Anyone use these in the BWCA???? I usually am wearing my Keen's most of the trip. Just dont like how during portages and walking around little pebbles get in threw the back since its a sandle. Curious to see how these would be in the BWCA. Any thoughts???


Vibram Five Fingers

They seem super weird to me, but I have a friend who thinks they're the greatest thing ever. These have a pretty low-cut ankle too, so you might have the same issue.

quote tonyyarusso: "They seem super weird to me, but I have a friend who thinks they're the greatest thing ever. These have a pretty low-cut ankle too, so you might have the same issue."

Use them in the BWCA???

I wore my Vibram Five Finger KSO's on a 10 day 90 mile trip 2 years ago...Only problem is stepping on sharp pointy rocks....Not a very thick soul! But i love mine, will wear them again this July!

quote Swampblaze10: "I wore my Vibram Five Finger KSO's on a 10 day 90 mile trip 2 years ago...Only problem is stepping on sharp pointy rocks....Not a very thick soul! But i love mine, will wear them again this July!"

Thats when im going is July. For the most part I dont think ill be walking on any sharp pointy rock but a thicker sole does help out a lot. That's one thing the Keen's have. Just trying to decide weather to stay with my Keen's or get these. Decisions decisions..

I think it depends a lot on your tolerance for stepping on things. I don't have the five fingers but last year we did take similarly thin-soled shoes for around camp and swimming. My wife loved them. I found them a bit painful but ok for around camp to save the weight over Keens. On the portage trail, I would have hated them.

bring both. they arent very heavy.

I loved having my kso's for around camp. didn't portage in them though.

I am amazed at the marketing genius behind those things. Almost as useful as a tattoo. For true lightweight, you could have the image of the Five Fingers tattooed on your feet.

I love mine, very comfortable for the most part but personalty I don't like them wet. They get sand or dirt in them and they become very uncomfortable. I would try them out locally before you commit to a week in them. I got my first pair in the REI outlet, that way if I didn't like em I wouldn't be out much.

As my close personal friend Dr Seuss used to say,

I would not wear these in BWCA
I would not wear them in the hay.

I would not wear them in the house
I would not wear them with a mouse

I would not wear them on the street
I would not wear them with folks I meet

I do not like the five fingers
I do not like them Sam I Am

quote jeroldharter: "Almost as useful as a tattoo."

Hahaha - good one!

quote IBFLY: "As my close personal friend Dr Seuss used to say,

I would not wear these in BWCA
I would not wear them in the hay.

I would not wear them in the house
I would not wear them with a mouse

I would not wear them on the street
I would not wear them with folks I meet

I do not like the five fingers
I do no like them Sam I Am"

+1... The thought of stepping on the sharp end of a busted off spruce branch makes me cringe. Maybe wear them if going for a dip to freshen up, but that's about it.

if they work for ya, why not?

quote XvXBrAnDoNXvX: "

quote Swampblaze10: "I wore my Vibram Five Finger KSO's on a 10 day 90 mile trip 2 years ago...Only problem is stepping on sharp pointy rocks....Not a very thick soul! But I love mine, will wear them again this July!"

That's when im going is July. For the most part I don't think ill be walking on any sharp pointy rock but a thicker sole does help out a lot. That's one thing the Keen's have. Just trying to decide weather to stay with my Keen's or get these. Decisions decisions..
"

Not being Rude, Just Blunt...

Don't Bring Them, Complete waist of time.
Have you ever got pebbles/sticks/brush in them? They hurt like a mofo!!

Also when you say, "For the most part I don't think ill be walking on any sharp pointy rock".....
- What BWCA do you go to? Certainly not the one I visit every summer!

I've made my poor choices in the past, and taken inadequate shoes

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004W7CPWS/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Awesome shoes, horrible for the BWCA.
I remember the first time I stepped on a rock funny. It was on the portage from Snowbank to Dissapointment. I was carrying the canoe, and the rock hit my in the arch of my foot. That little #!*#%@ took me down to the ground. Its the kind of unexpected stab that just makes your whole leg give out, because the pain is so sharp.

I could feel it in the arch of my foot for an entire day.

Point being, feel free to buy bad shoes if you want something weird to wear around the campsite.
But... Don't walk in the woods with them, don't swim with them, and don't portage with them.

