Vibram KSO Evo review - Nearly

This should be a review of my new Vibram KSO Evos. The first of a new generation of Vibram's Five Fingers that supposedly offer lighter weight and more feel.

However you'll notice there isn't a review here instead there's a bit of a blank space.....

I can show you a picture of the Evos......

I can say they indeed appear to be lighter and more flexible than previous models I've tried, I can even tell you they come with a neat little bag to keep them in. However what I can't tell you is much more than that.

I currently have two pairs of Vibrams, a pair of KSO Treks and a pair of Spyridons. Both in size 46 and both are a perfect fit. I've done countless miles of running and walking in them and never had as much as a hot spot or pressure point let alone a blister.

So when ordering the Evos from the Vibram website I had no reason to think anything more than my usual size 46 would be needed. Unfortunately it seems the KSO Evo has different sizing to previous VFFs.

Even out of the box the Evos look small, whether its just a trick of the eye I don't know but as soon as I put them on my feet I knew there was a problem. My VFFs have always been super comfy but straight away my left big toe was touching the end of its toe pocket in the Evos. After five minutes of trying to persuade myself they would stretch and bed in I came to the inevitable conclusion, I was going to have to send them back.

After checking they were indeed size 46 I put them next to my KSO Trek's and the problem was immediately obvious. 

The new Evos are approx half an inch shorter in length than the older Trek model, standing them next to my Spyridons told the same story. For me the whole point of them is the comfort and feel they give, if they're causing pain this is going to be a no go. 

Be warned if you're planning on getting a pair of the Evo's I'd highly recommend trying them before you buy.

At this point I must apologise for not getting a photo of the difference between the two shoes. I put the Evos back in the box while I looked up how to send them back and before I knew it the wife had sealed and sent them. You can't blame her for being efficient.

I bought the Evos direct from the Vibram website so they have had to be sent all the way back to Italy, not ideal. Note to self: next time go to my local barefoot shop and buy them there. Now I'm waiting on the roomier version to arrive.

I'm not sure why Vibram have felt the need to change the sizing of their shoe, its very frustrating to not be able to trust the sizing when you buy. Surely a size 46 is a size 46 no matter what shoes it is. I understand some shoes may have a sightly different fit but not to the extent that they a considerably too short and don't fit. 

I'm hoping it won't be too long a wait for the larger size 47s and of course there will be a detailed review as soon as I've had chance to put some miles under them. Just as long as they fit this time.

Barefoot Tennis

Today was only the second time in 15 years I've played tennis and obviously with any trainer addict the first issue was what foot wear to roll out.

As regular readers will know minimalist shoes are my first choice for any sporting endeavour. Actually they're my only choice and with no tennis shoes of any sort my Vibram KSO Trek Sport were rolled out. 

When I reviewed the Trek Sports before I said that I was yet to find something they couldn't do. That still stands true. The stop-start nature of tennis combined with playing on a hard surface did prove tough on the feet and joints but the Five Fingers came through with flying colours.

By the end of an hour on court my feet where feeling a bit sore although I think some of that soreness would have been avoided had I worn my Injinji socks.

Ten minutes of the Wimbledon-esque performance was also done in monsoon conditions and the 'fingers' still gripped perfectly on the wet surfaces and never felt uncomfortable despite being soaked through.

There were some quizzical looks from other tennis players but they'll soon get used to the idea you don't need mattresses on the bottom of your feet to play tennis. 

So who knew, Vibram's Trek Sport are great for tennis. Pretty sure we won't see them at Wimbledon next year though. 

It can be a rocky road to barefoot running

Last night i was catching up on some reading on some of the blogs I follow and an old post from Lizzie at Inov-8 got me thinking.

You see over the last few weeks I've been suffering from some hamstring problems. Nothing horrendous, just tightness and mild discomfort when I walk and a pain when I run. I was annoyed that it was stopping me running but also confused. Since I started running again in January I've not suffered any real injuries in fact my running has been literally revitalised by the use of barefoot shoes.

For a quick history lesson, up until three years ago I used to run two to three times a week. Then I started to suffer from shin splints. Now anyone who has had shin splints will tell you how painful they can be. I quite literally couldn't run up my drive without excruciating pain.

Eventually I gave up, combining a torn tendon with the shin splints my body persuaded me running just wasn't my sport.

Then in January my wife saw an article about how barefoot shoes can help resolve running related injuries through better form.  I'd already been wearing barefoots for about six months but not for running and that weekend I went for my first tentative run in over three years .

Apart from a few tight muscles there have been no problems and I generally do a couple of trail runs a week and having been doing so since January. And this is where my annoyance comes back in, why now, when nothing's changed should my hamstring start to play up?

Its all too easy to think of our bodies as a machine, if it can do a certain activity one day then it should be able to do it everyday. My mind worked overtime trying to work out what I had done differently.

What I hadn't taken in to account is that we aren't machines. There will always be injuries, there will always be times when your body resists. The important thing is to know how to deal with these setbacks.

I knew the basics of what I was doing were right, my warm-up was fine, my running form was getting better and my fitness improving with every run. I rested the hamstring for a few days, no running, no jumping around and it started to feel better. So then when I took my running buddy for his evening walk I raced him across the park (he always wins) and the hamstring was fine.

