"Conscious physical training is using the visible to mold the invisible."
-Dan Millman

Monday, August 8, 2011

Product Endorsement-Vibram KomodoSport







I have been wearing Vibram Five Fingers for about a year now.  I started with the simple KSO model and the original pair of KSO's that I bought are still holding up despite lots of CrossFit and MovNat inspired training along with trail running, swimming, and just fooling around town in them.

Recently a friend of mine bought a pair of the Vibram KomodoSports and brought them out for one of our training sessions on the steep, rocky trails of Bull Creek.  Like me, he has been wearing Vibram Five Fingers for awhile and doing various forms of training in them.  At the end of our training session he proclaimed the KomodoSport to be the best functioning Five Finger he had worn thus far.  This meant a lot coming from a guy who has numerous pairs of different Vibram Five Fingers.

I had some doubts about buying the KomodoSports.  One of the things I like the most about the Five Fingers is that they come very close to approximate the feeling of being barefoot.  As someone who is working toward developing a more primal lifestyle and evolutionary fitness I like to go barefoot as much as possible.  When it is not possible or practical to go completely barefoot I like to slip into my Five Fingers.  They basically serve as a protective covering for the soles of my feet. 

The KomodoSport Five Fingers have tread on the bottom and a little more cushion than the KSO.  I was concerned about this because padding and tread is not what I am necessarily looking for in a barefoot shoe.  In short, I did not want to move in the direction of a high tech primal shoe.  This seemed like a contradiction to me. 

At the same time, I have been doing a lot more trail running, tree climbing, and jumping lately and my feet have been getting pretty banged up.  After 30 plus years of wearing heavily padded shoes, the relatively short amount of time I have spent in my KSO Five Fingers has just not been enough to toughen up my feet and prepare them for the rigors of training on trails and rocks.  I had to be open to the possibility that I needed a little bit of padding and tread...just a little.

So, with all this in mind I went out and purchased a pair of the KomodoSport.  Here is my short review:



The KomodoSport have the same snug fit that I have come to enjoy in the KSO.  When fitted correctly the feeling is like having a well fitted glove on the foot.  All the toes can move, the foot can bend and flex in all the directions that nature has designed it for.  Walking or running I feel very close to being completely barefoot...and that is the main point.

Regarding the padding:  I have taken my new shoes out for two runs at this point and one CrossFit workout.  In all 3 situations I was pleased with their performance.  On the road and in the CrossFit workout I did not notice much difference between the KomodoSport and the KSO.  The rear strap in the KomodoSport actually provides for a better fit.  I experienced less sliding in my KomodoSports and could get a more customized fit with the added strap.  When I hit the trails with the new shoes I was glad to have the added tread and padding.  I did not lose any of the feeling of feet in contact with the ground despite the added padding.  However, the added padding gave me a slight but significant protection from pointy rocks.  To be frank, I was no longer constantly be jarred by the pain of my feet hitting rocks.  After the run my feet were not bruised and sore.  At the same time I could feel the rocks, I knew when I hit them and how I hit them and therefore how to adjust my running accordingly.  None of the feeling was lost but the intensity of the rocks was dialed down a bit.  This is important to me because it allows me to train near barefoot, develop the foot and leg strength, as well as the techniques, without banging up my feet too badly.

Regarding tread:  On the trails I found that the tread was a bit better than the comparably slick bottom surface of the KSO.  I found that I felt a bit more confident in climbs, jumps, and quick side to side shifts with that added little bit of tread.  Is this in violation of some barefoot purist approach?  Perhaps, but I imagine my naked foot would have a bit more grip than the sole of the KSO and a bit less than the KomodoSport.  From a training perspective I think the added tread is a helpful way to work the techniques of quick, lateral shifts, jumps and climbs.

                                 (my wife loves her new pair of KomodoSports!)   

Well, that was a lot of writing to get to the point that I highly recommend the Vibram KomodoSport.  I am very happy with my pair.  I think they would be a great shoe for either a beginning barefooter, or a more veteran primal mover.  They combine comfort, function, and the best of modern paleo fashion.  Do your feet a favor and check them out.
http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/Five-Fingers-Komodo-Sport-Mens.htm

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