Spring 2012 Vibram FiveFingers

Thanks to some sleuthing FiveFingers fans — big hat tip to forum members Dirk, MCvet, and mikez and a few others who tipped me off to this information — I've gotten my hands on some "stock" imagery of the Spring 2012 Vibram FiveFingers line-up as well as details on what the new models are bringing to the FiveFingers line.  What follows is a breakdown of all the new models as well as a round-up of other new color combinations on tap (more FiveFingers for kids!).

Important disclaimer!  Like anything grounded in the future, plans change and no one has a crystal ball, so while what we've found below may be in the pipeline, it's all subject to change.  To that end, if you hear of anything that has changed or if anything below is being reported in error, please let us know!

You can hop around this post via the links below:

The Spring 2012 Vibram FiveFingers line-up

• FiveFingers SeeYa
• FiveFingers Spyridon LS
• FiveFingers Classic Fresca
• FiveFingers Sorrento
• FiveFingers Rimini LR
• FiveFingers Grado
• FiveFingers Kid's Speed
• FiveFingers Kid's Sprint
• New 2012 Colorways for Existing Vibram FiveFingers

FiveFingers SeeYa

Minimum rubber thickness maximizes "foot feel" and flexibility. Soft TPU midsole further reduces thickness and weight for increased flexibility and allows arch to work naturally. Stitched-in polyurethane insole protects skin and foot tissue during longer runs.

Official specs:

The ultra-streamlined Seeya is our newest performance option for serious minimalist runners. Designed to bring you even closer to the barefoot sensation, we’ve radically reduced overall weight and material with a more breathable mesh upper to deliver true, performance-driven footwear. Minimum rubber thickness in the outsole maximizes “foot feel” and flexibility, while a soft midsole further reduces thickness and weight for natural movement. A stitched-in insole protects skin and foot tissue during longer runs. For a snug fit, the lightweight, stretch mesh upper has a seamless collar and adjustable hook-and-loop closure.

BirthdayShoes quick take:

Something about the SeeYa FiveFingers just gets me excited.  The sole design just begs to be held in hand, twisted, bent, and otherwise prodded.  What will ground feel be like in these?  What is total thickness at the heel and forefoot?  The "TPU midsole" mentioned — is that the shiny blue material we see in the sole shot?  So many questions and not a ton of answers (yet), but overall, just looking at the sole, the SeeYa looks like a streamlined, weight-reduced Bikila sole.

No doubt weight is reduced by only using rubber at the forefoot and heel and the upper is "stretch polyester mesh."  It looks like a very thin fabric that will assuredly breath better than the standard FiveFingers Bikila upper material, which is a bit thick and can get warm.  You'll also notice that the Achilles notch is gone.  The whole thing reminds me a bit of a mash-up of a KSO upper, which is very thin and pretty stretchy, and the Bikila sole chopped up and "podded" sorta like how the Moc/Performa has "pods" of rubber over a leather base.

I've got a feeling these are going to be the talk of the town come Spring 2012!

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FiveFingers Spyridon LS

Stitched-in polyurethane insole protects skin and foot tissue during longer runs. Aggressive tread design for solid grip in all directions when out on the trails. Molded nylon mesh in midsole adds a "rock block" effect, dispersing impact over a wider area. 3.5mm rubber outsole maximizes impact protection from stones and debris.

Official specs:

Designed for an enhanced trail running experience, the new Spyridon LS offers a closed speed lace system to accommodate a wider foot or higher instep. The naturally breathable upper has an adjustable hook-and-loop closure for a secure fit, and a minimalist Vibram® rubber sole with aggressive tread pattern allows proper barefoot dynamics and “foot feel,” while delivering protection on rugged surfaces.

BirthdayShoes quick take:

Starting with the sole, is anyone not reminded of a tire?  Specifically, a bike tire.  What's interesting to me about the Spyridon sole is that it's so repetitive.  Contrast it against the Trek sole and it's sorta boring looking; however, who cares about looks?  Function is the big question: does this tread pattern allow for a more consistent ground feel from heel to toe?  It certainly is being billed that way — even while it has a "molded nylon mesh" midsole to dissipate impact forces from rocks.  How does that work?

