Fivefingers From Vibram

Vibram Fivefingers are unique. They’re the only shoes I’ve ever seen that have individual toe spaces – and they are definitely a talking point. Whenever I’m wearing them, children stop in the street to stare, and they make fantastic footprints.

In fact, I wore my Vibrams – as I liked to call them, though perhaps Five Fingers would have been a better name – when I walked the West Highland Way in Scotland. As you can imagine, the Vibram shoes left distinctive marks in the Scottish mud, leading to rumours of a Bigfoot somewhere along the route. The stories were getting wilder and wilder, until someone finally noticed what I was wearing on my feet. I think everyone was a little disappointed to find out that there was no Bigfoot, and that it was only me.

Many of those hikers wondered how comfortable my Vibram Fivefingers were, and it’s true that I didn’t hike in them every day. Hard surfaces like concrete and gravel paths are quite uncomfortable until you build up the muscles in your feet and legs that padded shoes make your body forget about. I was wearing black Vibram Fivefingers Classics, which leave most of your upper foot visible; it looks like I was walking through treacle or tar.

I expected to be able to use my regular Vibrams in the water, but they tended to fall off. The shoe doesn’t cover the whole foot, in fact it just covers the toes and heel. There is a version that has a strap to prevent this, and a full-foot one as well, that’s suitable for climbing.

Lots of barefoot runners like to use Vibram Five Fingers for running. They like them because it’s like running barefoot, except that you don’t run the risk of getting your feet cut up on broken glass or other hazards. You can still feel the shape of the ground beneath your feet, so walking on grass feels particularly nice.

Want to find out more about Vibram FiveFingers, then visit this review on how to choose the best Five Fingers for your needs.