Lizzie's post made me remember that after three years of running there were always going to be ups and downs. It was never going to be instant or perfect. 

Sometimes you just have to trust what has worked for you previously, accept there will be downs as well as ups and most importantly, keep the faith.

If you missed it you can read Lizzie's post on the Inov-8 blog here.... 

Become A Natural: No one said it would be easy…

Vibram KSO Trek Sport Rated

No piece of footwear splits opinion quite like Vibram’s FiveFingers.

There's no getting away from it, Vibram's FiveFingers (VFFs) are definitely eye catching. The first thing I found, even before I bought my first pair was they polarise opinion. People either love or hate them, there's little middle ground.

After dipping my toe in the barefoot pool I decided to take the plunge and go all in with the infamous FiveFingers. My primary need at the time was for a walking / hiking shoe and after reviewing the Vibram range the additional grip and slightly thicker sole of the Trek Sport seemed to offer what I needed.

My first piece of advice for anyone new to the FiveFingers is go and try some on before you buy. Vibram has a very good sizing chart on their website (available here) but there's no substitute for actually putting them on your feet. Partly because not everyone will like the feel of having your toes in pockets. It’s worth trying before you buy.

The Trek Sports were comfy from the start and my usual size 46 were a perfect fit. As with any barefoot shoe there can be a bedding in period and I did suffer some minor discomfort in the early days of wearing them. The instep of my feet felt strained and my feet ached when I took them off after three / four hours of wearing. This wasn't bad enough to make me take them off and within a couple of weeks wearing them for between one and two hours the problems were history.

The mesh upper does a good job of letting your feet breathe while keeping stones and gravel out of the shoe. I’ve worn these shoes all day in +30C with high humidity and they've never felt uncomfortable. They do get a bit sweaty when they’re worn regularly with no socks but not any more than a normal pair of trainers would. They can also be thrown in the washing machine if they get too stinky.

The Trek Sport has a heavier tread pattern than the almost non-existent tread on the KSO. This gives a sure footed feeling with stones, rocks and other trail debris rarely having any great impact. You can feel it’s all there it just takes the sting out of it.

I've used my VFFs for a variety of uses including hiking in the peak district, beach visits, walking the dog and general shopping / coffee drinking duties. They've even had outings in the snow. Through all the different conditions the grip levels have always been limpet like. This feeling is increased because of the ability to use your toes to grip far more than you can in a 'normal' pair of trainers. Anyone concerned that other VFFs might not offer them the versatility they need should look no further. These really are the do anything shoe in the Vibram line-up.

As with all VFFs there's an art to getting them on and it takes a little time to master. My advice, slide your foot in while getting your big toe and second toe in position. It should only take a little rearranging to get the other toes in position. Once you've done this then hook your heel in to the shoe and fasten them up.

As an everyday shoe the black Trek Sports can often go unnoticed, especially when worn with jeans or cargo trousers. I wore mine to see the bank manager on Saturday and they largely went unnoticed. And if some one does notice them i find a quick twitch of the toes usually guarantees a horrified look. 

I’ve now got two pairs of VFFs having recently invested in a pair of Spyridons for trail running duties (first impressions to follow soon). The comparison is interesting, the green and black Spyridons feeling much more sporty in their construction and focus while the Trek Sport definitely taking the position of the more versatile shoe.

Following the success of the Trek Sport a pair of KSOs maybe the next Vibram shoe to find their way in to my shoe rack. My understanding is the soles are thinner and offer even more barefoot feeling so I can't wait to get my hands on a pair.

Verdict

There’s no getting away from the fact you will get attention with these shoes and you will have people staring and pointing. If you don't like that you might be best looking elsewhere. On the basis I didn't feel the need to draw even more attention to my new shoes I opted for the black version of the Trek Sport.

The feeling given by the Trek Sport is like no shoe I've ever worn. You know you're wearing a shoe but the amount of feedback you get from not just the terrain but also just the process of walking in the FiveFingers really adds to the sensation. It sounds corny but I found the Trek Sport added a whole new dimension to any walk or run. You actually feel what the ground beneath you is doing. A sensation that is increased by the air flow offered by the Trek Sport's mesh upper construction. 

This feeling combined with the subtle styling and versatility of the Trek Sport mean they are the first shoe in the bag for any holiday or trip away. Interestingly they are also my first choice of shoe after a long day in my work shoes. With tired, aching feet the last thing you want to do is put another pairs of shoes on but the comfort and breath-ability of the Trek Sport make them my preferred choice to relax in.

A couple of minor downsides, the treads seem to wear quicker than a lot of shoes. This is probably down to the soft compound rubber they're made from. Can you have it all, plenty of grip and long lasting? They're also trickier to get on than other VFFs I've tried. Apart from these minor points, I'm sold. Tough, comfy and great performance. 

When I suggest the Trek Sport are the everyday choice it makes them sound dull and boring, however they're anything but. The Trek Sport are my VFF of choice for a majority of the time, they offer the feel and flexibility with the ability to go anywhere and do what ever I need.

Score 8.5/10