Vibram FiveFingers: How many people have used these?

[Tox]

I'm starting my Camino on July 14th and am going to buy VSO Treks tomorrow. How many people have used these? I've only read of 2-3 people so far. Would you recommend them to others? What problems/difficulties did you encounter?

I will have a pair of Tevo Sandals with as a backup, and I'm not too worried about getting the Treks so close to departure because the shoes I already wear are as close to FiveFingers as possible: Clark Momo Spirits: Shoes from Clarks Shoes ... s-00118712 I love these, but am positive they're not for long-distance walking.

ANYHOW, original question: how many people have walked using FiveFingers?

[geraldkelly]

There's already a thread on what I think is this subject: five finger shoes?

The general consensus seems to be "don't". You need something with a good sole on the Camino because you'll be walking on rocky tracks a lot of the way, or hot asphalt.

BTW, I often walk in sandals, but they're proper hiking sandals from Ecco.

[Tox]

Gerald. Thanks for the link. I also just watched "The Way" last night and it became quite clear (to me) that I should stick to normal shoes (Salomons and hiking sandals). I especially appreciated one line from the movie that went something to the effect of "the Camino is hard enough, why add even more suffering." That basically did it for me.

I also feel that, wearing FiveFingers, they might become a distraction of fully experiencing the Camino psychologically.

[Covey]

TOX..........If you were just going for a weekend hike, then you can afford to experiment a little with kit to see what works best for you.

BUT.......The Camino is not the place to experiment with kit, and you need to have done that before you set out. Most Pilgrims will be walking for up to 40 days, often without any rest days, and you need to know that your kit is up to the task. There are very few places along the Ways where you can buy replacements if needed, and usually the replacements are very expensive and there is limited choice as to brands and sizes!

[Tox]

Covey. Thanks. I already ditched the idea of the FiveFingers (man was I obsessed for a couple days)! Then I went out and bought some Teva sandals instead, to alternate with my Salomons.

[Covey]

I used Salomon boots and carried Teva sandals for the evenings for four years running but I always thought the Teva's were a bit heavy. They were comfortable to walk in but last year I took a pair of Crocs (black!) instead on the Teva's. Saved nearly a kilo in weight! The Crocs were excellent for the evenings etc, but were not suitable for walking the trail in as I could do with the Teva's