FiveFingers 'Casual Shoes'

Gotta agree with you on this one, they’re getting a bit carried away, but I guess they have to sell shoes. And I am someone who wears his Vibrams all day. Though I’ve had some durability issues with the Kso treks, I like the shoes in general.

Yeah, too far. I’ve been running in VFFs for a few years (KSOs and Bikilas) and for that and other related sports they’ve been nothing short of awesome, but that is really all I wear them for and I have no desire to wear them, or any of those models, otherwise. A decent casual minimal shoe needs to be light, have as close to zero as possible with regard to heel to toe drop, decent ground feel and a nice wide toe box, but separated toes, in my experience, don’t really come into play for casual wear.

See, I can understand the practicality of the cold-weather boot. I was actually just thinking it’d be nice to have Vibrams meant for colder weather; where I live, we get a lot of snow, and I don’t leave the house in anything other than knee-high boots if I can possibly help it. I’ve refrained from buying Vibrams on account of how completely useless they’d be to me right now.

This is fantastic! I’m always sad when I have to change from my Vibrams into something more work-appropriate after my morning run, as I know that the shoes I’m changing into aren’t nearly as comfortable. I realize that these casual models are going to have a bit more material and will not be quite as light on the foot as the regular models, but I’m betting that they’ll still be more comfortable than what I currently wear around the office. I’m fully on board with giving these shoes a try.

This is perfect. Sneakers are banned at my workplace, so most of the existing models wouldn’t work – I was thinking of getting a KSO in kangaroo leather and seeing if anyone noticed, but the Bormio is perfect – there’s no fleshtoned lack of socks to draw the eye.

As someone who owns 4 pairs of Vibrams, I actually find myself a bit torn. I love the things – and try to wear them all the time, including at work (which thankfully doesn’t care what kinda footwear we have). But the whole perk and reason behind them is feeling close to being barefoot and having the dexterity of toe and foot movement. One of the pairs I have is the Sport Trek, which has a thicker sole than the others, and I find that partially restricts toe movement. Not terribly mind you, but noticeably more than the other models. The new insulated models look to have even thicker soles for warmth – 5mm, so I would think movement would be even more restricted, and thus I question why one would bother with individual toes if you can’t move them about. Now, the casual models aren’t bad so long as the soles are no thicker than the Sport Trek, but with the Bikila and other models, I wonder why the bothered with another running shoe?

Last August I purchased my VFF KSOs and I have never regretted it. They are amazingly comfortable. I run, surf and work out in them all the time. I highly recommend them!

I am STOKED about this. There were fakes on the market that laced up for the past year, it’s about time Vibram answered demand. I never thought ANYTHING could pull me away from Nike, but I live in these things and am glad they’re making some casual / dressy ones that look cool but stay true to the whole concept behind going barefoot (hopefully). And those knee-high chick boots are hot…I hope they get them into Latin America soon.

I live in Anchorage Alaska and I don’t see anywhere what good the snow boots temperature goes down to before your feet are solid ice

I’m really excited to see the new offerings. I wear Vibrams not because I run or exercise, but because they are the only shoes that don’t cause my back to hurt. I’m just a stay-at-home mom and the majority of what I do is just walking around and picking up my kids now and then (which I minimize due to sciatica). The Vibrams allow me to be in my 30s again, which I am, instead of feeling like I’m already in my fifties and using a cane. So I’m really glad to see the new offerings and know some of them will be on my santa list for next year!

Source? There’s nothing on the VFF website about any of this.

I wear nothing but VFFs except when I run with my huaraches. I only hope Vibram doesn’t abandon the other models and the reasons I love my VFFs.

Isaac — Source was Vibram communication/press dept. This is to-be-released line.

Dear Stephen.

You deny it but I have the feeling that you are an evangelizer!

I thought I might give five toe shoes a try and I love it. Running is kinda light in them and after getting used to it my feet don’t feel tiered at all.
I also wear my KSOs as regular shoes but you might live in Texas or California where it is never cold. But here in Germany we have 14°F which makes them unusable as regular shoe.
Even Running with socks feels cold and I need to speed to get the warmth back.

But standing in a Stadium or walking to a pub HURTS.

“But the casual line, I think, has gone too far. The new styles for 2011, which come in men’s models and a boot for women, are just strange.”

Toe shoes are different not strange.
Id love to pick the TrekLS or Borimo. Not for running but for the daily use.
Normal shoes became uncomfortable to me. Normal!!! shoes feel narrow and clunky.

