Vibram FiveFingers KSO

Unlike most people buying these shoes, I'm not a runner or fitness enthusiast. I've just been having lots of trouble with regular shoes hurting my feet. The biomechanics of the VFF seemed right, so I thought I would give them a try. I'm an atypical user of this product. I wear my KSO's daily as my primary footwear, to work, shopping, and just about every other activity that isn't foot-threatening. I've been wearing them daily for more than a month now.

I initially purchased the size 43 based upon the instructions from Vibram, and found they fit "like a glove". Since my right foot is slightly larger than my left, it was a very firm embrace. Unfortunately, "fit like a glove" soon turns into "get my feet out of these things". It felt like my foot was being squeezed all day. Moving to a size 44 solved that. Be certain your foot has a bit of room in the size you pick. People with long toes need to watch this closely.

Comfort is a mixed bag. The shoes feel very natural as long as I am on my feet and moving. The initial discomfort caused by using new muscle groups passed quickly, and my feet are gradually "toughening up" so that extended walking on hard surfaces (sidewalks, etc.) isn't much of a problem any more. Today I walked about a mile to lunch and back on sidewalks without any discomfort.

I really notice the shoes when I am sitting. I still haven't gotten used to the feel of the separated toes, and I find myself constantly wiggling my feet to relieve pressure points caused by the separation. They aren't hurting my feet to the extent that other shoes did, but they aren't comfortable to the point that I can just forget them. But as I said above, activity almost immediately causes this to disappear.

Build quality is a mixed bag, too. The soles are holding up very well, even though I work in a downtown environment and do a lot of walking on concrete/asphalt along with the usual downtown debris. The uppers, however, seem to be very fragile. I scuffed the top of the big toe 3 days after getting the shoes, which left a hole in the material. Hopefully a bit of care will prevent more holes, but the fact that it wore through so easily worries me.

As for design, I think they would have been better off if they had made a 4-toe shoe, and allowed the last two toes to share a compartment. Most of my comfort issues and all of my difficulty putting the shoes on (it's still not a "just slip it on" move) come from that area. From a function standpoint, it would have made a better shoe. However, from a form standpoint it would have just added that much more oddity to a shoe that is already an attention grabber.

Update 2009-06-08

I've been wearing these daily for almost a year now (excluding about 4 months during the winter), and my experience has not changed much at all. The comfort level is the same, and unfortunately I have never gotten used to the feel of the individual toes to the point that I don't notice them when sitting still. I have also noticed that the seams between the uppers and soles can be uncomfortable over extended periods, but not enough to lessen the overall rating.

Regarding their longevity, they have held up extremely well. I have seen no real effects of wear & tear, even with regular washing. I now have 2 pair, and both have held up well. The hole I put in the big toe of my first pair is still there, but it hasn't grown appreciably with continued use.

Regarding fit & finish, Vibram has some work to do. The second pair I received has noticeable glue smearing around the seams in several places. Also, even though the two pair are the same size (44) according to Vibram, the actual fit is quite different. The second pair is noticeably looser and more comfortable than the original, even though they were purchased less than 2 months apart. It raises some quality control issues, and makes buying a new pair a bit of an concern - will I get a pair that fits well or not?

With practice it has become much easier to put the shoes on. Getting the little toe into the shoe is no longer a struggle, but it's still one of the more challenging aspects of this shoe, both for convenience and for comfort. Also, I have noticed that my little toe has a tendency to pop out during more active use, and it's very hard to fix without removing the shoe.

Overall, I'm still very happy with the shoes, and continue to wear them for all of my daily activities.