Women's SeeYa Vibram FiveFingers Review

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!).