The Story Of Vibram's Barefoot Shoes
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- Опубліковано 22 лис 2022
- Vibram got its name almost a century ago by totally revamping the footwear industry with their durable, practical, and ground-breaking soles. The brand has infiltrated almost every closet in the Western world, but are we better off for it... ?
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I've been wearing five fingers for about two years now and the one takeaway is that there aren't really for urban use. They feel amazing when on soft ground but you really need to learn to walk on the forefoot if you use them casually. The one thing barefoot enthusiasts neglact when talking about the anatomy and how humans are meant to walk without shoes is that we've walked in the woods for thousands of years, not on asphalt.
That's such an ignorant (and popular) misconception. Asphalt is HEAVEN compared to most natural surfaces. Rocky and hard terrain with sharp stones sticking out. I've been wearing barefoot shoes for 2.5 years and I literally can't walk properly on many "natural surfaces" because of pain and unpredictable obstacles. Going from dirt road to asphalt feels like heaven every time. If your feet hurt on asphalt it means you walk the wrong way, as you said so yourself.
It's because you don't walk properly not the "hard" surface. Plenty of natural surfaces are hard. Even packed sand in some beaches is hard like concrete.
@@CptAngelADVlogs i think maybe your both wrong,and we are engineered to walk and run barefoot on every type of surface as long as needed even if its our whole life, and another thing you both have wrong is that there is not only one right way to walk, from my research so far and i am trying to utilize this in practice too is that if you never wear shoes when growing up ,you instinct gets naturally programmed to adjust your stride length,posture,foot strike and angle according to the terrain and speed your going at, in general i think your feet should be a v and foot strike to land on the ball of the foot next to the small toe ,rolling into the ball to the big toe ,i did notice a positive adjustment while going on sharp gravel, but i still have tons of kinks to work out, i am still quite slow in jogging,and i am forced to take it easy because i am not sure what adjustment i need to make so that my left hip is not aggravated (happens here and there) witch only came on in my barefoot journey, witch is just like 2-3 monthes old with my running-walking interest about a month older
@@silence-humility-calmness or all three or you are wrong 💀this shits not a video game with health bars and menu stats if you wanna know the limits of your body you test them. Simple.
Or slowly over rocks
@@CptAngelADVlogs I can say that on asphalt I can feel how my sole is flattening more and more and in comparison to the rough and nonsymmetrical terrain of the nature I feel it much more natural for my feet when I walk in nature.
In the same time I agree with you that if I step on a small stone or some other small and sharp piece than it hurts me. Probably with the time the skin on your foot can become thicker and we are not going to feel it as much as now. At least I asked my mother and she told me that she doesn't feel that pain as I feel it. Another thing is that maybe depends of the model of the shoe.
And another thing is that in certain ways it is good to feel the pain. It's making you a massage on the sole. As far as I know in china traditions your sole and it's divisions are directly connected with your inner organs. So if there is a particular place that you feel more pain probably your organ which is connected to that region on the sole isn't in very good shape. In that sense you can massage indirectly your organs especially when you are stepping on rough ground. At least I am brainwashing myself with that stuff 😅.
One another big thing about barefoot shoes is raising awareness of wider toe spaces for feet, reducing bunions and hammer toes.
THIS. As a fairly casual barefoot shoe wearer, I’m not super committed to the minimalist sole, but they are the only shoes I wear anymore because of the comfort of a wide toe box and natural foot shape.
And they are a godsend for those of us born with super wide feet. [US Woman's 6.5 EEE here. Aside from barefoot shoes, I can barely find anything that fits.]
@@thewaffleironn Honestly aside from Altra, I don't know any other company that sells traditional looking running shoes but with wide foot-shapes and zero drop. Been meaning to cop one and test them out.
@@TheRoniverseOfficial Vivobarefoot check it out
@@TheRoniverseOfficial Lems, Topo, Vivo barefoot, and various sandals too.
In my experience, a sole wearing out is not how shoes fail, none of the barefoot shoes I have owned in the last 5 years have needed to be repaired on the sole (only on the uppers) but a traditional sneaker with softer cushy soles definitely seem to wear and potentially fail in that area quicker
The sole is always the first thing to go in my case as well.
I have never tried a barefoot shoe, but I walk heel to toe and have recently walked 2 holes into the bottom of my vans. It would be interesting to see if I could get these repaired because I genuinely love these.
Hey there, we actually have a video all about Vans and we have an entire section (near the end) where we talk about their durability issues and how they unfortunately don't have any repair systems in place at the company - you can check that out here: ua-cam.com/video/wuKQbCMEQjc/v-deo.html
Yeah, my barefoot shoes have really durable soles. I also have a lot of shoes that I rotate between, so that may also help.
But, mostly of the wearing out that I've experienced has been from softer, cushy running shoes having the foam on the sole wear down.
Yeah because the sole is so soft on them. Adidas boost wear out so fast
Right. I have never had a sole fail first on my five fingers. They always fail in the fabric between the toes, in my experience. Of course, I patch them up with spare nylon and shoe goo, and continue wearing them until the soul actually does where, thin and rip.
.
Barefoot/minimalist shoes definitely changed my life personally. Back problems, chronic foot issues, all but disappeared after the conversion to "barefoot" shoewear.
i have flat feet, do you think it would make it worse to use them? because i was told i needed a high arch support
@@crypticshadows Flat footer here. Having supports made my arch weaker. It's supposed to be built up.
