Vibram Fivefingers Anyone???

http://birthdayshoes.com/vibram-five...race-fell-race

There was a link to the above article on the minimalist runners forum. I think Steve posts here from time to time. The treks are still not available in the UK... If I was to buy a pair of VFF for the first time then I would have brought the treks. Damn expensive shoes for what they are. I probably wouldn't replace my pair of KSO until Vibram have sorted out supply, distribution and cost, I'm personally looking forward to what inov-8 are coming up with regarding "the ultimate barefoot" shoe

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Originally Posted by Twister

... If I was to buy a pair of VFF for the first time then I would have brought the treks. Damn expensive shoes for what they are. I probably wouldn't replace my pair of KSO until Vibram have sorted out supply, distribution and cost, I'm personally looking forward to what inov-8 are coming up with regarding "the ultimate barefoot" shoe

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Twister,

Do you have the opportunity to find a store near you who have pairs of regular KSO on shelves? If the answer is yes I might have a solution for you. I am anxious to get a pair of inov-8 ultimate fell racers and I'm afraid the store who can sell inov-8 to me here in Canada won't have the ultimate as soon as it will be available to you. :D

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Originally Posted by bfluc

Twister,

Do you have the opportunity to find a store near you who have pairs of regular KSO on shelves?... :D

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Oops sorry Twister I did not read your post corectly. Looks like you own a pair of KSO so you know your size.

As I wrote I might have the solution for you...

Recent review of KSO's on iRunfar.com

http://www.irunfar.com/2010/05/vibra...so-review.html

Before anyone splashes out major dosh for a pair of "genuine" fivefingers, you should take a look at these :D

http://www.dealextreme.com/search.dx/search.fivefingers

Stumbled upon this while looking at cheap headlamps.

I guess it was only a matter of time before the chinese clones appeared on the market. Got to be worth a try for that price (and worldwide free postage, though be prepared to wait a few weeks!) though i guess quality may be ropey, and sizing is likely to be a lottery until a few more people have posted on the dealextreme forum about them. The one single thing that has so far put me off fivefingers is the price (plus not having anywhere near so I can try them for size) but these are probably closer to the real cost of manufacturing the things.

Now I'll just sit here and wait for the abuse for advocating buying 'knock-offs' and how it undermines all the R&D vibram have done etc etc :o

Having done a bit of googling, it seems these fakes are pretty commonplace, and many retailers are sellings these or something like it (for a lot more than $30!) as real fivefingers. Beware!

Having done a bit more googling, it seems you're well advised to steer clear of any of these fakes (dodgy fit/build/materials) + need to be very careful that the place you're buying from is a legit dealer- there apparently LOADS that aren't. So please ignore the enthusiastic tone of my earlier post. I won't delete it, so my naivety can stand as a warning to others...

I am thinking of becoming a VFF stockist and would like some info from anyone actually interested in buying a pair. I would like to gauge which models people are interested in and if your shoes came with a carriage paid returns bag would you be happy to buy 1,2 or even 3 pairs on the internet, try them at home and then return whatever is unwanted for a refund.

Thanks

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Originally Posted by Facewest-Stu

I am thinking of becoming a VFF stockist and would like some info from anyone actually interested in buying a pair. I would like to gauge which models people are interested in and if your shoes came with a carriage paid returns bag would you be happy to buy 1,2 or even 3 pairs on the internet, try them at home and then return whatever is unwanted for a refund.

Thanks

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Speed and Trek models.
Speed would cover the road runners out there, and the Treks would cover the trail runners.
Personaly, I would wait to see what Inov8 are coming out with. The X-Talons 190 look promising.
The problem with VFF's is that they can't really handle the fells!

Bilika's and "sport" treks that are to be released at the end of the year. I've got KSO's but if I was going to buy them again I'd be looking at the treks, or perhaps Bilika's. Great to see another shop interested in the minimalist shoe scene. Won't be long before it goes mainstream, what with runners world denouncing the "wet foot" test...

http://chrismcdougall.com/blog/2010/...d-and-mr-hyde/

Amongst a lot of other things... Very interesting... Very interesting indeed.