Thanks for the discount link! I am trying to figure out what should best replace my old KSOs (BTW, do not put them in the dryer, they will fall apart beyond Shoe Goo healing capabilities!). I have 10.5″ long feet so I should be a 43 in women’s sizes yet KMD Sport 2.0 for women go up to only 42. (And I realize the discount is for full-priced items and KMDs already on sale.) My old KSO were not properly fit to me many years ago at the running store that has since stopped carrying them (no wonder); they put me into size 38. Following the charts, I should have been a 43. I’d like to try the KMD Sport 2.0 and I see a comment from someone who has 10″+ foot fitting nicely into a 42 women’s. But I believe you can’t exchange sale items. Or I could just replace my KSOs for treadmill and gym work (and be prepared to replace early when I go hiking or use in garden, etc.) and try the 43 and exchange them if they don’t fit. Your thoughts? (Also, it’s sad they don’t still make sage green KSOs anymore. If it was such an iconic shoe, why change it? Was white EVER an option before?!?! Just complaining, ignore.) Reply Hey Kathy, it definitely sounds like your V-Run Retros were defective. I would talk to customer service (show them the picture and mention the box condition as well). We have 3 pairs of them in our house and none have the design flaw you described. Also, the KSOs are the ONLY pair of VFFs that allow you to freely bend your toes down at the foot junction.

Sorry for the long dissertation about my use of the shoes. But I feel their use has really changed my life for the better. At least I can play a complete round of golf without pain adding to my frustration. Reply The increased rate of concussions in football and injuries in runners shows that this padding isn’t providing the protection we think it is. Both Ryan and I have been injured before and it’s not fun. Some of these injuries are from stress, falls, former surgeries, or imbalances. We have learned to take it slow, work on perfect form, and become aware of our bodies. Instead of leaving my shoes behind though, I’ve opted to wear the minimalist shoes Vibram FiveFingers. Like all minimalist shoes, they have a “zero drop,” which means the heel is at the same height as the ball of the foot. And guess what’s on their feet? Not much: thin sandals made from old tire rubber and leather string.Many of the HIIT moves we do like skater jumps shouldn’t be done in a normal running sneaker but instead in court shoes that allow stable pivots and balance without slipping and sliding. 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! 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. My first recommendation is the basic KSO shoe. It is their best-selling model (and has been forever), and in our experience, it’s the most durable and comfortable. Make sure it’s the KSO, not the KSO EVO. The most recent KSO EVO model didn’t hold up as well for us. If you haven’t run in the KSO shoes before, they do have a thinner sole and more barefoot feel. I love this, but only for road running as a piece of gravel can be pretty painful.

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.For years, we worked out barefoot. But once we started lifting weights and incorporating resistance bands, we needed shoes to protect our feet. However, not every sneaker is a smart choice.

I don’t plan to run in these nor any shoes I would get in the foreseeable future (only when I’m late for the bus! etc.). I rarely run – I don’t enjoy it and it seems to weaken my already weak knees. Remember, just because you buy minimalist sneakers, it doesn’t mean you need to run only with them. We’ve read studies showing that many people found their sweet spot in performance and personal best times by training in barefoot shoes 35% of the time. The science is unclear if minimalist shoes will keep you healthy or make you run faster. So, we’re not going to dive into that in our Vibram FiveFingers review. Nor will we claim that the toe shoes have made us injury-proof. Wear them for short sessions during daily walking activities such as grocery shopping or moving around the house or office. Weeks 3-4 A couple things you might be interested to know: I have some mild balance issues, and I find that I feel so much more stable in VFFs. I don’t like wearing anything but VFFs now if I’m doing something active outdoors.I understand your frustration as I have had a couple of pairs over the years that had poor construction. I have talked to the design team about some of my complaints and they reminded me that A) each pair is stitched by hand (they start by sewing the toes while the shoe is inside out and then stitch the side seams while turning them right side in… something a machine cannot do) and B) everyone has unique foot and toe shapes and sizes. 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. Vibram has published studies that claim their shoes are as close to barefoot running as you can get without the dangers of stepping on the bad stuff.