Go with a zero drop shoe without "support", or barefoot. But gradually transition into them.
@@crypticshadows check out Squat University’s video about minimalist footwear. But what it boils down to is that if you never require your feet to get stronger, they never will. Supports weaken the natural function of your feet even more. They treat a symptom, not the cause.
@@crypticshadows depends on whether your flat footedness is genetic or muscular. I'm a former flatfooter, muscular atrophy from poor shoes, so I'm proof the transition is possible but not without hard work or pain. Look into arch strengthening excercises, find a really good massage therapist that understands feet, good luck on your journey. Relearn how to walk with a forefoot strike and start slow.
@@Deuce7Off it’s genetic, I do dance and other sports and i’ve always had foot pain even though my feet are strong
There is one downside to barefoot shoes though: once you've fully adapted, it's very painful to go back to normal shoes!
lol yep its kinda uncomfortable to mildly bind your feet. The big up side is these days their are alot more options then their used to be for barefoot/minimalist shoes.
The only shoes I can really stand these days that aren't fully barefoot tend to be skateshoes like vans and converse with fairly flat soles. Anything else that I can't bend in half is a waste of money
They are painful anyway
its an upside ,not a downside, in means your feet has realigned itself to its natural state and best functional performance and reject's the discomfort of bad shoes like it initially did when you first got shoes, normal shoes are barefoot shoes that interfere with your biochemicals as little as possible
Factor in times when you must wear dress shoes
Personally im so grateful someone was brave enough to develop toe shoes. People are still unjustly revolted by them now so im amazed they ever caught on enough for further developments. ❤
Have had a lifetime of ankle injuries, even when I was bouldering (and strengthening my feet through this). Made the switch to barefoot shoes a year and a half ago. The amount of feedback I now get through my feet has made things so much better. Missteps that would’ve led to a rolled ankle in normal shoes, don’t result in injures anymore. I was always barefoot at home, so the switch wasn’t so bad. Can second Vivobarefoot, especially their Revivo second chance store. Over here in Europe brands like Belenka are worth checking out, too. For sandals I’m a big fan of Shamma.
Never heard of Belenka, pretty cool shoes!
A lot of barefoot/minimalist shoemakers use Vibram soles - Vibram makes thin sheets of flat sole material that can be cut to any shape and stitched or glued to the shoe.
In addition, these can be easily re-soled by any shoe repair shop.
I don't know why Levi stresses to shop local, then recommends a barefoot shoe made several thousand miles from most of his watchers. I am not affiliated with Softstar, I don't own their shoes, but they manufacture in Portland, Oregon, USA.
In Japan, lots of farmers and certain types of construction workers have been wearing jika-tabi for ages. They are split toed, not foot glove, and has slightly thicker soles, but the concept is pretty similar to barefoot shoes. The grip offered by the flexible soles are still preferred in certain industries. They even make steel toe version too!
They cost a fraction of the Vibram Barefoot, so a good in between to give this type of soles a try.
My problem with them is that they don't have any space for the pinky toe.
I wear the tabi boots and Geta clogs and Vibram furoshiki barefoot shoes but mostly just go barefoot even in London. The furoshiki I use when cycling ❤️
I caught the habit while doing carpentry in Japan, a few years before 5-toed "innovations" hit the Canadian market. I'll stick with 2-toe.
I'm well north of 350lbs, hike miles on trails and wear my Vibram five fingers every day outside my job. I've had Vibram's last over 5-6 years and my last pair are 18 months and still going strong. Admittedly you pay a price for the ground feel etc, they're not going to last a decade plus but in my experience durability's not a problem. 👍
I recently finnaly convinced a long time friend who is north of 350 to try the thinner soled xero shoes.I snagged a pair on their huge sale. and he was an instant convert once he put them on. He has struggled with shoes never being wide enough in the toe box even in wide widths. The fact major brands still don't understand to make a toe shaped toe box is frustrating but I guess fashion norms would think it looked to ugly. sadly most old people pay the price for this with bunions and hammer toes. Its why you see so many older folk drift towards crocks or sandals
@@Demon09-_- Xero shoes are great because they look like regular shoes, but fit better and are more affordable than other brands. A year ago I ordered boots from them, and they were close in price to Lems, but less than half the price of Vivo Barefoot (which I find doesn't fit my foot shape anyway). I'd love to try some of the European brands, but customs makes that too expensive. Vibram and Xero shoes are more affordable, and so far, no issues with the quality.
I haven't had a pair of 5 fingers in maybe 10 years, but I always liked them. Super comfortable. The worst part about them were the comments/stares. Edit: I wasn't an athlete, I just wore them for comfort. Not for running.
At that point you might as well just go barefoot or in sandals
I bought a pair of 5 fingers when I was a college athlete back in 2011. I would always hear comments in the weight room and had coaches who hated that I wore them. However, they were by far the most comfortable shoes to lift in!! Best athletics shoes I had, hands down
Im a cobbler we have
So
Much
Vibram!!
We have tools parts and even aprons that we get from vibram and they make a sole for everything.
Dont forget to Repair!
