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Choosing 5 Toe Shoes
If you’re looking to buy some Vibram five finger shoes, you will easily be surprised by the available options. Vibram currently has 9 models of five toe shoes for men, 12 for women, and 1 for kids. So which type do you buy? In this post I go over the models of 5 toe shoes, their purpose, and their differences.
To begin with, the 3 extra models for women are for light use, such as yoga, pilates, and walking. These include the Jaya, Jaya LR (a fashionable version), and the Performa Jane. That’s not to say that men can’t do these activities, they’ll just have to do them in other shoes. The general purpose Classic, Sprint, or KSO should work fine for light fitness activities. The kids model, with both boy’s and girl’s sizes available, is the KSO. Just keep this in mind as you read the following advice.
The different models can be broken up by activity, which dictates the construction and material of the shoes. General shoes will be lighter and have less cushioning than a hiking shoe. Running shoes will fit more securely than walking shoes.
The original 5 to shoes Vibram introduced are the Classic, Sprint, and KSO. The Classic is the simplest, with an exposed top and simple drawstring around the foot opening to secure it to your foot. The Sprint uses a top velcro strap, as well as a velcro heel strap to really secure it to your foot, making this a good all around performance shoe. Lastly, the KSO (Keep Stuff Out) is similar to the Sprint, except it has a covered upper/top portion to keep dirt, sticks, rocks, and leaves from getting into your shoe. These all have the regular outer sole, without any extra pods, pads, or plates like you’ll see for the running and trekking versions. So they’re lighter weight, but offer less padding.
Next, there is a dedicated running shoe, with 2 versions – the Bikila and Bikila LS. The LS has laces instead of the velcro strap over the top. Otherwise, the models are the same. Bikila has mesh covering the top of the foot, like the KSO. Additionally, however, it has a more padded footbed, and an outsole with extra material (plates) to give even more cushioning and protection for running. This shoe was designed to help create a natural running form. The Komodosport shoe is an alternative that can be used for running or other conditioning activities, with a slightly different outsole, plating like the Bikila, and nice straps and upper mesh covering as well. It has a seamless footbed, so your feet won’t rub. It’s a bit heavier than the Bikila, though.
Hiking is another specialized activity, for which a five finger shoe was made. The models here include KSO Trek and TrekSport. These have thicker soles than the classic types, with extra plating underneath for stepping on hard objects. Additionally, the upper cloth fibers are all made of more durable materials. The heel and top straps are all one piece, for quick tightening. The KSO Trek has a leather upper material, for extreme ruggedness.
Vibram has made 1 other specialized shoe, and I expect they will continue to produce more for other activities. Currently, the Flow is their aquasports shoe, with an extra grippy sole (which is supposed to be a marking sole) and a 2 millimeter neoprene upper cover, sort of like a wetsuit for your feet, to keep you warm in chilly waters.
me walking in the house with sandals