Vibram FiveFingers Spyridon LS Trail-Running Shoes - Women's

Comments about Vibram FiveFingers Spyridon LS Trail-Running Shoes - Women's:

I just ran a mountain trail half marathon with the Syridons, and they've exceeded my expecations far from any trail shoe (so far!).

Fit: Try it on. Seriously, no review can predict how you'll like the fit unless you give it some time before deciding whether or not this works for you (horray for REI's exchange policy!). And by time I also mean that at this point you've built up those foot muscles to handle minimalist shoes (or understand that you need to SLOWLY do so), and also realize that everyone's feet are shaped differently. I'm between sizes, and ended up going with the smaller size which still had ample room for (original weight) Injinji toe socks. I will get blisters with different VFF models if I don't wear the socks, so it's a personal preference for my feet. There's just too much sweat going on in there to not have a sock as a liner for me. No blisters so far, and the most comfortable for trail running, hands down! I've also built up calluses over a few weeks on some formerly problem spots that has the potential to get blisters, so I wouldn't necesarily rule these shoes out just because you got a blister after a short run.

Feel: You still get a lot of feedback from the ground, but those sharp rocks stabbing your toes don't hurt as much compared to, say, running with the KSOs or Komodos. I've compared running the same course with the Spyridons and cushioned trail shoes, and the latter suddenly felt so sluggish so that I cut the distance short because the joint pain came back (despite making a conscious effort to avoid landing on my heels!). I converted to minimalist shoes after an ankle injury. This is the first time I've ran ANY race without feeling like my joints were killing me afterwards, even after all the climbing and descending. With the Spyridons, you feel super light and stable.

Traction: Nice and grippy! The course was mostly dry gravel, and while the thread isn't as aggressive as something like a Salomon trail shoe, you do have to sacrifice that to get the weight and sole thickness of the VFFs. However, they certainly were grippy enough, even for long steep stretches when powering downhill, assuming you're keeping that forefoot strike form with smaller steps.

Construction: Impressively sturdy! These shoes can take a beating where I'd feel like the mesh on the KSOs would be rippeded by now. I do love the lacing system, though I was initially skeptical of them at first. They've never losened on me. The material of the shoe is great for keeping dirt and pebbles out. So far the first things wearing out are the texture on the rubber sole (expected), and the grey stripe design on top of each toe having little cracks after less than 10 hours total on the trail just because they're over the constantly bending parts of the shoe. I do love the bits of reflective touches. Lastly, the honeycomb design on the sides are actually a parts of the shoe that's more porous (yet still block debris), so I imagine it's deliberately for the purpose of allowing for water drainage. There weren't any river crossings in this half for me to test that part, but I wouldn't hesistate to test that theory!

Design: Awesome. I get stopped by mountain bikers because the soles of my feet look like the thread on their tires. Yes, you'll always get the weird looks but you might convert a runner or two after you pass them :)

Comments about Vibram FiveFingers Spyridon LS Trail-Running Shoes - Women's:

I bought these shoes as I run a lot in rocky areas. My hope was that the impact dispersal would help with sharp rocks. Took them out for a short 3 mile run (sockless). I really liked them and the impact dispersal seemed to work really well. I could feel rocks when I stepped on them, but they didn't hurt. When I got back to the house, I noticed the shoes rubbed in the heel area. There is a "lip" between the heel cup and the collar. No blisters, but I think there would have been if I would have gone further. Went out a couple of days later for almost 8 miles, but put kinesio tape on my heel/achilles area first. The run went great and again, I was very happy with the sole and the impact dispersal. These shoes are very comfortable and I'm very happy with them. Don't know if the rubbing will quit after they're broke in or not, but it isn't a deal breaker since the tape worked.

Sizing: almost all of my VFFs are W40 and that's what I got the Spyridon LSs in. My W40 fit perfectly.