That's cool that cobblers get so much gear from Vibram. And yes! Repair!!!
i know yall put a lot of effort into these vids, the perfectly inserted demonstrative clip and accompanying sound is really what makes these videos for me, keep it up FP
Wow, thanks so much Stu! We really appreciate the support here, excited to bring new and exciting content your way 😎
I bought the toe shoes about 5 Years ago, cause i thought they looked cool (judge me) and because i was interested in the whole "more natural walking" thing. They held up pretty great and are to this day probably the shoe I wore the longest.
Yeah I actually love the one with toes, don’t know why people think they are ugly 🤷🏻♂️ I don’t use barefoot because it makes me look shorter. Although in my house I don’t use shoes at all, I guess that’s even better.
@I don't understand why toe shoes get so much hatred either. The same people are fine with bare feet at the beach, pool or at home but toe shoes is unacceptable. Why? They look so good and when I wear mine out it's almost a guarantee to get comments and I wouldn't care if everyone hated them. I'd still wear them
@@maggs131 i think people have an aversion to feet for some reason
@MartinVillagra yes of course some people are. If I had to guess I'd say 60% of people are completely neutral and oblivious to feet so seeing them gets no response. 10% love love love seeing feet because of varying degrees of fetish and whatnot and the remaining 30% are on a holy crusade against feet and toes. But it's that 60% that doesn't mind the sight of bare feet will switch to a slumbering terminator mode if they see vibrams as if wearing them has broken an ancient pact with a big glowing scroll. Idk .... I love them
One of my biggest gripes is that as soon as a brand switches something over to "recyclable", the quality tend to drop immediately. I got a pair of 20 year old sandals with vibram soles that look barley used, whereas newer ones scratches up in about one summer. Maybe that should be a topic for another video?
Probably because one degrades better and is better for the environment. Dwr got worse too
Good suggestion. This channel has covered a few exceptions (Birkenstock sandals are the one that come to mind quickest) but otherwise it's a largely unexplored topic. Might be a while before it comes together though, if no scope is explicitly given.
vibram also make alot of different soles. even if they are not extra recycled material versions. If you ever look for a new one try and find out what sole it uses as some are designed to be more grippy but wear out way faster. Its similar to how mud tires on a truck wear out very fast when used on the road.
@@Demon09-_- That's what I found with their Trek Ascent Insulated. They're like foot gloves with winter tires. I can walk across solid ice, but they're so soft and squishy, I'm scared to wear them too often. Still a bazillion times better than the Timberland boots I have that turn solid once it gets below freezing. They're good for snow as Vibram's own shoes aren't waterproof, so there are different soles for different tasks.
Love Vibram 5 fingers……
Going for a hike in the woods with them is a game changer…. Feeling every bit of the earth underneath your feet…. The natural feel in your muscles…
But, wearing them in public get you a lot of grossed out looks…..lol. A lot of people hate feet!!
I live for the weird looks I get :P I just smile and wiggle my toes at them lol
@@YungStinkyWinky 😅
I had one little kid, maybe 6 or 7, say to her dad about me, "why is that person wearing socks?" I had to laugh about that, I think she thought I was wearing toe socks outside without shoes! I've had mostly good comments, people asking me where I got them (sadly not sold in local stores anymore), and people saying they look like a unique fashion statement.
I have some merrell barefoot shoes with a vibram sole, they seem to wear slower than a normal shoe (except right at the heal since I am not perfect) but I would be willing to state that I think they last longer because barefoot walking is inherently more gentle on soles mainly because the whole point is to be gentle on your feet.
I had a pair of these that were my only other shoe than my steel toe work boots, and they lasted for over two years before the uppers started ripping. I'm pretty sure they saved my feet from major issues from my boots, because I got a bunion almost right after I started wearing tennis shoes.
I've been wearing Vibrams Five Fingers for the last 10. My back and lower joints feel better and stronger. I went hiking up this mountain in Hawaii and I never lost my footing the whole way up. A lot of people had trouble on some trails but I had no trouble in my Vibrams. I wore V-Trek Five Fingers
Congrats on 250k! Love watching you guys grow. This is my favorite channel atm and I’m always looking forward to Wednesdays.
Thanks so much! It means the world to know we've got supportive subs who look forward to our uploads. Constantly looking to improve and bring exciting stuff your way, thanks again 🤗
As a climber its super interesting to learn about this side of Vibram, I've always been aware of their barefoot shoes but I think of Vibram far more for the quality of their rubber and the climbing shoes that use their rubber (Scarpa, La Sportiva)
@@AntonAdelson Any chance you remember which documentary? I'd love to watch it!
The Vibram is guaranteed to give you the most efficient and best performing footwear you've ever laid your eyes on. No matter you wish to go, it'll always stick around. May God bless this channel. We all hope you guys continue making great content.
Thanks for the continued support, Sophia! We're stoked you're loving our videos, excited to keep putting out quality content for y'all 🥰🥰
When I see a Future Proof video, I click.
Stoked to have wonderful supporters like yourself joining us here, hope you enjoyed this one!!
My first pair of barefoot were some Merrell with Vibram soles, I thought they wouldn't last 6 months, but after two years they are still in good condition. I wear them 4-5 days a week for workouts. In contrast to other shoes that I have owned.
idk about vibrams, but personally switching to vivobarefoot shoes was a significant upgrade in comfort.
