Five Fingers going to Hell

If they are not going to keep

If they are not going to keep the orignial versions, then I think they may suffer some in the market place. No matter what new models and colors they have come out with, people still talk about the originals, the Classics, the Sprints, the KSOs, and the Flows. Anybody remember the Flows?
 
 Some of the new ones in the

Some of the new ones in the birthday shoes pictures look very very much like normal shoes with fingers. There was some crazy thick looking tread on some of them. Or at least it kinda looked that way to me?
 
I understood the reason for

I understood the reason for toe pockets in the original Vibram 5's when it came to carrying kayaks over rugged underwater terrain, but never thought them neccesary for running provided a wide enough toe box were provided allowing for toe splay.

As a mitten wearer as opposed to glove freak, and a person that really hates ANYTHING on my feet period, when I need warmth or protection I want the most minimal shoe available, which would be a Feelmax type that would last.

I believe that the true barefoot shoe of the future will be a Panka with a longer lasting sole.
 
I think they still make for a

I think they still make for a nice work shoe. My KSO's and Treks get the job done.



As far as running shoes go, I'm over them but will use them as a last resort. I think they'll still find a niche with their new lines due to people liking shiny colors and stuff.
 
I just looked. It looked like

I just looked. It looked like all the same versions including Flows. did they come out with a different 2011 collection>
 
In the future, people will be

In the future, people will be able to wear "minimal" running shoes, that look like...well...shoes. A lot of people aren't comfortable wearing shoes as unique looking as the VFFs. But, I think, a looming issue, more than market acceptance, is how long they are able to fight off the chinese knock-offs. It's one thing to fight for market share. It's another to fight for market share that isn't profitable. I personally like my KSO Treks, but sometimes my toes do say they miss their buddies. ;-)
 
All I know is that people

All I know is that people started shaking their heads when the Biklas came out. They didn't have arch support per se but rather a spongy comfortable bouncy feeling under the arch. My sister-in-law's first reaction to her Biklas were "Wow! Love the arch support!" That was the moment I went WhAT!?! Lol.

But it's not so bad. Lotsa people love them, including some really big people in the barefoot running/ultra running sphere. And they're top of the line. They look like a sneaker, for once, which is what people wanted out of Vibrams for a real running shoe.

But Vibram shoes are really coming into some competition. My next purchase will be Soft Stars, or the new flat merrells, or Invisible Shoes, or New Balence Minimus. But make a note...all of the preceding minimal shoes are made with Vibram's rubber sole material. So they'll be around a long while.
 
i started out with the

i started out with the sprints and liked them a lot, then the bikilas came out and i absolutely love them. on the other hand though i am trying to get as many miles as possible completely bare or with the huaraches i made. i dont like the direction that vibram is going with some of the new designs becuase it seems they are starting to slide away from their 'minimal' design roots that made them so unique.
 
My ignorance got the best of

My ignorance got the best of me during spring and summer, and for some strange reason I was bashing Vibrams, that's just because I'd rather run barefoot. BUT, now that the cold season is on the brink (still kicking it barefoot), I will soon be reuniting with my trusty KSO's. I actually broke them out this week while taking my 4 year old to the track and park, and did some sprints in them. I will have to say Vibrams rule!! LPJ, I am not sure if you are talking about new models coming out, because I haven't seen any. But if they continue to keep their original models, I will be a happy camper. In fact, I am going to pick me up a pair of sprints real soon.

There is mass market of minimal footwear out there, most of them junk, at least that's how I see them. The reason I started running barefoot running is my OCD was getting the best of me of trying to find the right running shoe. The last thing I need to do now, is rack my brain about finding the right minimal shoe. Luckly I can rely on one minimal shoe, Vibrams.

Personally I think the bikilias are a shoe Vibrams went into the wrong direction with that model. To me the bikila is a running flat, way to much to shoe.



I still think Vibrams is the best minimal footwear on the market.
 
