The Story Of Vibram's Barefoot Shoes 

I've been wearing five fingers for about two years now and the one takeaway is that there aren't really for urban use. They feel amazing when on soft ground but you really need to learn to walk on the forefoot if you use them casually. The one thing barefoot enthusiasts neglact when talking about the anatomy and how humans are meant to walk without shoes is that we've walked in the woods for thousands of years, not on asphalt.

One another big thing about barefoot shoes is raising awareness of wider toe spaces for feet, reducing bunions and hammer toes.

In my experience, a sole wearing out is not how shoes fail, none of the barefoot shoes I have owned in the last 5 years have needed to be repaired on the sole (only on the uppers) but a traditional sneaker with softer cushy soles definitely seem to wear and potentially fail in that area quicker

Barefoot/minimalist shoes definitely changed my life personally. Back problems, chronic foot issues, all but disappeared after the conversion to "barefoot" shoewear.

There is one downside to barefoot shoes though: once you've fully adapted, it's very painful to go back to normal shoes!

Have had a lifetime of ankle injuries, even when I was bouldering (and strengthening my feet through this). Made the switch to barefoot shoes a year and a half ago. The amount of feedback I now get through my feet has made things so much better. Missteps that would’ve led to a rolled ankle in normal shoes, don’t result in injures anymore. I was always barefoot at home, so the switch wasn’t so bad. Can second Vivobarefoot, especially their Revivo second chance store. Over here in Europe brands like Belenka are worth checking out, too. For sandals I’m a big fan of Shamma.

Personally im so grateful someone was brave enough to develop toe shoes. People are still unjustly revolted by them now so im amazed they ever caught on enough for further developments. ❤

A lot of barefoot/minimalist shoemakers use Vibram soles - Vibram makes thin sheets of flat sole material that can be cut to any shape and stitched or glued to the shoe. In addition, these can be easily re-soled by any shoe repair shop. I don't know why Levi stresses to shop local, then recommends a barefoot shoe made several thousand miles from most of his watchers. I am not affiliated with Softstar, I don't own their shoes, but they manufacture in Portland, Oregon, USA.

I'm well north of 350lbs, hike miles on trails and wear my Vibram five fingers every day outside my job. I've had Vibram's last over 5-6 years and my last pair are 18 months and still going strong. Admittedly you pay a price for the ground feel etc, they're not going to last a decade plus but in my experience durability's not a problem. 👍

I haven't had a pair of 5 fingers in maybe 10 years, but I always liked them. Super comfortable. The worst part about them were the comments/stares. Edit: I wasn't an athlete, I just wore them for comfort. Not for running.

Im a cobbler we have So Much Vibram!! We have tools parts and even aprons that we get from vibram and they make a sole for everything. Dont forget to Repair!

In Japan, lots of farmers and certain types of construction workers have been wearing jika-tabi for ages. They are split toed, not foot glove, and has slightly thicker soles, but the concept is pretty similar to barefoot shoes. The grip offered by the flexible soles are still preferred in certain industries. They even make steel toe version too! They cost a fraction of the Vibram Barefoot, so a good in between to give this type of soles a try.

i know yall put a lot of effort into these vids, the perfectly inserted demonstrative clip and accompanying sound is really what makes these videos for me, keep it up FP

One of my biggest gripes is that as soon as a brand switches something over to "recyclable", the quality tend to drop immediately. I got a pair of 20 year old sandals with vibram soles that look barley used, whereas newer ones scratches up in about one summer. Maybe that should be a topic for another video?

I bought the toe shoes about 5 Years ago, cause i thought they looked cool (judge me) and because i was interested in the whole "more natural walking" thing. They held up pretty great and are to this day probably the shoe I wore the longest.

I've been wearing Vibrams Five Fingers for the last 10. My back and lower joints feel better and stronger. I went hiking up this mountain in Hawaii and I never lost my footing the whole way up. A lot of people had trouble on some trails but I had no trouble in my Vibrams. I wore V-Trek Five Fingers

Love Vibram 5 fingers…… Going for a hike in the woods with them is a game changer…. Feeling every bit of the earth underneath your feet…. The natural feel in your muscles… But, wearing them in public get you a lot of grossed out looks…..lol. A lot of people hate feet!!