We've heard great things about VivoBarefoot, good to know! Thanks for sharing, Elijs
Wearing exclusively barefoot shoes for several years now. They really do wonders for foot health and strength.
My only non-barefoot shoes are my hiking boots and even those have a wide toe box from Lowa
Vibram barefoot shoes changed my life!
After I had to get bunion surgery in '16, and learned that my extreme, impressive-to-doctors flat-footedness/overpronation was the cause, I looked into how I could fix my problem, and landed on barefoot shoes as one possible solution. And at least at the time, Vibram seemed to be the most-available/least-obscure, so I got a couple different styles of 5-fingers, and later, in the winter, the furoshiki wrap boots.
I totally agree that consistency is key! I wore nothing on my feet but those 3 pairs of shoes for at least 2 years after I got them. You have to commit. I saw it as necessary physical therapy that needed daily practice in order to improve my comfort and quality of life.
And over time, it worked! I've heard it explained that if you walk "wrong", regular shoes will compensate for the wrongness with padding and etc, so your foot never needs to change itself, or "learn". But barefoot shoes will create feedback which makes the ways in which it is wrong more evident to you on kind of a subconscious level, and you'll eventually make the needed adjustments.
I went from those ridiculously fallen arches to having very strong feet that hold stable arches no matter what other kind of shoe I'm wearing (I wear a lot of Doc Martens and Chuck Taylors these days), or even when I'm barefoot! And my vibrams have barely left the closet for a couple years now, so this seems to be a lasting change!
I would like to thank the writers of your videos for the cheesy puns and jokes. I absolutely love it and please give me more!
You can really tell that it is passionate team! Thanks again for the awesome video and the grinchy jokes 😅
Haha so glad you enjoyed, we love our staff and their sense of humour too 🥰
I started wearing fivefingers around early 2008, took several months to work on transitioning into them so I wouldnt injure myself, and absolutely LOVED them... at first.
First issue I had was durability... I have rather large(wide) big toes, and EVERY set I got blew out the pocket on the big toes.
Another issue I had in certain circumstances was traction, but not where most people would figure. I could walk on sheets of ice without too much issue, but wet tile was a nemesis for that, plus my next issue.
The STANK.
When I initially got fivefingers, there really weren't all that many athletic-oriented toe socks, and since I didnt want to wear rainbow thigh highs, I just put my bare feet in them.
Now I dont usually have much in the way of foot funk, but after just three days the smell was HORRENDOUS!! If they got wet though, it was even worse!!
That eventually faded after I found some cheap, ankle cut toe socks... but the memory of the sheer amount of FUNK remained.
Mind you, I was a cross-country runner at the time, and I did make the transition into running almost exclusively in my fivefingers!
Fast forward about six years with zero injuries, and I'm looking at enlisting into the Marine Corps.
Was upping my mileage to prepare for basic, but I made the mistake of attempting to up my mileage like a "traditionally" shod runner would... cue a debilitating arch injury that made just walking an exercise in agony.
Felt like I'd have a red hot knife shoved into my foot every time I took a step.
The recovery has taken years, admittedly mostly due to my own hubris and impatience, but I'm finally back in more "minimalist/barefoot" shoes,
My fivefingers though?
Solely used as water shoes when I go kayaking.
Don't get me wrong, I have no hate towards Vibram for the fivefingers, as it helped me get into more barefoot footwear... but there are FAR more practical, and far cheaper, options on the market these days.
I’m not even athletic and health conscious but I switched from tennis shoes to crocs for my small parcel delivery job and I went from a twisted ankle and falling 1-2 a month to never twisting my ankle or falling since I switched to crocs
I spent my entire summer in Crocs, did a ton of yard work in them, even cut and trimmed a huge tree I have in my yard and went up a 16 foot extension ladder with a chainsaw and had no issues, Crocs are pretty boss.
nice if you ever need more formal looking tennishoes there are tons of options these days with human shaped toe boxes. I wear some black leather be lenka champs to work daily and they are a god send. and for ups and fedex where they require "non slip shoes" I have heard good thing aboure xero's non slip prio
cracked up at the last few seconds! I had to even go back to enjoy it better. LOL LOVE the shirt!
He obviously loves the shirt too 😅 So glad you got a giggle out of that !
Barefoot shoe doesn’t usually suffer sole fail when your walking technique is good. Have pair of vff kso evo since 2017 run 30km weekly with them.. still going strong.
Sorry Levi, might bhave to disagree with your last point. I have had my 5 fingers, yes, the toes shoes, for 8 years now. And even with my fairly consistent running habits, I haven't warn them completely. And while they fell out of running use after year 4, I would say that is more than a great lifespan, considering the other parts of the shoe by that point had begun to degrade as well.
I appreciate the insight into Vibram (as a company), but I have to say, mine have held up remarkably (and are still usable) since my purchase in 2008 (they went on sale and had my measurement, yay me!). As a female with a wide foot who also doesn't tend to fit into straight shoe sizes (5-9), they are immensely helpful and the ONLY shoes I've had that offered a wider toe box and catered to my actual foot. I've gotten so tired of trying to fit the wide ball of my foot and my larger than average toe box into regular shoes; I either wear holes in the pinky toe areas or risk excruciating pain trying to fit my foot into shoes (even "wide" shoes) that don't really fit my feet.
