vibram kso or merrell trail glove - decision help please!

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vibram kso or merrell trail glove - decision help please!

21 posts & 10 voices | Started 5 months ago by float | Latest reply from thegreatape

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float - Member

i dont suppose anyone has used both? this is going to be my first foray into 'barefoot' running, and im mostly going to use them on the pavement so i get the feeling i should get the kso, but at the same time ive read that the fastening system on them isnt that good. Ive also read other things that say the merrell is the best barefoot shoe around at the moment...

tried them both on today and it seemed the vibrams let your toes spread a little more than the trail gloves did.

theyre both priced around £60 at the moment so all im waiting for is for someone to say one is better than the other and then ill be hitting the buy button. thanks

Posted 5 months ago #
podman - Member

Where are you seeing KSO's for £60? Are they genuine?

I've only tried fivefingers so I'm not much help, but I'm very happy with them

Posted 5 months ago #
emsz - Member

Are you going straight from normal trainers to barefoot, float?

Posted 5 months ago #
float - Member

from these guys. I presume they wouldnt sell fakes from their shops would they...?

Posted 5 months ago #
float - Member

ah, emsz, yes i am. i had a go at running actual barefoot on the road, but after about 30 metres the soles of my feet were too painful to walk on. i figured these kind of shoes would let me go a bit further.

Posted 5 months ago #
MSP - Member

I tried some 5 fingers last year, hated them.

I have just ordered some merrell tough gloves and nike free run 3.0, I have some problems with tight achilles and I am hoping the barefoot thing helps.

I will wear the tough gloves just for walking around but I have heard they can still be a bit restrictive in allowing the foot to spread out, the nike free's are meant to allow the foot to spread properly while still giving some cushioning.

Could all be marketing BS mind you, but I am convinced enough to try it myself.

edit: if you wait a few days I will give you my first opinions of them.

Posted 5 months ago #
float - Member

what was wrong with the five fingers?

on the point about the foot spreading, that was a reason i liked the vibrams, it felt as if my toes werent being restricted from spreading whereas the merrells seemed to keep them a little more confined.

Posted 5 months ago #
Keva - Member

don't run too far at first! your feet and calves may well take a bit of a beating.

Kev

Posted 5 months ago #
emsz - Member

Float, I'm doing a sort of halfway house with innov8 195 I was too sacred to just go for barefoot. still Keva is right though, my calves are still getting used to them.

Good luck

Posted 5 months ago #
MSP - Member

what was wrong with the five fingers?

They are very flat across the toes, unlike my feet.
They were a pain to put on, not just a bit of a pain, but lots of faffing around getting my toes into the individual slots.
They didn't hold the heel properly.

The new model, bikala i think looks a bit better than the older models, but I am going to try other options first.

Posted 5 months ago #
float - Member

They were a pain to put on, not just a bit of a pain, but lots of faffing around getting my toes into the individual slots.

yup i was there for about five minutes trying to fit my toes into the sockets

i think im going to go for the KSOs. although i tried on the lace up five fingers in the shop, i think the fit with the KSOs will be the same, and i liked it. plus its got the little strap that goes round the heal so hopefully it will stay in place.

ill update when i get them, cheers guys

Posted 5 months ago #
MSP - Member

Just thought I would give a quick update on the merrell tough gloves and nike free run+ 2

I love the nikes, immediately running felt better, especially at the end of a run my joints and ligaments didn't feel to have taken the battering they normally would, my posture while running feels better, and my hamstrings and glutes seem to be working more, cant work out if its the minimal heel or the flexibility of the sole that makes most difference, or if it is indeed a combination of the two.
I have always been guided to supportive shoes, so I was quite nervous about trying these, I had kind of expected them not to work for me and that they would just be used as casual shoes.

The merrells are also really good, so far I have just been wearing them around the office. They are a really nice fit, the soft leather can be snugged up nicely with the laces, but the toe box is wide to allow toes to spread out naturally. They feel a little weird at first, but again seemed to improve my posture when walking around. They also feel amazingly grippy, I thing that might just be perception due to the lack of any cushioning isolating the feeling.
I don't think I would use them for running though, I still like the idea of a little padding for that.

So all in all both come highly recommended, far more so than the five fingers which I really never got on with.

Posted 4 months ago #
IanMunro - Member

Got VFF treks and speeds + Merrel trail gloves.
Can't stand the trail gloves, don't fit my feet well, and useless off-road, but love the VFFs
So I think if there's one thing we can conclude from this thread is that people's feet come in different shapes

Posted 4 months ago #
Clink - Member

I've got some barely (!) used trailgloves if anyone is interested? Think 9 or 9.5. Started to use but didn't help my plantar fasciitis!!

Posted 4 months ago #
cynic-al - Member

float - Member
i think im going to go for the KSOs. although i tried on the lace up five fingers in the shop, i think the fit with the KSOs will be the same, and i liked it. plus its got the little strap that goes round the heal so hopefully it will stay in place

Trying on in shop then buying cheap online?

Posted 4 months ago #
float - Member

ah yes id forgotten about this thread. it was close between the merrells and the vibrams, but i bought the vibrams in the end.

I originally bought the mens size 7, but i immediately knew they were too big as soon as i put them on, so I went off and ordered the womens size 6.5 (yes, i have small feet...). they were a much better fit. left foot is right on the money size wise, right foot has a bit more room but its not noticeable when youre moving around.

first thing i noticed about these minimalist shoes is how light they are! they make normal trainers feel heavy. putting the KSOs on is a bit of a faf, but a bit of talc means you can get the toes into the pockets easier. i would agree on the seemingly improved posture, i especially noticed when i took them out properly. i was running much more upright which was something i was aware that needed to be corrected with my technique, but running upright in these just felt natural.

I sit here writing this with my calves in agony, seems i ran too far for the first time but the shoes felt great all the way round and i just got carried away with having so much fun.

unlike you, im loving the vibrams and would definitely recommend them, so i guess the best advice would be to try both on if youre looking to get a pair.

heres a pic of my feet, enjoy

Posted 4 months ago #
float - Member

Trying on in shop then buying cheap online?

i bought off the shop i tried them on in, but online (field and trek).

in the shop they didnt have the KSOs in the size i wanted, so i tried on one of the other pairs to see if it was the right size. trouble was it was the speed model, so when the KSOs turned up in the same size that fitted me in the shop, they were too big, so i got them changed.

if that makes any sense...?

i also told the guy in the shop I probably wouldnt be buying them as they were £20 more than the model i wanted, he said it was fine. im guessing he wasnt on commission.

Posted 4 months ago #
ahwiles - Member

I sit here writing this with my calves in agony, seems i ran too far for the first time but the shoes felt great all the way round and i just got carried away with having so much fun.

(i'm guessing that) this is a technique thing, not a fitness/strenght/conditioning thing.

you're running on your toes - so you're halfway there; let your heel touch the ground a moment later.

Posted 4 months ago #
MSP - Member

Its odd that the trail gloves seem to get pretty bad reviews, but the tough gloves seem to be all good. Taking a size 49 I haven't had the chance to compare them I just had to take a punt and order online.

Posted 4 months ago #
emsz - Member

Yey, really pleased you had a good time on your run, that's great!

Loving my innov8 when I run they're really great, when I stop I have to stretch really carefully over wise I can barely walk later!!

nice feet BTW!! LOL

Posted 4 months ago #
thegreatape - Member

Don't overlook these VivoBarefoot

Excellent service from that webshop too.

Posted 4 months ago #

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