My KSO Treks

While I was in New York I took the opportunity to get myself a pair of Vibram Fivefingers KSO Trek since they’re about 40 euros cheaper in the states compared to Finland. This particular model isn’t even available in Finland right now as far as I know.

The whole idea with these shoes is that you’re supposed to feel the ground a lot more and you’re feet get a more natural stimulation this way. You don’t have all the air cushioning and molded support that typical modern running shoes provide. Some might think this is bad, and if you end up running on your heels all the time even when using the Fivefingers then you’d be right. But I dare say that your running style will change quite dramatically once you start using these, resulting in a style that is actually less stressful on your knees compared to regular shoes.

The guides say you need to start out running much shorter distances than you normally would the first times you use these shoes, so I took them out for a short spin, about 10-15 minutes only. It was only zero degrees celsius outside and still snow and ice on the ground, so I was a bit worried I’d freeze my feet off even on that short time. But lo and behold, the shoes worked really well. Only the tip of my toes ended up getting a bit cold.

Zero degrees celsius and snow on the ground, the KSO Treks worked surprisingly well

The one thing I noticed immediately while running was that my body automatically wanted me to land on the front of my feet (the pad). I sometimes slipped into regular running shoe mode where I landed on my heel, but that immediately felt so wrong that I had adjusted again the next step without even thinking about it. Running also felt in a way much lighter compared to running with regular shoes.

The next day I felt my run in my calf muscles in a way that made me realize why the recommendation is to start slow. These are muscles which when you run with normal shoes don’t get stressed much at all, but which are at the prime spot when running with the Fivefingers.

Now I’m just hoping that spring will get to us soon so the trails clear up and I can start running more often with these second skins. If you’re a runner, I’d highly recommend trying these out if you get a chance. They truly are something completely different.