It's also really nice to have a durable pair of shoes that are nice to hike in, run in or do water activities in (those rocks in the rivers are no joke!).
I was that one kid who would always have the pinky toe outside of the sandals due to the exact thing you're talking about. It sucked for dress shoes. I rejoiced when Crocs brought out their Mary Jane shoes back in the day, and I got them in black for the middle school choir dress code. I haven't gotten the nerve up to wear my Fivefingers in any sort of semi-formal occasion, but my fiance told me I should get a pair for our wedding, so I'm going to get them in white, and probably sew some lace over top of the mesh part to be somewhat fancy, while still being comfy, and myself. I also recently found out that ToeToe, a toe sock company, makes tights with separate toes, so that's really neat! I first heard about them through costuming, where people will get those when a costume calls for someone being barefoot, but they don't want to actually go barefoot for safety. I have a pair of Xero Shoes too, and was prepared to get a more expensive pair of dressy flats that are wider, but everyone associates me with toe shoes, I guess.
This video came up after I bought a pare of Vibrams (the ones with the separated toes). I don't even know why it took me so long, considering I've always enjoyed being barefoot at home, the beach, etc. I'm definitely interested to see how this experiment plays out and will try other types of minimalist shoes too.
Love the info! I just switched my hiking boots to barefoot style out of desperation because of grip and feel issues causing falls on trail. Found a bunch but went with vivobarefoot because they have that transparency thing. (And my toes stay inside them where they belong) Plus they have revivo which lets you mail your spent vivios back to be recycled into new vivos! mostly just commented to say it was nice to see what appears to be a well researched source confirm vivo was a ecofriendly choice
something interesting about soles is that it matters just as much about the hardness of the rubber as it does the thickness of it. i have a pair of ultraboost sneakers that have continental outsoles that are also really thin but after 5 years of wear they still barely have any signs of it. the same thing can apply here as well, where the outsole is just a seriously good rubber. this doesnt make them any more repairable but it is an argument for how long soles can actually last once you compare them to the wear of skechers or jordans
I wear barefoot shoes from a brand called Splay. I love them. The first month caused some pain issues, but after that, my feet have strengthened up. Love them.
I see Vibram as being in a constant state of evolution. They pretty much invented the lugged rubber outsole, and they innovated again with their Five-Fingers. I love my Five-Fingers, but I pretty much only wear them during summer. Interesting, the Five-Fingers have an interesting off-brand use as driving shoes! You get really good foot dexterity for working the clutch pedal, and doing heel and toe downshifts.
I don't know what to say about this since I wearing my vibram five fingers for almost 7 years now and I just patches the worn out rubber soles with rubber tube tyres and works well with me in trail running. I enjoyed it very much to this day without feeling pain and fear of getting stepped sharp rocks, woods or broken glass (except nails). Feel like young always
I love my ICE+ Arctic Grip Vibram soled snow boots. They keep me from falling and getting injured/unalived in winter.
The biggest issue with Vibrams and most “foot-shaped” shoes is that they’re one shape fits all even though every one’s foot shape and width is unique.
Some barefoot shoe review sites will show foot shapes and recommend brands based on that. It is worth mentioning as myself and many others find Xero Shoes to fit so much better than Vivo Barefoot (not to mention the price). Some barefoot shoe companies I've seen offered two different widths/shapes although I don't remember which ones those were, as I tend to find something I like, and stick with it as long as I can.
@@joylox Xeros are too narrow for me.
That's why I never buy shoes online. It might be a bit of trauma from normal shoes never even fitting halfways. But I think it's good practice.
In fact the only situation I ever buy any clothes online if if I buy a second one/pair of the same model.
I've been wearing vibrams for 10 years and I have no plans on stopping.
I only have Vibran souls on my hiking bootsa dn they are great and long lasting.
You should also do a video on Dr. Bronner soaps, I think that might be right up your alley.
My problem with those Vibram toe shoes ten years ago was my pinky toes kept getting stubbed! After one last particularly curse-laden event, I gave them away and they've lived happily ever since.
if you ever decide to try barefoot shoes again there are alot more options. There are so many more these days that look like normal shoes ,dress shoes ,boots and more. I would guess at least part of the toe stubbing was probably just a proprecption thing as since were in shoes so much your body kinda loses the ability to accurately where your toes would be,Its similar to part of the reason why you stub your big toe when your barefoot but not really when your in shoes. some of it defintely is normal shoes give you a 1cm buffer but proprception or where your body is in space does play a role.
I'm surprised this video didn't mention the time someone tried suing Vibram over a broken toe. They gave him the middle toe and it got a bit of attention, but wasn't as high profile. Still kind of funny to witness, and that's why Skeletoes has 4 toes, and Body Glove only has 3 toes in their shoes.
I have been wearing feet gloves (Vibram 5 fingers) for 10 years. I wear them every day and in all settings and locations. I haven't had any problems. I still have my first pair and I wear them a lot ( in rotation with 2 other pairs). They have been sewn up between the toes a few times, but they are going strong. And, for my age my feet look great 👍 straight toes and strong muscles. No complaints 😁
My experience with vibram is that they slide and glide with just ecen a little bit of moisture. They did not have grip on wet surfaces.
