The Guide to Spotting Fake/Counterfeit Vibram Five Fingers

Awesome! thanks for doing this!

May I also recommend people reporting fake ones to eBay!

I had to go to the vibramofficial.com site to see for myself. In addition to selling their fakes for $137.00 they have a “latest news” section with where they refer to the Vibram “Fimgers” Sprint.
If I could I would flip them the Fimger!
Losers!

Some of those fakes have some the color combos though! Take note, Vibram. 🙂

Unfortunate, indeed, but not surprising in anyway. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? :p The internet as only exploded the amount of counterfeiting of consumer goods.

The one thing this post does for me is make me think how cool it would be if Vibram explored the possibility of customization that is similar to Nike ID.

This is disappointing. I do, however, like some of the color combinations of the knock-off sites.

Wow.. i almost bought a pair on ebay. I guess ebay is a bad place to shop for these in general! eeek

I saw knock-offs on Alibaba that one could buy in bulk. Who would have thought that these shoes would already be getting copied?

Crazy how many have been sold and all the positive feedback the buyers have gotten.

I do agree some of the color combos look great but what a bummer.

Did you know that you can go on ebay and “report” products for being knock offs? There is a “report” button in the right hand column that allows you to. If you almost bought one of these knockoffs – please report it for being so!

Tefta Fivefingers ? Their own facebook page !

http://www.facebook.com/Teftarontiera

This is sort of funny – there’s an ad for tradetang.com on this site, advertising the fivefingers for like $20. The way ads are displayed it kind of looks like an endorsement. Unfortunate – I don’t know if you can control those ads so it doesn’t appear.

I have tried to buy FFV at glauke.com. Fortunately I paid with paypal and got my money back after they charged me 2x and never shipped the shoes. Beware!
Then I bought my first pair at REI…

Y’know . . . All this talk is making me wonder if my first pair of Fives might be knock-offs. I ordered them off Amazon. They’re brown/brown (an ‘official’ color combo), but I’ve always though they fit differently then my other pairs. They also started falling apart rather quickly, the soles are much floppier than on my other pairs, and the strap is much longer.

Interestingly tough, if indeed they are fake, these are my favorite pair of Fives to run in. The flimsy-ness of them just feels better when running.

Funny.

Maybe the foot is the hero here, not the VFF’s.

(For other activities, I prefer the more ‘solid’ [real?] Five Fingers.)

It’s unfair to label Tefta for example as you have as they clearly mark theirs Tefta.

Hopefully Vibram will take note and hugely drop prices. No one would bother with the cheap fakes or alternate brands if the VFFs weren’t so absurdly expensive.

i recently ordered a pair of black classics from this site.

http://www.unshoessales.com/vibram-five-fingers-c-36.html

they havent arrived yet but im wondering if anyone knows if this site is legit or fakes?

im from australia, theres only one retailer in my area and they are priced at $200AU which is about $185 US.
thats why i went looking online.
the official vibram page is similarly priced and most of the US retaliers you mention here wont ship overseas.

I bought a fake pair of black KSO recently. I am a new to this style/brand of shoe. I can not say I dislike them even though I now know they are fake. I would need to try out a real pair to give them a proper review.

I thought I would share some observations regarding spotting a pair of fake KSO as mine are fairly convincing.

1) The straps on fake KSO are often threaded backwards through the harness slits in both ads and upon receipt (correctable).

2) On most fake KSO the material containing the harness slit on the buckle side of the shoe does not extend as far along the footbed in the direction of the toe.

3) The material surrounding the entrance for the foot is double stitched on real KSO and commonly single stitched on the fakes.

4) A pair of fake fivefingers often comes in a shoe box labeled “M116C SPRINT” regardless of what is/was being sold.

@Glen… do you have any comment on the sizing of the fakes?

@ Justin – when you put it that way, it really clicks, at least in my mind. They really are way too close in design for one to say “oh cool, other people are making toe shoes!” I really would love to see more companies take the idea and run, creatively, in their own direction, though.

You should add mbt-lami.com website. I bought a pair of VFF on this website and I’ve just finished to read your post and discovered that I’ll receive a fake VFF … It’s a shame. I lost money.

Thanks.

perhaps just scratching surface:

adidas-kids.com
airjordanshow.com
airyeezykicks.com
aliexpress.com
barefootevolution.com
buyyourshoes.com
christianlouboutinmy.com
dealspl.us
dhgate.com
discountchristianlouboutinshoes.com
discountvibramfivefingers.com
dressugg.com
e-uggs.com
finger-shoes.com
fivefingers-sale.com
fivefingersshoes.org
fivefingerstore.com
fondshoes.com
goodprice4u.com
groupshoes.com
handbagcom.com
handbagspop.com
iloveeshop.com
inkicks.com
inuggshopping.com
ioffer.com
kickssalon.com
martorder.com
mbtshoessaleonline.com
mbtshopp.com
mbtshoppes.com
mbts-mbtshoes.com
mbtstar.com
mbts-us.com
microusbadaptors.com
modselling.com
my5fingershoes.com
qcdeals.com
relytrade.com
searchbeltal.com
sellshoppe.com
sellvibram.com
shoeinstore.com
shoeseasybuy.com
shoesforsales.com
shoesmbts.com
shoesrunning.com
shoesshoponline.com
shoesyahoo.com
shopmoncler.hk
superstarkicks.com
thevibramfivefingers.com
timberlandshow.com
tootoomart.com
topnfljerseys.com
topsexyheels.com
uggdress.com
unbootssale.com
uudiscounts.com
uugs-bootsonline.net
vibram-fivefinger.com
vibram-fivefingers.net
vibramfivefingersonsale.com
vibramfivefingers-outlet.com
vibram-fivefingers-sale.com
vibramnewshoes.com
vibramshoe.com
vibramshoessale.com
warestrading.com

Well, I got my new “vibrams” in the mail today and the post that Dane Walker made was dead on. Box and tags were spot on. I would say that the sizing is spot on to real Vibrams for the sprints but as was posted before the toe pockets are too short. I can get them on but they only go halfway down my toe and make for an awkward feeling. Bottom line is only buy from their website and leaves these fakes alone….even if they do have cool colors.

I suspect this is a fake too……….
http://www.vibramfivefinger-shoes.com./

another one..

http://www.vibramfivefinger.net/

I bought a pair of KSO and Sprint from http://www.vibram-fivefingers.de. Standard pricing. Site only in german. Prompt delivery. Great runners, delighted with them.

I’m pretty sure they’re real but I don’t have anything to compare them to. A site opened a week later here in Ireland called barefoot.ie. They also appear legit. Would like your opinion tho.

I was just about to buy a pair of KSO Trek on topvibram.com. :/ Anyone know how their sizing matches up?

I see this as a wake up call for Vibram to produce more shoes at a more reasonable price.

This site is full of spelling errors and when you click CONTACT US nothing is displayed.

http://www.bestvibramfivefingers.com

Has anyone here had experience with the Make Tracks guy selling Vibrams on ebay? Judging from his feedback he seems like some kind of VFF concierge?

I’ve bought from http://www.vibramfivefingersonsale.com and I will compare with an original product. They claim to be no fake resellers. Anyone else have bought from them?

What about http://www.fivefingerskso.com/vibram-fivefingers-mens-kso-blackgreycamo-p-397.html. Could you let me know if these are real. I’ve looked over your list and didn’t see this one. They look like the real thing. I want a pair, but can’t find any in my size that I feel comfortable buying from. Thanks for any help.

2650gary has a bunch of fake ones up on ebay now. I’ve reported, messaged him and all his buyers. He actually responded to me and said they were fake but he wasn’t hurting anyone.

Yeah they got me…..

I didn’t find this site until after i had already bought mine from

http://www.vibramfivefingers-outlet.com

They are definately fake and I wil know now if I have any issues with them that they area not true VFFs.

Thanks for the info y’all.

I tried to order a pair off of http://www.vibram-fingershoes.com on 5/8/2010. I entered my credit info and tried to proceed with the order. The third party program said i had some kind of protection on my card i needed to activate. I clicked “no” and it said my transaction was declined. Now the site is gone. I just contacted my bank to get a new debit card. This happen to anyone else…they havent tried to charge me yet but this scared me

http://www.fivefinger-vibram org.

Not sure if this one is fake too. What does everyone else think?

Vibram does not allow any “authorized” retailer to sell FFs on Amazon, ebay or any other such site. You must buy directly from a retailer.

Retailers can’t keep them in stock and Vibram does not have enough inventory to satisfying demand. If you see them on sale, buyer beware.

Remember, there is more to making a purchase than price. Its the small family owned retailers that believed in VFF before anyone else did. We took the risk with an unknown product, we wore them, ran in them, we educated our customers, we helped spread the word.

We love Fivefingers and know them best.

I bought from vibramfivefingersonsale.com but haven’t received the shoes yet.

After I found your site I tried to get in touch with the seller, after various emails and a phone call- the lady hardly spoke any English and was not helpful at all- she said that I couldn’t cancel the order because the shoes were shipped already.
She also claimed that they were selling originals and not copies.
Now I have to wait for the shoes and have a look at them, I am hoping to be lucky and not to have bought a fake pair, but I am almost sure that I bought knock- offs.
Anybody any experiences with this online store?

I just bought a pair of mens black KSOs from one of the major retailers on vibrams site. They look exactly like the pictures except that “Vibram” is stitched on the upper side of the left toe (as it appears on other colors of the KSO). But when I look at pictures of the black KSO I don’t see the name. Also, even though the label on the bottom is yellow, the “Vibram” name on the sides is white. Real ones?

Not sure if this is possible, but for those who have received fake items or nothing at all, can you contact your credit card company and file a claim and get a refund or stop payment?
Also, what about the FTC? Can’t we report these fraudulent websites? I just hate these people are getting away with using trademarked names, logos and photos and ripping people off.

http://www.kmazon.com. Check them out, are thre VFF’s fake?

Hello,

My gosh, I don’t believe I’ve truly been conned, if only I discovered this site earlier. I guess the desperation of purchasing the shoes got the better of me!

This site is deffinately phoney right?
http://www.fivefinger-vibram.org

It just looks so legit though!!

I purchased a pair of KSOs just yesterday I received confirmation email from two other orders I didnt even make when I looked back on the contact site there was no bloody contact number just a query box!!

When I looked on the domain WHOis as suggested it was a person from China.

I spoke to my bank and queried about the extra online protection software they have through online store checkouts to pin in your password as confirming that it is a secure site, he said it was… so I am confused now?!! ;(

He said my order was pending but couldnt see any sign of the other orders for now on my account! He said since I already authorised the payment then I cant do nothing about it! but I mentioned that this site mentioned it to be a phoney site.

What to do,what to do? just sit here with much distress!!!

