John sent us the following story about how Vibram Five Fingers have helped him solve his plantar fasciitis problems:Listen up kiddos. I have major feet problems, plantar fasciitis and the Army gave me inserts, which gave me Stress Fractures. Told m…
Tag: Vibram Five Fingers Bikila [Barefoot] Running Shoe
The 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 —
Dudley and his wife braved the frigid Minnesota winter to participate in a Turkey Day 5k in their Vibram Five Fingers. After the jump, read Dudley’s report and find out how his Five Fingers performed in the snow!I ran my first official race in…
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New 5K PR in Five Fingers Bikilas
Matt has a nice collection of Vibram Five Fingers that he has been wearing for quite a while. He sent us this note on how they have been working for him:Just wanted to share a quick story since I finally have a good picture with my VFFs. I wear my…
Joy wore her Vibram Five Fingers to a rather unique Dental Convention and sent us her story:Recently, our dental laboratory, Dental South, traveled to Knoxville, TN for the 3rd annual Hi-Tec Dental Rally that takes place at Smokey Mountai…
Bill decided to get a little marathon training in wearing his Vibram Five Fingers KSOs while cruising the Atlantic. Here’s what he shared with us:I thought I would share some pictures my wife took of me in my KSOs on our cruise on the Norwegian Sun…
Andy and company recently ran in the Walla Walla Crush 5K in their recently acquired Vibram Five Fingers Bikilas. Here is what Andy had to say about their effort:Several weeks ago I purchased a pair of Bikilas and have enjoyed doing recreational ru…
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Dr. Jawa Runs his First Marathon
Dr. Jawa, is a long time reader and contributor to our blog. You may remember Dr. Jawa doing headstands, teaching in black KSO VFFs, running a half marathon in Las Vegas, or on vacation in Jamaica. Dr. Jawa recently continued his adventures in Vibram Fiv…
What follows are two posts from Tuck’s blog Yelling Stop in which Tuck, a minimalist runner in search of great foot friendly shoes (See “barefoot running shoes” defined), discusses having a pair of New balance MT100s modified by a…
A little over a year ago, Jocelyn made the switch to Vibram Five Fingers after knee pain kept her from running long distances. Back then, she shared with us her story about setting a personal record in the 5K in her Vibram Five Fingers KSOs. When…
In the beginning, Father Patrick Dorn, wore traditional running shoes, but he recently switched to Vibram Five Fingers. Here is Fr. Dorn’s story:I’m Fr. Patrick Dorn, priest at “runner friendly” Church of the Apostles (Anglican) in Evergreen, Colo…