My first pair of barefoot shoes were Ren-Fest boots. I now wear almost exclusively Whitin. As far as wear goes, because the barefoot shoes put more of my foot in contact with the earth, they wear out at a much slower rate. As far as health goes, I can attribute much of my arthritis to misaligned joints. Though I cannot say the barefoot shoes did all the work, they helped greatly. More importantly barefoot shoes fit my feet better than any other.
As someone with joint issues, I agree. My issue was that with softer soles and those with higher outsoles, my ankles would often shift in unnatural ways, which caused strain on my already hypermobile hips that were prone to subluxing (when something goes out of place, but isn't a full dislocation) since birth. I always wore flats for dressy occasions rather than heels due to that, so I figured why not wear flatter shoes in day to day life too.
Been wearing them for about 16 years. Got rid of my back pain and plantar fasciitis. Physically the best thing I have ever done for myself. Have many pairs
I've been having my Viviobarefoot shoes for two years now. I wear them almost everyday except if it's raining. I run, hike, and do daily things with them and the soles are holding up great. I have had to replace the inner soles once but the outer soles are in great shape.
Congrats on the 250k let’s do 500k ❤
goofy ahh shoes
Based
So goofy 😅
I completely switched to barefoot shoes, mostly Leguano, Joe Nimble (those have Vibram soles actually) and Vivo Barefoot, years ago and it took some time to get adjusted. Though I don't know if it really have any health benefits. My main concern was having shoes that are comfortable right from the start and don't need months of wear and tear to get eventually comfortable.
I’m lucky in that I live nearby a city in california called Santa Cruz where a minimalist shop called shamma sandals has their headquarters so I can buy these VERY locally and they have a sandal repair program!
REI has a lot of good options though honestly minimalist shoes can surprisingly cost a fair amount
Santa Cruz always has the coolest shops, it's not fair for us over the hill.
the best budget minimlast shoes are probably whitins in their "wide version"with the insoles removed off amazon. Or xero's yearly inventory sale.
"I'm playing both sides, so I always come out on top."
Your content is fascinating!
I'm runner. I really love running shoes tech. One day I saw man running with hurache prestty fast. I talked to him. After that I try a lot of running hurache and sandals. It's feel great, my feet are free. It's a bit exhausted at feet and calves. I think because muscles in those area were rarely used. But they are expensive. So I tried cheap foam sandals. It's zero drop, flexible. It just works! At 1/10 price.
I had a pair of these years ago when they first came out and actually kind of liked them, they just looked so weird I stopped wearing them. Sure they are in a box somewhere, kind of want to try wearing them again.
I love Vibram's cane/trekker pole tips.
Thanks for the background on Vibram. Very cool. You’re a good looking version of Jason Biggs!
Loved my vibrams when I had them. It was a learning curve wearing them. Now I have another company years later (Nortiv8) minimalist shoes that just have a wide toe box.
Tell me your shoe is a cult without telling me your shoe is a cult.
Funnily enough, our first Barefoot shoes video was all about their culty-ness: ua-cam.com/video/tsJNw2pTrY8/v-deo.html
A kid I was in high school marching band with wore toe shoes while we practiced and it somehow made marching band more uncool 😅
Anyway, love the vid FP!
Question/Suggestion - have you done a deep dive on all those clothing companies that bombard Instagram with ads? I’m talking Vuori, Cuts Clothing, Bylt Basics, Ten Thousand and there’s probably loads more I didn’t list. But are their products any good or is the price inflated to pay the marketing budget?
Five fingers as a whole are a great concept even if the soles can’t be replaced. I do understand it is a bit more complicated than regular shoes. That being said my five fingers have lasted years. Usually the sole holds better than the fabrics. I don’t invest too much in them new, I try to always buy second hand first. Vivobarefoot has a great secondhand website called revivo. The same shoes, pre loved but given a new lease on life. Some are simply cleaned some are repaired and some have been resoled. For a smaller price point you can still get good quality and shop used. For some barefoot shoes are a necessity, for others like myself a choice to repair conventional shoe damage.
I'm curious as to if the uppers could be replaced. I sew, and I have a pair that's pretty much useless, but the soles, although smooth, are still fine. I might be able to make something, and that would be a fun way to give something old new use.
I have been wearing Vibram 5F shoes since about 2010, and they have been great for my feet. Walking on grass is better in any shoe, but you can also learn to walk on concrete wearing Vibram 5F without a forceful heel strike or having to walk on the forefoot (which I can't imagine doing, lol). And for those occasions when Vibram 5F doesn't seem quite the thing to wear, I go to Vivo Barefoot. But I believe that Vibram 5F shoes give the feet a better "workout".
Fr my toe shoes have made workouts incredible. It feels so much better to run, lift, squat etc vs whatever sneakers (though Converse aren't bad) I used to wear. Even hikes are way better, because I can feel the ground under me and balance better. I know they faced some flak in the past, but the main problem with the criticism was the people complaining were running in them heel-to-toe, which is unnatural, and obviously would give you knee pain. We're supposed to run on the balls of our feet. But huge heels are common on running shoes because people aren't running right, and it's a lazy solution.
I have the Ugg Adirondacks with vibram soles. They have lasted for almost 15 years now and a great winter boots.
