If you’re wondering, we have never been injured stepping on sharp objects or stubbing our toes — and we live in a big, dirty city. The vast majority of injuries with Vibram FiveFingers happen during the transition. Ryan trained for his first marathon in a pair of V-Trek Vibram FiveFingers. While training in mountainous Medellín, Colombia, he needed more rubber to cushion his heels. By the end of training, the soles were good but he was patching holes in the toes with duct tape. For us, with the rubber grip on the soles, nothing works better than FiveFingers. We keep a pair in our gym as our indoor workout shoes. We felt lighter and more balanced than ever. We breezed over the top of Mount Washington (the fourth highest peak on the Appalachian Trail) and the surrounding presidential mountains.

Since then, many other brands from Nike to Xero to Vivobarefoot, now offer minimalist running shoes and sandals. But, they are not the same shoe or the same experience as the Vibram toe shoes. In my case, it was runner’s knee, allegedly from running on uneven sidewalks. Still, I happily ran and completed my marathons, thinking no more of it. In our opinion, minimalist shoes help with awareness because bad running form can’t be hidden in barefoot shoes. Why? Because there is no padding. Hey Kathy! I’m glad we can help with the discount link! Definitely air dry all shoes in the future. Sorry you learned the hard way but I’m sure it was time for a new pair anyway.This was the first clue that we probably didn’t need our boots. The second and third clues were our injuries: my bruised toe and the return of Ryan’s hamstring tendonitis (a heel-striking injury) had us calling it quits halfway through our 100-mile section hike. Everyone loves to chat about them and there are few things I wear that makes me as many friends. I guess you could call me a weirdo convert, but I prefer to be known as an enlightened adventurer and runner. We recommend you buy the V-Run Retro shoes (similar to the old Bikilas) in a 42. It’s not a sale item so you can use our link and you could also exchange them if the fit isn’t right. I agree, the sage green KSOs were epic. Vibram is slowly reintroducing the classic shoes so hopefully our complaints will be heard haha. Out with the white. In with the bright green! We have worn almost every shoe in almost every environment, from the desert in Texas to the jungles of Colombia. And here’s the thing…

After some time in the Vibram FiveFingers, I think I’ve graduated from rookie status. Once they stay in the rotation, I’ll be well on my way to becoming a barefoot shoe master!

V-Aqua

There are a lot of shoes that we don’t highly recommend, either for performance, fit, or durability reasons. Additionally, the shoes that we do highly recommend, are not ideal for certain activities. I bought my first pair and loved the feeling of the thin soles and the completely new experience of feeling the ground beneath my feet. It added a dimension to my running that I never knew I missed. Both Ryan and I love the V-Run Retro. It’s great for running and everything. However, like the KSO Vintage, its thin sole offers a lot of ground feel, so it is not our go-to for trail running. After my first 5-minute run, I knew that I loved them. For the first time, I could feel the ground and texture beneath my feet, completely transforming and elevating the sensation of running.