I tried them out on the Turnagain Arm Trail a week or so ago before all the snow had melted. I found out quickly that they are not waterproof at all and running over snow and ice turned my toes numb in about a half mile.
Overall they worked great though and I've used them quite a few times since then. The Turnagain Arm Trail has a lot of roots and ankle twisting terrain so take it slow if you run here barefoot until your calves and ankles become stronger.
There are several models of Five Fingers and I went with the KSO which stands for Keep Stuff Out. Not exactly an original name but they do work fairly well keeping stuff out. I put a link below for the most popular model of Five Fingers but if you're in Alaska and you're running trails or doing some peak running you should consider the KSO.
If you do order some Five Fingers don't get them from Amazon. For some reason, probably because of the barefoot running popularity explosion they really jacked up the price. REI still has them for a reasonable price.
Vibram FiveFingers Classic Multisport Shoes - Men's
I found your site as I think I'm interested in running the AMWC next year. I have to chime in about the five fingers... they are THE BEST shoes EVER. I've been running, hiking, working out (I'm a rookie to Olympic weight-lifting) in them for over 3 years now. I won't go back to normal shoes! My heels don't hurt anymore, and they've trained me to walk properly so my knees don't turn inward anymore. I can't rave about them enough!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info on your blog. I'm looking forward to preparing this winter to (possibly!) compete next summer. It's quite helpful info in making an educated decision. :)
Thanks!
Hi Kate,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments. I agree, the Five Fingers are really great. I'm still using mine over a year later. Good luck training for the Classic. Let me know if you need specific information.