I loved the Five Finger shoes I had but they just weren't practical enough to make them my primary shoes. They weren't remotely water resistant and I found blades of grass would poke through the material into my toes when I was hiking in them. I also don't like wearing shoes without socks and toe socks are highly annoying, not to mention wearing them made my shoes too tie. Five fingers were the catalyst that converted me over to all minimalist shoes, but I've chosen to go with brands that have a more traditional shape like Xero and Lems.
I throw my five fingers in the washing machine once a week 😉
Love my Xeros! So does my kid.
Love barefoot / minimalist shoes, hate "toe gloves."
I've worn most brands, but many (incl. my old standby, Merrell) have drifted away from the minimalist style, so if you're looking for options - check out Xero Shoes. Not cheap to get to Canada, but they're pretty awesome for every day wear and running shoes.
be lenka is also amazing. The best time to get xero is during their yearly wearhouse clearence sales. Got my friend with some large feet a pair of hfs for 35 usd and hes been a instant converter since.
In Canada, order from Cool East Market (based in Toronto, but ships across the country). I got a pair of boots made by Xero Shoes through them, and it wasn't too bad, the same price as Lems, or a lot of local boots, like Vans.
@@joylox Thanks for the tip! I'm on the West coast but always happy to shop Canadian.
There's an episode of The Simpsons where new neighbors from Portland, Oregon move in on the Flanders and the Simpsons in Springfield, USA. In one of the scenes where they are talking with Ned Flanders, the new neighbors are wearing and showing off their new "toe sneakers," which resemble the Fivefingers, saying that they'll be all the rage someday...
My KSO Evos, (Vibram's thinnest soles) have lasted me 500 miles with no holes yet. I even still have tred on a majority of the sole. For comparison, my Hoka Clifton 7 soles started showing the mid foam at 200 miles, and complete sole degredation at 300 miles. While it is frustrating indeed that Vibram doesn't have sole repair for the barefoot shoes, one of my Vibrams is lasting me at least two if not 3 or 4 of nearly every other shoe.
I love barefoot shoes. I started with merrell and now wear Vivobarefoot
I‘ve had mine for 10 years. Daily use. So i would say they are pretty reliable
I have almost exclusively worn vibram five fingers for over a decade, minus some vibram/merrell snow boots.
And i can say, they dont wear out fast..... they do where out faster than they used to, but they still last 2+ years.....and again, thats wearing them as only shoe, almost every day of the year............ while the idea of repairing them is something ive thought of, its just not something that fits the type of shoe.
...and i would totally recommend them over knock offs.
Kudos for offering alternatives at the end.
We do our best to! Thanks for joining us here 😃
I’ve found traditional running shoes wear out for their intended purpose before barefoot running shoes because cushioning wears unevenly. What I like about my barefoot hiking shoes is, since the whole point is no cushion, they’ll last until they’ve completely worn through, which could be thousands of miles. I have vivobarefoots. I won’t say I recommend them, do what works for you, but that’s one upside.
It's interesting that to the mountain bikers the Vibram logo means the second grippiest rubber (second to Stealth by FiveTen)
I bought some barefoot shoes recently and initially wanted to go with the five fingers, as I figuered those seperate toes would really help me reverse their sort of atrophying from a lifetime of wearing shoes with narrow toeboxes. What I found however was that they only offer one single shape, which didn't fit my toes very well, and especially the pinky toe kept slipping out. I ended up getting a shoe from a local brand (I live in germany) with a continuous wide toebox instead.
I’ve owned 2 pair of VFF’s. They both fell apart after very little use (less than 20 miles of running on each). It my bare feet have survived around 10,000 miles. I recommend Merrell’s barefoot series.
These always remind me of my last year in high school in 1998, when those “toe socks” came around, because on our senior trip to Virginia one of the more popular girls wore rainbow toe socks (she took her shoes off on the long bus ride). Yes we went to Richmond, VA to see Kings Dominion and Six Flags… Yeah I voted to go to Montreal, but I guess extreme roller coasters beat getting to experience a new culture, and country to dumb teenagers 🤦♂️. Though honestly Virginia was about as far from NYC as I felt we could get as we were treated like we were from outer space by the locals!)
I live in Canada, and I used to wear toe socks with flip flops around the house a lot instead of slippers. I got my first pair when I was maybe 4 or 5 in the early 2000s because they had Tigger on them. I always loved them, so I saw the shoes, and had to get a pair. There are some odd looks, but I've had a lot of good comments, and it's kind of become what I'm known for.
I wore Vibrams for a while then went into running sandals. I sort of went full send and injured by feet. Long story short, don't go full send. Do it incrementally and so far I've been in these barefoot footwear for 11 years.
nice im glad you kept with it. Far to many people go full send or expect a mirical right away. I love my luna sandals tbh but also wear be lenka champs for work.
Hey Levi!!! Love the channel, good stuff. Can you do a deep-dive on MEC, the once-beloved Canadian camping gear CO-OP founded in Vancouver in 1971... Turned Corporate Conglomerate?
Guys, I wont be allowed to wear these to work, but would wear them weekends and to gym, would it be practical or is it not enought time worn for my feet to adapt
so do i need the thick study sole or a thin natural one?
