Gear Question: Vibram Five Fingers

Yellowstone 1

Yellowstone 1

Blah!
Joined
Jan 23, 2012
Messages
601
Does anyone have input on these? Are they good for river hiking/Slot canyons?
I was thinking about getting a pair for this purpose and for around camp after hiking.
 
I've got a pair. They're good for boating & watersports. Biggest downside for river hiking & slot canyons though is they collect sand and you have to dump them out frequently.

I woulldn't recommend them for river hiking or slots. Basically wherever there's a lot of sand.
THey're good for around camp though.
 
you'd think they'd be the shit for river hiking - but not so much. river hiking blows due to their lack of protection - so easy to crank your ankle or roll a rock on your toes. Sand is a problem, particularly if you get in the wet sand - it'll rub your feet raw, but I do alot of general hiking in mine. That leaves you with - around camp, and I gotta say, nothing's better than a pair of merrel mocs or flip-flops for camp shoes.

Someone I won't name is a big proponent of Crocs for that reason - but I'm not going to insult my feet that way.
 
FourisTheNewOne said:
Someone I won't name is a big proponent of Crocs for that reason - but I'm not going to insult my feet that way.
Click to expand...

I had to wear my crocs for like a whole week because my ankle wouldn't fit in anything else. I almost took a picture and uploaded it just for you. :lol:

FWIW, I quit carrying the crocs for most of my 2011 backpacking. I finally found some boots that I didn't mind wearing after a long day of hiking. Probably have to go back to them if I buy something burly with more ankle support this year.
 
which five fingers exactly? their treks or sypridon's would be killer for hiking. I've got a pair of treks, I've backpacked, hiked, trail ran in them. uintas, wasatch, the swell, zion, etc. when you put in a lot of mileage on them, they dont' last as long as other shoes which is my biggest beef.

five fingers and minimal/barefoot shoes are the only type of shoe I wear anymore. I highly recommend them. BUT and a big but. you need to be ready for the bad stuff too - yeah you can roll your ankles easy in rivers. but if you're feet and legs are used ot a minimal shoe, you'll be fine - your muscles and ligaments will handle that. You have a much better ground feel with minimal shoes you know where you are putting your feet and know if you you're stepping on a bad spot. You become much more conscious of the ground and area around you. No doubt I can't walk as fast or carelessly as my buddies. which kinda sucks sometimes...but yet its nice. (dry) Sand in five fingers is not very fun.

You will change the way you walk, the way you see the ground. it took me about a month to get it down, and I still have moments where I revert back to heel striking. If you do get them - give yourself a while to get your feet muscles, tendons and bones strong again. They don't get used often in normal shoes, and because normal shoes have a higher heel than five fingers, your calf shrinks. it will take a while to get it longer (stretch daily..). and it will burn at first since your calf is used a lot suddenly.

their new spryridon looks awesome. it looks a little more aggressive than the old treks. I'm planning on getting a pair as soon as they become available.
http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/Five-Fingers-SpyridonLS-Mens.htm
http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/Five-Fingers-TrekSport-Mens.htm

the tresports as I said are what I use to hike in. I've found their other models are just not quite there when carrying around a pack or on long hikes. the slighter thickness (i think like 2 mm thicker) than the KSO's for example make a huge difference. mm's are big when you get minimal haha. basically bottom line - I love mine. and if you put in the work, you'll love 'em too.

aaaand deep breath...haha

this is one of the few areas I feel well versed in so ask away.


PS - if you don't like the toe thing, check out vivobarefoot (the neo trails or the new bretho trail) and inov-8 (especially the baregrip 200). both would be great alternaties. Merrell's trail gloves are awesome but I find that their omni fit stuff makes the shoe too confirming and the toe box doesn't let your feet splay out as much as I'd like.
 
I won't be caught dead in crocs or those finger toe shoe like things. Yes I am opinionated.
 
