Product Reviews

Five-Finger Vibram (MODEL: KSO) Review (Pronounced Vee-bram)

KSO= Keep Stuff Out

Price: $80-$100

Weight: Nothing

Sizing system: European (See Men's / Women's Conversions)

Support: Non-existent, to give the full barefoot experience

Personal Ratings

Pros: 

• Strengthened and lengthened my calf muscles, ankles, and even bottom of foot strength.  
• Each toe has it's own pocket for individual strengthening
• Corrects walking/running form
• Improves Proprioception
• Easily washable, I just toss them into the shower floor when I shower, after use, and AIR DRY OUTSIDE
• Different color styles.  Here is a link to MauiRunner's reviews
• Better than most products out there on mossy rocks, razor siped rubber on bottom plus the ability to feel when you're slipping quicker is a big plus!

Cons: 

• If used on pavement, tend to wear out quicker than shoes because of the 2mm rubber bottom.
• If used on pavement, the smallest rocks are your enemy.
• They stink, BAD.  Until they make socks that fit the shape of the toes it will be this way.  NOTE-and if they did that then that would entirely change the sizing thereby forcing you to always have the socks or you could never use them as they are required to be "snug."  
• Takes a year or more to gradually allow for your body to adjust, more gung-ho the person, more likely to injure oneself due to stress fractures
• You'll be choosing your steps more carefully if there are thorns or broken glass around.
• Honestly should ONLY be used on a known soft trail, but no grips if muddy!

Closing Statement: I've recently just back into running after taking 10 years off.  For 3 years I've been injured with achilles tendonitis, torn calf muscles, torn groin muscles and the list can keep going.  Then I switched to Vibrams and I believe the smaller muscles needed to be strengthened to "balance" the bigger ones out.  And I believe Vibrams were the ones that did it.  

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Five-Finger Vibram (Model: KOMODO SPORT) Review (Pronounced Vee-bram)

Price: $100-$120

Weight: Nothing

Sizing system: European (See Men's / Women's Conversions)

Support: None for the heel, a little more for the arch but you still get the full barefoot experience

Personal Ratings

Pros: 

• Strengthened and lengthened my calf muscles, ankles, and even bottom of foot strength.  
• Each toe has it's own pocket for individual strengthening
• Corrects walking/running form
• Improves Proprioception
• Easily washable, I just toss them into the shower floor when I shower, after use, and AIR DRY OUTSIDE or the washer with some clothes
• Different color styles.  Here is a link to MauiRunner's reviews
• MUCH MORE cushioning and padding for under and around the shoe than the KSO.  Has been used through Haleakala Crater (Maui's dormant and world's largest Volcano) and you barely even feel it over lava rocks.  But only for regular users of Vibrams!
• Has an extra side velcro strap for your ankle to make it even tighter.  
• More rubber gripping for trails
  
  

Cons: 

• If used on pavement, tend to wear out quicker than shoes because of the 2mm rubber bottom.
• Takes a year or more to gradually allow for your body to adjust, more gung-ho the person, more likely to injure oneself due to stress fractures

Closing Statement: I've recently just back into running after taking 10 years off.  For 3 years I've been injured with achilles tendonitis, torn calf muscles, torn groin muscles and the list can keep going.  Then I switched to Vibrams and I believe the smaller muscles needed to be strengthened to "balance" the bigger ones out.  And I believe Vibrams were the ones that did it.  

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Adidas Kanadia TR2-TR3

Ridiculous Traction, Adidas did a good job

Price: $40-$70

Weight: 11.8 oz

Sizing system: American

Support: adiPRENE™ for impact and TRAXION™ for grip

Personal Ratings

Pros: 

• I've never slipped on a trail once
• Cool Looks
• Breathes nice
• Walk through a river to wash them if you're lazy
• If you stay off the road they'll last a LONG time
• Low price for such a quality shoe
• Nice ride and lightweight 

Cons: 

• Never to be used on pavement or they will be short lived

Closing Statement: When I'm in these shoes I'm flying through the mountain.  When I'm launching over Lava Rocks I have no fear because I know these shoes have me protected.  The breathable material allows it to dry fast because without it, that's just extra water weight to be carried around each footfall.  There is another version called the Adizero XT for racing.  Have not tried it out yet in an XTERRA event yet, but I don't see how it could get ANY lighter for a trail shoe.  It's Great!

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Maui Revealed Guide Book- A warning

This book is bad news.  If you ever hear about the "haole" mentality that locals hate on this island, then this book is literary proof of it.  The book has been around since 1999 and I have NEVER seen this many people trespassing on private properties, getting killed in flash floods, getting airlifts out of places because they broke both knee caps jumping off of places the book said was safe.  On TripAdvisor, here is just one example and more horror stories if you want to search for yourself.  

People jump fences to go where the book tells them and when confronted they wave that infuriating blue book around saying like it's an authority to do what they want. They mouth off,  "WE CAN GO WHEREVER WE WANT BECAUSE THIS BOOK SAYS SO."  The ironic part they go off in couples and usually only one comes back and cries to use a phone because their other half fell off a cliff RIGHT after lipping to someone.  

If you want to be cool, don't pour gasoline on your adventures.  Honestly I put this site up as the antithesis to a lot of the ideas the authors meant for that book.  I don't think karma smiles upon making your fortune on other people's misery.  Just my simple thought I guess.