Updated: May 8th, 2013
Vibram Five Fingers Classic Running Shoes Review
Vibram Five Fingers Classic

Vibram Five Fingers Classic

Full Name: Vibram Five Fingers Classic
Category: “Barefoot”
Weight: 10.5 oz. (290 gr.)
Suggested Price: 100$
Recommended For: Runners who want to be only one step from true barefoot running.
  • Vibram Five Fingers Classic General Info:

The Vibram Five Fingers line of running shoes has been gaining popularity and recognition over the past few years within the general running community. Long held as a favorite among barefoot runners and other groups, the FiveFinger shoes are now coming into mainstream use. The uniquely styled shoe offers runners a chance to experience the world of barefoot running while retaining the protection of a normal shoe. There are now a wide variety of models available from Vibram to suit the specific needs of every runner, but the Vibram Classics still remains a favorite among many runners.

  • Vibram Five Fingers Classic Sole Unit:

Vibram soles are well known for their quality and are incorporated into shoes and boots of many different brands. Vibram brings this legacy to their line of Five Fingers. The sole of these shoes is made of Vibram TC-1 performance rubber that holds up remarkably to wear and tear. At its thickest, the sole is only 4mm allowing for enormous flexibility. The soles are also razor-siped to ensure good traction on wet surfaces. These soles will hold up to the miles without any major signs of wear or tear.

Vibram Five Fingers Classic Upper

Vibram Five Fingers Classic Upper

  • Vibram Five Fingers Classic Upper:

The upper of these shoes is made from abrasion-resistant stretch polyamide fabricand it is glued into the sole. The quality of the upper largely matches the quality of the sole. After months of usage, only minute wear has started to show on the uppers. The seams around the toes tend to be the weak points of these shoe.

It is not unusual for stitching to come undone after a few months in areas that often come in contact with the foot. These tears and seams can usually be mended quite easily and tend not to effect the usability of the shoes. The final detail on the uppers is a small elastic band looped around the top of the shoe that can be adjusted to keep a tight fit on the foot.

  • Vibram Five Fingers Classic Opinion:

Vibram recommends some of their other Five Finger models over the classics for the specific purpose of running. The differences between models, however, are minimal. The Classics work beautifully for any purpose. Most people interested in Vibrams probably have some basic understanding of the concept behind barefoot running. Put simply, barefoot or minimalist running is based on the idea that the mechanics of the human foot work best when unencumbered by traditional running shoes. It is this idea that lead to the design of the Vibram FiveFingers, and in so much these shoes do just what they were meant to do. They are nothing more than a thin piece of rubber held snuggly to your foot.

These are shoes that take a lot of getting used to. It could be said that Vibram did not set out to build a better shoe, but rather to build better feet. If you are like most people you, have worn traditional shoes for your entire life and have not had much of a chance to build up the supporting muscle necessary to run close to barefoot. For this reason people new to Vibrams will find it difficult to use them for extended periods of time at first.
It’s recommended that you allow a period of two weeks to get comfortable with your new shoes before you begin doing any serious running in them. My experience on this matter however, is that your feet will continue to adjust for months. You may find that over time you develop new aches and pains in msucles you didn’t even know you had. These pains are largely due to over use of muscles and structures in your body that have only now come into play. By listening to these small aches and pains and trying to adjust your running posture to avoid them you will find your running posture improves.

Vibram Five Fingers Classic Sole

Vibram Five Fingers Classic Sole

If this does not sound like the sales pitch of corrective shoes that will “remove the pain” and “compensate for your fragile body”, that’s because it’s not. Anyone wanting to run full time in these shoes will have to make the decision that it’s worth getting used to running more naturally. The same could of course be said of running entirely barefoot.

Vibrams are not completely the same as running barefoot though. The whole idea of a barefoot shoe is just what it sounds like, an oxymoron. One of the key components of barefoot running is the tactile feedback from the ground. Being able to feel every stone and pebble may sound painful, but it’s necessary to proper human running technique. Vibrams greatly diminish how much of the ground you can feel. For those not ready to deal with the pain of full time barefoot running this is a plus. For those who have trained themselves to be proficient without shoes this is a drawback. There is always a tradeoff between protection and function and Vibrams are no exception to this.

Vibrams also offer more resistance to the movement of the foot. You cannot, for example, wiggle your toes easily in them. The elastic band in particular can cause issues if it is pulled too tight. Mostly this is of little consequence, but it can lead to stressed feet later down the road if not properly dealt with. Other models such as the KSOs avoid this problem by removing the elastic band.

Ultimately it is safe to say the good outweights the bad with these shoes. I myself wouldn’t go back to traditional running shoes after having run in my Vibram FiveFinger Classics.

Let us know what you think of this shoe in the comments!

Vibram Five Fingers Review by Sam (sam @ madfishman.com)

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