They don’t want a revival of “Bigfoot” footprint sightings, I guess.
Even if I didn’t run, I’d get them for doing leg work in the gym (ie, squats). I’m able to balance A LOT better with them (even doing lunges - a near impossibility for me). 
Touche.
I just love Vibranium don’t you?
You might be in luck! From their FAQ:
“YOUR SIZE CHART ONLY GOES UP TO 12, AND I’M A 13. CAN I STILL WEAR FIVEFINGERS?
If you look closely at our size chart, you will notice that the numbers printed across the top of the chart refer to your foot’s length in inches, not US size. We found that, due to the precise nature of the FiveFingers fit, the most accurate size translation was in inches, not US shoe size (which varies across brands and styles).
FiveFingers can fit up to a 12 inch foot which roughly translates to a size 15. In order to find the right size, please measure both feet from heel to longest toe with a ruler in inches and refer to our size chart for the right size.”
A question
do they they feel like something is in between your toes?
I mean obviously there is but I hate when my socks manage to get in there so I can’t imagine having a shoe jammed in there.
Actually, I think 12" is closer to men’s size 14. IIRC, you can only get the KSOs in Euro 48 (which comes closest to US M 15). Wouldn’t hurt to actually measure your feet though. If it’s 12.25" or less, you could be in luck.
Here’s an interesting video that discusses the biomechanics of barefoot running. Dan Lieberman published a study which shows that midfoot strike, typical of barefoot runners, produces smaller collision forces due to the positioning of the foot (plantar flexion) at striking and energy distribution through the ankle. Traditional running shoes encourages heel strike by raising the heel and providing shock absorption, which appears to be ineffective at reducing collision forces to the level of fore- and midfoot striking. For even more info, here’s Lieberman’s website.
Vibram FiveFingers may seem like a fad, but they’re actually designed with scientific and historical data in mind.
To those who experienced pain, I would suggest the possibility that the pain you experienced was due to needing to adjust your gait and develop the muscles long since used while running with your typical runners. Try again, go easy on yourself and give your body time to acclimate.
If you have very closely packed toes with little space between, you’re going to feel it initially, but you’ll probably get accustomed to the feel and eventually you won’t notice it. If your toes are spaced apart “normally” (there’s really no normal, imho), but you aren’t used to having something between your toes, it might feel weird at first but not necessarily uncomfortable. I have relatively wide spacing between my toes and they flex quite a bit because I generally wear open sandals or very well-fit shoes with enough toe space. However, I cannot stand wearing a flip flop although I’m perfectly comfortable wearing Injinji toe socks. They’re thin enough that they don’t bunch up (like my old cotton rainbow toe socks) between the toes and push them apart. I have walked around in FiveFingers and loved it from the moment I stood up. I am very anxious to get a pair for myself.
On the FiveFingers, the part of the shoe that’s between your toes is neoprene that’s not too thick or kangaroo leather (which I hear is *very *supple). The rubber only surrounds the tip of the toes and the bottom.
I admit, I have derided these things ever since I first saw some dorky dude running in a pair a couple of years ago.
However, I am having extreme problems with shin splints. If my orthotics and new shoes don’t work, I am seriously considering trying a pair.
And then I will be the dorky fat chick running in dorky toe shoes.
Just imagine what barefoot running could do for these guys! 
(look at 3:30 for product placement)
From what I’ve read about these shoes and barefoot running in general, there’s a chance they could fix your feet. They might be worth talking to a doctor about if they’d solve your problems long-term. I’m hoping to get a pair next month and they will be black, so hopefully they won’t garner as much attention. As excited as I am, I will say they are pretty goofy looking.
Well, I start each morning with a big bowl of Colon Blow (haven’t tried Super Colon Blow yet).
I saw these shoes and assumed they were only to wear on the beach (and I was thinking of trying them for this purpose). Anyone ever wear them on the beach and want to provide a trip report?
I’ll check it out - but I’m dubious.
I have a birthday coming up. How can I hint this to my wife??
Are they durable? Can I expect them to last longer than a pair of regular running shoes?
That’s amazing! :eek:
I’ve had mine for about three weeks now. I love them. They’ve gotten me to get outside almost every nice day off I’ve had here since purchasing them. I barely feel them now that they’ve stretched to my feet and honestly the only negative thing I can say about them are that they are a pain in the butt to put on (KSO).
Based on my experience, speculative buyers should be aware that you may not be able to run on pavement right away for long distances, but my legs/feet are slowly adapting to it.
If I could, I’d even wear them to work. I love them that much. Stupid dress shoe dress code.
Well, I did it.
Thanks to a very very kind Doper who sent us a Friends and Family coupon, we hit REI today and bought them (plus, well, er, a lot of other stuff…).
Bought a pair of the Classics. Apparently it’s a very good thing I’ve got huge feet, as they had nothing in Women’s sizes and the smallest men’s they had, in anything, was size 43. I measured at 41 on the template they had but I wear about a 42 in Birks, so that sounded pretty close and I tried 'em on. The length actually felt OK.
As many have experienced, it’s hard to aim the toes in the correct slots.
Observations from wearing them for 4 hours:
Not great for driving. I count on a certain amount of support from the sole of the shoe, and pivot on that when pressing / releasing the gas pedal, which obviously the Five Fingers don’t offer. Plus I had the feeling that I might get the edge of the sole caught on the pedal, not sure why I thought that (it didn’t happen).
The drawstring cuts across the top of my foot right where the big-toe tendon wants to move, so that was a bit uncomfy while driving.
I tend to stub my toes on stuff. The FFs offered no protection there (ouch). And of course I could feel pebbles when I stepped on them.
HOWEVER - as I walked around, they definitely felt more “in tune with the ground”, as in I felt less “disconnected” and less apt to step wrong, and therefore stumble. As this is the very reason I wanted them, this is very, very encouraging.
Boy howdy is that true! The salesman told me that REI buys some very large percentage of the shoes that come into the US and they’re still backordered on most stuff. For once, my ginormous feetsies served me well, as a dainty lady’s foot would not have found anything to fit today.
I got mine today! The REI I went to had so few that they didn’t even have any on display, and after I was measured the sales woman told me they had 1 style in 1 color. Luckily it was the style I wanted!
So far I love them. At the end of the day my feet were sore from wandering around stores with regular sneakers. I changed into my monkey shoes and they immediately stopped hurting, and got more and more comfortable the longer I wore them. They’ll definitely be an adjustment (like breaking in new shoes, but it’s your feet that need broken in), but they’re so cool. I kept walking around saying things like “I can feel the pebbles! I can feel the bark! Heehee” and grinning like a little girl 