And of course, how does the Spyridon sole perform on muddy/trail conditions?

Looks-wise, I'm really digging the Spyridon LS.  It looks a bit rugged and it's hard to go wrong with the olive greens and browns.

Bonus — the laceless Spyridon!

It's unclear at this time if laceless Spyridon FiveFingers will also be a U.S. release (anyone know for sure?  I'm getting mixed reports), but I do have two pics of men's Spyridon colorways here and here and a women's Spyridon colorway here.  If the Spyridon isn't coming to the U.S., this strikes me as pretty interesting as most VFFs have been launched laceless first.

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Classic Fresca

Serrated blade lug design provides flexibility and traction on wet surfaces

Official specs:

A fashionable take on the FiveFingers® Classic, the Classic Fresca adds an element of style to the model that propelled the brand. Designed for barefoot balance and agility, it has a lightweight, stretch upper with a back pull-tab that allows you to cinch the topline for an adjustable, secure fit. A hook-and-loop closure holds the tab in place. Durable printing on the toes, sides and heel provides added protection and abrasion resistance. The Vibram® performance outsole with serrated blade lug design provides flexibility, durability and optimum traction.

BirthdayShoes quick take:

Finally, a reload of the Classic FiveFingers!  Only one thing: this is a women's only model.  For a women's Classic reload, the Fresca looks very interesting — new sole design being the prominent new feature, but also a pretty slick looking upper reload.  How will the new sole feel?  Will the ground feel be as good as with the classic Classic?  The Fresca apparently has a "2mm polyurethane" footbed, but I'm not sure how thick the Fresca Vibram rubber sole is, so it's hard to say at this point how it will shake out for ground feel.

I'm really digging all new FiveFingers models that feature dynamically colored uppers (like the KSO Remix).

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FiveFingers Sorrento

Official specs:

Great for traveling, light walking or casual wear, the Sorrento is an ideal choice for the FiveFingers® enthusiast who wants to enjoy a barefoot experience while relaxing. The leather upper is perforated for breathability and has an elastic gore at the topline for a secure fit. Completely lined in leather, it feels smooth and comfortable against your skin.

BirthdayShoes quick take:

The Sorrento FiveFingers looks like a five-toed suede loafer.  For that matter, I'm liking how suede appears to be facing the inside of the Sorrento VFFs, too, which should make them quite comfortable against the bare foot.  In a departure from Vibram's heavy use of kangaroo leather in prior VFFs, the Sorrento's upper is apparently "pig nubuck" (same as the Rimini LR and maybe the same as the Grado).

The sole on the Sorrento is comprised of seven rubber parts, the biggest of which covers from heel to toe, the second biggest covers the arch, and then there are five rubber bits on the toes.  In between all these pieces appears to be exposed leather; however, unlike the Moc/Performa/Performa Jane's leather-only footbed, it seems the Sorrento has an additional footbed, which should make the "joints" less susceptible to wear and tear.

All in all, the Sorrento is Vibram's first non-sporty casual toe shoes model for men that could (probably?) be worn with shorts.  I look forward to trying them on and seeing just how well I could pull them off with everyday clothes.

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FiveFingers Rimini LR

Official specs:

A casual shoe, the Rimini LR lets you relax in barefoot-like comfort. The leather upper is perforated for breathability and has an elastic gore at the topline for a secure fit. It’s completely lined in leather to feel smooth and comfortable against your skin. Machine Washable.

BirthdayShoes quick take:

Is it a clog?  Is it the FiveFingers version of the Sanuk?  With the Rimini LR, your guess is as good as mine.

What I'm most curious about, and as the Rimini LR is a women's only model I just won't know until a woman tries them on and tells me, is how they walk.  If you're accustomed to wearing clogs, you know that the heel drops from the foot when walking.  But since FiveFingers lock onto your foot via your toes, it's unclear how this would change the mechanics.