I hope they work out for you.

The vivobarefoots that halvorsonchristopher1 posted about are the ones we took last year. I thought they were very good for swimming (very light, absorb zero water, float well) but would not want to portage in them due to feeling every little rock through them.

The 5 Finger soles might be stiffer. Still, I would suggest trying them on test portages on realistically rocky portages with roots before I took them. Or take your Keens as backups. That's what we did last year and I don't think I wore them all trip. Thus, I'm willing to ditch them this year and lighten the pack.

So I think Keens are bad for the reasons the OP noted... full disclosure, I have tender feet so any pebble in my footwear stops me cold.

Some tripmates brought similar 'shoes' on a long Quetico trip a few years back - the very thin soles and prepensity for getting said 'shoes' sucked off their feet in deep mud portages - caused them to swear this type of footgear off for any future trips.

Either buy something like a Quetico Trekker or just use old running shoes with smartwool socks.

Just my two cents - people with tougher feet and higher pain thresholds may be able to get by with them - largely depends on where you are portaging. Easy well worn portages like the ones over to Isabella are not as fraught with sharp pointy rocks.

Personally never used the Five Fingers but have a couple friends that love them.

All of them agreed though that you can't just start wearing them for long periods of time right away. They take some getting used to and require you to build up your foot endurance and tolerance since they can change the way you walk to some extent.

Also as you wear them your feet should toughen up to some extent so walking over rocks and such won't hurt as much if at all. The key is to give yourself lots of time to get adjusted to them. Buy them months ahead of your trip and start wearing them for short periods of time and build up the time over the weeks. Start mixing in walks on hard ground, uneven ground, rocky terrain, etc.

If you don't want to deal with the trouble of acclimating to them I don't blame you, thats why I personally haven't bought them. They might be a little ligther then some other shoes but IMO they don't seem to offer many more advantages other than that. I wear a pair of water proof shoes from Merril that are great.

quote IBFLY: "As my close personal friend Dr Seuss used to say,


I would not wear these in BWCA
I would not wear them in the hay.


I would not wear them in the house
I would not wear them with a mouse


I would not wear them on the street
I would not wear them with folks I meet


I do not like the five fingers
I do not like them Sam I Am"

+1 HAHAHA

I require ankle support, and there is no way I would even let those near my foot Yeeesch!

I prefer the Fila Skeletoes which have 4 toes as the last two toes are combined. I have used them in the BWCA for around camp and while fishing... not for portaging. I have two styles, one like a tennis shoe with a thicker sole and the other more like a water shoe. I used the water shoe style in the BWCA, and I use it here in Arkansas to float the rocky streams we have here in warmer weather. They work well.
And I suppose they could be used for portaging if that is what you want to use them for, I just prefer firmer sole and sides for my shoes while portaging.

Bruce

I spend most of the summer in them. Your feet do get use to them and the rocks after a bit. I don't use them for portaging, however, as water + my feet + vff are odiferous. (Dry is just fine) I tend to use some rubber teva style sandals for the portage.

There are a couple different versions. The 'hiker' version has thicker soles than the running version. The water version may have even thinner soles - don't know, since I don't own a pair of those.

Are those designed to be worn without socks? Or do you have to spend a small fortune on those goofy toe socks?

Without. You can get socks that would fit inside... but the intent is usually that you are barefoot inside of them. If they start to get funky, you can wash them.

IF you really want them, now's your Chance .

Makes my feet hurt just thinking about wearing them in canoe country.

quote AndySG: "Are those designed to be worn without socks? Or do you have to spend a small fortune on those goofy toe socks?"

My water KSO's without socks, and my around camp pair with socks. At $10 a pair of socks, your not breaking the bank, compared to what people spend on Paddles and other gear!

Oh, and Smartwool now makes toe socks as well as Injinji.

http://www.smartwool.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=toe+socks

http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/accessories-injinji-noshow.htm

I saw a ton of them the last time I visited the REI scratch and dent section which told me a lot about them...

I saw a couple guys wearing Five Finger type-shoes on the Mudro/Fourtown portages last summer. They didn't seem to be tip-toeing around too much, but it just seemed like an accident waiting to happen. I think they were also portaging 2 packs each, one back and one front. I just shook my head, but I guess maybe it worked for them.

