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Posted

How many of you are using the wonderful Vibram Five fingers? I have worn nothing else since finding my first pairs of Sprints in MEC, in Vancouver: on seeing them in the window six years ago, my body told me unequivocally that my feet needed these!

But the amazingly detailed and subtle construction can lead to a number of weak points, we have found. A common problem is that the outer rubber covering can part from the fabric—and while usually this means nothing in functional terms, everyone would agree that they look better if the rubber stays where it should be.

Have a look at this little gallery:

http://kitlaughlin.com/bodypress/Repairing%20Vibram%20Five%20Fingers/

The first images shows the problem: the rubber has opened away from the fabric.

The second image shows the tools you will need: a curved surface against which to press another curved object, so that when you apply the glue, and clamp it all, the rubber forms perfectly on the fabric, and the internal curved shape is retained AND all parts of the separated rubber will be pressed into the fabric.

This glue is flexible, by the way, and seems a very good match to the fabric and the rubber.

The last image shows the clamping setup. This glue needs hours of pressure to make the repair, but it's worth it: a perfect job. I hope this is helpful.

cheers to all, Kit

  • 1 month later...
Posted

I've had the Komodo Sport style for nearly two years now - they are fantastic!

I haven't had the problem of the rubber peeling away from the toes but the fabric between the toes is pretty much worn out. Every other part has worn surprisingly well but having holes between my toes = cold, wet feet at the beach!

Posted

Ha ha!

I think they will all wear out in this time frame—might be time to order a new pair. From memory, you only have the one pair, don't you? I rotate about seven, and I still have the first two pairs I bought from MEC in Vancouver, and as far as I can estimate, one of them has over 1,000Km on them. The tips of the little toes are the first part of the sole to wear out—it just shows how differently the body uses the feet if all toes articulate separately, doesn't it.

  • 4 months later...
Posted

My Bikila LS's recently got a hole in the big toe, unfortunately I think it is irreparable. I wont lie, I'm a tad disapointed, but it's probably from walking over all sorts of strange obtrusions whilst in Thailand earlier this year. To be honest they have made me quite humble to my lack of flexibility in the ankle/calf.

Anyway my gut feeling is I havn't truly allowed my body to submit to going barefoot, I also feel that maybe the Bikila LS are a bit too thick and are making it harder for me to build the connection with the ground?

Should I buy a pair of classics, as I understand they have the thinnest soles? or stick to the bikila LS with their slightly more pleasing aesthetic properties.

Posted

My $0.02 is that 'building connection to the ground' is partially facilitated via the thickness/thiness of the sole (thinner being easier to feel surfaces) and partially via the awareness of the person wearing the shoes. I've seen people walking around un-connected and over-pronating heavily in classics (even full barefoot); hell, I've done it myself - many hundreds of times!

If you have a long standing habit of pronation (or supination for that matter), it seems to take correct proprioceptive information; myofascial/tissue re-modelling and brain re-mapping; and, paying constant attention to the act of walking/standing/sitting to get more permanent change. It's partially corrected via barefoot/vibram walking, but partially corrected via changing the habit of not being aware of the feet and lower limb in daily live, too.

Obviously there is a relationship to increased proprioception of the feet and being more aware of the feet and body, but over time these new, novel sensations are habitualized; often with the old habit (hyper-pronation/supernation) still hanging on. At least that's what I've observed watching people walking around in vibrams.

I personally love having an assortment of vibrams (I love classics, but have komodo treks(??) for more bush-bashing type walking) and shoes generally. At the moment I am wearing both boots and vibrams often, and working with not pronating within the boot as I walk around. Switching often helps me from habitualizing one particular proprioceptive pattern - and I also get used to using all the foot and lower leg muscles at different angles and in different combinations.

  • 3 years later...
Posted

Hi Kit - long time no speak!

This topic ranks very well from a Google search.

Do you happen to still have the images from OP anywhere? I just laundered my beloved black KSOs with a mineral turp'ed rag that did an absolute number on all traces of glue.

Posted

I am in Singapore presently, so no access to the image drives. The setup was the oval wooden handle of a Japanese kitchen knife, a section of 1.5" plastic pipe cut longitudinally, a G-cramp across the top of this pair, with the injured FFs in between (so the handle was pressing on the fabric/rubber of the FFs, against the inside of the cut pipe), with the flexible glue already in place. The handle and the pipe are very close to the shape of the joint of my big toe, so worked beautifully.

I left mine overnight, and they are still working fine.

I will find the images when I return (first week in October).

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