TOTAL SCAM ALERT!!! I was also scammed by the http://www.vibramfivefingersonsale.com website. I also bought 2 pairs. I am a female and wrote down the exact shoes I ordered. I was sent 2 pairs of Men’s phony fivefinger shoes. When I wrote to the customer care section, they wrote back and said I got what I ordered and why don’t I just order some more…They are based in Hong Kong. There is no address to return them to. They say wait until they write back and they will send you contact information because they want their customers to be completely satisfied, but when you do write, forget it, they will never refund your money or replace your order. Be very careful when ordering so you don’t get scammed.

This one looks a little too good to be true: http://www.vibramfivefingers.name

Urggg!! This angers me so much. How can these scammers sleep at night?
What can we do to stop them? I wish I were a hacker and knew how to hack into these websites and bring them down!!
Or maybe if I was a spammer, I could send them tons of spam to overload their server.
Hmmm, ok, so I’ll settle for using the Contact Us section on their website and sending them insulting comments. I know it doesn’t really help, but it makes me feel a little better 🙂

I should of looked up this before I ordered too. Order a pair of KSO from http://www.fivefinger-vibram.org. I printed up my reciept and have not gotten anything since. I have sent them over 7 emails without response. Guess I am out of luck. In the mean time, I did find a pair of real pair of KSO and I love them. Now I just guess I will wait and see if I get a response.

Yeah, I ordered a pair of Mens KSO from fivefingerstore.com only to realize after my purchase that this was a fake sight. They did charge my credit card for the correct amount and they did ship out my order. I have not received my order but I am tracking it and it should arrive either today or tomorrow. I’ll just have to wait and see if I got what I ordered. Hopefully they will still fit me and be fine anyway. Either way, I got scammed and I was pretty pissed about it at first. But from reading these other posts, I’m going to call my bank and cancel my card and get another one. I don’t want to take a chance on getting ripped off again.

Is TheShoeMart.com a reputable retailer for Vibram Five Fingers? They sell other shoes and apparently have been in business since 1956 (so they wouldn’t sell fakes, right?) Thanks in advance!

p.s., I really want to get a pair of Performa for just casual wearing (I <3 my grey and pink KSO’s!) and they seem to have a good deal in terms of free shipping and no tax.

Beware I was also taken in by another fraudulent seller of counterfit Five Finger shoes: VibramFiveFingers2sale.com (located in China)
I confirmed this with the corporate office of the legitimate Five Fingers company (in Mass).
Not only do they sell a fake product but they do not honor their return/refund guarantee policy!!!
They will not give out a return address.
If you also have had similar experiences please report it as I have.

To everyone who got scammed by the crooks in China selling fake VFF:

Paypal advised me to contact IC3.gov (www.IC3.gov) to report these organizations. According to Paypal, you can also try to get back some of your lost money. Good luck!

This looks suspicious:

http://www.vibramfivefingerssite.com/

The prices seem way too low, plus they ship from Shanghai. Bad sign.

Amazingly convincing fakes here: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.39347

here’s another possibility:

http://www.air2kicks.com/vibram-five-fingers-c-299.html?zenid=89eb7f5887ef17e2c6c62ddb6c3d68a0

*seems* that they post real pictures but ship fake ones.. (don’t have 1st hand info, but it’s another chinese site)

ive been ripped off! crap i wish i had known about this website and problem before. I ordered from fivefinger-vibram.org. Yeah i got some shoes but its the sprint rather than the flow that i have ordered. Emailed them about the problem and they just reply with nonsense cuz its from China!! Seems like im stuck with them now. Wonder if my credit card company can do anything about it. Dude… im so pissed.

ughhhhh…before i even knew fakes were being produced I bought a pair on vibramfivefingeronsale.com…anybody else have any experience with this website and have any solutions/advice?

I wonder if someone could help me with these: http://www.allegro.pl/item1051831493_1051831493.html One of Poland’s distributors is marked as a fake, another didn’t even start selling VFF yet so… Any feedback appreciated (if possible), because the only options I have are that linked guy or Berlin (price is really high there tho…). Thanks in advance.

I purchased, on purpose, a pair of fake VFF’s sprint, black men ……. the fit is verywrong comparing to the real VFF’s

I then reported to Ebay thae product as being fakes …..

Ebay replied after investigating that everything was fine …

I contacted Vff’s in Boston and they told me that there was not much they could do at this time ….

In conclusion:

Buy only from VFF’s authorized sellers, that way you know you will get the real product.

buyvibram.com also sells knock offs, I just checked, the site seems to have been shut down… no wonder my heels are being chewed apart… off to a LEGIT store to replace my fakes. Thanks to all for the information!

I wish I would have found this site before I purchased what will no doubt end up being a fake pair of five fingers. Add http://www.dropship-golf.com to your list of fakes. I spend 120 bucks I didn’t have to throw away on garbage.

Has anyone ordered from vibramonly.com? i ordered a pair from there so i can see the difference between real KSO treks and $55.00 KSO treks. Their processing seems to be super slow. So has anyone ordered and actually received shoes from them?

Here’s another that’s probably fake:
http://www.vibramfivefingersca.com/

The strap thing I think is now known to fakers, and they are adjusting.. e.g. I am 95% sure this is a fake seller out of China, but they are changing the straps: http://cgi.ebay.com/NIB-VIBRAM-FIVE-FINGERS-MEN-SHOES-BOOK-SZ-40-/250645656467?cmd=ViewItem&pt=US_Men_s_Shoes&hash=item3a5ba53393

Here’s one I found on Facebook. It was an ad. http://www.made-in-pt.com/product.asp?classid=992

Check out DealExtreme (China) They have a ton of fakes.

Linky –
http://www.dealextreme.com/search.dx/search.fivefingers

Wish I would have seen this page before ordering from vibramfivefingeronsale.com

Got the shoes, obvious fake, incorrect material, horrible fit!

Tried to contact website through email listed for returns. They wanted to negotiate a discount and will not provide return address stating it would be to expensive for me to ship back!

After contacting my CC company I was refunded the full amount. Anyone want a pair of knock-offs?!

I just received a fake pair of kso treks. the bottom is about right, maybe stiffer than normal pairs, but the top is definitely not kangaroo leather, its some sort of synthetic.

I recently purchased a pair of VFF’s on Amazon. I couldn’t find the model/color/size that I wanted in stock anywhere, so I payed a premium price and ordered from Amazon, the actual vendor is called Comet Shoes.
The shoes haven’t arrived yet, but after reading about all the fakers and knockoffs out there, I am concerned and curious if Amazon is selling legit VFFs. To make matters more complicated the Vibram website now has the model I wanted back in stock!
I’m considering ordering directly from Vibram and returning the pair from Amazon when they arrive, but even with the disparity in price after shipping costs I’ll just break even after waiting for a refund from Amazon… Any suggestions?
Thanks

I got my KSOs from a retailer I found on the Vibram site, I feel for those who have been taken in buy the fakes.

I did find this site when I typed the wrong URL in.

vibramfive-fingers.com: This has many warning signs, all models are the same price, bad spelling, and a disclaimer that shoes ordered will not always be the same color as shown.

For the guy who suggested that Vibram should make their shoes in the US. That is a fine idea, it is just that the shoes would probably double in price. Sad but true.

http://www.vibrambikila.net/ is another fake…

http://www.footwearkicks.com/views/Vibram-Five-Fingers-19813.html

The price seems to cheap.

Man!!! Can’t believe I didn’t check this site out before I purchased a pair!!

Got them from http://www.fingermbt.com – they haven’t arrived yet but I saw the name on your list at the top – totally gutted as I have wanted a pair for ages and have just saved up the money – £65 after postage, which is about $100 i think.

Will I be able to return them and buy a real pair???

Update to yesterday’s comment.

I immediately phoned direct banking to see if I could stop the order going through, to my delight, http://www.fingermbt.com hadn’t taken it yet.

I cancelled my card and immediately ordered from a US store (named in your section as one to trust), they will deliver to a friend in Tennessee and she will forward to me here in Glasgow, Scotland.

I am excited about wearing them although my girlfriend thinks they look quite freaky 🙂

Thanks to all contributing to this page and helping us beginners.

Bought a pair from Vibrams and one from a fake fivefingers site in your list. The fake one is better quality than the real deal. I felt angry at Vibram for selling me a shoe of such poor quality. The strap broke after running only 15 miles on trails.

I am happily back wearing regular trail shoes. Threw both the fake and Vibram pair away.

http://www.keenofficial.org/ FAKE they have changed there URL 2 times now and are still selling knockoffs

http://www.fivefingersworld.com/

Fakers.

I accidentally bought a pair of counterfeit ones and thought they had just taken my money, so I bought a pair of authentic ones a few days later at Summit Hut. Side by side you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference. They were probably made in the same factory as the authentic ones, side by side. The authentic ones are made in China as well. Time will tell if they wear as well.

Another fake reseller:
http://www.fivefingersvibram.fr

I got a pair of black KSO from a local retailer. They do not fit anything like my sprints. Last 3 toes are way too long.
I hope these are fakes! These are terrible. Are they supposed to be that different in fit? Are they supposed to have the Vibram logo on both shoes?

How can I be sure? I think I’ll call the main office in Massachusetts to see if the retailer is legitimate.

VibramFiveFingers never has my size in stock. It seems like production is kept low to keep prices up. How about adding a shift or another crew of low paid Chinese workers to keep us running. I have had a pair of size 48 KSO style for about a year. I love them but would like to try some Treks but no dice..always sold out. I don’t think you need to beat more production out of the workers….open a factory in Miami..lots of out of work people in south Florida…

I realized mine were fakes when they came in a color I have never seen before and didn’t fit like the pair I tried on at the store!

Add http://www.vibramonfoot2.com to your list of bogus sites!

I found this website in the Google ads when I searched for Vibram Five Fingers:

http://vibramfivefingersoutlet.de/

Ordered KSOs from them and received them within a few days, from China. Fakes… pretty close to the originals, but definitely fakes.

Guys,

also watch out for ones on tradetang.com and dhgate.com

“Genuine replicas”

Also fake:
vibram-fivefingerss.com
(registered in China)

http://www.vibramyes.com/ why are they allowed to advertise on facebook?

i think in sulit.com.ph are selling fake vibram five fingers.

Thank you, Birthday Shoes, for saving me from purchasing fake Vibram Fivefingers! I got real KSOs from REI today and I’m loving them.

@Bianca

seejanerun.com is a legit website. you can find them on the official vibram website if you use the zip code 94506. they have physical stores in California and in Idaho.

buyfivefingers.com = fake

usual request for pics and refusal of refund. they actually sent me a pair of nike knock-offs first. obviously, this clued me in. after many email exchanges, they have refused to acknowledge my requests for a refund. I even offered to ship them back to china. they actually suggested I try selling them myself. they insisted on sending me the right(fake) pair even after I pleaded with them not to. I will be seeking re-embursement from my cc company.
I checked vibram’s site before the warning. There seems to be a real problem with availability of these(genuine) shoes.

