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So a few months ago I wrote an update about how I wanted to run more. Or at least I think I did. Anyways, I’ve been running more. Around the same time I remembered how I had read on Tim Ferriss’ blog about Vibram five fingers and thought what better time to try a new style of running shoe then when I was going to start running. So a few weekends ago, Stacy and I went over to Zombie Runner to try some on. Before I get into the review of these new model of five fingers, let me just say it’s definitely a good idea to get yourself sized before you purchase a pair of Vibrams. The fit is very important, and one foot is likely bigger than the other, so it’s important to make sure you get the proper size to ensure the best experience.

So at the store I tried on a whole bunch of different models of five fingers. I started with the classics, then moved on to Bikilas and KSOs. The staff was very helpful, and I was close to narrowing down my decision when the guy next to me almost exploded with excitement that a new model was available. He had talked to me about the different pairs he had, and the faults some of them had, and then showed me the Trek Sport model. He pointed out the toe reinforcement (more on that later) and the treads on the bottom. They looked like the perfect model for me, who planned to do mostly running, as opposed to walking, and some off-road/trail as well as road running.

Overview
The Trek Sports are not bulky, but are somewhat more rigid than a classic five finger. They are definitely much more sturdy than a classic model as well, but like I said, they accomplish this without adding “bulk.” Here is a picture of them from the top down:

One of the really nice design decisions that Vibram made on these was to make the top material mesh aka breathable. This is an improvement over the Bikila model which has a solid material across the top of the foot. Another design improvement over the Bikila is the strap, which is a wrap around model that not only goes across the top of the foot but also behind the heel forming a really snug fit between the foot and the shoe.

The Toes

When I was talking to the guy next to me in Zombie Runner one of the flaws he was quick to point out to me with Vibrams was the wear in the area on top of the toe. The classics he was currently wearing showed a hole forming on his big toe, and he told me they were 6 months old with some moderate running. Given that he had multiple pairs of Vibrams, I took that as a warning. He did show me that they realized this problem and improved on it with the Bikila design adding reinforcement to this area. But the Classic and the Trek didn’t have this improvement. I just so happened to be in luck that the newly released Trek Sport model was in stock, had just been released that week and wouldn’t you know it, had the toe reinforcements.

The Sole

Here is what really was impressed with. I ran around the store in most of the models that Zombie Runner had, and I was concerned that going from standard running shoes, so something with such a light sole would really be too drastic of a change for me. Luckily, the Trek Sport has a (somewhat) sturdy sole. It’s definitely not a running shoe like experience, but it also provides some grip and protection when running on trails. While it is sturdy by comparison to other Vibrams, it still allows for much more toe flexibility than a typical running shoe, and completely enables the barefoot running style that I was hoping to learn.

Conclusion
I feel really lucky that I happened to walk into Zombie Runner on the exact day that I did. Considering all of the different models of five fingers that exist now, and how long I’ve been thinking about getting them, it took a fair amount of luck to wait until all of the design improvements and feature sets that I was looking for was available in one model. I’ve probably logged 20-25 miles already in my new Trek Sports and I’m totally satisfied with them. If you are looking for a durable (toe reinforcements!), sturdy (thicker sole than other models), grippy (is that a word?) model of Vibram five fingers, than the Trek Sport definitely wins out over the previous Trek, the Bikila and the Classic.

If you have any questions about the Trek Sport or running with five fingers, feel free to drop me an email or send me an @ message on twitter.

So I have been thinking about starting running recently. This summer the Wellness team at Apple is sponsoring a “Cardio challenge” at work, where people that walk or run a certain distance within certain dates will win T-shirts. Now a T-shirt isn’t that much motivation, but why not use it as a reason to go out and get that new pair of running shoes that I was looking at, and start running anyway.

So now I have:

• New Nike Everydays with a Nike + iPod sensor
• My iPod nano from last year
• Stuart — My dog who loves to run
• The Apple Fitness center cardio machines all support Nike+ so my workouts will count
• An account on nikeplus.com to track all of my progess, I can even map my runs on google maps.

And yesterday was my first run. If you notice in the right hand nav bar, there is a little cartoon version of me that has my running statistics. As of today it shows 1 run, and a little over a mile. Let’s see what it shows by the time you read this.