Death Chat!!

Gomle, good luck!

J, good luck with that also :D Guns, Lights, Knives, now Ham...




Btw, I'll be picking up my own fivefingers this week :) Going to try them on today.
 
I've been sporting my KSO Trek's the last couple of days and dig them a lot. Not exactly cool looking in a fashion sense but is certainly comfy. Which model did you end up getting? I might up a pair of komodo sport LS as well.
 
Well, I tried the Treksport's on today, but I wasn't crazy about them. I ended up trying a pair of minimal shoes (Merrell Trail Glove, fits those with wider feet better than the New Balance Minimus - especially with all that room in the toe-box/forefoot for splay, and 0mm heel drop vs the 4mm drop of the Minimus) and loved them. I haven't picked up either yet, waiting on paypal payment. But I'm pretty sure I'll end up with the minimal shoe.

Things I didn't like about the FiveFingers (TrekSport model): 1) Annoying as hell to put on. Supposedly they get easier as you get used to em, but probably still not as easy as a shoe (think mitten vs. glove with fingers, without as much independent digit control). 2) My toes actually feel like they have less freedom of movement with the fabric surrounding each toe. 3) Talked to a guy there who's big into crossfit and trail running and all kinds of stuff; he said for cross-fit and non-trail type stuff, either works. But for trail running/hiking, rocks often get wedged between the toes of the fivefingers and force people to stop to remove them. Doesn't happen with the minimal shoes. Minimal shoes like the Trail Glove or Minimus also offer a little more protection against feeling rocks and stuff on the trail, with the rockplate.

Honestly, if I had tons of cash lying about, I'd just get one of each and wear em over a significant chunk of time to really determine which I prefer. But since funds are limited, gotta pick one.
 
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gomle said:
Going moosehunting. Looking forward to try out the Ban ti custom gut opener and the bushcraft contest knife (choil-less B4 in 3v) :D
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Have fun and remember to take some pics!


gimmejr said:
Just got my Ham Technicians license yesterday, now another hobby to spend money on. :(
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Haha, I had to google this one, amateur radio operator, huh? Pretty neat, what are your plans with this?


HikingMano said:
Things I didn't like about the FiveFingers (TrekSport model): 1) Annoying as hell to put on. Supposedly they get easier as you get used to em, but probably still not as easy as a shoe (think mitten vs. glove with fingers, without as much independent digit control). 2) My toes actually feel like they have less freedom of movement with the fabric surrounding each toe. 3) Talked to a guy there who's big into crossfit and trail running and all kinds of stuff; he said for cross-fit and non-trail type stuff, either works. But for trail running/hiking, rocks often get wedged between the toes of the fivefingers and force people to stop to remove them. Doesn't happen with the minimal shoes. Minimal shoes like the Trail Glove or Minimus also offer a little more protection against feeling rocks and stuff on the trail, with the rockplate.
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I was at the dentist yesterday and there was a running magazine, and there was this long article about minimal shoes. Seems like good stuff, I'll have to go try on some shoes later.
 
The Merrel Trail Glove looks really nice. I compared them side by side to the Minimus and I liked Trail Glove more as well. Yeah the Five Fingers takes a little getting use to, to put on properly. I can put them on about as fast as my zippered boots. It also really depends on how naturally splayed out your toes are as well. My girl had a really hard time putting them on as well because her toes are naturally more closer together from years of wearing heels. I have noticed that I am more aware and have more control of my individual toes as I wear the Five Fingers more. I also noticed that my balance is slightly changing during yoga as well. We'll see how I feel in the long run.
 
Yeah, my toes aren't very splayed out. Or, at least, my pinky toes in particular seemed to be the most troublesome. I could get the fivefingers on after a bit of fiddling, and I'm sure once I've put them on a bunch of times I'd get the knack of doing it quickly. I can actually control the toes on my left foot and splay them out consciously better than my right. My right foot pinky toe doesn't respond nearly as well. Having so much material between each individual toe still felt a little weird to me, and definitely something to which I'd need to get accustomed. Might better though, for promoting individual toe awareness and control (as you've been noticing, Ban).

I'm still on the fence right now, and I'm going to try on both again before purchase. I like the concept of individual toe movement for grip and balance...the fivefinger idea just sounds better in theory. But for trail use with rocks, and it seems like the minimal trail runners offer better protection without losing much, if any, function when compared to the fivefingers.
 
I had a little trouble getting into the KSO but the Kangaroo leather KSO Trek seemed to be a bit easier for me to get into. You may want to try the LS (Lace System) versions as well. I hear that they are easier to get into because the foot opening can be opened up a good amount unlike the regular stretch opening.
 
Good point. I'll look into that. :thumbup:

ETA: I hear the Kangaroo Leather Treks are much more durable than the Treksports as well...hmmm.
 
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Yes, I have read that as well. I can see it being more durable than the thinner mesh uppers. The KSO Trek seems to be the favorite amongst trail runners for durability and traction. The Komodo series seems to be the best all around compromise for folks that like to run on pavement and on the trail.
 
Yeah, I've read mixed things. Really depends on what people are doing, terrain, and wet/dry conditions. Like Trek or Treksport for trails, Komodo for cross-training where you have more lateral movement, Bikila for pavement runners, etc. I've found some good info on VFFs and Minimal Shoes on Birthdayshoes and BarefootRunningUniversity. I'll try the Treks next time, see if it feels better/fits easier than the Treksport. The Merrell Trail Glove is looking more and more like a good first choice though. I'll let you guys know which one I get and how it works out :thumbup: By the way, heads up, REI is giving out a 20% coupon starting October 7th.

ETA: One more thing, I'm leaning towards lacing as well (VFFs LS or Merrell Trail Gloves). Better control on tightness when going through different terrain.
 
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YES! I did that with a sleeping bag. They might hassle you about the 20% coupon (apparently, the 30-day retroactive price adjustment technically doesn't count with that), but they'll give it to you anyway. Great customer service :thumbup:
 
So do I just call them or do I have to bring in my receipt with the coupon.
 
I'd bring it in just to be safe, but you don't really need anything. Because you're a member, they have your purchases on record. When I purchased the sleeping bag for my GF, a sales associate told me I could bring it back for a price adjustment since I was about 2 weeks early for whatever event it was for which they were giving a coupon. But when I brought it back, the clerk told me price adjustments only apply to sales (if the item you bought goes on sale within 30 days after purchase, you can have it adjusted to the sale price), and not the 20% coupons. But they were nice enough to give it to me anyway, probably because they knew I had been misinformed.
 
Got a nice buck last weekend. Anyone up for a BBQ?

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