I was told by a company that

I was told by a company that uses Vibrams soles in their shoes that Vibrams is not looking to have the VFF carry the company. The VFF are just a part of their business. It was a great happenstance that they were discovered for running but only appeal to so many people. The running community embracing them to the extent that they have makes them happy but they are not trying to dominate the niche'

I like my KSO TREKS. I wear them to work when I do nuun stuff and they look nice and always attract attention and lead into a barefoot running conversation. Thats fun! I like other shoes out there though for running in better. My toes start to ache after a while in the VFF. The other shoes I like have Vibrams soles though so its all good for me!
 
I don't get the idea that the

I don't get the idea that the Bikilas feel like have arch support. For me, the worst thing about KSO's is how the arch is sucked up onto the skin. It's not support per se, but it feels as annoying as arch support in a regular shoe to me. The Bikilas are almost totally flat like a water shoe and the sole extends all the way. I wish they were less cushy but it's about comparable to my Protons, so I'm not complaining too loud.
 
so the basic point that is

so the basic point that is being put out there is the age old thought of not being able to wint them all or make everyone happy.

the new line is broad in it's approach and they are clearly trying to create more sport and activity specific models. things like cross fit have helped blow the sales of the vff through the roof so why not make a version that is better suited to that type of activity? something like the komodo with it's tread design will be better suited for lateral movement and agility training. to me they are doing nothing that other shoe companies have done for years and that is to cater specifically to sports individually.

i completely disagree about the bikila thoughts in this thread however. they are half as thick in the sole as the thinnest racing flat on the market. they are more built up than the traditional vffs but nowhere near hitting racing flat thickness...sprint spike sure but they are far more flexible than spikes. the arch is not supportive in the bikila. the eva material used is placed in a way that it will hug the arch and keep the shoe close to the foot. their goal was to make a running shoe that had no slip on the foot to help avoid blisters which were a big issue with all the original versions amd i think they did just that.

of course as always...just my own personal thoughts :)
 
I don't think Vibram will

I don't think Vibram will lose market share anytime soon in the purely minimalist market. For us barefooters there are a ton of better options though, IMO. VFFs look weird enough that they're instantly identifiable so they appeal to the AW side of people and this is what will make Vibram keep or even increase their market share in the future, at least until there's something even weirder out there.
 
i completely disagree about

i completely disagree about the bikila thoughts in this thread however. they are half as thick in the sole as the thinnest racing flat on the market. they are more built up than the traditional vffs but nowhere near hitting racing flat thickness...sprint spike sure but they are far more flexible than spikes. the arch is not supportive in the bikila. the eva material used is placed in a way that it will hug the arch and keep the shoe close to the foot. their goal was to make a running shoe that had no slip on the foot to help avoid blisters which were a big issue with all the original versions amd i think they did just that.

I agree with Jimmy on this. The Bikila was their first actual "running shoe." In my opinion, not bad for a first attempt, and not bad at all in comparison to the crap that's out there that people are running in. Whereas some of you don't like them, others do. And that can be said for every shoe out there.
 
I only know BF and Bikilas. 

I only know BF and Bikilas. I prefer BF by far. I like running in my Bikilas when I have reason to not go BF. The arch / instep material doesn't seem like support so much as protection. It stopped a half inch long Multiflora Rose thorn pretty nicely for me one morning. I look forward to seeing how they do as the weather progressively worsens with the winter.
 
I am wondering if I am

I am wondering if I am missing a link to their new models? On their website, it's the 2010 stuff. Are we talking about the same thing? I would love to see pics onf new prototypes and models.
 
Barefoot Mary wrote:all of

Barefoot Mary said:
all of the preceding minimal shoes are made with Vibram's rubber sole material. So they'll be around a long while.

Mary - You mean Vibram Co.? Vibram is a tremendous company that make all kinds of rubber soling products. The VFF thing, as far a I know, is a side project and not a major corporate priority. When I was in the US Army in the early 80s, our jump boots had Vibram soles, meaning they had a US defense contract even back then. When I worked as a mechanic at a big trucking company in NY, one of the union contract stipulations was safety boots with Vibram soles.

Yeah, they'll be around a while :grade:
 

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