Congrats on 250k! Love watching you guys grow. This is my favorite channel atm and I’m always looking forward to Wednesdays.

idk about vibrams, but personally switching to vivobarefoot shoes was a significant upgrade in comfort.

I have some merrell barefoot shoes with a vibram sole, they seem to wear slower than a normal shoe (except right at the heal since I am not perfect) but I would be willing to state that I think they last longer because barefoot walking is inherently more gentle on soles mainly because the whole point is to be gentle on your feet.

The Vibram is guaranteed to give you the most efficient and best performing footwear you've ever laid your eyes on. No matter you wish to go, it'll always stick around. May God bless this channel. We all hope you guys continue making great content.

As a climber its super interesting to learn about this side of Vibram, I've always been aware of their barefoot shoes but I think of Vibram far more for the quality of their rubber and the climbing shoes that use their rubber (Scarpa, La Sportiva)

Vibram barefoot shoes changed my life! After I had to get bunion surgery in '16, and learned that my extreme, impressive-to-doctors flat-footedness/overpronation was the cause, I looked into how I could fix my problem, and landed on barefoot shoes as one possible solution. And at least at the time, Vibram seemed to be the most-available/least-obscure, so I got a couple different styles of 5-fingers, and later, in the winter, the furoshiki wrap boots. I totally agree that consistency is key! I wore nothing on my feet but those 3 pairs of shoes for at least 2 years after I got them. You have to commit. I saw it as necessary physical therapy that needed daily practice in order to improve my comfort and quality of life. And over time, it worked! I've heard it explained that if you walk "wrong", regular shoes will compensate for the wrongness with padding and etc, so your foot never needs to change itself, or "learn". But barefoot shoes will create feedback which makes the ways in which it is wrong more evident to you on kind of a subconscious level, and you'll eventually make the needed adjustments. I went from those ridiculously fallen arches to having very strong feet that hold stable arches no matter what other kind of shoe I'm wearing (I wear a lot of Doc Martens and Chuck Taylors these days), or even when I'm barefoot! And my vibrams have barely left the closet for a couple years now, so this seems to be a lasting change!

The biggest issue with Vibrams and most “foot-shaped” shoes is that they’re one shape fits all even though every one’s foot shape and width is unique.

Wearing exclusively barefoot shoes for several years now. They really do wonders for foot health and strength. My only non-barefoot shoes are my hiking boots and even those have a wide toe box from Lowa

My first pair of barefoot were some Merrell with Vibram soles, I thought they wouldn't last 6 months, but after two years they are still in good condition. I wear them 4-5 days a week for workouts. In contrast to other shoes that I have owned.

When I see a Future Proof video, I click.

Your content is fascinating!

I started wearing fivefingers around early 2008, took several months to work on transitioning into them so I wouldnt injure myself, and absolutely LOVED them... at first. First issue I had was durability... I have rather large(wide) big toes, and EVERY set I got blew out the pocket on the big toes. Another issue I had in certain circumstances was traction, but not where most people would figure. I could walk on sheets of ice without too much issue, but wet tile was a nemesis for that, plus my next issue. The STANK. When I initially got fivefingers, there really weren't all that many athletic-oriented toe socks, and since I didnt want to wear rainbow thigh highs, I just put my bare feet in them. Now I dont usually have much in the way of foot funk, but after just three days the smell was HORRENDOUS!! If they got wet though, it was even worse!! That eventually faded after I found some cheap, ankle cut toe socks... but the memory of the sheer amount of FUNK remained. Mind you, I was a cross-country runner at the time, and I did make the transition into running almost exclusively in my fivefingers! Fast forward about six years with zero injuries, and I'm looking at enlisting into the Marine Corps. Was upping my mileage to prepare for basic, but I made the mistake of attempting to up my mileage like a "traditionally" shod runner would... cue a debilitating arch injury that made just walking an exercise in agony. Felt like I'd have a red hot knife shoved into my foot every time I took a step. The recovery has taken years, admittedly mostly due to my own hubris and impatience, but I'm finally back in more "minimalist/barefoot" shoes, My fivefingers though? Solely used as water shoes when I go kayaking. Don't get me wrong, I have no hate towards Vibram for the fivefingers, as it helped me get into more barefoot footwear... but there are FAR more practical, and far cheaper, options on the market these days.

