BirthdayShoesThe Vibram Five Fingers Bikila (released April 2010) is the first toe shoe designed specifically for running (Jump to posts on the Bikila below!). Like other Vibram Five Fingers models, the Bikila has five separated toe compartments that allow the foot to splay on contact with the ground.
The Five Fingers Bikila has no arch support and a minimal amount of cushioning or padding — it is slightly thicker than the Classic and Sprint which have zero insole, and the KSO, which has a 2mm insole: the Bikila has a 3mm insole. In the minimalist running shoe world, the Bikila is the “barefoot” running shoe to beat and if you’re looking for a pair of VFFs to run in, the Bikila is worth serious consideration.
Model specifics
Here are the technical specifications of the Vibram Five Fingers Bikila straight from Vibram:
Built on an entirely new platform, the Bikila features a Dri-Lex® covered 3mm polyurethane insole (thickest under the ball) and a 4mm anatomical pod outsole design that offers more plating protection, and distributes forefoot impact without compromising important ground feedback essential to a proper forefoot strike running form. A more athletic padded collar and topline, a single hook and loop closure, 3M reflective surfaces, and tear resistant TPU toe protection finish off this breakthrough design.
The standout features of the Bikila include:
The heel cup, which makes your heel feel less bound and takes pressure off your Achilles tendon.
The interior is lined and has fewer blister-causing seams (As compared specifically to the KSO).
The Bikila has a more shoe-like look with a larger opening at the top and overall more “nice” looking materials including reflective material and a solid feeling strap material.
Sizing and fit
If you’ve never sized your foot for wearing Vibram Five Fingers, here is the Vibram sizing chart (image). The Bikila seems to fit somewhere between the same size of KSO and Classic. So a 43 Bikila would feel slightly larger than a 43 Classic and slightly smaller than a 43 KSO. Generally, it is better to size up if you’re in between sizes — you don’t want your toes bending out of lack of room! Also, the Bikila can fit more snugly over the top of your foot compared to open-topped models like the Classic or Sprint, so if you have particularly high arches or “high feet” the Bikila may not fit properly.
Read (and see!) more about the Five Fingers Bikila via these reviews:
The Vibram Five Fingers Bikila Initial Review
Women’s Vibram Five Fingers Bikila review
Why I Chose $99 Red Bikilas over a $1,000,000 Red Ferrari to Solve my Mid Life Crisis.
Vibram Five Fingers Smackdown, Classics vs. Bikilas
Okay, I want some Bikilas. How much are they? Where can I get them?
The Bikila retails for right about $100 and can typically be purchased with free shipping from most online retailers. Find the Vibram Five Fingers Bikila in stock via the Store or subscribe by email to inventory alerts.
Looking for something else? Try one of these other Vibram Five Fingers models:
Of course, there are other barefoot shoes worth checking out!
More Vibram Five Fingers Bikila posts below —
While on an amazing school trip to ecuador and the galapagos islands I sported my Bikilas for many different activities. Hiking, walking on beaches, wading through streams in the cloud forest of ecuador, walking across lava fields, boating, sunbathing,…
In less than 24 hours, Robert Dallison is to run a marathon — one of ten marathons he’ll be doing on ten consecutive days. And he’s going to be doing it in Bikila FiveFingers*. The race is the Brathay 10 in 10 — here’s a bit more about the…
Today’s user submitted story was an entire year in the making. It comes to us from Daniel Vu (or DVu for short as his friends call him) out of the Seattle Washington area. Daniel was a senior at Mercer Island High School and is an avid cross country…
Hello fellow “foot fingers” I would just like share what I did in my FiveFingers while I was on block leave.
The first picture (Bham) is just me in my home town Birmingham, Alabama playing around at a mini golf course “Roll Tide”.
My second pictur…
Spencer writes in about his recent senior prom experience in Vibram FiveFingers!Me and my Girlfriend’s family all love FiveFingers! I have two pairs, Black VFF’s and Gray/green Bikila’s. We wear them everyday! This year for my senior prom at Gran…
1,250 miles later: VFF Sprints & BikilasOver the last two racing seasons, I’ve used Vibram Five Fingers Sprints and Bikilas in training and racing a number of events ranging from 5K running races and sprint triathlons to half marathons, marathons,…
As a sprinter in college, Eugene would have never considered running distance, but after laying off a few years he decided to give it a try in Vibram Five Fingers Bikilas. Read Eugene’s story after the jump!The Joy of RunningI used to hate…
James and his buddies have been gradually increasing their miles and competing in longer races in preparation for a half marathon. James sent us this story about their last run in the 2011 Pensacola Double Bridge 15K Run:Fellow barefoot runners a…
The BirthdayShoes.com forum is chock full of great information from the most passionate minimalist shoe fans around. Sometimes the stories are so compelling that they need to be published here on the main blog. Chris’s story is one of those. He has been…
We love getting stories and photos from BirthdayShoes readers. The following post came in from Jeremy who is a Vibram Five Fingers Fan in Dubai. If you would like to send us your photos and a brief story that goes along with them, here is a guide on just…
