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Vibram Five Finger Shoes - Review Thread

Finally made it out to the range to hit after a crazy 10 days. The Vibram "V-Classic" black shoes worked perfectly. Went to the grass range for couple hours and some putting. It was about 48 degrees and breezee. The feet were slightly chilled like feeling air conditioning but nothing that you couldn't handle. The grass was wet but no puddling after all the rain we have had this week. No comments from the gallery as I was pretty much the only one around in the silly weather.

As always I started with the 50 degree wedge 3/4 swings for warm up and gather consistency. The shoes gripped perfectly. Moving up the line to full swings with longer clubs irons/hybrids no problems. No slipping with a smooth balanced swing. Same performance hitting the driver. It is like the shoes remind you to stay balanced and in control and not swing like a crazy animal. It was amazing meeting the ball dead center and bringing new life and confidence to my game. These do make me shorter so I did experience some fat shots and needed to adjust the grip a small bit to compensate for being shorter to the ground. If I did go after the the ball crazy then there was an occasional little spin out in the footing, no real difference than with my spike less shoes.

I did play in the sand trap for a short period, probably should have spent longer since that was no fun & needs work. The Vibram held up great. Sand between the toes but the sand never entered inside. The putting green was great as it brings you more in tune to the slope since you are almost barefoot.

All in all very happy hoe the shoes performed. My feet were tired more that wearing other shoes. I definitely don't like wearing on pavement/cement as there is really no cushion. Walking in the grass, soft areas is extremely comfortable once you adjust to the toe having their own slot. I do not like wearing flip flop shoes with the thing between the toes but these are more comfortable and exceptable. As for getting them on, you get use to it and goes faster each time. Getting off not a problem.

Great shoes that take a bit to get use to. Definitely will have strengths and weakness depending on the person wearing. Your game will not suffer from the shoes. My bad swings were definitely my fault. The shoes at the moment are getting me to swing within my means staying balanced. Definitely realizing for me I can actual hit the ball a long way without swinging like an animal. Looking forward to playing soon.
 
Vibram Speed XC Lite Testing 5/3/2014
Raspberry Ridge Golf Course Everson, WA

Links to previous posts:
Intial thoughts: http://www.thehackersparadise.com/f...eview-Thread&p=2978461&viewfull=1#post2978461
First Range session: http://www.thehackersparadise.com/forum/showthread.php?57195-Vibram-Five-Finger-Shoes-Review-Thread&p=2980733&viewfull=1#post2980733


Got out for my first 9 with these. I have been wearing them a bit each day trying to get used to it, so I thought I was ready to go out and walk 9 this weekend. Overall I was pleased with them. I am getting better at getting them on, but still fighting the pinky toes. Not sure if that will ever go away, but I can definitely get them on easier and much quicker than before. They are comfortable when on, though I did feel a little fatigue at the end of the 9 holes. Still going to take some getting used to for longer wear, but it was not anything that was really bothersome. I did feel I could keep going with them on if I was playing more, but it was probably best that I was only doing 9 today.


I am still struggling with how these look when I look down on my feet. It is strange, but gets in my head a bit and makes me paranoid other people are going to think/say something about them. So far though, I've not had anyone seem to stare or comment on them really.



Feel:

Being out on the course today really made me realize how close to barefoot these feel. I had a couple times I swear if I didn't know better I'd have thought I was barefooted. They are really light. I liked that feeling. Beyond the initial discomfort of getting them on, I have had no discomfort wearing them or walking around in them. I was in a bunker twice and had no issues with sand getting inside or bothering me between my toes. The ground was wet and it was sprinkling off and on today, so they did get wet, and I could feel the water through the shoes. That said, I was totally comfortable the whole time even with the shoes wet. Was kind of odd really, I fully expected to be uncomfortable with wet feet. Maybe it's because it wasn't too cold though. :shrug: I took pictures on the first green then after the round so you can see how wet they got.

I really like how grounded I feel through my swing with these on. To me, being able to feel the ground more is feeling like it's helping me keep from doing too much with my feet during my swing. In turn, I hit the ball really well today, especially off the tee. I had a 3 hole stretch of drives of 280, 265 and 270 and all in good positions. That made me happy, as anyone that has played with me will attest to my struggles with the big dog. I really like how these feel on the greens. I think this is one of my favorite things about these so far. Being able to feel the greens with my feet as I walk to my ball really is nice.


Slippery when wet:

So a couple things I noticed today a bit annoying, I've encountered with these. With it being wet, these feel slippery going up or down hill on concrete/asphalt. This had me worried I was going to slip and fall in a couple spots today. I didn't, but it's something that concerned me a bit. I did slip, and almost fell on the grass on one hole hitting 7 iron off the tee. Overall I didn't have too much issue with it, but did notice the slipping and there's a couple places out here I know that could be something I need to remember so I don't end up on my keester. I will note, this model isn't for "Watersports". That said, I would hope they would hold up better in some wetness.