I've been wearing vibrams for 10 years and I have no plans on stopping.

You can really tell that it is passionate team! Thanks again for the awesome video and the grinchy jokes 😅

Barefoot shoe doesn’t usually suffer sole fail when your walking technique is good. Have pair of vff kso evo since 2017 run 30km weekly with them.. still going strong.

My problem with those Vibram toe shoes ten years ago was my pinky toes kept getting stubbed! After one last particularly curse-laden event, I gave them away and they've lived happily ever since.

I would like to thank the writers of your videos for the cheesy puns and jokes. I absolutely love it and please give me more!

cracked up at the last few seconds! I had to even go back to enjoy it better. LOL LOVE the shirt!

I’m not even athletic and health conscious but I switched from tennis shoes to crocs for my small parcel delivery job and I went from a twisted ankle and falling 1-2 a month to never twisting my ankle or falling since I switched to crocs

Been wearing them for about 16 years. Got rid of my back pain and plantar fasciitis. Physically the best thing I have ever done for myself. Have many pairs

Thanks for the background on Vibram. Very cool. You’re a good looking version of Jason Biggs!

I wear barefoot shoes from a brand called Splay. I love them. The first month caused some pain issues, but after that, my feet have strengthened up. Love them.

Congrats on the 250k let’s do 500k ❤

Love the info! I just switched my hiking boots to barefoot style out of desperation because of grip and feel issues causing falls on trail. Found a bunch but went with vivobarefoot because they have that transparency thing. (And my toes stay inside them where they belong) Plus they have revivo which lets you mail your spent vivios back to be recycled into new vivos! mostly just commented to say it was nice to see what appears to be a well researched source confirm vivo was a ecofriendly choice

Tell me your shoe is a cult without telling me your shoe is a cult.

Mid-way through the video here, you're making some fair points so far. Gonna finish the video now.

I love my ICE+ Arctic Grip Vibram soled snow boots. They keep me from falling and getting injured/unalived in winter.

This video came up after I bought a pare of Vibrams (the ones with the separated toes). I don't even know why it took me so long, considering I've always enjoyed being barefoot at home, the beach, etc. I'm definitely interested to see how this experiment plays out and will try other types of minimalist shoes too.

I love Vibram's cane/trekker pole tips.

goofy ahh shoes

"I'm playing both sides, so I always come out on top."

I only have Vibran souls on my hiking bootsa dn they are great and long lasting. You should also do a video on Dr. Bronner soaps, I think that might be right up your alley.

I see Vibram as being in a constant state of evolution. They pretty much invented the lugged rubber outsole, and they innovated again with their Five-Fingers. I love my Five-Fingers, but I pretty much only wear them during summer. Interesting, the Five-Fingers have an interesting off-brand use as driving shoes! You get really good foot dexterity for working the clutch pedal, and doing heel and toe downshifts.

Loved my vibrams when I had them. It was a learning curve wearing them. Now I have another company years later (Nortiv8) minimalist shoes that just have a wide toe box.

I don't know what to say about this since I wearing my vibram five fingers for almost 7 years now and I just patches the worn out rubber soles with rubber tube tyres and works well with me in trail running. I enjoyed it very much to this day without feeling pain and fear of getting stepped sharp rocks, woods or broken glass (except nails). Feel like young always

something interesting about soles is that it matters just as much about the hardness of the rubber as it does the thickness of it. i have a pair of ultraboost sneakers that have continental outsoles that are also really thin but after 5 years of wear they still barely have any signs of it. the same thing can apply here as well, where the outsole is just a seriously good rubber. this doesnt make them any more repairable but it is an argument for how long soles can actually last once you compare them to the wear of skechers or jordans

I have the Ugg Adirondacks with vibram soles. They have lasted for almost 15 years now and a great winter boots.

I've been having my Viviobarefoot shoes for two years now. I wear them almost everyday except if it's raining. I run, hike, and do daily things with them and the soles are holding up great. I have had to replace the inner soles once but the outer soles are in great shape.

