As soon as I saw my pale blue SeeYas, I thought they looked very aquatic. There’s a water droplet design on the upper and along the velcro strap that gave me the initial impression that they are some kind of footwear meant for the water. But they’re a minimal streamlined Vibram FiveFingers built strictly to be worn on the road. According to
Vibram’s PJ Antonik, the SeeYa FiveFingers are “Intended for the true minimalist runner, this shoe is very thin, very lightweight and extremely breathable. We do not recommend using this as an everyday trainer but rather a race shoe since it is so thin.”
Let’s take a look …
Construction/Performance
I’ve never felt a VFF that is as lightweight and comfortable as these. The fabric is very forgiving and I have lots of flexibility in the toes. They kind of remind me of a low-profile sock. The mesh upper fits like a glove and is extremely stretchy and thin. You can see right through it when you stretch it out. Since you don’t need a robust construction for running on pavement, the minimalist design completely works. It’s a nice change from the other robust models that I’m used to (like the
Spyridon LS and
KomodoSport).
There is only one strap to secure them and this strap is what’s keeping me from loving the SeeYas. Every time I run in them I get huge blisters on the inside of both my feet right where the strap ends. It looks like it’s due to the more rigid fabric and construction in that area. The strap starts from the inside of the foot which is an area of the SeeYa that is not as soft and forgiving as the rest of the upper. This rigid part moves with my every move while I’m running and causes blisters to form. Unfortunately, the pain is persistent. Since it takes forever for a huge blister to completely heel, I’ve had to tape my feet in that area on every run (I prefer not wearing socks). When I wrap it I don’t have any problems and can run as usual.
Tim mentioned in
his SeeYa review that he had problems with they way the heel fits*. I haven’t experienced this problem, although I can see how the SeeYas could possibly fly off the back of your heel if it doesn’t fit right. The fabric is so thin and there is no adjustment strap in that area to secure it.
The sole is made of TC1 rubber with distinct contact points on the toe and heel areas. Vibram has minimized the overall sole thickness to allow more flexibility and lessen the overall weight. I feel light and nimble while running in them and I have a fantastic connection with the ground. They’re ultra lightweight with my size 38 weighing 3.7oz each (7.4oz/pair). By comparison, the size 38 Spyridons weigh 9.8 oz/pair (>30% more).
If I were to overlook my blister problem, I really dig the SeeYas. The minimal design makes me feel light as air and the upper stretches with my feet in all directions. It feels like I’m running in an ultralight slipper and my feet can breathe really well since the upper is so thin. The sole makes me feel like I’m connecting with the pavement and does a great job keeping the bottom of my feet protected from normal road debris. I wouldn’t take them out on extremely rocky trails, but I did test them on mild fire road trails. I was able to run as usual without any problems from small rocks and dirt.
Summary
The SeeYas are a nice new addition to the FiveFingers family. They’re a great road-focused VFF for speed or distance running. I feel like I can really fly in them! But only time will tell if I can continue to wear them since they give me blisters. It’s a bummer because I love everything else about them … the comfortable upper, the minimalistic sole, and the flexibility of my toes. If you’re looking for something ultra lightweight and minimal for the road, the SeeYas could be your ticket.
Pros
- Extremely lightweight
- Breathable and comfortable
- Great ground feel
- Flexible
Cons
- The strap causes big blisters on the inside of my foot
- Can’t adjust the heel
Pricing, Availability, and Contest!
Justin here. The SeeYas were first released on 2/10/2012! They retail for $100 and size similarly to the Bikila though as with all FiveFingers, sizing is pretty unique to each fan. Go with your gut.
Justin here. The SeeYas were first released on 2/10/2012! They retail for $100 and size similarly to the Bikila though as with all FiveFingers, sizing is pretty unique to each fan. Go with your gut.
If you like online shopping, we recommend ordering the FiveFingers SeeYa from a retailer with a strong track record of standing by customer service and having a solid inventory at reasonable prices. Mind, since the SeeYa is a brand new FiveFingers model,
you’re not going to find it anywhere on sale. That said, you shouldn’t have any problem finding it with free shipping.
Here are a couple retailers you might check out first —
- TravelCountry — $99.95 — stocked in men’s and women’s in all colorways
- CitySports — $99.95 — stocked in men’s and women’s in select colorways
If neither of those have your size and colorway in stock, hop over to the
BirthdayShoes Store to find other legit (not fakes!) retailers who might be carrying the SeeYa FiveFingers!
* Tim’s model was an earlier production run — note the additional stitched fabric on mine here at the heel and here on the side where the polyurethane sole meets the teal side fabric and how that is absent on Tim’s
here at the heel and
here where the polyurethane sole meets the dayglow fabric. This additional material seems to add a bit of structure to the base of the shoe and may fix Tim’s issue (Still TBD!).
