Great Overview For Getting Started With Vibram Five Fingers

As most of you know when I run, I run either barefoot or with Vibram Five Fingers.When I started looking at the Five Fingers, it was pretty easy as there were only a few models out and it was pretty easy to tell the intended purpose of each. They had the Classics, Sprints, KSOs and the Flow and that was about it. Now they have the Moc, Bikila, KSO Trek and the Trek Sports. And that is just for the guys in North America. Women have several other options and in Europe, they have other models like the Flow Trek and Speeds. 2011 will be bringing even more models like the Komodo Sport and Bikila LS (laces!).

So where do you get started? Well, one of the best sources if info for Five Fingers is Birthday Shoes and they have put together a beginner's guide to buying a pair of Five Fingers.

I have to say I agree with most of what they say in the guide. Stick with the basics for your first pair, choosing between the Classics, Sprints and KSO. I'll go one further and say skip the Sprints as they are, in my opinion, too hard to dial in with three Velcro straps per shoe. The Classics or KSOs will do what most of you need.

My other suggestion is if you will be doing any distance running, get some Injinji socks. Even for distances of three or four miles regularly, the Classics and Sprints both gave me blisters that had to get callused before I could go greater distances. This is because the inside of the shoes have seams that rub your feet. With Injinjis though, I've gone over 20 miles with no sign of a blister. If you don't plan to run though and want them for walking and hiking, you can skip the socks.

I'll help narrow it down even further. If you want to do some serious running, say 20+ miles a week, get the KSOs. KSO stands for Keep Stuff Out and will keep tiny pebbles and other road debris from getting int he shoe. They fit snugly to the point where I only fasten the Velcro strap to keep it from flapping around. I don't tighten it. For anything less than than or if running isn't your thing, then either the KSO or Classics will work, it is just a matter of style preference.

The guide is a free PDF file.