I appreciate the insight into Vibram (as a company), but I have to say, mine have held up remarkably (and are still usable) since my purchase in 2008 (they went on sale and had my measurement, yay me!). As a female with a wide foot who also doesn't tend to fit into straight shoe sizes (5-9), they are immensely helpful and the ONLY shoes I've had that offered a wider toe box and catered to my actual foot. I've gotten so tired of trying to fit the wide ball of my foot and my larger than average toe box into regular shoes; I either wear holes in the pinky toe areas or risk excruciating pain trying to fit my foot into shoes (even "wide" shoes) that don't really fit my feet. It's also really nice to have a durable pair of shoes that are nice to hike in, run in or do water activities in (those rocks in the rivers are no joke!).

Love your videos. Very informative. Would you make one about helly Hansen or columbia? Thanks

Kudos for offering alternatives at the end.

My experience with vibram is that they slide and glide with just ecen a little bit of moisture. They did not have grip on wet surfaces.

I love barefoot shoes. I started with merrell and now wear Vivobarefoot

I completely switched to barefoot shoes, mostly Leguano, Joe Nimble (those have Vibram soles actually) and Vivo Barefoot, years ago and it took some time to get adjusted. Though I don't know if it really have any health benefits. My main concern was having shoes that are comfortable right from the start and don't need months of wear and tear to get eventually comfortable.

Sorry Levi, might bhave to disagree with your last point. I have had my 5 fingers, yes, the toes shoes, for 8 years now. And even with my fairly consistent running habits, I haven't warn them completely. And while they fell out of running use after year 4, I would say that is more than a great lifespan, considering the other parts of the shoe by that point had begun to degrade as well.

Now that I finished the video, I can say that you redeemed yourself here. I understood your point that more peer-reviewed scientific studies are needed to be done in order to show how much better it really is to adapt a barefoot living lifestyle, which includes wearing "barefoot"/foot-shaped shoes. Not sure if there's any way that I could help speed that process up as a test subject or something, though I'm certain there have been a few test subjects for this already, and more to come. Btw, I would recommend you look up Anya's Reviews. You may be impressed which how well-researched she is with the footwear in the "barefoot"/foot-shaped footwear industry.

Fr my toe shoes have made workouts incredible. It feels so much better to run, lift, squat etc vs whatever sneakers (though Converse aren't bad) I used to wear. Even hikes are way better, because I can feel the ground under me and balance better. I know they faced some flak in the past, but the main problem with the criticism was the people complaining were running in them heel-to-toe, which is unnatural, and obviously would give you knee pain. We're supposed to run on the balls of our feet. But huge heels are common on running shoes because people aren't running right, and it's a lazy solution.

I'm runner. I really love running shoes tech. One day I saw man running with hurache prestty fast. I talked to him. After that I try a lot of running hurache and sandals. It's feel great, my feet are free. It's a bit exhausted at feet and calves. I think because muscles in those area were rarely used. But they are expensive. So I tried cheap foam sandals. It's zero drop, flexible. It just works! At 1/10 price.

Hey Levi!!! Love the channel, good stuff. Can you do a deep-dive on MEC, the once-beloved Canadian camping gear CO-OP founded in Vancouver in 1971... Turned Corporate Conglomerate?

After years wearing Vivos, switching to Vibrams was definitely a life changing experience for the better. Can't see how I could ever wear an ordinary shoe again other than for very special occasions..

I‘ve had mine for 10 years. Daily use. So i would say they are pretty reliable

I have been wearing feet gloves (Vibram 5 fingers) for 10 years. I wear them every day and in all settings and locations. I haven't had any problems. I still have my first pair and I wear them a lot ( in rotation with 2 other pairs). They have been sewn up between the toes a few times, but they are going strong. And, for my age my feet look great 👍 straight toes and strong muscles. No complaints 😁

Should do a video on UGG and UGG Australia could be a good video. Keep up the good work

My first pair of barefoot shoes were Ren-Fest boots. I now wear almost exclusively Whitin. As far as wear goes, because the barefoot shoes put more of my foot in contact with the earth, they wear out at a much slower rate. As far as health goes, I can attribute much of my arthritis to misaligned joints. Though I cannot say the barefoot shoes did all the work, they helped greatly. More importantly barefoot shoes fit my feet better than any other.