@Justin

That makes sense and I agree with you. For those that think they are getting authentic Vibrams, I do see the problem.

For those that just want toe shoes, and know the difference it would appear to be a case of buyer beware.

I’ve had personal professional experience trying to track down and stop black market products myself (consumer electronics).

Its been my experience that most ‘functional’ knockoffs, ergo the products that work pretty much the same as the real thing with possible substitutions in some materials as opposed to non-functional knockoffs where the widget is supposed to be one thing and really isn’t (in this example, maybe you think you are getting toe shoes and you end up getting toe socks with spray on rubber on the soles or something), in the functional knockoff situation, its been my experience that one or more of the factories or managers of the factories making the original often time gear up the factory to make knock offs too, selling them out the back door to their own distribution chain without having to pay licensing fees, taxes, insurance or share in margins.

Plus, since the original brand name holder paid for the tooling, the marginal cost for the factory to run another batch of knock offs is cheaper too (no debt to pay down from tooling, R&D etc).

Given the demand for Vibram five finger toe shoes, and the lack luster communication from the company (they have a facebook page, but only seem to staff it irregularly) and given their problems ramping up production to meet demand (as compared to the phenomena that was Crocs comparatively who also had to deal with functional knockoffs), It doesn’t surprise me that Vibram is having problems with knockoffs.

They seem to have this message that they are only focusing on building more factories (2 coming on line last winter) and everything else can wait until they get their production act together.

I understand the motivation to try to focus on one thing at a time, but in manufacturing that just doesn’t cut it. You have to staff up and ramp up a team to cover multiple areas quickly, otherwise someone is going to eat your lunch, take your sales, and show your customers that a rubber sole with toes is a rubber toe with soles and a premium price of $80- $125 isn’t justified because off name supplier ABC can get you basically the same thing for $16-$60, not only a single pair but even bulk deals.

Its not the type of thing that kills a product or a business right away, but over the course of 2-5 years, it definitely can. (I’ve witnessed it and with a bigger name and more popular product than this one.)

Bottom line this is a really cool and super functional new product, and people want it. I witnessed the sale of 5 pairs of shoes last week by people that heard about Vibrams from myself.

The word of mouth is working to spread the concept, but soon, and very soon that word of mouth is going to point people to the best price and the available supply of functional product regardless of whether it came out the front door of the factory and was scanned and tracked to the point of sale, or whether it went out the back door of the factory and was sold at a discount through some knock off website.

This is a good article for pointing out some of the perils with the knock off products and as you mention raising awareness that what you may think of is a Vibram product may be a knock off, but the real issue here is more likely a Vibram USA corporate issue and not a consumer issue. 🙂

There’s a reason why I don’t work in consumer products any more. The Chinese manufacturers that were knocking off our products weren’t too keen on my investigation of their activities. After they paid of HSB, Deloitte & Touche, and quite a few others they tried to have me hushed up the old fashioned way. (by making me ‘disappeared’)

I got lucky, went on the lamb and turned corporate whistle blower for the US government.

My point is that the odds are pretty good that the people behind these knock offs are going to win no matter what.

I personally have no product loyalty. I have 3 pair of Vibrams, my family has a little more than double that. I’ll wear, walk, run in what ever works, whether that is a hundred dollar pair of soles from an Italian company manufacturing in China and selling through a US distribution arm via manufacturers reps who don’t return phone calls to the retailers in my area, or wether its a $150 website that bought a bunch of knockoffs from the same manufacturer, who sold off the products that didn’t make it through the QC checkpoints or if its an online kit that teaches me how to build my own invisible running sandals from old tire tread for $5.

If Vibram wants my continued business, its up to them to get their act together, get their business tightened up on a host of different levels, and get the products out at a level that meets demand band balances out the supply-demand-price equation. 🙂

I’m so thankful Vibram is posting on their site the ALERT, BUT…

I found it too late.

I’m glad I found this site. I ordered from http://www.vibramfivefingersusa.com. I don’t see them listed, but feel that I might have made a HUGE mistake…

Any information you may be able to share with me on this site would so be appreciated. So upsetting 🙁

wwwDOTvibramwebsiteDOTcom(Couldn’t type the address in for some reason…)

I ordered from the above and I am now trying to claim back through Paypal – they have asked for an experts opinion to verify that they are fake which I then have to fax to them… Thanks for the support Paypal!

I have emailed Vibram direct also to let them know.

I bought mine from vibramfivefingers2sale.com and they told me with out me asking that there products where the real thing so I didn’t hesitate but I guess I got screwed. Is there a way to shut these web sites down

Oh no. I think I too just bought the knock off. They came from one of the sites you listed, pickmbtshoes.com. They are in Singapore as it turns out, though no where on the site does it say that (that I can find). Free shipping. Great price ($50 for KSO). But the shoes don’t seem to fit right. Is it normal if my small toe does not go into the corresponding pocket on the shoe? I sorta doubt it. I wish I’d known about this site before I’d ordered. Here is their policy on returns:
“Once the items were retured, we will credit your original method of payment, excluding 25% re-stocking/processing fee and US$30 return fee. All shipping costs associated with the return of goods are the responsibility of the consumer.” $30 plus $12.50 plus shipping costs to Singapore means I am screwed.

http://www.fivefinger-vibram org fake fake fake!

I bought a pair of fake ones!!! , I didint expect them to be fake,
after 6 uses@! they are ripping apart on the stiches, REALLY BAD QUALITY, they product comes in a nice box, etc, i send an email and no reply and now I see the URL domain is not existing anymore!!
I paid $67 for this product, a piece of $%^#!!, is not the same!! DO NOT BUY

Simply do a ‘Whois’ check on the suspicious Domain. (eg. at http://whois.domaintools.com/) Most of the the domains listed above give owners in China. That is a hint that they are very likely to be supplying ripoffs.

I read the info on this website AFTER I ordered unknowingly a pair of fake shoes on vibramfivefingercheap.com (Vibram, sorry about that). I considered prices on average European websites excessive, above €100 for an average pair of KSO.
They didn’t have the bikila in size 44 (for running, the real model) and asked me to propose another model or give for a refund. All my e-mails were replied promptly on the next day in “Chinenglish”. I sent a whole list of KSO models that were ok when I found this site. I sent an e-mail to ask for a refund, saying I wanted the bikila shoes, which they ignored. I got the shoes delivered 3 days after! If it weren’t for this website I would have thought they were original.
I will sent them a notice, knowing that it won’t change a thing. I only got ‘half’ scammed.

As mentioned in other comments, you can see they are not finished perfectly (not an even fit, pieces of cloth I had to cut on the inside and one big toe lacking a little bit of space, but they’re not bad either. They’ve changed the octagonal color on the sole from blue to original yellow.
But I find the €50 I spent expensive as well for a fake pair and they are making a lot of money on counterfeit wares. You can even find some models for 13 to 15 Dollars.
As a running fanatic my next pair is going to be a €129 pair of original bikila shoes.

ditto. I bought a pair of Bakilas from shoeeasybuy.com. They arrived from China two days ago. I ran in them once and the mesh started to unstitch itself across the top. The bottoms are already starting to separate, too…ONE RUN! I am so furious.

I’ve bought a pair of fake vibrams from dealextreme too. They look remarkably genuine. Even got the vibram tags and booklets.

Compared to my genuine vibram however, these fakes one does fit that well. Running for too long and chaffing will occur.

Wow! Sounds like you’ve been busy in the trenches with all that! You know there ARE ways of getting infringers to suffer. That’s all I’ll say. 😉

http://www.vibram-five-finger-shoes.org/

Suspected fraud site.

I bought two pairs of KSO’s online. I have owned two pairs of authentic KSO’s previously. When I realized the items were knock offs , I called my credit card company and disputed the charges from the two sources in China. I won’t pay for an item that cheats the buyer and the proper owner of the intellectual property. Often the criminal element diversifies into counterfeit sales since the penalties are almost non existent. Compare this to a narcotics rap and you can see why this is mushrooming. Oh, and I’m keeping the fakes. Let them see how it feels to get screwed.

Gosh this is a good site., too bad for me I found it too late. Got sucked on a low price free shipping and branding .. at vibramofficial.com Now I got it and its a fake! the sole looks so authentic I still can’t tell but the cloth and and leather is pleather ! I’m so pissed Cant bother shipping back to China! I will now buy official one for City Sports for vibramfivefingers.com Crap… Thanks for this infor. Pays to search around !!!!!!

can someboy confirm this if its authentic? Thanks!

http://cgi.ebay.ph/Vibram-FiveFingers-KSO-Five-Fingers-Mens-shoes-40-45-/250688886334?pt=UK_Clothing_Menswear_MensShoes_GL&hash=item3a5e38d63e#shId

If only I discovered this site earlier !! I have just bought a pair from eBay, now i know they are surely fake ones. If some want to send me the originals to Argentina, i will pay you. THX 🙁

Serves Vibram right. These have been out for 3+ years and they still can’t meet demand. They are playing us like chumps.

Is vibramfive-fingers.com a fake site.

I ordered a pair from here for my son. They came quickly and he loves them, but a little of the stitching is loose in one place. It isn’t anything I can’t fix, it just makes me wonder.

Rose

I found this site after purchasing fake Vibram’s from http://www.vibramfivefingersaustralia.com.
I was obviously drawn in by the lower pricing. They are absolutely identical to the pics on the official website. They come in Vibram boxes and with all the tags and brochures..
The alarm bell only went off when the stitching fell apart after the first run.. I purchased from australia and was easily misled by google advertising. This fake site was one of the top picks in the search results.
Very dissapointed and will try the suggested avenues to try and get my money back.
I don’t like my chances though.

http://www.vibramfivefingerssydney.org/

Dude, you’re missing this one http://www.vibramfivefingerstoday.us/
They’re INCREDIBLY FAAAAAKE; CMON, WHO CAN BUY THOSE CRAPS?
I wear my Classics everywhere and some people think they’re ugly. I LOVE them, but the fake ones are really fucking ugly.

http://www.airsportsshoes.com/index.php/new-style-vibram-five-fingers-bikila-fashion-mens-running-footwear-shoes-grey-yellow.html
I am guessing this is to good to be true, not sure though the web site seems OK it even has live online support chat.

I’m new to online shopping and hope I wasn’t duped. Purchased a pair of Vibrams from http://www.vibram4u.com – shipped from China. Legit?

@Justin,

I’d seen one on Ebay,but it’s gone now. I had reported it. Not sure if Ebay actually took it off or if someone bought the item, but when I find another I’ll be sure to put the link up here.

