The trail through the rainforest that wound up the side of the volcano was changing from a root and dirt path to one of mud and rocks. It wasn’t slowing me down. Wrapping my toes around a boulder, I pushed myself up another rocky ledge to join Raven and our guide David. Raven was demonstrating his gecko walk up a thick root, toes and arches of his feet curving to fit the narrow wooden beam. As I caught my breath, I looked back down the trial. The couple hiking with us was nowhere to be seen.
“Those shoes really do work,” David said eyeing Raven’s feet.
Raven had wanted a pair of Vibram FiveFinger shoes for going on two years. With a cruise to the Caribbean looming a week away in the spring of 2011 and both of us having hiked our various warm weather hiking gear to death, we headed to a local outdoor store. We needed a pair of shoes that would take us from cruise ship to beach up hiking trails through rainforests and then down to a cafe for a local beer. And preferably only ONE pair of shoes as we were limiting ourselves to only what would fit in our Osprey Waypoint 65 backpacks. Despite Raven’s long time enthusiasm for a pair of FiveFingers, I had no intention of buying a pair. I was just along to see what the fascination was about and to check out maybe a new pair of hiking sandals.

By the time I hiked Pigeon Island off the coast of St. Lucia, I was more than pleased with my KSO Treks
It was when I tried on a pair of KSO Treks that I changed my mind. The soft kangaroo leather fit like my favorite pair of slippers. The tread had me walking up every demo ramp in the store while the well designed sole/tread wrapped up around the edges of toes and feet, protecting even me from bad bumps. As Raven debated KSOs versus Treksports that had a smoother tread which under pressure suctioned to surfaces, I tried on various styles as well. I liked the Treksports for their smooth gripping, but the snugger feel and thinner sole wasn’t for me. By the end of the shopping trip, I went home with a pair of Vibram FiveFinger KSO Treks and Raven took home a pair of Vibram FiveFinger Treksports.
With a week until the cruise, neither of us had much time to adapt. Walking in FiveFinger shoes is not like putting on your favorite pair of sneakers. There is no arch support, no major cushioning to soften blows. You have to redevelop muscles last used when a toddler and your parents couldn’t keep shoes on your feet. But the payoff is not just stronger muscles that protect against sprains, it is also the flexibility to walk across a wide range of surfaces with confidence which comes with the ability to feel the terrain without actually being barefoot.
On the cruise, we put that range of potential surfaces to the test. From skittering across the ship to hot asphalt and pavement on island, to sandy beaches, up muddy trails, across dusty and hot ledges, and then down to wading across rocky ocean bottom, we wore our FiveFingers everywhere. The result? An enthusiastic five toes up!
We’d both hiked the Caribbean and Costa Rica in a variety of footwear such as hiking sandals to breathable/waterproof sneakers. In sandals, even with straps tightened to the fullest, we both tended to slide in the mud. This is what led us time and time again to hiking muddy trails barefoot lest we either slip off a ledge to our deaths or lose a shoe in the sucking ooze. Raven didn’t like the inflexibility of the soles of his waterproof sneakers. They created small points of contact with irregular surfaces which often ended up translating to poor propulsion to the energy expended, usually leading to a slip as well.
The FiveFingers solved all of these problems. The one strap allows the wearer to tighten the fit of the shoe across the heel and over the arch. When it came time for hiking we cinched down. When on the beach or in town, we loosened up. Rocky climbs or nimbly climbing along roots was easy. You can bend your foot to fit the surface, getting nearly full contact. Or, like with rock climbing shoes, find that perfect fit on the smallest ledge and maneuver yourself up a face that no sneaker or hiking boot would dare to touch.
The worst part of our FiveFinger experience to date came on the first day on island during the cruise. Arriving back to St. Thomas from a day in St. John, the ship blew its horn to signal imminent departure while we were still two miles away walking back from the ferry dock. A race was on as white smoke curled above our ship.
The shoes were new and we were new to the shoes and so hadn’t adapted our running style back to barefoot races of childhood. Raven managed to stub his big toe and put the smallest tear in the fabric of his Treksports. I simply never seemed to gain my stride or breath, but part of that could have been the terror of my family on a soon to be departed cruise ship and their sure disappointment I’d screwed up on the first day of vacation. We both ended up with wear spots and blisters below our big toes where a seam met the sole. Happily, some mole skin took care of the problem for the entire trip. And very happily, we did make the ship! Though the race did teach us more than we needed practice on running in FiveFingers – double checking departure times was important too!
On a summer hiking trip on the Maine section of the AT, we wore the FiveFingers for the first and last of the three days. Strenuous hiking up granite mountains wore on our arches and ankles. We paid with the switch to hiking sneakers with several slips and slides, most likely avoidable if we’d continued to wear the FiveFingers. We both preferred hiking in the FiveFingers, but appreciated the break arch support provided to our ankles. Who is to say though that more time rugged hiking would have strengthened our arches and ankles so that the need for a different pair of shoes was unnecessary?
My KSO Treks became my favorite pair of shoes for summer outdoor activities such as hiking or kayaking. I have eyed Raven’s lighterweight Treksports from time to time thinking something like them would be great for water activities from sailing to kayaking. As the Maine weather turned toward fall, he eyed my KSO Treks for their warmth and strength against briars, thorns, and branches. So maybe ONE pair of FiveFingers isn’t the answer to every situation . . . maybe you need two?