Vibram five fingers and a NOBO thru?

[Rick500]

I use my KSO Treks for camp shoes. One of these days, I'm going to do some hiking in them, but my feet just aren't quite there yet.

[humunuku]

I day hike in mine and I think they are great on trails...but the more man made the surface you get, the more un-comfy they got (for me). so trails - i think they are great, gravel roads... not so great, paved roads - got old real fast. Granted, I wan't using them every day, so maybe your feet will get way tougher than mine.

stubbing your toe really sucks too!

As far as camp shoes- they'd be fine, just do expect to slip them on and off real fast if you have a damp foot.

[Wrangler88]

I've worn Vibrams for about a year and a half. I wore the same pair of KSO's everyday for everything for over a year. They holes worn all the way through to my bare foot. I had to sew up the straps because they wore in half. I love the shoes and they're the only type of shoe I ever wear.

However, I think the idea of Vibrams on an AT thru hike is more romantic than practical. I'm not saying that it can't be done. I'd love to do something like that. I'm just saying, even as someone who loves the shoe, I don't think its a good idea.

Your feet will STINK for sure. Even more so than everyone around you's. And they'll be even more wet than everyone around you's.

Also I actually don't feel like the traction in KSO's would be very good on wet rock or icy conditions.

And I too, like others, don't think they'd be a good designated "camp shoe." If you plan to alternate hiking in them in fair weather, then I can see that. But if you're only using them as a shoe to wear right around camp, I'd find something a little quicker to slip on. OR just walk barefoot. After walking all day. I don't really care to do too much walking around camp.



So, yes ... I say you wear them.

[Wrangler88]

Are the cheapest pair (the classics) suitable for trail-running in ideal conditions?

I don't think so. I haven't owned the Classic model but I read a lot of crap gets in them.

That's why they made the KSO. Because they "Keep Stuff Out".

Also, I bought a pair of Bakilas to wear for running. Didn't care for them near as much as the KSO's.

[johnnyjohnson2043]

I was planning on at least bringing my FiveFingers with me. They aren't that heavy and, as others have said, they would probably make good camp shoes. They aren't the warmest things in the world so I wouldn't wear them unless the weather was decent. Good luck.

[MMX]

I hiked in KSO Treks last year starting last day of Feb. I wore wool Injinji socks and had no issues with my feet. Everyone else had blister issues and I did not. I tried barefoot for several hikes but had a concern of thorns or sticks damaging a foot and causing infection. This was my reason for using them. I do hike a bit slower in my FF then I did in shoes or boots.
I have a pair that I put about 800 miles on. They are beat up like any shoe would be after 800 trail miles.
Consider the resupply issue of the shoes and that your feet may in crease in size while hike the trail. Set up with a good shoe store and they will help you by keeping a few pairs for you and a few sizes. You call ahead of time and have them ship them to you.
FF are still hard to find due to the demand. This is my biggest issue with them. If I did not have shoes lined up prior to hiking I would not hike with them. FF are supposed to have several new factories online soon and this may help out.
I am a big guy over 250# carrying 28 pounds of pack. I wear FF or Chaco sandals to hike now and no langer have any foot issues that I had in shoes or boots.
That is my 2 cents

[Marnee]

I would totally do it and plan on it. I think the trail is soft enough to do barefoot for significant portions. From what I can tell, it reminds me of the cushy trails of the Northland forests of New Zealand. That's some nice barefoot tramping.

[newhiker4]

I have had my vibrams for a little over a year now and I absolutely love them. I do everything in these shoes, running, biking, rock climbing, hiking... I have never had any problem with mud or water or anything. Like said before they were made to get muddy and dirty and wet.

If you haven't done any hiking in them I suggest you do just to get used to the difference in the way you walk and to build the muscles used with vibrams.

As for the shoes not drying out while onyour feet, I have never had a problem with that either.

Enjoy your hike!

[BlackJack1]

Just bought mine and will do A.T. in 2012 with them. I am scared about cold wet feet.

[Shutterbug]

Hi.

Im planning a thru hike for this year and ill be starting roughly around the middle of march, if all goes well, and i recently baught a pair of fivefinger trek sports just to try them out and see what all the fuss is about. I LOVE THEM most comfortable shoe i have ever worn, but with it being gross, wet and icy outside, the only miles ive really experienced with them are on the treadmill and im wondering if it would be a practical alternative to something like trail runners, with the right amount of conditioning prior to the start of my hike? or should i get my trail legs under me with the perfectly good pair of merrel hiking boots that i also have, and THEN try switching over to the wierd ones?

thank you

Shorts

I agree with the ones who say that you shouldn't experiment at the beginning of a through hike, but I disagree with the ones who just automatically reject wearing Vibram 5 fingers on a long hike. Last summer, I followed that kind of advice and wore expensive hiking boots in the Grand Canyon. After 25 miles, my feet were killing me so I switched to my Vibram 5 fingers. I returned my boots to REI for a refund and have worn the Vibrams exclusively since then. I have covered several hundred miles of trail without a foot problem.


I have known quite a few people who have tried Vibram 5 Fingers and just didn't like them. Some of them are vocal about why they will never wear them. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I wouldn't take advice from those who rejected them in the first couple of weeks. Listen to those who have been wearing them for some time. In the last few months, I have seen quite a few hikers on various trails wearing Vibram 5 fingers. Not one of them has said that they regretted wearing them on the trial. I have heard a lot of people who have never tried them say why they won't, but have not heard even one who has tried them on the trail say that they regretted it.


