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Having worn my Vibram FiveFingers for the better part of a year now, I feel like I can now give a comprehensive review on them. I wear them mainly as my workout shoes. So when I go to the gym to run or do some kind of mobility work I will usually wear these.
Also, if I am running some short errands I might slip these on (without socks) because I have refused to buy toe socks thus far.
If your next thought is, “Won’t they start to smell though?”, the answer is yes. The good news though is that they are very easy to wash. Just throw them into the washing machine with other shoes or your clothes and remember to let them air dry.
I notice that most of the questions I get about these shoes are from people who are more curious what the deal is with them than interested in getting a pair themselves.
Others, however, have been inquiring because they had been considering getting a pair but maybe weren’t completely sure they wanted to commit to trying such a different style of shoe.
Either way, I am going to list some of the common questions I get when I wear my Vibrams and give answers that would inform anyone whether you wanted to wear them or not.
Disclaimer: I wear my Vibram FiveFingers without socks. So keep in mind that the feeling sensation would likely be different if you were to wear these shoes with socks. You would need to get specific separated-toe socks in order to do this.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are those shoes actually comfortable?
Yes, they are. Before I bought myself a pair, I was also a little worried that they would feel weird but I was pleasantly surprised with the overall feel. They’re obviously different, but I enjoy being able to feel more of the ground and use my toes more actively (the whole purpose of these shoes).
If you are a heel-striker or a heavy walker, you should beware that there is virtually no padding underneath your feet, just a thin sheet of flexible rubber. So you’re going to have to slightly adjust the way you walk to become more of a midfoot-forefoot striker, which is the natural way to walk.
Doesn’t that bother you to have something between your toes?
For me, no it doesn’t. For someone else, it definitely might. I have people tell me all the time that they wouldn’t be able to stand that feeling all day. Even though I think they’re overestimating that potential discomfort, they may be right.
Personally, I love it because it’s a great start to getting your toes to spread out more (like they naturally should) and it’s not like they’re being pushed apart like a pair of toe spacers might do.
Are those shoes good for your feet?
This is easily the hardest question to answer because I have no idea what context each person wants to know about or what their natural foot health capacity is. I say this because I read and write about this stuff daily, whereas a regular person just throws on their shoes every day with little to no thought. It’s impossible to give a brief answer here but I will try.
The answer is yes. They’re good for your feet, and subsequently the rest of your body. Vibrams closely mimic being barefoot and this allows your foot to eventually reach the closest to its natural state that it can achieve in a pair of shoes. I will discuss more of the specifics in the “Features” and “Positives” sections later.
Do those have arch support?/Don’t you need more support in there?
There is no arch support in these shoes because the creators rightfully saw that arch support is useless. Supporting the arches from underneath is actually counter intuitive and detrimental.
You’re better off building strength in the arches so they can support the feet and the rest of the body in good alignment.
The Features
One of Vibram’s slogans is: “You are the technology”
I have found that this could not be more true and it’s an excellent way to remind people that their body is the perfect machine. Give it the right tools and avoid forcing it into compromised positions and you will have a highly efficient work of art.
-five wide, separate toe slots (helps the toes spread and become more functionally accessible, encourages better balance and agility)
-a thin and flexible, rubber sole (engages the foot arch and immediately starts building strength, encourages a more midfoot-forefoot landing strike, flexes with the natural motion of the foot, lets the feet feel the terrain it is on which is great for proprioception and foot-to-brain communication)
-zero drop sole (puts the heel level with the ball of the foot to lengthen the Achilles and calf muscles, encourages greater ankle mobility, improves posture)
-upper material is 100% polyester and spandex (makes the shoe fit like a glove, lets the foot and toes spread as much as they need to)
-multi-directional lug design outsole for grip in all directions (provides incredible traction all around the shoe)
-impact protection from stones and debris in the sole (running on rougher terrain is not a problem because the sole is tough, guards the toes and heels well)
The Positives
Vibram FiveFingers will help you build up your functional strength more so than any other shoe can.
What I mean by functional strength is the strength, robustness, and resilience of your stabilizing muscles starting in your feet and working all the way up the chain of your body. You will notice when you start wearing these, muscles in your body that you may have never felt before are sore. This is exactly what I mean.
Your toes, foot arches, ankles, calves, and many more will likely feel sore after introducing them to these shoes. This is great because it will help you naturally align yourself better in terms of posture and maybe even correct some deficiencies you once had like overpronation, pelvic tilt, etc.
I got into minimalist footwear like these because I had plantar fasciitis and a bunion on the same foot. The wider toe box (not a conventional toe box but the width of the toe slots) helped take the pressure off of my big toe joint which was a major pain relief.
The zero drop profile of the sole allows my heel to be level with the ball of my foot so my Achilles and calf muscles can lengthen for more mobility and eventually help me stop overpronating. Many people’s feet and ankles overpronate (collapse inward) because they don’t have the proper range of motion (dorsiflexion) in their ankles, Achilles, and calves.
Both of my issues have been more or less solved, with a few aches and pains still common. But I’m only about a year into a lifelong change that I’ve made; I’m never going back to traditional footwear.
The Negatives
The downsides of these shoes mostly lie in the fact that traditional footwear has made us incredibly weak and the severe change to a FiveFinger shoe may be too much for us all at once. This means you should look to “transition” yourself to these shoes as most people have to do when introducing minimalist footwear.
As mentioned earlier, the sole is very thin. It calls for many muscles that you had not been using to suddenly start working hard. It also means you can’t really continue to walk with the poor form your old shoes allowed you to use.
Heel-striking has got to go or it’s going to hurt. You’ll want to start landing with the midfoot or forefoot first rather than the heel (again, a healthy transition to make, especially for the long term health of your joints). So carrying in poor technical/mechanical habits can mean you’ll have a longer transitional period than expected.
For me, I have a left foot that pronates more than my right one does and it means I have to pay more attention to how I walk and run when wearing these because there is no arch support or rigid, motion-controlled sole to correct my poor form.
On the bright side though, this is the point of the shoes after all. They will highlight your weak points at first and then slowly correct them over time as you build more functional strength, gain more mobility, and learn how to move properly.
My Final Verdict
I would be lying if I didn’t say….Vibram FiveFingers are probably not for everyone. While I’m a fanatic about minimalist footwear, I understand that many people will not be and won’t be willing to tolerate some of the transitional pieces of this process.
However, anyone who is looking to strengthen their feet and legs, has a foot or ankle injury, or is looking to just increase their full body’s well-being, look no further.
Minimalist footwear, and FiveFingers specifically, are a solution to many of our modern, physical shortcomings.
You may find that just wearing them at first is your workout for the day. You don’t need to do anything strenuous in them to keep your feet and legs fit.
I have found that many of the common questions and concerns about Vibram FiveFingers are entering into analysis paralysis; overthinking about small worries that will quickly disappear when you try them.
They are fantastic shoes with the customer’s health at the forefront of Vibram’s mind. I plan to continue wearing them for a very long time and see how far they can take me.
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