14 replies on “Women’s SeeYa Vibram FiveFingers Review”
Thanks for the great review, Leah! And, mentioning not only what works with this new line, but also what can be cause for concern. I’d love to eventually get a pair of the men’s SeeYa’s for road-running here in Napa. How have the soles been holding up so far?
Has anyone gotten the chance to review the Seeya LS?
I don’t get this line:
“We do not recommend using this as an everyday trainer but rather a race shoe since it is so thin.”
That would seem to imply that the thicker models (KSO, Bikila, what have you) have some kind of cushioning, and further, that said cushioning is necessary for healthy/safe training. I realize they don’t actually say that, but why else wouldn’t they recommend the SeeYa for everyday training? I fully understand (and like) the thicker models, and I think they have their purpose, but this seems antithetical to what VFFs and minimal running are all about.
@Weston,
There is no SeeYa LS (not yet anyway — and probably not until 2013 at the earliest based on what’s been spotted coming Fall 2012).
the blister comment is disconcerting… it’s the whole reason i went away from KSO’s, and love my bikila’s. i may just go with bik’s or speeds again.
@Gerald C. Thanks! Soles are holding up great so far!
@Rich The thin upper doesn’t provide much protection to the top of the foot and the sole isn’t as robust as some other models… They’re definitely one of the most flexible and lightweight VFFs which makes them awesome for racing.
@tak555 If you’re on the fence, you might want to test them out in the store first. Tim didn’t mention in his review about having the blister problem that I did, so it could just boil down to fit.
I’ve given up Vibram, they are good, but they always have some hot spot or some toe that doesn’t feel good.
Its design has a huge tendency of have those issues, no matter how good they are.
Thanks for the great review Leah! I was on the fence myself about these, but we got them into the store I work at and when I first put them on it was heavenly. I’ve yet to take them on their first run, but I’m excited! They feel ultra thin and comfortable. I am noticing that little bit of room in the heel, just enough that it moves when I move, but so far I haven’t had a problem with it.
@Vitor Bummer! I hope you find one that suits you best soon.
@Rachel Aren’t they super comfortable? Super light and airy…Hopefully you won’t have the blister prob that I had while wearing them.
I’ve had my SeeYa’s for a month now and logged a few hundred pavement miles in them. I just have to say they are AWESOME! Better than the Classics and KSO’s. They are so lightweight and flexible, from the upper to the sole, they conform to my foot perfectly. I don’t even have to fasten the strap at all if I don’t want to. No problems with blisters or rubs. I feel like Vibram has really hit the minimalist mark with these!!
Just an update on my Seeya’s, I did wind up having that blister problem due to the suede strip in the heel, not where the strap is, and some moleskine on the inside of both heels solved the problem. 🙂 I love these shoes!! They feel way more flexible than my Komodosports, so I’ve definitely switched to these for pavement running.
Great review. I found this site from a Google search “Vibram FiveFingers +blister”.
I, too, was very excited to see Vibram finally got back to a true minmal shoe and I have to say, after running in FiveFingers for 2.5 years, these are my favorite… I love these shoes! Then, there is the exception: Blisters on my instep just as you have described in your review. I tried using a Tegaderm transparent dressings which lasted about 2 seconds (I’ve had good results with this product in the past when where traditional running shoes and a sock), so I’ll try taping, today.
This is definitely a design flaw since I wear 45’s and ended up with little hot spots on the insteps of each foot. I should have just pulled them off to finish my run. This seriously has me questioning Vibram’s product testing.
Thanks again for the review and verifying that it’s not just my pair of Seeyas. Rats.
I bought a pair of See Ya’s and had the some of the same issues. When I first put them on, I was so excited they felt great. But, when I went for a run, I got blisters on the side of my foot and I felt like they were going to slip off. I had to take them off and run barefoot the rest of the way home after about a mile and a half of running. I have had he trek sport, kso, bikila, bikila LS and the speed before the See Ya’s. I prefer the Bikila, Bikila LS and the speed for running.
Hey, the See Ya’s seem like a new “Bikila”. I am interested in purchasing them, but am concerned about the blister thing, and I wonder if anyone out there has any info on sizing – I have 5 pair, including the incredibly lightweight Entrada. But my feet are small. A 35 in Classics and Entradas. I have ordered the Jayas L in a 36 as people reviewed it and mentioned that for some people, it ran small. So, does the See Ya run small as well? The new fabric from Vibram is very thin and stretchy, lovely feel! Any info will be appreciated. Thanks!