The best advice I can give is to go to the store and try these on. Even if you measure your feet, the shoes will still fit differently and varies by design. I went to the store and the first measured my foot. They said I needed a 39 (normally, I am a size 7, with an average to narrow width). Before going to the store, I read on the Vibram website about the various styles. From the site, I had narrowed it down to the Sprint. I was looking for the most versatile shoe, which as described on the site, it fit. I am 35 years old female, average weight, and have diagnosed degenerative disc disease in my back, aka - lower back pain. Any kind of shoe with a heel, kills my back after a very short while. I am traditionally a Crocs, Uggs, and Birkenstocks, kind of girl. I only wear what is comfortable.
At the store, I tried on the Sprint, size 39. They seemed a little snug in the toe, but the sales person that is how they are supposed to fit, little snug, but not tight. They seemed comfortable enough and not knowing what they were supposed to feel like, I bought them. I went home and then went for a 20 minute, slow-average walk. I am not an athelete by any stretch of the imagination, but I wanted to break them in a little. About half way into the walk, I started to feel some pain in the bottom of the heel of my foot and on the bottom of my big toe. Of course, I was 10 minutes from home, so it took another 10 to get back. These blisters were at the bottom of my foot, not the backs or sides, where blisters normally occur on new shoes. By the time I got home, I had large (2 inches) on the bottom of both of my heels and 1/2 inch on each big toe. It hurt so much to walk! Plus, my toe area got tighter as I walked, going from a little snug to tight.
On the plus side, I had to start jogging on this walk home (lightly), because my heals hurt so much, I couldn't stand the impact of them on the ground. I am not a runner, jogger, or speed walker. I found for the several blocks I jogged, it was fairly easy (minus where the blisters hurt), so I knew this type of shoe had potential.
I called the store and luckily they had a great return policy. I went back the next day, sore feet and all, and tried on the Classics (too loose, felt like they would fall off without straps and inside felt like the Sprints, the Trek Sport (nicer, more solid shoe than Sprint and Classic, still had some rubbing on inside), the Bikila (same weight and feel as the Trek, but slightly better interior than the previous mentioned) and Komodo Sport and Komodo Sport LS (which were more solid than all the previous with a much better interior).
I walked around in the store in each pair and realized that in the Sprint and Classics, where the seams come together, the company left that exposed. This caused rubbing. Compared to the other shoes, this was more cheaply built. Where the bed lining and sides coming together, it wasn't smooth. In the toe area, there were similar seams, but a lot more of them. Also, in the Sprint, I needed a size up, a 40, where as the other styles, I needed a 39.
As I moved up in price range, the seams were less and less noticeable. With the Bikila's, they were fairly seamless in feel and I didn't seem to notice the blisters on the bottom of my feet when I walked as much. When I put on the Komodo Sports, the shoe was much more solid and I can honestly say, that I didn't even feel the blisters on my feet when I walked (which I did feel when I walked barefoot!). Between the two types of Komodos, I have to say I like the regular Sports better than the LS. The strap on the LS didn't give me the ability to tighten as well around my arch (I have slightly higher arches).
The Bikila's felt more like barefoot walking. It is a less substantial shoe, as compared to the Komodo's, but more substantial than the lower priced styles. The Treks were more substantial, but I notice there was a little more rubbing (very mild difference, although these cost more than Bikila's). When I say substantial, you really have to just try them on to understand. There isn't a huge difference, but a noticeable difference between the styles. Just put one on each foot and compare. If I didn't already have blisters on my feet, I might have gone with the Bikila's. But since my feet where so sensitive at this point, the Komodo's were my choice. It doesn't feel quite as much like barefoot walking, but it is still awfully close! I spent the day wearing these and have not noticed a single sore or pain. My blisters even feel better in them, than out of them! And as of today anyway, no back pain! I will update as time goes on...
Of course, this is just all my opinion and my experiences. The best thing is to go and try them on! You can then order them online if you want. Make sure though that you are getting authentic Vibram's. Visit their website to learn how to identify fakes. Obviously, everthing I just wrote won't matter if they aren't authentic Vibrams. Not all the retailers selling on Amazon are listed as authorized retailers of these shoes, so careful!
