My new shoes...

[Khendon Sevon]

What a dull title, right?

True... but, these are my new shoes:

www.vibramfivefingers.com

I'm thinking about taking them hiking tomorrow. I'm going on a difficult, technical hike that I usually wear full montrail hiking boots for. I kinda' feel like giving these things a try on crazy terrain.

...but, maybe I should let my feet get used to them more. I dunno. Trial by fire sounds good to me ;)

[Zeke]

Are you about to sing the new shoes song?

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

holy crap O_O Those look really really awesome, and now I want a pair. Let me know how they do :)

[Wyl Staedtler]

I echo this face -> O_O

Those are the coolest things I've ever seen in my entire life. It's like becoming amphibious, only not.

[Aurelias Kazaar]

Holy moley, those are cool.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

They look cool but like they would chafe inbetween your toes. Until you got used to them, I guess. I wouldn't trial by fire, if I were you, but I tend to err on the side of caution. :mneh

[Parsideon Denix]

I'd stick with red wings but good luck on your endeavor!

[Khendon Sevon]

Oh, ye of little faith.

I'd just like to note:

I'm an experienced outdoorsman. I would not advise duplicating any of the events or activities I am about to describe without the proper training and preparation. My outdoor partners and I are experienced and trained in first aid, rescue, pathfinding, survival, leadership, and have various other skills. Additionally, we always ensure that we have proper gear for the circumstances we are putting ourselves into.

That being said, it's a lot of fun to do what we did tonight.

Nick, one of my outdoor buddies, didn't get back from Pennsylvania until later today. So, we didn't get to go to Harriman, the area I had wanted to try out my new shoes. He and I sat in my parents' diner and had dinner, talked, joked, and had a good time :)

So, I told him he owed me a night hike to make up for not going to Harriman this morning. He didn't want to do it. Well, throughout our meal I kept pushing little by little, slipping it in; and, finally, he consented.

We packed light.

Andrew (me): Headlamp, flashlight, multi-tool, 1L water, first aid kit (I have a great one), printed out map (extra small), hat, and pack to throw them all in.

Nick: Headlamp, flashlight, knife, 1/2L water.

I'd tell you where we went; but, it's closed at night. Technically we were "maliciously tresspassing."

I drove. You get off the highway, enter a town, and then pull onto a bunch of winding backroads with a speed limit of 40. We had the windows open and listened to some Rhapsody of Fire (opera metal) the entire way.

So, the park was closed. We couldn't park the car in the visitor's center, it was gated. I pull into a warehouse's parking lot and parked between two vans. We then put on our packs, switched on our lights, and went into the wilderness.

Nick wore traditional trail shoes while I had on my FiveFingers. He fell in step behind me and I took the lead, as I usually do. It was a beautiful night, the sky was a dark scarlet from light pollution, there were deer running around, it was brilliant.

Did I mention we were in black bear country? No? Well, we were.

Nick and I kept a steady talk as I took my usual rapid pace.

What did I discover? I found that I used my toes a whole lot more. I didn't use the edge of my boot to break (since I didn't have boots) and would instead use my legs more like shock absorbers and bend my knees. I allowed a cushion of non-contact around my heel and didn't let it drop as much.

There was an increase in the deftness of my footwork.

The terrain consisted of several steep rises and falls with gnarled roots and large and small boulders strewn everywhere. There was a lot of loose talus and generally uneven terrain.

In the day, I’d give the difficulty rating an easy for me, something I could cut through. During the night, though, I’d say it was a medium. Someone not experienced in hiking and hiking at night would probably have turned an ankle once or twice or would have taken the trek much, much slower.

Anyway, the FiveFingers did a great job of protecting my feet. I really felt connected to the ground and able to stop, turn, and manipulating my footwear in a superior fashion to heavier shoes or boots. I had no problems.

My calves did feel a bit sore towards the end. Nothing really too noticeable. It probably had to do with the way the shoes forced me to rely on raising my heel; it used more muscle as opposed to bone.

Overall, they did a great job, were super lightweight, protected me very well, and I’d most definitely try them on what I consider a difficult hike. As long as I’m not carrying a heavy pack, they’re going to be my go-to hiking shoes.

As a note: I tend to not have problems with breaking in hiking shoes or boots. I also don’t get blisters on my feet from abusive hiking.

I’m going to say this: FiveFingers are not for inexperienced hikers. They require you to already have good footwork and an understanding of wilderness travel.

;) I love them.

Oh, and Lil, they feel amazing. There’s no chafing, irritation, or discomfort. In fact, I’m going to say they’re more comfortable than traditional sock-and-shoe systems. Also, my feet felt very, very well ventilated.

Aaand, as for red wings:
Heavy! Why! It's extra weight on your feet that you have to lift. Merrell or Montrail are much better.