After much deliberation, research and review of the knowledge given from our Backcountry Post comrades including the very opinionated Alison :) I have decided against purchasing the Five Finger toe shoe like things. I will stick with the flops for around camp and maybe go with the Salomon water shoe for the hiking. I thank you all for your imput! :twothumbs:
 
I wear my crocs proudly around the camp, but not anywhere else. Also, I normally hike solo. So do the math as to how many people see me in them.
I definitely NEVER take my picture whilst wearing them. That's just wrong man. If there aren't any pictures, did it actually happen?
For all of that though, they're crazy light and very comfortable to wear.
 
I'm a girl that is semi concerned with being cute, even outdoors. I'd scare myself, even if solo, in a pair of crocs. But you boys keep up what you do! And don't listen to me. :)
 
Yellowstone 1 said:
. I will stick with the flops for around camp and maybe go with the Salomon water shoe for the hiking. I thank you all for your imput! :twothumbs:
Click to expand...

Have you actually tried those Solomons? My wife has a pair and she hasn't liked them much. I usually either do water hikes in my 5.10 Canyoneers or my Keen Newport H2s. A lot of my friends use old pairs of low hiking shoes or tennis shoes. Audra is off in Vegas for business right now but I'll get her to report back on what she didn't like about the Solomons.
 
ibenick said:
Have you actually tried those Solomons? My wife has a pair and she hasn't liked them much. I usually either do water hikes in my 5.10 Canyoneers or my Keen Newport H2s. A lot of my friends use old pairs of low hiking shoes or tennis shoes. Audra is off in Vegas for business right now but I'll get her to report back on what she didn't like about the Solomons.
Click to expand...
Never tried them, but my friend has a pair and he likes his and we usually are on the same page feel wise. I will look into both the shoes you have recommended. Do your Keen's seemed to have stretched at all after you have gone into water with them?
 
I haven't noticed any stretch with my Keens. They aren't the perfect water shoe though. Sometimes a current will pull them a little off the surface of your foot and gravel/sand will rush in. Then you kind of have to swoosh your foot around to get it to wash back out. Not terrible though. I've hiked the 22 mile Coyote Gulch loop and other similar routes in Keen's and I was pretty happy. The canyoneers are awesome. Another to consider might be the Five Ten Savants. I think I'll probably get a pair of those in the near future for hikes in and out of water.
 
ibenick said:
Have you actually tried those Solomons? My wife has a pair and she hasn't liked them much. I usually either do water hikes in my 5.10 Canyoneers or my Keen Newport H2s. A lot of my friends use old pairs of low hiking shoes or tennis shoes. Audra is off in Vegas for business right now but I'll get her to report back on what she didn't like about the Solomons.
Click to expand...
Nick is right I haven't been much of a fan of the Solomon's. I initially thought I would like them, very tennis shoe like with enough support for someone like myself who hikes in lowtops. I found the most concerning thing is that I HAD to wear socks with them, the sand getting between the material and my feet made for lots of tender rubbing areas. The problem then is that you are wearing wet socks for the rest of the day. Out of the stream with Wet socks, sand sticking to them and the shoes = lots of heavy walking. Finally, because I had these nice shoes that I thought would dry quickly, I didn't bring camp shoes. Mistake, the interior soles of the shoes hold water and they didn't dry, even overnight.
 
audraiam said:
Nick is right I haven't been much of a fan of the Solomon's. I initially thought I would like them, very tennis shoe like with enough support for someone like myself who hikes in lowtops. I found the most concerning thing is that I HAD to wear socks with them, the sand getting between the material and my feet made for lots of tender rubbing areas. The problem then is that you are wearing wet socks for the rest of the day. Out of the stream with Wet socks, sand sticking to them and the shoes = lots of heavy walking. Finally, because I had these nice shoes that I thought would dry quickly, I didn't bring camp shoes. Mistake, the interior soles of the shoes hold water and they didn't dry, even overnight.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info audraiam and ibenick! I think I'm going to look into the Keen NewPort H2s the Teva Omnium and theFive Ten Savants.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Don't like ads? Become a BCP Supporting Member and kiss them all goodbye. Click here for more info.

Back
Top