Not sure what to think about these.  I'm super curious what kind of mental gymnastics I'd go through if I saw them on a foot.  I could see them being worn with shorts or jeans and looking pretty nifty.  Female FiveFingers fans be sure to chime in your thoughts below!

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FiveFingers Grado

Official specs:

For casual pursuits, light walking or relaxing, the barefoot comfort of the Grado puts you right at ease. It surrounds your foot in soft leather that’s perforated for breathability and lined in leather that feels smooth against your skin. An elastic gore at the topline ensures a secure fit.

BirthdayShoes quick take:

Call me a sucker for the (highly underappreciated) Classic FiveFingers cut, but the Grado FiveFingers look great to me.  The styling of the leather on the Grado Vibrams looks good to me — casual and comfortable.  With a few less cuts in the leather, I'd really like to try these myself, but alas these are women's only.

Sole is similar if not the same as the Rimini LR, which is similar to the Sorrento: seven pieces of rubber separated (or connected depending on how you want to describe it) by leather.  Also, the leather used is Pig Nubuck.

Unlike the Rimini LR, it's really easy for me to see these (in my head) being worn by Mrs. BirthdayShoes with shorts or jeans.  I dig em.  Thoughts?

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FiveFingers Kid's Speed

Official specs:

The Kids’ Speed is built on the Kids’ KSO platform to offer children the best, most authentic barefoot experience Designed for casual play, it has a traditional lacing system that accommodates a wide range of foot widths and instep heights and provides the secure fit kids need.

BirthdayShoes quick take:

As the Vibram KSO Kids was the first FiveFingers model for children, it looks like Vibram has decided to expand the line with the popular casual style for adults — the retro-sneaker inspired Speed FiveFingers upper!  Meanwhile, the slapped on them the standard Vibram FiveFingers sole, which is a great move (keep it simple!).  Priced right (?), the Kid's Speed FiveFingers could be a monster hit.

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FiveFingers Kid's Sprint

Official specs:

The lightweight and open design of the Sprint has made this model a long-time favorite for adults, so this season we’re introducing it for kids! For easy on/off and a secure,comfortable fi t, it has an adjustable hook-and-loop closures across the instep and around the heel. A thin, stretch upper comfortably follows the contour of the foot. And a fl exible, non-marking Vibram® performance rubber sole is razor-siped for improved fl exibility and slip resistance to keep kids safe on their feet, no matter where playtime takes them.

BirthdayShoes quick take:

Like the Kid's Speed, the FiveFingers Kid's Sprint expands the five toed shoe options available for children.  I like the open-topped design of the Sprint, which makes it both cooler and easier to strap on in a pinch.  The red and black colorway is also an excellent choice — I love my red and black Sprints.  Will they be as popular as the Kid's Speed?  I'm don't know.  If adult Sprint sales are any indication, I'd guess the Kid's Sprints will be more popular with girls than boys; however, this would be a shame — the Sprint is a fantastic platform that is extremely versatile for casual or active wear (just loosen the straps for casual wear comfort).

Who wants these for their offspring?  I would (if they'd fit a two year old!).

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New 2012 Colorways for Existing Vibram FiveFingers

I'll round out this update with a few photos of upcoming colorways for Vibram FiveFingers.  Looks like there will be tons of new options in the FiveFingers Speed line.  I think the black and red Bikilas may already be out, actually.  How about the silver Bikila LS FiveFingers (third over top row)?  Those are for the ladies.  The blue and silver ones to the left though are men's as are the blue/grey KomodoSports.

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So what do you think

With five new sole options (or four if you count the Sorrento and Rimini/Grado as only "one" — they are slightly different it looks like) coming in Spring 2012, it's clear Vibram has been busy revamping designs.  Also, interesting to see a Classic reload via the Fresca, and a super lightweight, more minimal running option via the SeeYa FiveFingers.

Call me a junkie (and I'd not be able to deny it), but I'm eager to try them all. What do you think?