Why so negative about the new models?
Last year we had -4°F. Yes I want to se you wearing classics then ;)

No a nice leather shoe for work, studying and shopping. great. and the thicker sole will protect my feet from the cold as it is the FALL/WINTER lineup.

When we have summer again I still can grab the classic.

i think its a great idea and i do think there is just as big market for the casual line. i love my vffs for running and almost bought a pair for work but then i saw the inov8. since im a nurse, the moulded silicone is much more practical and im hoping the sizing will be more 4giving and stretchy.
other than that, i go barefoot anyway so i probably wont invest in the casual shoes. im too much of a girl to give up my heels for going out and my lifestyle, luckily, doesnt require much more
my biggest concern about the new casual line is that the company cant keep up with the demand for the basic models! i would much rather see them filling orders than fussing around with new styles.

I’m actually happy to see this. I’ve always thought that if they were good for running, and trail running then a boot that you could wear in the woods while hunting or other cold weather stuff would make sense.

I do not like the Bormio but LOVE the other three! My husband and I call our kangaroo Treks our “Sunday Go To Meeting Shoes” and wear them whenever we can. I love my Vibrams!

I understand that for some people thin soles are the main attraction, especially for running; for me they are lovely but not as crucial as toe room.

The main reason I like VFFs is the articulated toes. All women’s and most men’s shoes, except for some Keens, crush my toes into unnatural positions, and Keens have ridiculously thick soles. Being able to use my toes correctly in VFFs on a daily basis has strengthened my previously flat arches and cured my foot and back pain.

Two years ago I was wearing Sprints as my everyday shoes; since this past fall I’ve been wearing Treks as my everyday shoes. Because I want to be pain-free in as many situations as possible, I think it’s great that Vibram is making more models on the dressier side, even if they’re using the less comfortable thicker soles.

I live in Virginia, so the Cervinias should be warm enough in the winter and will look fantastic while they’re at it. $160 is a perfectly reasonable price for a fashion boot – though I’ve never bought any hitherto because they’re all so uncomfortable.

My main unfulfilled wish is for a low model that looks appropriate with a skirt. Performa Janes with a Sprint or perhaps Jaya sole would be great. As it is, I’m stuck with Sprints, and the Jaya LRs don’t look much better.

Sure hope they fixed the smell problem.

@Harmen
Just wash them like any other garment. Be sure to stick the velcro together or you’ll have a vibram bolo in your washing machine.(also hang dry)
I’m mystified by people complaining about the smell. How often do you wash your other cloths? What do you do with anything else that smells/looks dirty?

I have two pairs of VFF’s and I have to say I like the new line up. I really like the boots, I am planning to get a pair. These are the only shoes I wear anymore, but seeing that I live in Ohio, it’s kinda hard to wear them when there is snow on the ground. Looking forward to the Boots. Since I have been wearing my vff’s My back and hips no longer hurt like they use too. I think they are an all around great shoe, which I happened to find by accident. Both of my kids have them, they wear them to school. They both love them!!

Honestly these new models are exactly suited to my needs. If you have been wearing your VFFs for every part of your life as I have and not just for working out you can see the huge technical improvement in all-leather toe pockets for a men’s lifestyle shoe. In the colder months I switch my classics out for treks for added warmth (sometimes even with socks) but a major problem is when it gets wet out. Accidentally stepping into any tiny puddle or getting caught in the rain invariably makes my toes wet and they immediately get cold. When I’m running that doesn’t matter but when I’m out partying it does. The closed leather toe pockets are much more practical for everyday use and prior to these models I had even been trying to modify my brown treks to partially seal up the toe pockets to give me just an extra 2 millimeters of water resistant material. The new models are exactly what I wanted. I have also torn the fabric in between the toes on old treks, treksports, while hiking and playing basketball and I suspect that the leather will be much more durable over time. The Trek LS might be a more suitable shoe for hiking, for example, and not just for wearing around. Finally these are much more low key shoes (the men’s options) than any previous VFFs. This could help reducing the number of people that notice them and ask the same annoying questions. Get over it, they are very comfortable shoes with loads of health benefits.

Stephen, how can you say they’ve gone too far? Can they go any further than they’ve already gone? Isn’t a shoe that looks this way much less daring compared to the other models when you wear it around? Seems like you’re missing the point here.

http://i.imgur.com/sjs8b.jpg