Found this website selling fakes:

http://www.vibram-fivefingerssale.com/index.php

vibramnewstore.com also seems to be fake….

Is Mountsport (www.mountsport.com) a legit vendor for fivefingers? I just ordered the Bikila from them. They had the Bikila listed for $74.99 with $30.00 promotional discount code and free shipping. I basicly paid $44.99 for them. After the fact I started to think about how cheap I got them and started to question whether I just paid for knockoffs. I started to search around and come upon birthdayshoes.com. Can someone help me to determine if http://www.mountsport.com is selling legit five fingers?

Rafael

Bottom line…purchase your VFF’s in person. There is a reason the pricing is where it is…supply and demand PLUS quality of product. If the price seems too good to be true, it is.

Here’s what I received from Mount Sport:
Dear Ronnie,

Thanks for your email.

The Vibram Five Fingers shoes we sell is real.
We are selling the parallel import goods direct from factory.

Please free feel to contact us for any enquires.

Thanks!

Regards,
Mount Sport

2010/11/19 Mountsport [email protected]

Name: Ronnie
E-mail:
Telephone:

Comment: Are these real vibram Five Fingers or knock offs? I read a site stating that these are knockoffs on this site.

Thank you for your help,
Ronnie

Hi!

I ordered Vibram fivefingers flow yesterday from this address: vibramfivefingers-it.com.
Do you mean that they are gonna send me a fake vibrams or are they gonna send me vibrams at all?

Now I think I was stupid and I wasted my money.

think these are real?: http://www.discountvibramsale.com

I dont have much money, so feed back would really help! Thanks everyone!!

another way you can tell if they are real is going to the real vibram site and finding stores around you that are arthorized to be selling their product, Hope i helped. 🙂

DAMN IT!!!! I wish I saw this before I dropped some coin off of findingfivefingers.com. Well, now I know what to look for and where to buy legit VFF’s. I guess I’ll wear the knockoffs out and get a REAL pair soon.

This sucks.

I found another fake selling site, http://www.vibramsale.org. Didn’t see it on the list.

http://Www.airmax09.com is a fake vibram site as well

They are in cahoots with http://www.billingsupportsystems.com

So if the payment portal is the latter, beware

The KSO Trek I got from them was poorly made and the internal label had the model as M248 despite their assurance it was the real stuff

Is http://www.v-fingers.com a site selling fakes?

I want to know if this place is a fake or legit?

http://www.vibramfivefingers-shoes.net

I am leaning more towards the fake side…
No customer service number and the contact us area sends to a gmail account.

Unquestionably excellent evaluate of model and logos, thanks.

http://www.shoes-outlets.

Has anyone heard of or got ripped off by this website.

Has anyone noticed that Facebook is promoting all of the counterfeit sites and not one link that I’ve clicked on taook me to Vibram’s website. No wonder Facebook is worth 5 billion and they don’t provide a single service or product. Shame on Facebook!

I just ordered off of newfivefingers.com and havent heard anything after ordering them. They didn’t charge my card so I canceled my card just in case. I then proceeded to order a pair off of the official site. If in doubt just call the number off the vibram website and have them validate the site. The lady I spoke with sent me a list of official sites and was very knowledgeable. Hope this helps someone else.

Man, i got duped too, i ordered vibrams from vibramfivefingersit.com and haven’t received them yet. But i see now that they are fakes that i have paid $70.00 for. After my purchase they sent me a really cheesy bad grammar email confirming my purchase. When i emailed them the day after purchase to try and cancel the order they responded with a bad grammar email again to say that they were shipped.

I may or may not have been scammed… However I note that all the fakes so far are based off the Classic, Sprint and KSO lines.

Have you noticed any fake Bikilas out there? I’m hoping not!

“Because Vibram has their manufacturing in China it makes them very susceptible to fakes, and maybe by the very suppliers that they use. I was in the plastic molding business and it was a common complaint that Chinese manufactures would run their product Mon-Fri, and then produce the knock-offs Sat-Sun with the same equipment. They just seem to be changing materials, and mixing designs for the Vibram knock-offs.” I am with Mark, on thinking that the knock offs are coming from the Vibram factory. I also believe that’s what you risk by having your stuff made where it can get ripped off.

http://www.fivefingershoesfu.com/

Not sure if these are fake. They feature products w/pictures of the boxes, which vibram states on their website indicate a counterfeit.

– Jeff

newfivefingers.com FAKES….

has anyone here heard of futgloves?? seems vibram has some legitimate competition.

http://www.futglove.com/products/Men%27s-WARRIOR.html

http://fivefingersvibram . biz fake or not?

Not all fakes come from online retailers.

Right — Vibram’s website says it does not allow any retailer who is online only to sell VFFs, nor does it allow any retailer to sell on eBay in any case.

But, the Vibram site does say that of course, individuals may choose to sell their VFFs on eBay as a one-off sale (one pair at a time, sold by an individual who bought the pair for personal use).

There are many people selling “one-off” FFs on eBay. The item descriptions usually say they are selling because the shoes are the wrong size.

Be aware that some of these one-off sellers on eBay are NOT selling authentic VFFs. One pair I bought like this was authentic, another pair wasn’t. Browsing through the eBay one-off sales of VFFs, many of the photos appear to be of fake FFs. (And many photos are obviously taken of shoes in someone’s living room, for example).

Some of these one-off sellers may know their shoes are fake, some may not. Beware.

ON http://www.vibram5fingersstore.com I SEE SOME LOGO UNDER THE SHOES THAT ARE ORANGE.THOSE THAT MEAN THERE FAKE?

Hi all – I am a(legitimate!!!)retailer of FiveFingers in Switzerland. I knew there were fakes out there, but am amazed at the number of fake websites! One sure way to spot fakes is pics taken of the shoes on the box and/or with tags on them – Vibram NEVER does this.

@Òlafur – definitely fake!

@Jonathan Groen – I’d stay away from http://www.vibramfivefingersschuhe.com – some of them are fake, but many “look” ok. So you don’t know what you’ll get.

Here are a few European websites for fakes – I know some of my customers have looked on your website as well, so here’s a way to warn them.

http://www.vibramfivefingersswitzerland.com
http://www.vibramfivefingersdeutschland.com
http://www.vibramfivefingersschweiz.com

Unfortunately, these fakers have been able to reserve very real sounding domain names for themselves – like the ones above. I’ve seen that these exist for many countries – with same design, etc.

If you buy from a legitimate dealer and are not happy with the quality – return your FiveFingers. That’s part of our service and one reason you pay more!

First off, I would just like to point out that most big name brands do have knock-offs. The reason being is becuase these brands are way to expensive. I am a college student and my friends and I do not have 100-125 to spend on shoes. Would we like to buy the real thing yes, but if we could but identicals for 30-50 I’d like to say my money! Instead of point out fakes maybe you should spend some time writing an article on how companys rip people off. Can you honestly say these shoes are 60-80 dollars to make so, you have to make a porfit? NO, they prob cost about 10-15 dollars if that! So will I buy shoes that are bascailly the same for less money? Yes,yes I will. The idea of this article and you being so offended by knock-offs is materialistic. I suggest you get off you high horse. “You” are the reason America is the way it is!

Oh my gosh.. that Vibram Five fingers Men’s KSO Grey Orange, without the brand.. this is what i signed up to purchase at this website: http://vibramfivefingers-sale.org/vibram-five-fingers-mens-kso-grey-orange_p33.html can someone tell me if this is fake? it has no brand at all. it’s 50% half its price, that’s what lured me to buy it!

http://www.vibramfivefinger.me chech that place out

I’m afraid I’ve stepped into a scam too.

The site is fivefingersshoesoutlet.com and seems very similar with the other ones described here.

I’ve cancelled my credit card to avoid eventual additional charges. I’ll see if I receive anything, even a knockout.

I’ll update you in about a week.

Anyone know if http://www.eastonsale.net is legitimate?

In Sweden, the VFF costs 230 us dollars… Thats f***** crazy…

As I was saying before fivefingersshoesoutlet.com is a scam site.

Due to the impossibility to buy Bikila LS anywhere, I ended up ordering from them for $75. Too good to be true but woke up too late.

I’ve unexpectedly received the shipment with shoes of the wrong color and horribly wrong design. Anatomically incorrect, funny laces, bad rubber on the sole … and many more.

Can the moderator please add the aforementioned web site to the list?

All this info should be on the Vibram site to prevent the fraud.

i just purchased a fake pair of five fingers from http://www.vibramfivefingersbing.com
total fakes everyone beware!

Should have done more research beforehand. Unknowingly bought a pair of fake from http://www.vibramfivefingerscheap.net recently for US$69. Fits uncomfortably and poor overall quality. No integrity holding on to it and definitely shipping it back with risks of incuring losses.

What about this one????

http://www.vibramfivefinger.de

I think these are fakes also
http://www.sneaker-space.com

vibram-5five-fingers.com

Yet another one using Facebook ads to promote the fake products

Wont it be easier to go to the main site and check which sites are authorised to sell these? I just bought some Black/white/black Speed/Ten inch feet. It was real confusing with the shoe size because over here in the UK its done differently. I bought mine from http://www.baselayer.co.uk/

This site did come up under the official Vibram site as a authorised seller. If not ive been scammed too.

If your so worried about fake VFF Stop being lazy people and go to a store like REI or other sport stores and purchase them. The iternet has made us Americans fat and lazy hopefully you will run off some pounds once you go out and purchas the VFF.

@ Jacob,
Those are fake.Don’t buy them. Go to the birthdayshoes store and find a seller from there.

Buying from the Chinese counterfeiters can also leave your credit card information in dodgy hands.

You probably also wanna add http://www.mbtvibram.com everything from the WHOIS of the domain (from China) to the gmail contact address smells fishy. There are reports from German customers that they never received their orders or that they received knockoffs (e.g. http://facto24.de/2011/03/07/mbtvibram-com-vorsicht-bei-diesem-shop/)

Ruth,

They may not need to “hack” your credit card account. You already gave them all the information they needed to charge merchandise to it.

Almost all Russian sites, for example:
vibramfivefingers.ru.com
five-fingers.ru
45fingers.ru
are selling chinese fakes. And they don’t even hide this fact.

be aware!!! http://www.vibramfivefingersale-us.com this will be link automatically to http://f1vef1ngerst0re.tk/

i just made a big mistake (before i’ve found this site) and order from this Site after following the Link from Amazon.com, it has noticed as an official US supplier.

Hope someone are able to help me please:

I want to buy Vibrams after reading about them here, but in my country (Norway) they’re not easy to find.
I found one online store, selling beige smartwool Vibram Classic, but the insoles are black in the pictures. Aren’t they supposed to be yellow?
I don’t see them pictured here on birtdayshoes…

Very grateful if anyone could tell me whether I should buy them or not!
🙂

What do I do if I bought shoes from a fraud site?