Summary:

Overall, I am really enjoying these shoes. They are light, comfortable, and provide enough protection I don't have to worry about stepping on a rock or stick or something chasing my ball. It will take some time to get used to for wearing them longer, but that will come as I wear them out on the course more. The materials feel like they will hold up well over time and I haven't seen anything abnormal between trodding through rocks/sticks, on the cart paths/parking lot, or in the sand to make me worry about how they'll hold up. I will take pictures of the soles each time I go out to track how the wear is on them. I am liking being closer to the ground and feeling the ground while I am swinging thus far. Hopefully that continues. I'm still not sure I'll ever get over the looks, but I do tend to forget about it once I'm doing whatever I'm doing when wearing them and not just stressing on what they look like after having put them on.

As always, any questions, please feel free to ask or PM me. Thanks!


Pictures:

Dry feet
Vibrams-dry.jpg


Wet Feet
Vibrams-Wet.jpg


Soles after first round
soles1.jpg
 
Great write up Checkered, what was the grass conditions like when you slipped on the TeeBox?

Wet? Moist?
 
golfinFF said:
Great write up Checkered, what was the grass conditions like when you slipped on the TeeBox?

Wet? Moist?
Click to expand...

The grass in general was wet. The course drains really well, so the short grass wasn't bad at all and there was no standing water anywhere. It surprised me to have it happen on the tee box a bit as I would have expected it in the rough, where the grass was noticeably wetter.
 
Interesting I will keep an eye out on this next time out
 
It was only 1 of 9 that I slipped on, but it got my attention. There's a couple courses here that have some spots that I've (unfortunately) slid down before, that I think I'll have to be careful when I get out on those courses in these.
 
Like with any soft spike level shoe, I'm shocked to hear about limited traction issues in the wet weather.

Will you guys game the Vibrams on rainy days intentionally, or avoid using them? It's something I avoid with my soft spike shoes personally.
 
FWIW, I've been wearing Vibram Five Finger shoes for several years. I love them as daily (non-work) shoes and think they're great, once you are accustomed to wearing them. They are good on trail hikes or just general walking but they are indeed minimulist shoes. I'll be surprised if they are good as golf shoes as there is essentially no support to them.
 
Bags said:
FWIW, I've been wearing Vibram Five Finger shoes for several years. I love them as daily (non-work) shoes and think they're great, once you are accustomed to wearing them. They are good on trail hikes or just general walking but they are indeed minimulist shoes. I'll be surprised if they are good as golf shoes as there is essentially no support to them.
Click to expand...

Interesting you say good for trail hikes, but not good for golfing?

What kind of support are you looking for?
 
Canadan said:
Like with any soft spike level shoe, I'm shocked to hear about limited traction issues in the wet weather.

Will you guys game the Vibrams on rainy days intentionally, or avoid using them? It's something I avoid with my soft spike shoes personally.
Click to expand...

If it is full on raining, I won't wear mine, as my feet would get far too wet. Sprinkling, or having rained the night before and still wet... yeah, I'll wear them.
 
Canadan said:
Like with any soft spike level shoe, I'm shocked to hear about limited traction issues in the wet weather.

Will you guys game the Vibrams on rainy days intentionally, or avoid using them? It's something I avoid with my soft spike shoes personally.
Click to expand...

Once the weather warms up a bit, I will give them a try in wet weather conditions. I don't mine wet feet but cold wet feet are no good.
 
Hit the range for an extended session this morning, I did not wear socks with them this morning and with temps in the mid 50's I did not have cold feet issues, I hit from the matts so my coach could take a look at my swing when he got a chance between other students. I had no slippage issues, one thing I did notice was that I couldn't twist hard on my right toe as the traction kept my to from slipping and this really spread my toes out almost too far for comfort.

My favorite part of practicing with these is that I can really feel the weight transfer during the swing and tell when I am doing it right, I also noticed that I can't over-swing and that I am always working off a stable base.
 
Another great round with the Speed XC Lite's.

They continue to feel amazing and make my putting stats go down. I KNOW it has to be because I can feel the contour in the green much more.

There was some dew on the ground over the weekend and my feet did feel cooler, but necessarily wet/damp. I also did have a few traction issues when I was in the rough while the dew was on the ground, but nothing earth shattering.

One thing that I am quickly noticing is that these things are flat out comfortable. Another thing is that, if you step on a rock, tree root, etc... you will feel it alot more. Last but not least, sand has not been an issue for me at all.