Comments about Vibram FiveFingers Spyridon LS Trail-Running Shoes - Women's:

I'm an evolving trail fitness adict. I am 52 and trying to establish a way to get regular exercise to get fit and stay healthy. Time is not my friend (working long hours) and I loathe the gym. So I've been walking on paved paths and recently started walking through a large preserve near my home that is all woods trails and has fairly steep inclines and down hills along with lots of roots/rocks and other typical trail hazards. I also have a very high arch and roll out on my feet. This is my 4th pair of vibrams which cured my heel pain and minimizes my knee issues (old injury from running). This shoe does what it says. It distributes impact of rocks and roots as well as giving greater traction control although you can still slip on downhills with lots of pine needles! My only issue is getting into them as they don't open up as wide as the other lace up versions. It is definitely more closed in the instep area. Once on it was very comfortable. I did 5 miles today and had no challenges. Thanks Vibram!

Comments about Vibram FiveFingers Spyridon LS Trail-Running Shoes - Women's:

I am a huge fan of vibrams and have gone through several pairs of vibram running shoes. These shoes were purchased as a gift because I am currently in the market for trail running shoes. I took the shoes out for a quick three mile run and came back with several cuts on my feet! The design of the shoe is great, but the material needs to be changed before I think about going on another run with them! I can tell you that using body glide will probably not be enough to prevent from getting your feet cut up. The material is just very rough.

Comments about Vibram FiveFingers Spyridon LS Trail-Running Shoes - Women's:

I LOVE the Vibram FiveFinger shoes, but REI's size chart is wrong. I informed REI customer service that their size chart does not match VFF's size chart http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/size_fit/You can see that for the Spyridon women's 9 7/8" it should be 40, but REI has it listed as size 41. As such I had to return my shoes, but REI were great about it and paid for return shipping. They just need to correct their website.

Comments about Vibram FiveFingers Spyridon LS Trail-Running Shoes - Women's:

I used these for my first obstacle race today. I did the Hero Rush (a new obstacle race) they performed wonderfully! The added traction and rock guard were just what I needed. I was running through rocks, mud, dirt, crawling through tunnels, diving in water and "yuk", and I couldn't think of a better pair of shoes.

NOTE - VFF have very specific sizing, go into a store and try them on, trust me.

Comments about Vibram FiveFingers Spyridon LS Trail-Running Shoes - Women's:

I'm a big fan of the Vibram FF Treksport. I trail / mountain run & hike at least 4 times a week 4 to 8 miles over rooty rocky wet trails with some fairly steep ups and downs The Treksports are excellent, grippy, fast, fit like a second skin, no rubbing or pinching. I thought I'd try the Spyridons as an option to run in the snow and to move with even more confidence on particularly steep and rocky descents. Right out of the box I could tell these are likely a mistake - there is a high heel cup that rubs the ankles just walking around the house and I can feel the rough seams in the left foot little toe box will rub as soon as I get some mileage in these things. The toe box is so long I anticipate being tripped up by it at high speeds. I'll try one size down, but I don't think that will solve the heel cup or rough material issues. Overall these shoes feel uncomfortable and scratchy on. Definitely not the 'next to barefoot' experience, more like a cheaply made pair of tai chi shoes picked up at the flea market that happen to have toes. If you've never used VFFs before and are considering them, I wouldn't recommend these as your first pair.

Comments about Vibram FiveFingers Spyridon LS Trail-Running Shoes - Women's:

I bought these shoes after a long year of anticipation of wanting to try out a pair of VFF. I was excited when they released a funky design, as I usually lean toward crazier-styled running shoes. The overall look of these are really great.

So I threw them on and wore them to work(as a designer, it's acceptable to wear crazy things to work) to break them in before I took them for a run. The material is rough, so I had blisters on my heels by mid-day. Such a bummer. I didn't even get to take these out for a run before I decided to switch to the KomodoSport. My feet were just in so much pain, and I forced myself to wear them for several days (intermittently), but no dice.

I just received my KomodoSports in the mail and did an immediate comparison between the shoes. With the Komodo's on, I feel like I finally understand what everyone is talking about. They fit like a glove- so comfortable. Nothing is even rubbing at all. I could tell when I first put on the Spyridon's that the heel would be an issue, but the KomodoSport's pose no threat so far.

I would say, try on a few other styles of VFF before buying these. That was my mistake, and I would have absolutely went with the Komodo's if I had tried them both on.

The bottom line- I would recommend Vibram FiveFinger's to a friend, just not this style.