I bought from fivefingerclearance, those bastards.

I cant return them because their return policy is ridiculous.

I feel stupid for buying on impulse.

no website fivefingersoutlets.org

Are all you people stupid and not read the article? You keep asking “is ____ real?” when you can clearly determine that after reading all the information they were so nice to post here. It’s so obvious… get a brain!

how about vibram outlet .com- is there any such thing for real- is not having a telephone number for a contact suspicious (china)thanks

I also found a site that sells fake FiveFingers.

http://www.pickshoponline.com

Can anyone tell me where I can find moderately inexpensive, but still legit, vibram speeds? I really want a pair for a trip soon, but I can’t find any that aren’t like $150.

Ok, so i just purchased a pair of The vibram kso shoes on ebay. Except that the price was only $60 with free shipping…this has got me plenty worried as i do not know if these are real or not. Here’s the url, let me know what you think…http://cgi.ebay.com/Mens-Vibram-Five-Fingers-KSO-Black-Shoes-EU-42-/330576746135?pt=US_Men_s_Shoes&hash=item4cf7e8d697#ht_2008wt_922
Thanks!

Hello All,

I have recently purchased two pairs of KSO in black / orange from vibramfivefingersmart.com. I have a horrible feeling that they are fake, unfortunately payment has been taken (from my CC) through yourspay.com and I have been informed that they have been shipped through EMS.

Does any body please have advice on the options I may have? I am hoping the shoes are not fake, but not holding my breath. Fortunately I have a pair of (genuine) speed, so at least I can make a comparison.

Thanks for your time!

http://www.vibramfivefingerscenter.com/

Anyone know if this is a fake?

It seems pretty damn good if it is. I haven’t ordered from it and I may still not but I’m trying to buy my boyfriend a new pair of these and I’m trying to go as cheap as possible for real Bikila’s.

The best I’ve found is Moosejaw has a 10$ off coupon right now for filling out a survey and you can apply that.

That site looks pretty damn legit though

Here is another one
vibramfingersshoes.com
after I place the order I realize something is wrong after some research I realize I just paid for a fake one : (

Hi I ordered some Mocs from http://www.fivefingersuk.org/

Its not in the list of fakes but I have had no contact from them, can you tell me are they fake? and should I cancel my back card?

There is a web site called barefootshoeoutlet.com that sell only VFF’s at 59% off offering a further discount if you buy multiple pairs. Also free international shipping and no actual info on where they are based. Sounds very troublesome for me as I have been stung twice with fake VFF’s and I still don’t own a legit pair. It is a very good fake site.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
for this posting about fraudulent/fake sites. an amazing resource. you saved me. i was about to buy from one such site, saw a red flag, googled, found you & this post, and was saved.
You Rock!

Just bought some amazing KSO’s from a very professional and real looking website, with none of the tell-tale signs. They arrived (from China) but in the correct box, with all the correct labels (my friend has a pair she bought from her local triathlon shop so I had real ones to compare with) – they totally had us fooled……. but then came a second pair I hadn’t ordered … a pair of speeds I think, but very obviously cheap and shoddy and without the box or labels. I decided to email vibram dierectly and ask – 3 days later I got a response – FAKE.
I was quite disappointed, no-one likes to be duped, and now I have to go through the hassle of sending them back, getting visa to try and get my money back for me, and going out and buying new ones for full price from a shop – because I tell you what, with over 500 sites on that list selling fakes I’m not risking it!
I know some of you are thinking ‘if they’re that good, then why send them back – I ask myself the same, but I can’t, within my morals, support the fake industry – if they sold them as ‘the same as vibrams’ or ‘as close to vibrams as you’ll get for half the price’ then I’d keep them. i’m just not going to put up with the lying!

http://www.vibramksos.com
Think they are fake but only realised after buying a pair. DOH

Is this page being updated from time to time?

is the http://www.vibramfivefingers.com website a fraud too?

I think that I ordered of a fraud website which is: http://www.fivefingershoesdiscount.com
dan anyone confirm of that?

thanks

i ordered from fivefingerusa.com and supposedly they are being shipped but they are still in China after a week now. How is nobody doing anything about these fakes? man i wish i had done a little research first i dont know what i was thinking

“Wow”! This site actually looks like the real Vibram FiveFingers site! The nerve of these people…. http://www.vibramfive-fingersshoes.com

I wish I had known about your site before I bought mine from china. Yes, they were counterfeit and I gave them away to someone who couldnt afford a pair. I then promptly bought some from citysports and was very pleased with their service. Thank you for keeping people informed of fakes.

Hello Dean (08/05/11). I am in the same boat. Purchased from vibramfivefingersale-us.com and the order has been pending (preparing shipment) since July 29. Yes it has been 3 weeks for me also and I realize now that I was probably scammed. The problem is that you do not know the product is coming from China until you have completed your purchase. The funny thing is when I tried to log in to my account on the main page….the account no longer exists. I am usually pretty good about not getting scammed as I am always cautious. But…guess they got me this time. I am going to give it a few more days then try to dispute with the bank. May not have any luck, but it’s worth a try.

Check this fakes out. Sky fivefingers
http://213.132.112.100/images/90/9016115766.jpg

I have been trying to find out if this site is legit, but no luck.

http://www.vibramfivefingersaler.com

Whoisit.net says that its hosted by GoDaddy.com

Any insight into this one?

Instead of going on and on about sites that are NOT genuine; can you create a list of GENUINE sites I should try if I want to get a pair? This would be helpful for readers as well!

I ordered 3 pairs from
vibramfivefingersale-us.com

I received one pair and an email that said the other two pairs are out of stock, so I guess it not a total scam cause I did get one pair, however there web site was down when I tried to change my order as instructed, and yes it has take 3 weeks to get my one pair of shoes.

http://www.5fingers-forcheap.net/

Looks shady

Has anyone heard of http://www.vibramfivefingersbarefoot.com site? I ordered my vibram sprints on this site for 60 and when i tried to input my order number it said it didnt exist and i also tried to call there service number and it was disconnected. Can someone help me if they know anything about this site?

Can you tell me if this site is legit?

Thank you

http://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/shop/home_10208_10000001

hey i found some vibrams that had weired looking mertial and they were $200 WOW I WAS LIKE WOH!! THEY ARE FAKE

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

http://www.theshoescity.com/

pretty certain this ones not real…

contact us–> URL not found and there are some serious deals.

I recently got tuned into the VFF shoes. I ordered a pair of KSO’s off eBay and received them 2 weeks later. Wish I hadn’t done that now after reading the article. Went to my local shop, River Sports, and purchased a pair of KSO’s today. Side by side the first noticeable difference is the Vibram logo on the large toe, the eBay KSO has a black logo, the River Sports KSO has the yellow logo. The second difference is the sole, the eBay KSO has a much thicker sole in the forefoot and heel, the individual toe cuts in the sole are slightly off, and the Vibram logo is glued slightly crooked. The third difference was the loop for the instep strap was run differently on the eBay KSO. The last noticeable difference that I saw was the fabric, the mesh was the same, the stitching on the eBay shoe is single stitch at the opening with no elastic, the fabric on the eBay shoe almost felt like neoprene.

Now with that being said I have officially worn both of these shoes. The eBay shoe while being heavier soled worked better for traction on a metal trailer while pulling the cable out of our winch. I did notice that they held more heat and where the heel sat in the shoe I started getting a blister after about 2 hours, noticed that while pressure washing the driveway. That was all yesterday. Today after purchasing the KSO at River Sports, I wore the shoes for 3 hours with no issues. I noticed right away the difference in movement. I am definitely a VFF convert regardless of the fakes.

Just to clarify what everyone has said, buy the real thing, go to your local shop try them on, and try to stay away from the fakes.

Lots of fake site for UK as well.
These are surely fake:

http://www.Vibramsfivefingersuk.org (china based site)

http://www.vibramfivefingersuksale.com (china based site)

http://www.vibramfivefingersuksale.com (china based site)

Wish I didn’t come across your site. I’m sure I would have been ignorantly happy with my fake five fingers.

http://vibramfivefingerus.com/

Justin:

Thanks for the site! I bought a pair of Bikilas from a legit site (TravelCountry.com) without having heard of the dangers of internet ordering and now realize how lucky I was.

A comment was made previously about threeathlon.com looking shady. Their site is very professional looking, with relatively few misspellings, and they even have a Facebook link. However, they give no land address and 2 out of 3 resellerratings.com comments call them counterfeiters (http://www.resellerratings.com/store/ThreeAthlon).

They show up huge in Google hits, so it would sure be nice to hear definitively about their legitimacy — about whether the resellerratings comments are valid or mudslinging.

Thanks!

bought my first pair of KSOs off fivefingersuk.org through a google sponsored link last week.

only now am i realising that its not legit and the company isnt responding to my emails.

I appreciate now that they are obv fake and indeed were well below other prices. Pissed now that ive wasted money on fake goods and unsure if they will even come

ive ordered on my credit card….any chance of gettin money back?any one had any such experiences?

quite dissapointed as I online shop alot and so was ignorantly trusting to google sponsored links…annoying that there are so many fake outlets and it is so unclear where to order from

What about http://www.allhotkicks.com??

Pls tell me 🙂

Best regards from Germany

what country are five finger shoes made in?

I was wondering if this site is legit or not:

http://www.vibramcenter.com

I have my heart set on a pair of KSO’s, and I do not want to get ripped-off.

Thank you,
Mark Warner

Just found this site. From the look of it they have not only copied the look of the real Vibram site but I am pretty sure they are selling fakes and trying to pass them off as authentic. Buyer beware!

http://www.discountvibramoutlet.com/

I was scammed by fivefingersbar.com…I see they’re in your list and I’m so glad you’re doing this, but is there anyway we could help take these sites down?! What can I do?

Found another one: http://www.freeshop-discount.com

I think vibramfivefingersuk.us is a fake site. Instead of receiving my shoes, a cheap bracelet from China arrived!

http://www.sportschuhewien.com
http://www.beachsfreunde.de
http://www.vibramfivefingersschuhe.net
http://www.vibramshop.de

Fake!?

I think vibramsbarefootshoes.com is fake.
I am another person taken for a ride. They are definitely from china.

Do you think they have the ability to make fake Trek LS already? there are some for $85 on ebay… I’m so tempted! but also very wary. Full price is so much, but worth it, I know.
Just trying to get a deal.

Do you know anything about http://www.vibram2outlet.com/

They’re selling pretty cheap, and I can’t tell if they’re legit or not.

Hi,

Its a pitty I did not find this site before I ordered 2 pairs five fingers at http://www.vibramfivefingersuk.us
I believe also FAKE site.
Looks like a original VIBRAM site but payment is going to CHINA!