I love these freaking shoes and I wear them every chance I get, even while not on the golf course.

I do not like them as much as my TW13's or Lunar Controls, but I prefer these to my leather Puma Faas Lite. They are lightweight, comfortable and get the job done.
 
Sanzabar said:
Another great round with the Speed XC Lite's.

They continue to feel amazing and make my putting stats go down. I KNOW it has to be because I can feel the contour in the green much more.

There was some dew on the ground over the weekend and my feet did feel cooler, but necessarily wet/damp. I also did have a few traction issues when I was in the rough while the dew was on the ground, but nothing earth shattering.

One thing that I am quickly noticing is that these things are flat out comfortable. Another thing is that, if you step on a rock, tree root, etc... you will feel it alot more. Last but not least, sand has not been an issue for me at all.

I love these freaking shoes and I wear them every chance I get, even while not on the golf course.

I do not like them as much as my TW13's or Lunar Controls, but I prefer these to my leather Puma Faas Lite. They are lightweight, comfortable and get the job done.
Click to expand...

Never considered these shoes would help with putting but it makes complete sense. Thanks for your insights.
 
Canadan said:
Interesting you say good for trail hikes, but not good for golfing?

What kind of support are you looking for?
Click to expand...

Trails as in groomed trails. To me they are simply too "soft" on the sides and the lateral stability just isn't there.
 
GolfinFF hit the nail right on the head with the weight transfer. Yesterday I got a 2 hour practice session in and this was the most noticeable to me about the shoes. You know exactly where your weight is at all times. Really good feeling for me.
 
GreekGodX said:
GolfinFF hit the nail right on the head with the weight transfer. Yesterday I got a 2 hour practice session in and this was the most noticeable to me about the shoes. You know exactly where your weight is at all times. Really good feeling for me.
Click to expand...

This is exactly on point. The feel they give you on weight transfer and the feel of the greens you get take precedent over them looking goofy.
 
I was reading about that as well. Vibram still is holding fast that their claims are true from what I can tell, but looking like they are going to pay out to runners. Interesting to say the least.

I also agree that feeling your weight through the swing is really nice in these. I continue to be surprised in how it feels in these for walking and golf. I am really liking the feel of them. The looks...... are just rough still.
 
You guys are killing it in this thread. I honestly think it's one of the best forum testing threads we have done. Great job!
 
GolferGal said:
You guys are killing it in this thread. I honestly think it's one of the best forum testing threads we have done. Great job!
Click to expand...

It really has been a fun thread to follow. Just such a unique product that, without THP, there would be now way to find out how it holds up in the real world
 
I wore mine around the station the last couple days after duty hours to better acclimate my feet to having my toes spread out. The evening wear consisted of light working out and just normal walking around the station. I had zero discomfort from working out in them or the casual wear around the fire house.

These will be in play in orlando this weekend.
 
GolferGal said:
You guys are killing it in this thread. I honestly think it's one of the best forum testing threads we have done. Great job!
Click to expand...

it sure has been a fun follow. I knew this one would be a joy, the product is so interesting and polarizing.
 
OldeAtlanta said:
I read online this morning ( deadspin I think ) that Vibram has agree to a multi million dollar settlement due to false claims in intial advertising ?

http://fittish.deadspin.com/vibram-fivefingers-still-stupid-now-culpable-1572955736
Click to expand...
The key phrase here is "This study showed that increases in bone marrow edema [the precursor to a stress fracture] are more common in subjects who were transitioning to the [Vibram FiveFingers],"

I have been wearing fivefingers and other minimalist shoes for almost 4 years now. They DO make your feet stronger and I also haven't had any knee problems since then either. But when I first researched minimal shoes, every reputable source said that if you plan to run in them you should take MONTHS to transition and give your feet and legs time to acclimate to the shoes AND learn a different running style. But we're 'Mericans and we don't wait for nothing or nobody dammit! Seriously, after about 3 weeks they felt really good and I went from running 1/2 mile to 3 miles one day. Felt great during the run but after and for the next couple of weeks I had what they call "top of foot pain". Basically, it feels like a metal spike pushing through the middle of your foot from the bottom to (you guessed it) the top, not fun. There were warnings I had read about this, but had to learn my lesson the hard way. Plus, it's one of those things that will not work for everyone, and the consequences of that are not good.

I would be wearing the FiveFingers golf shoes right now if they were waterproof, but they're not. I wore a pair 3 seasons ago (precursor to the Speed XC Lite's) and when I played in our Men's Club tournaments, which were early in the morning, the course was always wet. I LOVED the feel and balance and stability they gave my swing, but was tired of wet shoes every round. I hope that Vibram or someone else comes out with a waterproof product so I can go back to them.
 
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