs was on the forefoot and the heel showed almost no sign of wear and tear – I must have been fore to midfoot striking.

• Working out in my Vibram Five Fingers at Learn Fitness [ KSO ]:
  

  All of the balance and form comments above are highlighted in spades doing circuits. The combination of weights and cardio circuits really feel great wearing the VFF. The only thing I did have trouble with at first though was doing pushups in them. In regular shoes the thick stiff sole takes up a fair amount of the stress in a pushup. Wearing the VFF your toes and feet take up the stress. Until you develop the toe strength and balance the pushup might be a bit challenging but you’ll be fine in no time.

  Great overview of how VFFs work in the gym doing exercises on machines, free weights, and cardio machines!

• Barefoot Running and the Cigar Community at Puffing Cigars [ KSO ]:
  

  It had the added benefits as well in the jumping rope and weightlifting departments. Jumping rope and performing double-unders has been a challenge for me, but with the FiveFingers on I was able to quickly start getting consecutive skips and better height. I chalk this up to being unencumbered by weightier shoes, and also being able to balance better in general by jumping from the front of my foot. As for the weightlifting, I have always struggled with different snatch movements, because in a large part the force needed to propel the weight upward requires one to push or jump from their heel specifically. In normal shoes I could jump, but I was tending to push from the front instead of loading up the heel. Wearing FiveFingers allowed me to sense what part of my foot I was leading from, and make the proper adjustments. In one session, and in multiple ones since, I have seen up to a 40lb gain in some of my snatches and high pulls!

  VFFs for CrossFit!

• Vibram Five Fingers KSO Review at Barefoot Chronicles (Jason Robillard of Barefoot Running University) [ KSO ]:
  

  Traction on dry, hard surfaces is excellent. The rubber soles are both durable and “sticky.” Traction on wet surfaces is still decent. It is similar to other traditional trainers. Traction on dry trails is also very good. Muddy, snowy, or icy trails are a major obstacle for KSOs. Traction is horrible in these conditions. Personally, I don’t mind training in these conditions as it is a good strengthening activity. However, racing would be VERY difficult.

• My Experience Of Running In Vibram Five Fingers at Krisandro [ KSO ]:
  

  While I listen to my body this time and take a good break to let my foot recover, I am almost certain that barefoot running or in minimalistic shoes like the Vibram Five Fingers is extremely good for me. I probably need a whole year of running and even more to be sure of the benefits that has graced me so far and of course to make sure that I don’t solve a few problems and uncover a whole nest of bigger injury troubles.

Go here for last week’s Latest Five Fingers reviews round-up.