Should do a video on UGG and UGG Australia could be a good video. Keep up the good work
Sooooo, did you contact Vibram directly to see if they offer a repair program for fivefingers, or did you just assume they didn’t because there isn’t a dedicated page on their website?
Their repair if you care page takes you to a list of the cobblers he has. But vibram doesn't sell just the sole of the five fingers. My guess a large part of it is because if they sold just the sole it would be that make easier to make a copy of the shoe with a genuine vibram sole. another possible problem is the constructionn the upper is very fragile and probably doesn't hold up well when removing the sole and the gule.
but heres their offical reply on it ("My FiveFingers tore/ripped/wore out, can I get them replaced or repaired?
Our 90 day warranty applies to manufacturing defects only. Wear and tear on the shoes is not considered a defect. Unfortunately, we do not have the ability to repair FiveFingers."
This is from the the FAQs page on their offical site and is down near the bottom. Id post a link but youtube just removes comments if you do that.
Now that I finished the video, I can say that you redeemed yourself here. I understood your point that more peer-reviewed scientific studies are needed to be done in order to show how much better it really is to adapt a barefoot living lifestyle, which includes wearing "barefoot"/foot-shaped shoes. Not sure if there's any way that I could help speed that process up as a test subject or something, though I'm certain there have been a few test subjects for this already, and more to come.
Btw, I would recommend you look up Anya's Reviews. You may be impressed which how well-researched she is with the footwear in the "barefoot"/foot-shaped footwear industry.
Love your videos. Very informative. Would you make one about helly Hansen or columbia? Thanks
Mid-way through the video here, you're making some fair points so far. Gonna finish the video now.
I wore-out one pair. (2011) They had the best grip for hopping rocks in streams.
Bought another one.
Got sick of elevator conversations, "Did you hear about the lawsuit?" Slowed down on wearing them for "North Face Day" at the office.
Got sick of them stinking up so quickly. Tried baking soda soak, vinegar soak, borax soak, ammonia soak. Nothing made it so they didn't stink-up again on the next wear. Nothing that wouldn't unglue them.
Wear socks. I wore mine for gym class in high school, and had to machine wash them almost every week (they wore out quickly). Then I found natural fibre toe socks (wool, cotton, bamboo, etc) and it changed everything! Now I don't have to wash them nearly as much, and I only go barefoot in the ones I wear in the ocean.
After years wearing Vivos, switching to Vibrams was definitely a life changing experience for the better. Can't see how I could ever wear an ordinary shoe again other than for very special occasions..
Vibram Fivefingers are the most comfortable shoe I've ever worn, and they are durable, going on 7 years of regular use with my first pair, mostly trail running. It is a shame I have to order them online though, I would much rather try them at a physical location first.
FWIW, recycling was started by oil companies. Glass has been recycled for over a century, and metals since WWII.
The concept of using recycled materials that cost more than making new materials is a more recent phenomenon.
Showing a shot of climbing shoes when talking about spacious, minimal shoes was a pretty wild take.
Over engineered toe torture chambers.
After switching to barefoot shoes my knee issues almost disappeared completely. And my posture has improved
Any suggestions for bare foot boots for winter? As in several inches of snow and temperatures well below freezing if not below 0 farenheit. And slush too!
Repairing shoes , i have a pair of cheap hiking boots and this weekend the sole started sepearating from the upper could stick my finger through. Took some superglue and glued it and 4 km in the glue is still holding
i hate having things in between my toes, i'd never be able to wear these shoes, they're like the rubber version of those socks that have individual toes
Noooot a huge fan of those socks either, but hey to each their own I guess!
I always have cold feet. What can I wear around the house in winter and outside during cold weather?
I've been wearing Vibram Fivefingers for 9 years now, and I can honestly say that the newer styles last longer. Just don't wear them in Canadian winters or heavy rain, I got a pair of Xero Shoes boots for that. My first pair wore out pretty quick because I wore them every single day for gym class in high school, and at the time, good toe socks were impossible to find in Canada (now Lee Valley sells good ones), so they got machine washed about once a week. They lasted about 2 years before the lining was completely destroyed. Actually, I've only had one where the sole was the issue, and that was because I got a kids sized pair for like $30 and I probably should have gotten a size larger. The ones made for hiking are great, and I'm surprised they discontinued the classic Treksport design (the more traditional water shoe looking one) because those have lasted me about 7 or 8 years now.
That being said, after wearing them for so long, it's kind of become my own personal style more than anything else, and people comment when I'm not wearing them, even if I'm wearing other barefoot shoes (although personally, I got a used pair of Vivo Barefoot shoes locally for like $20, and they really don't fit my foot shape as well as Xero or Vibram does). I sew a lot of my own clothes, at least for summer wear, so people have gotten used to me doing whatever weird things work and fit with my disabilities. And if that's wearing neon compression toe socks with water shoes, that's it. I'm currently planning my wedding, and my fiance said it just wouldn't be me if I wasn't wearing toe shoes, despite finding some really cool ones from Zaqq that I was tempted to get.
The main differences I've noticed is that I have better balance with the increased width, less foot pain due to having room to move and adapt to the ground, and no heel height which is safer for people like me prone to ankle injury. It does take time to get used to, but my physiotherapist said they're good, so I trust him. He said he had a pair, but when he's standing and working with people most of the day, he needs cushion, which I totally understand. I just tend to get that from socks.