Today someone from Vibram emailed me to checkup on the status of my recent encounter with the Five Fingers and I thought I’d let everyone know that I have a working version of the Sprint model. They’re very cool and I can’t wait to take them backpacking with me. The best part is how comfortable they are on regular pavement. I really thought it would take some getting used to but I’ve been able to stomp around here all day without any worries. I have not tried working on my house with them but that mainly stems from a worry I might drop a 2×4 on my foot more than they’d be uncomfortable walking around in.
Most interesting about the shoe is how my arches feel after a long day wearing them. Usually, after being on my feet all day my arches ache. If I put these on after wearing normal shoes all day, my feet feel completely free and relaxed. Not only that, but I have yet to get any arch aches standing around in them. I think my only complaint is how they want to push my little toe outward from the rest of my toes when it really doesn’t want to bend that way. That has taken some time to get used to.
Vibram gets an A+ for their customer support. I’m completely satisfied and they really went above and beyond what they “had” to do. If you’re into thinking a bit different, give them a try!
Hooray! You finally have a pair of five-fingers that work for you. What was the secret? When we see each other next we can have a picture of us wearing our five-fingers.
The fact that your toes are pushed apart and stretched a bit is intentional as the goal is to strengthen your toes and have them individually carry your weight rather than they carrying the weight bunched together. I would build your wear time gradually to avoid a stress fx.
The secret was to try a bunch of pairs in different sizes until one finally worked. It was better going with the ones with a strap… I think they stick to the foot a lot better even though the strap is maybe a little uncomfortable at times.
Hey Jason,
Did you use the Vibram sizing chart that they have on their web site when you were trying to figure out what size to order? According to the chart, I should fit in a 36, but I’m always a 35 in other shoes that use Euro sizing. I just got a pair for Chad as an early Christmas present and I really, really want my own now. He wound up in a 42, which I think is actually a little smaller than his regular shoe size (10.5). What do you think?
I think the five fingers sizing chart is a little off. I ended up with a 41, but think a mens 40 would have fit better. They don’t make that though. I bet for someone like Chad with a 10.5 to begin with, downsizing is probably perfect. Hope you guys enjoy them… I can’t wait to use mine for some combination wading/swimming/climbing in some rivers in western Maryland. Seems like the perfect use for me…