FiveFingers KSO Trek - Men's by Vibram Review

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(More customer reviews)PUT ON YOUR READING HATS!This is a long one, but it should equip you with the necessary information to make a very well-informed purchase.

I've owned my size 39 KSO Treks for about a month and a half now, worn them just about everywhere, and have thoroughly enjoyed using them thus far.Be sure to get sized at a local store if you intend to buy online as these shoes have many more intervals of sizes than a standard shoe.

The first time I wore them I understood what people meant when they said "you get feedback from what you're walking on."It sounds like hippie-speak, but when is the last time you walked on the sidewalk and felt the cracks in the pavement?When's the last time you walked through grass and felt it going between your toes?I instantly noticed and appreciated these subtleties when I first wore these KSO Treks.I can already hear the opposition saying "That's the point, stupid!I don't WANT my feet pounded and shredded by what I'm walking on!"Save for a few exceptions (which I'll discuss later), your feet are very well-protected.The sole is tough; if something were to puncture these shoes, it'd puncture a standard shoe as well.

I bought the KSO Treks because they are the most durable model currently made by Vibram.To put them through their paces I hiked 10 miles in 'em.Let me preface what I'm about to say with this: REGARDLESS of what shoe you're wearing, your feet are probably going to feet like ground beef after a 10-mile hike over rough terrain.I recently did a similar hike in New Balance Trail-Running shoes (great shoes) and my feet felt like someone had taken a tenderizer to them by the end of it.All that to say, take this within its proper context.The hike itself was over rocks, boulders, roots, up and down mountainsides, and through rivers.

1st Third of Hike - Amazing because I could FEEL EVERYTHING - I knew whether or not I needed to reposition my foot on a given boulder because I could feel exactly where my footing ended and the air began.These shoes are LIGHT which is nice, because I was carrying about 20 pounds of camera gear in addition to water/food.
2nd Third of Hike - My feet were starting to hurt.No less than they did on my previous hike with other shoes, however.
Final Third of Hike - The novelty of feeling everything had worn off at this point.My feet were pretty much pulp like my previous hike save for the fact that my whole foot was just "tired" evenly versus last time where my arch was in significant pain.I spent a lot of time trying (and usually failing) to step on places where I wouldn't have a rock or root under my foot.Again, this is 10 miles on rough terrain.The shoes weren't designed for this, but wanted to really test them out and they did great overall.

Because you feel what you're stepping on, it naturally inclines you to watch where and how you're walking (you can't just slam your heel down lest you bruise it.This forces you to walk and run lighter, which is easier on your feet and joints).These shoes cause you to use muscles in your feet that standard shoes don't, which is great since more strength reduces the chance of injury.My feet were actually sore muscularly the first couple of times I wore them for an entire day.These shoes don't have a flat bottom with hard 90-degree edges on the sides and because of this I'd argue that their shape, coupled with the muscular benefits they give, actually helps prevent ankle injury.Once you pivot over the 90-degree edge of a standard shoe, you've basically passed the point of no return and your foot will continue to rotate until you tear ligament or break your ankle whereas in these shoes there is no "point of no return" (since they curve to the contours of your feet) so you can correct your footing before you destroy your ankle.I've sprained both ankles and I feel if I'd been wearing FiveFingers at the time I'd never have sustained those injuries.I'm no podiatrist, but I feel I have far more control in these shoes than some shoe with ROLLGUARD and POWERARCH or whatever goofy names they want to give those features.I am also flat-footed in case anyone was wondering.

The KSO Treks work great in water despite not necessarily being designed for it.They dry out reasonably fast and don't have that annoying squish-squash of wet socks since you don't need to wear socks in them.Speaking of dryness, I never felt like they got sweaty or gross inside.They seem to breath very well.Their traction is great, but actually isn't quite as good as I might have thought.You will slip on slick mossy rocks just as you would in any shoe (my hiking buddy was all over the place as well!), but despite slipping many times in shallow riverbeds and on damp rocks, I never actually fell.A couple of times, I've gone down stairs while wearing these and the toes of my shoe will catch the loose fabric of my jeans causing me to nearly eat it down the stairs, so they do grip well!Be careful!One last water-related comment:I took these into the shower with me after my hike and they cleaned easily with soap.I hung them up to dry and they looked brand new the next day.They smelled pretty good too.Don't stink much, at least, not yet.