Just got off the phone with Vibram and they said a reputable site to order from is http://www.travelcountry.com. The Vibram rep assured me it was 100% legit.

Just thought someone might want to know.

Also, their kangaroo leather is a by-product of animal control in Australia. They do not kill ‘roos to make their shoes.

@Kate

The Kangaroo population in Australia is not controlled so their population is culled in order to control it.

Hi,
http://www.fivefingersuk.net looks very suspicious – whois suggests it is Chinese and the site claims to be an official UK supplier.
J.

Honestly – I cancelled an Ebay order after almost buying fakes now I’m thinking I may as well get them. Why? Because I live in Korea and I’ve contacted Vibram more than once trying to find out how I can buy some authentic Vibrams and they just ignore the query. Then they also went ahead and stopped shipping outside of the countries that they sell in (for the official sellers). I got hold of one American store that said they wouldn’t take returns – under no circumstances. So nevermind that these are difficult to fit and I’m in between two sizes on the Vibram size chart, I may have to pay the high price and have shoes that don’t fit. So Vibram has pretty much projected that they don’t want me to buy their shoes. While at the same time the Chinese sellers on Ebay have always given me good service and the seller on Ebay was willing to give me express shipping for free and had no problems with exchanges (and never ignored emails). Makes you wonder who should be getting your money…

I got my fakes from dealextreme.com. They don’t use Vibram trade marks, logo’s or any misleading stuff. I knew what I bought for $31, shipping included. Fair deal.

i met a guy selling vffs locally (malaysia). he said he got them from a factory in china when he was there. claimed to be vffs factory. btw, he’s a police man. he said he normally sells online, but since he lives close to my office, he agreed to meet. i also said i need a size fitting.

so i bought a bikila. picture >> http://zone5.com.my/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IMG-20111203-00158.jpg (it got wet just now, hence the dirty looks)

notice, no branding on top. however, there are branding on both outer sides of the heels. the box looks right. my fren have a kso he bought from the states, so i could just compare the quality, seems right too.

tried searching the net, but couldnt find any photos of bikila with same color schemes, which is red with darker gray, rather than light gray as in vibram’s site (plain area between straps and toes).

need clarification if this is fake or not.

hey,
i think it’s a false… you have a google add on your site from actionsports.com, it looks like some weird green sprints without any creases or anything on the sole, just flat

Oh rats. I should have known. I ordered 3 pairs from fivefingersbar dot com. I only got them there because my size / color combo not available at the official vibram shop. So my invoice shows a MRSbai company in Bejing. One pair of Jaya are so off size, they are funny (I wear 36 but these are easily a 38). A pair of Komodo Sport have a tiny foot opening, I can barely get my foot in. The Bilika LS fit well, but the finishing around the toes is dodgy, and my feet sweat like crazy in them. Note that the boxes & labeling look genuine. Honestly for the $40 I saved, I should have just waited till I went to the US.

So what is the official yellow stitch branding on the top of the shoe for the vibram kso’s in all black? I have legit camo, and remix’s tht were bought from vibrams site but I’m looking on eBay and I am seeing some with both right and left yellow “vibram” stitching. And I see some tht have only the left shoe with the yellow stitching. And the vibram site shows the all blacks with one shoe that has no stitching on one of them but the other colors have both so I’m a bit confused. Please help or message me answers. Will be greatly appreciated.

I bought a pair from one of birthday shoes recommended retailers. I compared mine with the tips on spotting a fake. Mine seems authentic but the shoes has no tags on and there isn’t a book inside the shoe box. I hope it’s because the shoes were returned to the store because of the wrong fit and they forgot to put the tags and book back into the box.

Hi All,

Found this website selling Vibram shoes. Do you think it’s fake? http://www.jordannike.com/products/womens-vibram-five-fingers-komodosport–black-grey-wkomodosport01.html

Price too good to be true?

2 years later & I’m just reading this… There’s a remote possibility that I purchased a very good pair of knock-offs. I will say though, I haven’t been at all disatisfied with my product – indeed, I will be going into my 3rd season with the Five Fingers that I currently own. Interesting that when a declared value was placed on the package passing through customs they were only valued at $20. I’m not surprised though, Ariat charges top $$ for their product & doesn’t (usually) pay more than $40 per pair (depending on materials used). The price we pay for price-setting, and lots of glossy advertising.

@justin Thanks for your reply. I’m certain that mine is authentic as I compared them with my friend’s china made ones. Was annoyed initially when I received mine without tags and a booklet but I have since resolved the issue with the lovely seller. 🙂

Do check out http://www.gmarket.com.sg and search for “vibrams” Gmarket is actually a lovely site selling all kinds of Korean products but the Chinese sellers have started selling their fake goods in there! They advertise their vibrams like the real thing!

Can you tell me if Riversportoutfitters.com is a fake? I only ask because they sell for WAY less. I ordered my husbands from Moosejaw and he LOVES his grey/camo KSO’s. Of course, working in steel toes 12 hours a day, he starts singing “Heaven, I’m in heaven” when he puts on his VFF’s, lol. But riversportoutfitters has a huge clearance on VFF’s and at a great price with ALL sizes, BUT NO RETURNS!! Hmmmm

im a start up business on facebook and im trying to branch into supplying the best fitness clothing and footware. In my searching i found many wholesaler sites selling what are clearly fakes. But on saying that i hve found one that i am very unsure of. The website is

http://www.5fingersuk.com/

Id love to stock the genuine vibram five fingers and if anyone could tell me some names of vibram five fingers wholesalers id be forever greatful!

thank you
charieen.

I think http://www.4youtrade.com sells fakes. Can you confirm this?

Another to add to the list

http://www.men-women-shoes.com

Fivefingers4sale.net

yet another fake?
I thought the give-away sign was the contact-us page in gibberish.

I wish I would have known this before I bought a pair of “FiveFingers TrekSports” off of ebay. They were ripping at the seems within 3 months of me getting them, and looking at them now and reading some of the descriptions of the knock off FiveFingers, mine were definitely knock offs…The upper was made of a Lycra sort of material as opposed to the coconut carbon and the material between the toes was the same as the mesh on the top of the foot. They even came with a factory error; the rubber on the inner side near my big toe was slightly separated from the upper. All of these things in conjunction caused them to be ripped apart…like a geriatric prostitute.

Other than that, when they were alive and well, I enjoyed the feel of barefoot running (which I already did at the cottage), but without the pine needles and stone bruise! I’ll definitely be buying some LEGITIMATE FiveFingers soon (possibly the new Spyridon LS’s).

TL;DR – Unknowingly bought counterfeits off ebay and they sucked. Getting legitimate ones now.

http://myworld.ebay.com/soleandesire

how abt this person? the person is selling not really cheap price but cheaper by a lil bit($20) in my country.help please…

I wish I would of known this beforehand as well. I bought my daughter her first pair on ebay, and they did not hold up at all. Sure, she wore them everyday, I wore my authentic Sprints everyday, and they are still in great shape. Hers tore apart with in a few months, about 3.

I purchased 2 pair of VFFs on fivefingers4sale.com. Had not viewed this site or the list of fakes/counterfeit VFFs. That said, placed the order and thought I was going to save a little. Checked my online bank statement and saw that 2 charges from a company in China were pending. First charge was for the original total. Second was for $1.80( transaction charge??? )
Anyway, did a search of the company and what do you know! The 3rd search result was this website leading to the fakes page. Sure enough fivefingers4sale.com is on the list.
I contacted the fraud dept. w/ my credit union and was advised to wait for items, attempt to return and file with Visa. Good idea, so I wait. Hold on. Received an email from the pay site YourSPay that was used to process my payment.
“We are the online payment platform, and we are glad to inform you that your following payment have just been refunded by us. It will be arrived at your bank account in about 10 to 30 business days which also depends on your issuing bank’s refund cycle.” The amount refunded does not include the $1.80 interestingly enough even though it is from the same “company”.
I am going to notify my credit union of this and contact Visa as well. In the day and age of instant pay, there should be instant refund. 10 to 30 days seems a little excessive to me. I suspect they are pocketing the transaction fee??? And using western funds for short term investing before they actually refund anything.
It sux that we have to put up with fraud and counterfeiting. I realize “buyer beware” is the norm (and my own attempt to save a little money has bitten me in the rear) but it shouldn’t be.
I hope anyone else who has had this happen to them will be lucky enough to receive a refund and that even if they do they will still contact their issuing institution and implore them to follow up on fraud so that it could be slowed if not stopped all together.

I think vibramsydney.com is fake

Thanks for the ongoing good work!

Hi all, for those who dont care about brand names or dont like the idea of paying more for less.
Ive now tried both original KSOs and Bikilas, and ‘ebay’ KSO trek sports.
originals i’ve ran in for approx 150km,
‘ebay’ pair i’ve used for approx 25km.

Basically the ‘ebay’ pair has a slightly stiffer bottom sole, and does not have the leather part of the original treksport. Also the mesh upper is not used but the original lycra-like upper of the KSO is used. The stitching is also not as symetrical/clean as the original, however doesnt seem to affect fitting and hasnt frayed/fallen apart yet.

Actual running and walking in the ‘ebay’ treksport feels fine and no different from using the original KSO, apart from slightly less feel due to the extra stiffness of the outsole.
I got them for 55aud of ebay, which imo is a somewhat reasonable price, actually id say 50usd would be a fair price for the original vibram models!

I definitely think Vibrams are a great innovation and design, HOWEVER, they are defintely not worth anywhere near the 100usd avg price tag!! As one wise poster from some site said “vibrams are pretty much glorified sandals/slippers with toe pockets!”

Heres another one for you vibramfivefingersbar.com they sent me the shoes in. the wrong size and now you can’t get them to return emails to return shoes. Now I’m stuck with fakes in the wrong size!

funky sales and never before seen models:
vibramfivefingersoutlet.com

http://www.cheap5fingers.us/

Almost bought from them. Glad I found your page!

hi all

just recieved a new pair of bikilas from javari.co.uk
it was a amazon linked site and so think its legit.

however recieving them this morning they feel completely different to my first pair of bikilas and now im wondering/concerned which are fake (if any).

the new ones from javari feel thicker/sturdier in the sole but the upper material feels thinner.
the old ones feel silkier and a little softer/smoother, but not as tight.
the velcro strap is one piece on the new ones, where the old ones have stitching wear it looks like the velcro is sown onto the strap.
the back heel tab is wider on my new ones from javari and the sizeing is under the upper by the top of the foot as opposed to on the side of the inside like my old ones.
and finally the yellow vibram logo on the sole is molded into the sole where my old ones it looks glued in.

i did have suspisions when originally recieving my old pair but as they were so comfortable i didnt really mind, but now its got me thinking- have i been raving and loving a fake product giving me a false impression and is the difference gonna disappoint me as im sure like everyone…. you always prefer your first….

can anyone help?
which pair are fake?- if any?