I have been wearing Vibram 5F shoes since about 2010, and they have been great for my feet. Walking on grass is better in any shoe, but you can also learn to walk on concrete wearing Vibram 5F without a forceful heel strike or having to walk on the forefoot (which I can't imagine doing, lol). And for those occasions when Vibram 5F doesn't seem quite the thing to wear, I go to Vivo Barefoot. But I believe that Vibram 5F shoes give the feet a better "workout".

After switching to barefoot shoes my knee issues almost disappeared completely. And my posture has improved

I had a pair of these years ago when they first came out and actually kind of liked them, they just looked so weird I stopped wearing them. Sure they are in a box somewhere, kind of want to try wearing them again.

My KSO Evos, (Vibram's thinnest soles) have lasted me 500 miles with no holes yet. I even still have tred on a majority of the sole. For comparison, my Hoka Clifton 7 soles started showing the mid foam at 200 miles, and complete sole degredation at 300 miles. While it is frustrating indeed that Vibram doesn't have sole repair for the barefoot shoes, one of my Vibrams is lasting me at least two if not 3 or 4 of nearly every other shoe.

There's an episode of The Simpsons where new neighbors from Portland, Oregon move in on the Flanders and the Simpsons in Springfield, USA. In one of the scenes where they are talking with Ned Flanders, the new neighbors are wearing and showing off their new "toe sneakers," which resemble the Fivefingers, saying that they'll be all the rage someday...

I’ve owned 2 pair of VFF’s. They both fell apart after very little use (less than 20 miles of running on each). It my bare feet have survived around 10,000 miles. I recommend Merrell’s barefoot series.

Showing a shot of climbing shoes when talking about spacious, minimal shoes was a pretty wild take. Over engineered toe torture chambers.

Five fingers as a whole are a great concept even if the soles can’t be replaced. I do understand it is a bit more complicated than regular shoes. That being said my five fingers have lasted years. Usually the sole holds better than the fabrics. I don’t invest too much in them new, I try to always buy second hand first. Vivobarefoot has a great secondhand website called revivo. The same shoes, pre loved but given a new lease on life. Some are simply cleaned some are repaired and some have been resoled. For a smaller price point you can still get good quality and shop used. For some barefoot shoes are a necessity, for others like myself a choice to repair conventional shoe damage.

I wore Vibrams for a while then went into running sandals. I sort of went full send and injured by feet. Long story short, don't go full send. Do it incrementally and so far I've been in these barefoot footwear for 11 years.

I’m lucky in that I live nearby a city in california called Santa Cruz where a minimalist shop called shamma sandals has their headquarters so I can buy these VERY locally and they have a sandal repair program! REI has a lot of good options though honestly minimalist shoes can surprisingly cost a fair amount

A kid I was in high school marching band with wore toe shoes while we practiced and it somehow made marching band more uncool 😅 Anyway, love the vid FP! Question/Suggestion - have you done a deep dive on all those clothing companies that bombard Instagram with ads? I’m talking Vuori, Cuts Clothing, Bylt Basics, Ten Thousand and there’s probably loads more I didn’t list. But are their products any good or is the price inflated to pay the marketing budget?

Lol I think he’s underestimating how hard it is to summit k2 or Everest

FWIW, recycling was started by oil companies. Glass has been recycled for over a century, and metals since WWII. The concept of using recycled materials that cost more than making new materials is a more recent phenomenon.

Love the shout out to climate town!!

i hate having things in between my toes, i'd never be able to wear these shoes, they're like the rubber version of those socks that have individual toes

It’s a really nice shirt levi, wish I had one like it

I bought some barefoot shoes recently and initially wanted to go with the five fingers, as I figuered those seperate toes would really help me reverse their sort of atrophying from a lifetime of wearing shoes with narrow toeboxes. What I found however was that they only offer one single shape, which didn't fit my toes very well, and especially the pinky toe kept slipping out. I ended up getting a shoe from a local brand (I live in germany) with a continuous wide toebox instead.