I mentioned protection above and want to really flesh that out.These shoes aren't intended for 10-mile hikes on rough terrain, but they performed admirably.However, heel-bruising aside (which only an issue if you're just slamming your feet down), these shoes don't have sufficient protection for your ankles or great toes (or index toes for you mutants).Over the course of a long hike you will inevitably brush up against the inside of your opposite foot and as those little abrasions add up you will wear your ankles raw (see user submitted photos for a picture).You will also bump your longest toe into things repeatedly and over time this really starts to hurt, especially when you slip and the only thing stopping you is your big toe.I feel the big toe needs extra sole over it as well as thicker sole to protect it since it tends to take the most abuse.The sole itself is great though.I've run on asphalt in them without a problem.Throughout the duration of my experience with these shoes, I have never been fearful of a puncture wound.

I can't believe I've gone this long without mentioning comfort.These shoes are VERY COMFORTABLE.They are the most comfortable shoe I've ever worn.Our feet are wonderfully designed and these shoes exploit that design to great effect.For any ladies reading this, I'd much prefer to see you wearing FiveFingers than stressing your ankles, crushing your toes, and giving yourselves postural problems in high heels.These shoes take advantage of the full surface area of your foot, so you're not teetering around on a small surface area like with heels (Not that I would know!)I wear them inside, outside, to church, and to work (on casual days).Some people have qualms about having fabric in-between every toe, but that never bothered me.In fact, I almost forget I have them on since they fit so very well.I love 'em!The fun factor is high with these babies.However, you'll probably want to ensure you keep your toenails pretty short so they don't butt up against the fabric/rubber on the ends.Another great benefit is that debris doesn't fall into the shoe and work its way under your foot like with standard shoes.After 10 miles of hiking, the only thing inside of my KSO Treks were my feet - no leaves, sticks, pebbles, nothing.

I think that covers just about all of the physical aspects of the shoe, so lets discuss the social aspect.I didn't give "social acceptance" a second thought when I bought these shoes, however, I have to say that people are just fascinated by these.My pastor said "I just cannot get over your shoes."A fellow outdoorsman stopped me in Publix to ask me all about them.A cute blonde at the movie theater couldn't help but introduce herself and ask me about them.A colonel I know just laughed and laughed when he saw them - I told him he should have his men wear them on their HALO dives.I have had so many people approach me in fascination of my footwear and I love it.I certainly didn't buy them to get attention, but these shoes aren't very prevalent yet, so you will definitely get attention for wearing them.

My only real complaint about these shoes is the fact that they are so hard to come by.They only started shipping men's size 39 in late April of 2010.I called Vibram a couple of times to determine exactly when they were released and checked online a few days later.Most sites were already sold out from preorders!The site I got them from only had SIX preorders remaining......and these were preorders!That's pretty ridiculous in my opinion.Vibram seriously needs to ramp up the production on these shoes.Demand is high, but production is miserably low, so if you can find these in your size, snatch a pair up quick.

Price is almost an non-issue for me.Yes, they're very expensive for a shoe, but you're buying a specialty high-performance product.These are the Ferrari of shoes.I feel I got my money's worth and then some, so no complaints there.While I'm on about price, just be aware that all four 1-star ratings and the 2-star rating currently on here were written by people who apparently do not understand what a PRODUCT REVIEW is; they rave about the shoes then gave a garbage rating since Amazon was overcharging for the shoe at the time.Nice.Anyway, here's the breakdown:

The Good:
- Very comfortable
- You can actually feel what you're walking on
- Durable Sole
- Light weight
- Breathe well
- Dry out reasonably fast
- Conversation starter

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Product Description:
219898 Features: Release your feet from the constriction of shoes and stimulate your feet muscles and joints Kangaroo skin uppers hug your soles and deflect trail debris Lightly cleated Vibram 4mm EVA midsole and TC-1 rubber provides phenomenal trail grip and stone-bruising protection without compromising feel Anti-microbial microfiber insert reduces biotic growth and keeps your feet dry When you get these, go easy! You've been wearing shoes for a LONG time and your feet and calves aren't used to working this hard Stick with it, bro! You'll be surprised! Specifications: Weight per pair: 114 oz Upper: kangaroo leather Outsole: Vibram TC-1 performance rubber Outsole: Vibram rubberSpecifications based on Men's size 42

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