This site looks a bit dodgy to me, just want to know because my mate has bought a pair from there and i’m a bit concerned in case he’s going to get ripped off.

http://www.vibramfivefingersaleukonline.com

Feedback is much appreciated,
Thanks

Hi there,

Thanks for all the info. I was about to purchase a pair of Vibram FiveFingers KomodoSport at http://www.threeathlon.com but something does not look right ($74.99 – $15.00 discount). In addition, there is not a mailing address for returns or a secure checkout. Is this one of the fake five fingers retailers?

Thanks.
Ale

I nearly bit over on threeathlon.com just now.

and then i noticed that they spelled standard as “standart”…and use GSPAY…

I was almost sure I had found the last place that carried NOS original Brown KSO’s

So I searched a bit and found your site. Thanks for the service that you are providing.

Thanks to this blog, I dodged a bullet twice I was going to buy vibrams from a site which looked like a simplified but very similar site to the proper vibram site (had “us” added to the end of the address) They were selling all Vibrams about 3 to 40 dollars cheaper with free shipping explaining they were supplied via china which allowed for discounting. I literally had my card in hand and decided to wait a day to think it over in that time 2 things happened…I read this blog and found a store that was having a spring sale that was an official retailer…. The one question I have is How come since these are definatley fake but claim to be legit why cant Ebay shut them down? ??They require sellers recarding STAR WARS figure to say so in thier add..Why not the same for them?

I found a suspicious site. http://www.shoesshack.com KSO Treks for $63.00 I was born in the dark but not last night.

Apart from the dreamily cheap prices this site had me convinced: http://www.vibramsshoeoutlet.com. I’d like you to tell me it’s bona fide, but I think I can guess what you will say. Thanks.

I think they´re fake too??!!
http://www.vibramfivefingersschuheshop.com/ and
http://www.vibramdeoutlet.org

aren´t they?

I was going to order a pair of Classics from O2Gearshop.com for a sale price of $58.95. The site says that they “ship after 5 – 7 business days”. I called to inquire and the man on the phone said that they order directly from Vibram and that it takes that long to get to their wearhouse and that when they arrive they ship that day. Is this a fake Vibram seller, too???

This is another fake company
……. Threeathlon.com………..!!!!!!!!! becarefull i just got scam for this asss……holes…

Why I didnt see this web page before,

I just offered in a fake site, I am from Mexico and here we used to use a Mercadolibre.com.mx something like ebay.com and after I offer they send me to http://www.quiero1.com.mx and there they show some fake VFFs.

you cango to

http://www.quiero1.com.mx

and click on “CALZADO” in the left side of the page and it will appear “VIBRAM FIVEFINGERS” and after that you can see the fake VFFs and all of them have the same cost “1,100 MXN” mexican pesos.

I have a original VFFs that I bought in Houston, I found the store in the offical web page. but I wanna get a new ones so I offer there but I didnt know that they were fake.

Also at the official web page I found a mistake or discrepancy on some photos because I have a Black KSO and in some photos they didnt show/put the yellow VIBRAM brand in the thumb.

So really I appreciated this page thanks a lot.

Just got duped by a dodgy site, http://www.vibram-australia.net. They tell me their goods are authentic but Vibram US have told me it’s not real. Will try and get a refund but if not I’m planning to report it to my credit card company. If it’s not the real deal I’m not interested. So annoyed, was looking forward to getting some Bikila LS’s.

http://www.uk-vibram.com (FAKE) – Complete rip of the official site from ~Sep 2011. Only discovered your article once I’d received a strangely worded email and got suspicious :-(.

Buying originals if your not into second hand is quite easy, u just buy them from a vibram retailer. However, I have an offer to buy a pair of KSO Trek of a model called M346 second hand (but not used) from a privateperson. I cant find any information about this model which can either imply a fake or perhaps last years model? Anybody heard of model called KSO trek M346? Thank you for a great website. Carl

I bought a pair of Vibram Five Fingers at a shoe store in Salem, OR. The sizing is very different from my other shoes. I don’t see how they could be bought on line and fit properly.

http://vibramfive.com.ua

This shop probably trades in fakes.
Very low prices – 75 dollars on all given models

http://www.vibramfivefingers-au.com/womens-vibram-five-fingers-sprint-c-78.html

Root:
http://www.vibramfivefingers-au.com/

http://www.cheaphyperdunks2012.com/vibram-five-fingers-jaya-lr-grey-white-p-389.html

just wanted to give you a heads up on this fake site, i look forward to my new shoes!

http://www.fivefingersbar.com is another fake. I placed an order for 2 pairs of Bormio’s at $230. After placing the order i realized there was a $231.55 charge on my CC instead. Days later am told my order is out of stock & should order another product to which i declined & instead requested a refund. The customer service is so poor, all the email addresses they provide as giving feedback in 24hrs are a lie. anyway a month down the road after several reminders, they issue a refund, only that it was $29.68 less.

Here is another one:
vibramksoclearance.com

Hey Justin and everyone else!

Just stumbled across another one for your list:

http://www.vibramfivefingersalesky.com/

No company’s address, phone number etc.
Faulty links on the page that should lead you to guides on barefoot running.
And, of course, ridiculously low prices.
Cheers,
Eva

I have looked at this website, but not sure if it is a fake. Can anyone help????

http://www.vibramfivefingers-sale.co.uk/

Fake, http://www.vibramfivefingersskor.com/

im planning to buy vibram komodo ls from bestbuy,is this a good idea?

Great just bought a pair myself for £55 from Vibramfivefingersoutlet.Co.uk then after more research I found this site, to find out that its a fake site. I emailed them straight away to cancel my order, no address or phone number found on the site. They have replied back to my email asking why and I will be charged 10% of I want a refund. But hopefully I’ll just lose the 10% and get the rest back.

I’ve been looking for some vibrams but i am worried there are more fake sites than lergit sites.
Can anyone help me and send me some sites that a real.

Thanks

After seeing David’s message I emailed fivefingeroutlet myself to cancel and to try to get a refund. The goods have already sent now so it seems I’m out of options. I’ve had to cancel my credit card and change the passwords on all the sites that share the same password as the one I registered with them. I’ll post the details of the state of the shoes when they arrive confirming if it matches the facts above. Gutted!

Hi Justin.
I bought a pair of VFF and later on, when I posted a photo with it on my feet, immediately I started receiving posts, telling me those were fake.
Now I found another website wich i thought was pretty legit, but, after reading your words, I’m not so sure.
http://www.vibramfivefingershoesstore.com/
Can you tell me if this is for real or not?
Thanks for everything.
PS: sorry about my writing. I’m portuguese and maybe there are some mistakes.

another one, this time ripping off Australians. Whois says they’re Chinese, so I say don’t trust the genuinity.
buyvibramaustralia.com

Question for David)David I would like to find out if you received your shoes and if you did are they fake? I’ll appreciate your answer very much!
Kiera

New site too add to the list, officialvibram.com they even sell “vibram five finger filas”!

For anyone who hasnt read or chooses to ignore the cardinal rule with Vibrams (they dont sell on EBAY and if the site is not listed on Vibrams’ site as a legit reseller) You CAN get your money back. if paypal was used submit a claim right away and it will be refunded in 7 days of submitting it or EVERY major credit card company provides purchase protection against fraud. Give them a call and they will handle the rest, fraud is a form of theft and your legally protected and WILL get your money back. If you do nothing other people will fall victim to the same site.Every complaint is another step closer to having them shut down

http://www.vibramfivefingershoesstore.com
Is this a fake too?

http://www.vibramfivefingersoutlet.co.uk/ Fake?

A friend of mine told me of a website called Zulily, http://www.zulily.com, that offers Vibrams at a discount. They have no storefront. Can anyone tell me if they are selling fakes?

I just got a pair of fake vibram komodosports ls off ebay. They were using the “real pictures” and listing everything as real.
These are the green black version.
Fake attributes:
-The slider on the lace is a different plastic design.

-Velcro under slider is different material/color

-The supposed to be pleather material covering one side of the laces is a different rougher material. Sort of a smoked black color.
-The soles are stiched

-The green fabric between the first three toes are of a different material.

– The embroidered vibram stiches font is correct but the stitching is way too skinny

-Weighing weight difference from my real ones vs fakes in new condition. 7.1oz (real) vs 5.0oz(fake)

-Overall shoe feels flimsier.

There are probably other counterfeit aspects of this shoe I am missing out.
Beware!! Because once you realize the vibrams on your feet are fakes, it WILL mess with your inner chi as you run.

Thanks a lot for the website. I was waiting to try on a pair in a local store before ordering at a big discount from http://www.vibramfivefinger-sale.com/, then I found this site. Had a fun (in a sinister way) and informative experience reading through a bunch of the comments. Thanks again for the site, I’ll share on facebook. Good work!

Uk buyers beware of http://www.vibramsfivefingers.co.uk currently ranking very well in Google. all look fake.

I’m desperate for Classics size 43. What about this site?

http://www.runningzshoes.com/us/vibram-five-fingers-classic-men-s-shoes-black-yellow

think some of the offered colours are
not original…
http://www.barefootfingers.com/

Bought a pair of Speeds off of cheapvibramksosale.com
And they were too small, as I have had many real fivefingers in the same size before, thus I started to suspect they were fake. I emailed the Fivefinger Rep for Florida here is his reply:
Yes, those shoes are counterfeit, below are some ways to tell:

1. We just started shipping the solid black speed last week, the old one was black and white. No dealers have it yet.

2. It has the wrong color outsole, the real one is gray and black, not solid black.

3. The shoes came directly from China. We don’t have any dealers in China and approved dealers are not allowed to ship overseas.

4. It has a Bikila tag on the inside, but it is not a Bikila, it is a speed.

5. The type font for the sizing is wrong.

They were likely made using substandard materials and not on our lasts, which means the fit is incorrect. We have also gotten information that the counterfeit houses use child labor.

Counterfeiters are thieves, plain and simple. I encourage you to write a letter to your congressmen, urging him to stand up to the Chinese and to pass more stringent laws against this sort of thing.

6PM.com sells vibram fivefinger shoes.Are they reputable? I know there are some fake web sites that sell them. Please advise.

Thanks, Kim

Thank you all for these insightful comments, and for the dude who has brought people together with vibram/barefoot running.

Palladiumfinder is a seller on eBay who is selling fakes.

Might I add the obvious? If they’re dirt cheap; not listed on the official site; Have terrible errors on grammar in the description; Are shipped from Chin then I`d bet my life that they’re fake. MY LIFE! Don’t be a mug, buy the real thing.

