Vibram FiveFingers Classic - Women's

Product Details

• ASIN: B002IAW8XC
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVE these unshoes!, December 14, 2009

By 

Rachel Mracek "ApplesnCarrots" (Ca USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vibram FiveFingers Classic - Women's

I have high arches and do alot of walking on rocky, mountainous roads. I also go to the gym and do step aerobics. I always have problems with cross trainers and running shoes that don't hurt my feet. Oh, I also have a bunion. Most shoes have my bunion aching, put the balls of my feet into cramps or cause my arches to be pulled if I use them long enough. Last May I bought some expensive cross trainers, the most comfortable of all the ones I tried on and ended up with plantar fascitits after a few months in them. After reading an article in the Los Angeles Times about barefoot running with some side notes about the Vibram Fivefingers as an alternate choice of going barefoot but still retaining some protection from the elements I started thinking seriously about getting them.

I did some searching online and read more about them. I finally decided to take the plunge and buy a pair of Classics after putting on my cross trainers to go to the gym and having my feet hurt just sitting in the car.

At first they felt weird wearing them for the first time and having my toes separated. I did some light walking in them on concrete and thought they might work. Then went on a hike on a mountain setting and fell head over heels in love with them! It's almost as good as walking barefoot at the beach.

I now wear them to the gym and shin splints are gone. My plantar fascitis is not bothering me and my arches don't ache. I have worn them on 4 mile hikes and my feet feel great at the end of it. The only thing to note is that you will use your calves and the muscles in your ankles and feet more while wearing these so expect for unused muscles to feel it for a week or so.

So far I've worn these in cold rain and mud, rocks, dirt, etc. and a little slushy snow. I don't recommend them for snow AT ALL! You will freeze your feet fast in them. But they did great in rain and mud.

As for fitting them to your feet: I ordered online and measured my feet the way the Vibram site suggests (stand with heels against a wall and measure with a ruler to longest part of foot) and ordered the size that coincides with my feet in inches which are the 36 size. They fit like gloves! Do not try to buy these based on your actual SHOE size. They should fit snug with very little gaps at the ends of your feet.

I love these so much that I'm going to buy another pair of Classics (one for the gym and the other for mucking around and hiking) and a pair of KSO's or Flow's. I highly recommend these shoes, especially if you have issues with your feet or legs.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVE MY FIVE FINGERS SHOES! ...(YOGA ENTHUSIAST), January 4, 2010

By 

BAMBI (NEW ORLEANS, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vibram FiveFingers Classic - Women's

I LOVE THESE SHOES! THEY ARE SO COMFORTABLE AND CUTE (LITTLE TOES) YOGA IS MY EXERCISE OF CHOICE AND HAS BEEN FOR 5 YEARS. THE FIRST TIME I WORE THESE SHOES TO DO YOGA WAS THE FIRST TIME I DID EVERY POSE RIGHT! MY FEET STAY PUT AND THE STRETCHES ARE 100X'S MORE ACCURATE AND EFFECTIVE! I RECENTLY BOUGHT A PAIR FOR MY MOM. SHE LOVES HER PAIR!
WE BOTH WEAR THEM EVERYDAY (WHICH IS GREAT BECAUSE YOU CAN THROW THEM IN THE WASH-NO DRYER) THESE SHOES GIVE YOU A GREAT CALF WORKOUT, STRENGTHEN EACH TOE INDIVIDUALLY AND PROPERLY ALIGN YOUR SPINE! AS AN ADDED BONUS...AND MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, MOST OF MY BACK PAIN HAS BEEN ELIMINATED! PEOPLE STOP MY MOM AND I CONSTANTLY TO TELL US HOW COOL OUR SHOES ARE! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THESE SHOES! ALSO, CHECK OUT THE FALL STYLES, THEY ARE MADE OUT OF LEATHER!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Wear With Caution, September 9, 2010

By 

A Reader (Boulder) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vibram FiveFingers Classic - Women's

When I first bought these shoes, I loved them. I wore the KSO, and gradually built up to daily use, including a twice a week 4 mile run. The other days of the week, I ran in regular shoes and increased my speed or distance to accommodate. The KSOs were fun! They made simply walking to the store feel like I was playing. Yep,I felt like a barefoot kid again. Then I bought the KSO treks. I wore them for about a week and then I went on a short hike in them. I often hike all day in regular shoes, but in these, I walked for 45 minutes on a fairly easy Colorado trail. I loved the feel of them when hiking. I could use my toes to grab onto rocks and in softer terrain (like sand and mud) and I could ford streams without worry. But a few days later, I started to develop back and knee pain. I was certain it could not be the shoes. I alternated, as usual, but kept wearing them. At this point, I have been out of commission for two weeks with debilitating back pain. Podiatrist diagnosis? Bad shoes. Or rather, shoes not meant for my particular body. The doctor recommended that, if I wanted to wear these shoes, I should wear them only for Yoga and walking on a flat trail--not running, not hiking.

I have no doubt that some people can wear these shoes without worry. But I--a competitive athlete from the age of 10--can't. At least, not for running and hiking. My guess is, there are others out there like me. So I'd say--enjoy the shoes, but wear them with caution. If you can get a video treadmill analysis of your stride in the shoes beforehand, that would be ideal.

There is the argument that my stride has been "damaged" by years of shoe wear and running in high-heeled Nikes and the like. These folks argue that 5fingers will correct that stride. But that argument breaks down when one considers I was competitive in martial arts, worked out 18 hours a day, and spent all those days barefoot. My primary training has been done barefooted--and my strength has been developed in that manner. But my stride in running and hiking is not one that lends to going barefoot in that specific activity. Know your needs, and then buy, or don't buy, this shoe.