I’ve found traditional running shoes wear out for their intended purpose before barefoot running shoes because cushioning wears unevenly. What I like about my barefoot hiking shoes is, since the whole point is no cushion, they’ll last until they’ve completely worn through, which could be thousands of miles. I have vivobarefoots. I won’t say I recommend them, do what works for you, but that’s one upside.

Repairing shoes , i have a pair of cheap hiking boots and this weekend the sole started sepearating from the upper could stick my finger through. Took some superglue and glued it and 4 km in the glue is still holding

I have almost exclusively worn vibram five fingers for over a decade, minus some vibram/merrell snow boots. And i can say, they dont wear out fast..... they do where out faster than they used to, but they still last 2+ years.....and again, thats wearing them as only shoe, almost every day of the year............ while the idea of repairing them is something ive thought of, its just not something that fits the type of shoe. ...and i would totally recommend them over knock offs.

Vibram knows that their more sanctimonious and rich customers are the less likely they are to actually follow through.

Vibram Fivefingers are the most comfortable shoe I've ever worn, and they are durable, going on 7 years of regular use with my first pair, mostly trail running. It is a shame I have to order them online though, I would much rather try them at a physical location first.

It's interesting that to the mountain bikers the Vibram logo means the second grippiest rubber (second to Stealth by FiveTen)

I loved the Five Finger shoes I had but they just weren't practical enough to make them my primary shoes. They weren't remotely water resistant and I found blades of grass would poke through the material into my toes when I was hiking in them. I also don't like wearing shoes without socks and toe socks are highly annoying, not to mention wearing them made my shoes too tie. Five fingers were the catalyst that converted me over to all minimalist shoes, but I've chosen to go with brands that have a more traditional shape like Xero and Lems.

I’ll be here next Wednesday ✌🏼

I only wear barefoot shoes or go barefoot all the times. It just makes sense. It two life changing foot operations to see the light.

These always remind me of my last year in high school in 1998, when those “toe socks” came around, because on our senior trip to Virginia one of the more popular girls wore rainbow toe socks (she took her shoes off on the long bus ride). Yes we went to Richmond, VA to see Kings Dominion and Six Flags… Yeah I voted to go to Montreal, but I guess extreme roller coasters beat getting to experience a new culture, and country to dumb teenagers 🤦‍♂️. Though honestly Virginia was about as far from NYC as I felt we could get as we were treated like we were from outer space by the locals!)

I've been wearing Vibram Fivefingers for 9 years now, and I can honestly say that the newer styles last longer. Just don't wear them in Canadian winters or heavy rain, I got a pair of Xero Shoes boots for that. My first pair wore out pretty quick because I wore them every single day for gym class in high school, and at the time, good toe socks were impossible to find in Canada (now Lee Valley sells good ones), so they got machine washed about once a week. They lasted about 2 years before the lining was completely destroyed. Actually, I've only had one where the sole was the issue, and that was because I got a kids sized pair for like $30 and I probably should have gotten a size larger. The ones made for hiking are great, and I'm surprised they discontinued the classic Treksport design (the more traditional water shoe looking one) because those have lasted me about 7 or 8 years now. That being said, after wearing them for so long, it's kind of become my own personal style more than anything else, and people comment when I'm not wearing them, even if I'm wearing other barefoot shoes (although personally, I got a used pair of Vivo Barefoot shoes locally for like $20, and they really don't fit my foot shape as well as Xero or Vibram does). I sew a lot of my own clothes, at least for summer wear, so people have gotten used to me doing whatever weird things work and fit with my disabilities. And if that's wearing neon compression toe socks with water shoes, that's it. I'm currently planning my wedding, and my fiance said it just wouldn't be me if I wasn't wearing toe shoes, despite finding some really cool ones from Zaqq that I was tempted to get. The main differences I've noticed is that I have better balance with the increased width, less foot pain due to having room to move and adapt to the ground, and no heel height which is safer for people like me prone to ankle injury. It does take time to get used to, but my physiotherapist said they're good, so I trust him. He said he had a pair, but when he's standing and working with people most of the day, he needs cushion, which I totally understand. I just tend to get that from socks.

The vibram 132 is the best work boot sole👌