I’ll hopefully experience my first real pair tomorrow, if they fit. Fingers crossed they fit.

this is quite suspicious could you check it out?
http://www.5shoes4u.co.uk/

Before finding this site I ordered a pair of Vibrams from what I thought was a legit UK seller, then I got the email saying they were being delivered from China “ding-ding” alarm bells. Even now I am still awaiting delivery even though the said they were delivered 36 hours later at 02:00am, fast delivery from China don’t even know if UPS offer that. Anyway the site is http://www.uk5fingers.org, looks perfectly genuine but I don’t think so as I have now emailed 3 times without reply

Pretty sure you can add these guys to the list: http://www.vibramforfiveshoes.com/
Grammar is a bit off, pricing/sales seem “too good”, Vibram (the real guys) never seem to refer to their FFs as “shoes” etc.

Hi there,
I tried to order on this site: http://www.vibram-fivefingersonline.co.uk/

I wanted to order the Komodo sport model which cost 76€ with shipping.
For some reason the order status is “declined” so I sent an email. Here is the answer:
Dear my friend
Thanks for your attention on our website!
http://www.vibram-fivefingersonline.co.uk/
I am very sorry to tell u ,
ur order #98562107 been not successfu
we donot have received the correct information for payment
u need make a order again
Looking forward to your reply
Best Regards,
C.S Department
http://www.vibram-fivefingersonline.co.uk/
2013-05-28
________________________________________
service6060

Siince there are many writing error I’m begining to be suspicious and I’m checking my account every day to be sure.

Let me know if this website is fake too.

Thanks.

Regards,
Sebastien

Both Fakes.

http://www.fivefingersvibramuk.com
http://www.vibram5fingersonline.co.uk

Dear Confused – I’ve never seen FiveFingers go for anywhere near that cheap in Australia, they’re usually twice as expensive as in the states. Also Vibram never sizes as unisex, there’s always been M and F, also I’m not sure that Vibram have their own brand of socks, usually it’s Injini (sp). It’s hard to say, but contact them and grill them for some info, see what happens. Good luck 🙂

what about http://vibramfivefingerssale.info/ ?

http://vibramdeutschland.motorbloggo.de/

Can you please check that site it is in german but with an chinese postal service logo

Hey Justin, I’m in the UK and just wanna know if any of the following are legit.

http://www.primallifestyle.com
http://www.barefootjunkie.com
http://www.vibrams.co.uk

Thanks in advance.

@Andy, 02/18/12 @ 01:11
>http://myworld.ebay.com/soleanddesire [typo corrected]
>
>how abt this person? the person is selling not really cheap
>price but cheaper by a lil bit($20) in my country.help please…

OK, it’s been a while since this was asked, but I just received a pair of VFF Speed black/white I ordered there and they are legit. I already own a jet-black pair (see Vibram’s european site) that I got from an authorized dealer and they match in material, size and build quality.

another fake site – scanadvisor reports its either sweden or china based – vibramshoes-australia.net

Another false site.

http://www.sme-angola.org/

http://www.vibramfivefingerstreksportcanada.com/

another fake

Is http://www.fivefingersireland.net fake? It seems to be legit but I haven’t seen it mentioned anywhere before and you can only contact them via e-mail.

I think http://www.officialfivefingersshop.com is FAKE!Free shipping and no tax? Really?!

Was just looking at vibramsuksale.co.uk and thought it all looked to good to be true. Not just the price but the website is very convincing.

Glad I did some research!

http://louisveske.com/productlist.asp?id=s260
No comment.

I wish I had found this page sooner! I just purchased a pair of fake Mupuks from Ebay, thinking they were real Vibrams. They haven’t arrived yet, so no I’m worried that I wont even get shoes at all!

is http://www.vibramsuksale.co.uk. a fake site ?

Potential fakes?

http://www.carolinescollection.co.uk/

http://www.5shoes2u.co.uk/

Here is one i’m not sure of http://www.fivefingereshop.com I was looking at these http://www.fivefingereshop.com/vf46-mens-vibram-fivefingers-speed-xc-shoesnavygreyblack-p-58.html

thefivefingers.co is a fake. I ordered a pair of shoes, but has not received a package or a confirmation of shipping. They did not respond to my inquiry. I should have checked this website before ordering.

do NOT buy from http://www.fivefingervibram-canada.com

i was “this close” to putting in my c/c info for a purchase. then i stopped and looked up the domain. its Russian. And then the page for paying takes you to promptlypayments.com or something like that. guess the home of this one? yup, China.

Is swimoutlet.com a legit dealer?

Hi,

I have just been scammed by dhwm.co.uk

I bought a pair of bikila ls but have received a totally different, badly made knock-off. I thought I bought a pair from a shop in the UK at discount because this model has been replaced by the EVO. But it turns out its fake. It didnt come in a box. It did have the vibram logo’s on it. It was shipped from Hong Kong.

I am still in contact with the seller trying to get a refund, but I dont think I will be succesfull.

Greetings from Holland

This is more than suspicious. Any comment frmo someone else ?
http://www.fivefingersvibramscanada.com/

Under the heading “Know the product”, you have a link to the main Vibram site, VibramFiveFingers.com, which redirects to us.vibram.com. This site also has links to the vibram sites in Europe (Italy) and Asia (China). Out of these sites, it appears that only the Vibram US site allows purchases on-line. (Living outside the US, there isn’t a lot of options for purchasing on-line and one has to look elsewhere for alternatives. Most U.S. sites aren’t too interested in shipping internationally).

I also came across http://www.vibramfivefingers.it with links to US (being us.vibram.com) and Asia (China) sites. It seems that http://www.vibramfivefingers.it is legit as the screenshot for the link “Vibram has posted this notice at the top of vibramfivefingers.com” under the heading under the heading “Imitation Vibram Five Fingers — Say it aint so!” shows an e-mail address with vibramfivefingers.it as the domain. This would make the Chinese vibramfivefingers web site legit as well, would it not? Unlike the international vibram.com websites, these two international vibramfivefingers websites do allow Internet purchases.

What gets me about the Chinese site is the inconsistencies in the different (angled) pictures for one particular model. Is the Chinese site really a legit site? If it is a legit site, does that mean, for example, men’s black KSO’s have different “versions” or is that the Chinese site is displaying photos of fakes? Does it also mean they’re selling fakes as well?

One example of why I’m assuming some pictures are fakes is that the inner sole clearly shows stitching. Correct me if I’m wrong but I understand it that in real VFF’s, they are glued into place, not stitched.

Do note that the China site has a lot more choices in VFF’s. Seems natural though as that’s where VFF’s are manufactured (both real and fakes).

If this Chinese site is really Vibram’s legit site and that they are displaying photos of fakes (or even worse, selling fakes) that won’t do much for Vibram’s image. What happend to their “efforts to fight the sale of counterfeit merchandise”?

If interested contact me and I can provide links to pics on the Chinese website and e-mail pics as well.

In relation to my previous post on 2015-12-01

The following 2 links to 2 different websites display images of Bikila EVO black/yellow (14M3501). The first link is Vibram’s own website so one would assume these images are of the genuine article. The second is to Zappos.com, which birthdayshoes.com has endorsed.

http://us.vibram.com/shop/fivefingers/men/running/bikila-evo/M31.html?dwvar_M31_color=Black%20%2F%20Yellow#start=1

http://www.zappos.com/vibram-fivefingers-bikila-evo~1

Selecting the top view image of the shoe on the two sites, can anyone explain why the inner lining between the two shoes are different as is the inner sole and the Vibram logo (both on the inner sole and the back of the shoe)?

Is Zappos displaying images of fakes? Worse, selling fakes!?!? Or did the Vibram factory just run out of black material for the lining and inner sole?

fivefingersdon.com fake site

Admins… I see awhile back that you mentioned Amazon did not sell Vibrams FiveFingers, only third party sellers. I recently purchased a pair sold by Amazon LLC, through prime. You can see it here.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KR4PTUK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Would you consider these fake? I’m trying to find out whether or not Amazon can be trusted at this day and age. I can find no discernible mistake in the making or branding. (I received the shoes this afternoon).

I asked Vibram about FiveFingers sold on Amazon and this is their reply:

“Buying through Amazon is an authorized source as long as it is purchased [sic] and fulfilled by Amazon.”

So as long it is sold (and fulfilled) directly by Amazon and not some 3rd party seller, then it’s legit. Please be aware that the seller may change when changing the size or color of the shoes. That means that some sizes may be sold by Amazon and other sizes may be sold by 3rd party sellers. Check each time after changing the size or color on the Amazon website!

@BirthdayShoes: Please add Amazon to the legit online retailers, because I had to ask Vibram since they were not on your list.

http://thefivefingers.co/category.php?id=10

I’m very certain now that this (already listed) website is a fraud…

If the website is a fraud, it means there was never “shoes” to begin with?

The page looks okay, but prices!!! 😀 and the “buy one get one for free”!!!
Must bee scam!

Here is the link:
http://www.euvibram.online/men-watersports-c-2561_2563.html

I bought my first pair of Vibram FiveFingers Men’s Flow Color Grey Green and Camo off of Amazon on September 2, 2015.I was very excited to get them when they arrived that I tried them on right away but then the unthinkable happened, they didn’t fit right I rechecked the size that I ordered from Amazon. so at one point I contacted Vibram about the pair of FiveFingers I had order and the Vibram customer service rep told me that he hand never heard of or ever seen the FiveFingers that I told him about, he said that Vibram has never made the Vibram FiveFingers Men’s Flow color grey green and camo before so after I hung up with Vibram that’s when all the red flags started going up in my head so I contacted the seller and got bounced around by the seller I was given a different phone number every time I called one number by another person and so on to the point where I left a long VM with the final phone number. this went on for the rest of September that year, one day I received this long email from the seller making multiple threats to me that I was harassing the sellers employees and that the seller was going to contact Amazon and report me to one of there departments about me and my phone callese and my VM, at that point I contacted Amazon and explained everything that was happening some examples were that I was harassing the sellers workers and that the seller was going to report me to Amazon and the seller was going to refuse a full refund of my order and so on in the end Amazon took my side contacted the seller and said this and that to the seller and that the seller had agreed to the Amazon A-to-z Guarantee it wasn’t until October 1,2015 that I was given a refund of $49.00 instead of the full amount I spent on the order of $60.62 for the Vibram FiveFingers, Never buy Vibram FiveFingers off of Amazon ever. One of the red flags that went off in my head was the spelling of the Vibram product (Vibram FiveFingers Mens Flow Color Grey Green and Camo) it seems to me that the seller has really poor grammar of the english language, they left out a lot of punctuation marks so in the end I went back to look at the order and when I Clicked on it I was redirected to a page that read the following: SORRY we couldn’t find that page. Try searching or go to Amazon’s home page. that tell’s me I must have not been the only victim of buying fake Vibram’s off of Amazon. so in closing I say this GSS Gear the seller is never to be trusted ever for shame GSS Gear for shame.