OTB Abyss (or 10" boots when colder) works for me. I want absolutely nothing to do with a foot/ankle injury in the backcountry.

I think the Vibram KSOs (Keep Stuff Out) are great for BWCA.
They drain fast, feel VERY comfortable on the foot, and are totally adequate for walking around camp, general boating purposes, and swimming.
I portage in them occasionally, and without hesitation.
These shoes are actually quite comfortable WHEN WET- which is why I'll always bring them to BWCA. I find them to be very secure, as they 'strap wrap' around the heel to really cinch 'em on. Never had them slip off, or even shift around the foot. They're secure and confidence-inspiring.
My brother prefers Fila Skeletoes. They seem pretty well-made, and I might give them a try if/when these KSOs wear out. Both brands have held up remarkably well.
We've put these 'toe shoes' through some pretty tough conditions and they've been up to it.
Regarding the dissatisfaction that others have had with 'footborne hitchikers'- I'll get a speck of stick or pebble into the shoe from time to time, and it's difficult to ignore for any length of time. Fortunately, the shoes are very easily cleared. It's very easy to slip off and shake out -and if you have sand in there, you're almost always near water, and you can just rinse those puppies.
If pressed, I'd bushwhack in them, but I wouldn't like it, and would measure my steps carefully. I use light hikers for the joys of bushwhacking.
Happy Trails!

I wear the Keen Mckenzie II Hiking Boot. Have a Keen sandal and couldn't stand all the rocks in my shoes for canoeing. The Mckenszies drain good and haven't had chaffing issues when wet. Thick enough sole to protect my foot.
Keen Mckenzie II

Those look nice. I use these and wear wool socks with them. Very few rocks enter.
Anyone try the Astral Rasslers yet?

Regarding the Vibram 5 finger shoes, I have been a regular runner for over 52 years (began sophomore year in track) and the Vibram 5 fingers shoes have really been helpful to me over the past 7 years. I am no longer plagued by planters fasciatis (sp?) and I simply enjoy my running more in general.

Having said that, I would hesitate to wear them on portages. The grip on the bottom isn't as good as on my Merrell Chameleons. I notice that when I run on slippery surfaces in my Vibrams I stand a good chance of landing on my ass. Some of those portage rocks are slicker than owl poop.

They are very good in-camp shoes or water shoes.

Dave

My wife LOVES hers...Me, not so much, but my only complaint about mine is I got the model with a thinner sole, so the sharp rocks bother me. Hers have a thicker sole (I don't know the model), and she hauls over portages with big packs with no problems at all.

Just my/our .02.

arm2008: "I wear the Keen Mckenzie II Hiking Boot. Have a Keen sandal and couldn't stand all the rocks in my shoes for canoeing. The Mckenszies drain good and haven't had chaffing issues when wet. Thick enough sole to protect my foot.
Keen Mckenzie II "

I have these too and love them! I had worn Salomon Techamphibians for years and got these Keens last summer. They're a good paddling shoe for the warm half of the year.

I really like these. I love my chacos but get annoyed when gravel gets under foot. Five fingers are great and allow for good foot feel as well. Feel weird at first but you'll get used to them quick. If you run in them be careful, I got excited, went too far too fast and hurt myself. I love them though.

They are all I wear. Every trip to the BWCA has been in fivefingers. I wear one pair and take another along for a dry pair at camp. Super lightweight and roll up easily in the pack.

If you go to the REI garage sales, they are one of the most returned items. However, if you love them, you won't wear anything else. i'm guessing they fit a certain type of foot very well.

techamphibian 3s are the best for us so far.. no slippage, ever.
not the most stability but enough.. we have a month or more in bwca on ours with no ankles rolls so far knock on wood

I still think they're nothing more than ok camp footwear. Portaging in them makes no sense to me. Carrying canoes and heavy packs over rocks and roots, as well as through muck and mud, often times with rocks hidden under the mucky water... I'll take a decent pair of portaging boots any day over footwear like this that is better suited for sandy beaches.

I think everyone in the group owes it to the others in the group to take the necessary precautions to protect him or herself from injury. Portaging in inadequate footwear might seem like a cool thing to do until an injury occurs.