There are two issues that I have found. First, is the cold trail. At the beginning of your hike, you will be walking on frozen ground at least part of the time. The Vibram 5 fingers have no insulation against the cold. The second is trail grit. When you walk through sandy areas, it is impossible to keep some grit from getting inside the Vibram 5 fingers. The grit acts like sandpaper on the bottoms of your feet. Most of the time, I wear my Vibrams without socks, but when I encounter either cold or grit, I put on toe socks. The toe socks solve the grit problem and help with the cold problem.

Remember that crampons, yaktraks and other traction devices won't fit on Vibram 5 Fingers. I have worn mine in snow, but I don't recommend it. If you will be walking on a lot of snow wear some "normal" footwear.

[Slo-go'en]

I saw a number of hikers with the five finger shoes last April/May down south. I bumped into a lot of thru-hikers in Gorham later in the summer and I don't remember seeing anyone still using those shoes. There could be three reasons for that. 1, those with the 5 finger shoes all quit before getting that far north (which is possible), 2, they switched out to real boots when the trail started to get consistantly rocky, or 3, I missed meeting anyone who was still using them.

So, the question is, did anyone use these shoes the whole way through and if not, why not? I have a feeling the 5 finger shoes work nice down south where the trail is primarly packed dirt and soft, but less comfy when the trail turns mostly rocky and rough farther north, like starting in PA.

[ChrisJackson]

My main complaint with the Five Finger shoe was that my pinky toes on my left foot keeps slipping out. But that is a personal problem. My feet are wacky. I am currently using trainers. If I decide to try the FF again, I'll probably try a smaller pair. The current pair I have now I'm using for camp shoes. Enjoy. Practice a lot with them and have a plan B ready.

[Theosus]

Yep some have hiked the trail barefoot. You're young enough to try. Just have a good pair of trail runners standing by.

I can totally see how this would be possible. Growing up in the south it seemed we used to spend the entire summer barefoot, for some reason. By the time it was cold enough to require shoes the bottoms of our feet were really tough. Of course over the winter, they would soften up again.I got some Fila Skeletoes and wore them around today. Awesome shoes, but really easy to get wet. I wore them to walmart - somehow I fit right in. No trail experiences with them, yet. I do have a stress fracture from running four miles a day in socks on a treadmill. My orthopedist, who is a backpacker, told me "hey dumbass, rest and get some proper shoes". His words were more clinical, but the meaning was there. So I'm sidelined from trying them out properly right now.

[Transient Being]

I just purchased my first pair about a week ago and can tell I'm gonna be wearing them alot! I'm thinking about bringing mine along with me in March as well, but it is true that these do take time to build up your foot muscles. I did a 9 mile smooth trail run in them right after I got them because they felt sooo good, and I could barely walk the next day. I could tell they were making my feet stronger, but the soreness was intense. My question now is, would New Balance Minimus be a good companion shoe to go along with the five fingers? Or would I be better off with a little thicker sole so I don't have two thin soled shoe choices? I'm trying to train as much as I can in the thin soled shoes to get ready, but could see how having a little thicker soled trail runner might be a good idea. However, I've about given up on the my Moab ventilators, that's just too thick and heavy. I'm definately sold on the idea of trail runners or less. Hmmmmm, what to do?

[JenHikes]

Rocks will maim a pair of five fingers fast. I have a buddy that tried hiking in his in the Smokies and tore them to shreds.

[Del Q]

Foot stink and stubbed toes...............you pick which is worse after a month

I love mine, no way for long distance hiking.............with an X pound pack?

Great for pre hike conditioning..........works feet, ankles, tendons, etc like nothing else, short of going barefoot

[Karl Meltzer]

go more stealth and just use a nice cushioned running shoe, and you'll be fine. You'll ruin your feet with five-fingers, and hiking boots are not necessary, they never are. my two cents.....

[dillard]

I did the entire VA section in my VFF's last August and could not have loved them more... Light, agile, no blisters, quick drying, good traction and lasted well... The pair of TrekSport's I used still had several hundred miles of use left in them when i left the trail. They arnt great for camp shoes since they take some work getting into and out of so I got a $1 pair of flip flops for that, but for everything else they worked perfect. I carried 35-45lbs in my pack purposely for training purposes and even with that weight they were not any less comfy than traditional shoes. They get pretty stinky when worn without socks but are easily washed out... and when you do wear socks with em they are just like any other shoe, smell wise.

The one downside came when around day 30 I tried actually running down the trail and did not notice a root sticking up... stubbed my pinky toe pretty badly and had to take 2 zero's for it to heal. They do not have much protection from impact so you have to be much more purposeful about where you step.

[Shutterbug]

Rocks will maim a pair of five fingers fast. I have a buddy that tried hiking in his in the Smokies and tore them to shreds.

Your friend must have bought some knock offs from China off of Ebay. I have some of those that wore out quickly. The authentic Vibrams last a long time. I just wore a pair rim to rim to rim in the Grand Canyon. Those trails have lots of sharp rocks. The Vibrams held up just fine. I haven't kept records, but I estimate I got close to a thousand miles on them before they wore out. When they finally did, it was the top that wore out, not the sole.

[Dumplings]

I hiked the approach trail till blood mountain in vibram five fingers. I bought boots at the outfitter because of how sore my feet were.