“Barefoot Ted” McDonald recently ran the Leadville 100, an ultramarathon race held out in Leadville,
Tag: Vibram Five Fingers KSO Trek [Barefoot] Toe Shoes
The Vibram Five Fingers KSO Trek (The “KSO” stands for “Keep Stuff Out”) is the more aggressive, big brother to the Vibram KSO (Jump to posts on the KSO Trek below!). The KSO Trek’s lugged sole and kangaroo leather upper make it the most trail-worthy Vibram Five Fingers model to date, providing added traction on loose terrain and snag-protection against low lying brush.
The Five Fingers KSO Trek has no arch support and only a small amount of cushioning or padding — sporting a 4mm EVA midsole, the KSO Trek is thicker than the KSO or Flow, both of which have a 2mm EVA insole. However, despite the extra thickness and the cleated sole, the KSO Trek still transmits a great deal of ground feedback, making it a fantastic “barefoot” shoe for outdoors wear.
Model specifics
Here are the technical specifications of the Vibram Five Fingers KSO Trek straight from Vibram:
The KSO Trek is a more rugged version of our popular KSO. The kangaroo leather upper and sock liner feels soft against the foot, yet is strong and tear resistant, with outstanding breathability. A 4mm EVA midsole offers plating protection from stone bruising, and a lightly cleated 4mm Vibram performance rubber outsole delivers improved traction on trails and over more rugged terrain.
KSO TREK IS BEST FOR: Light Trekking, Trail Running, & Travel.
The standout features of the KSO Trek include:
Closed top providing a fairly tight “seal” around the ankle. The KSO Trek manages to “keep stuff out” by way of this seal.
The KSO Trek has a lightly cleated Vibram sole that provides added traction running on loose, natural terrain.
The KSO Trek has a 4mm midsole, which reduces “barefoot feel” as compared to less built-up models like the Classic, Sprint, or KSO.
The KSO Trek has a kangaroo leather upper which is tough enough to withstand stray trail debris that might otherwise rip into the upper of the toe shoes. Additionally, the leather provides both a luxurious feel on yoru bare foot and a fancy look to the Five Fingers from an aesthetic perspective. A few fans even wear their KSO Treks to work!
Sizing and fit
If you’ve never sized your foot for Vibram Five Fingers, you need to consult the Vibram Five Fingers sizing chart (image) and measure the length of your feet as presecribed. Vibram sizing does not correspond to standard shoe sizes!
If you’ve sized in Vibrams before, note that KSO Treks size slightly larger than the same size in the Classic or Sprint models. So a 43 KSO Trek will fit larger than a 43 Classic or 43 Sprint. For this reason, Vibram prescribes you size down in the KSO Trek compared to the Classic or Sprint models.
Generally, it is better to size up if you’re in between sizes per your foot measurements and the Vibram sizing chart — you don’t want your toes bending out of lack of room! Also, the KSO Trek’s closed-top design means that if you have particularly high arches or “high feet” the KSO Trek may not fit properly — also the KSO Trek is a little less stretchy on the top of the foot than the standard KSO.
Read (and see!) more about the Five Fingers KSO Trek via these reviews:
Vibram Five Fingers KSO Trek Review
Unboxing the KSO Trek (Video)
Running a marathon in the KSO Trek Five Fingers
Running a 50K in Vibram KSO Treks
Modifiations
Using tape to increase the durability of the ankle strap of the KSO and KSO Trek
Okay, I want some KSO Treks. How much are they? Where can I get them?
The KSO Trek retails for around $125, making it the most expensive Vibram Five Fingers model available. That said, it can almost always be purchased with free shipping from online retailers. Find the Vibram Five Fingers Trek Sport 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 KSO Trek posts below —
I’m excited to announce that John over at KayakShed.com has started taking orders for the Vibram Five Fingers KSO Trek, Moc, and Performa.
Raw Food World TV did an impromptu interview with Vibram USA President Tony Post on Monday, August 1
If you’ve been eagerly hoping for more information on one of the new Vibram Five Finger models&mdash
Categories
Vibram Five Fingers Cortina Seen?
Or is this some sort of “Big Foot” version of FiveFingers?
As a follow-up to the last post on the new fivefingers Trek and Glove comes a bit more information p
Breaking new models of Vibram Five Fingers — the leather KSO Trek barefoot trail shoe, the Vibram Moc and Performa — leather foot gloves with the thinnest Vibram soles yet!