Injinji Autumn 2017 Range Coming VERY SOON!

Autumn is fast approaching, and so is the new Injinji Autumn 2017 Range! We have been told that it will land with us this week, and we will make sure they are available to order the second they do!

There are some really exciting additions to the range this season, including a Women’s Trail sock range, as well as…wait for it… a NON Toe sock from Injinji (insert dramatic music here).

There are also some new colourways in existing socks, but let’s talk about the new ranges first. The Injinji Women’s range

The Injinji Women’s range has probably been the biggest success for Injinji this past year. Historically, there was only ever a small selection of women’s socks, but in the last year, this has expanded to be multiple styles in the no-show, mini-crew and crew socks. This year, they are expanding that even further and introducing two whole new sock ranges for Women. The Injinji Trail range is now available in

This year, they are expanding that even further and introducing two whole new sock ranges for Women. The Injinji Trail range is now available in Women’s and will come in two colourways, the Parakeet, which is a mixture of greens, and the Mulberry, which is a mix of purples and greens (sneak peek below). They are both great looking socks, and as they are obviously taken from the core Trail range, they are sure to be great performing socks as well.

Onto the next new addition to the range, which is also available in a Women’s specific model, is the Injinji Hiker range.

The Hiker range comes as a multi-pack of two socks. It includes a pair of Lightweight Liner Coolmax socks, which are toe socks, as well as the Hiker sock, which is the non-toe sock (currently they are only available coupled with the liner, however, we have heard that they may be available individually next year). Now, the fact that they come with a liner toe sock quells our fears a little, but I do think it is a bold move from Injinji to move into the non-toe socks market.

The Hiker range is aimed towards, yep, you guessed it, hikers :). The sock itself is still a very technical sock. Made with NuWool, it mirrors the shape of your toes, providing more room and reducing bunching. The bottom of the Hiker and the top of the toe box feature an additional terry loop for maximum padding to keep your feet comfortable. We’ll be doing a separate blog on these once we have tested a pair out, so keep your eyes peeled.

So to summarise the complete range of new styles, we have new colourways in the; Run lightweight crew, Run lightweight no-show, Run Women’s lightweight no-show, mini-crew and crew, Run original weight no-show, Trail Mini-Crew and Crew, a complete range addition of Women’s Trail in mini-crew and crew, and finally, the Hiker range, in Unisex and Women’s.

These should be available on the site from tomorrow (22nd September 2017), delivery dependant, so make sure you check back!

Vibram FiveFingers 2017 V-Trail Review

A road test felt overdue for the new Vibram FiveFinger 2017 range, so I thought I would take the weekend as an opportunity to take the V-Trails for a spin. I decided to take them up Roseberry Topping, given that it has a good mix of terrain; grass, mud, rock and gravel.

I went for the Orange V-Trails, which I must admit I didn’t think I would be too keen on, and do generally go for the black and black grey options in my Vibrams, however, in person, they do look pretty good. They have a new sole pattern compared to their predecessor (the Spyridon MRs) but still feature the MegaGrip compound, so I can only imagine improved grip compared to these. They use the quick lace system, and have a handy strap on the heel to help get them on.

I wore these with a pair of Injinji Trail socks, but I do think they would be great without socks too, as they are a little more padded than other FiveFingers.

So on with the testing. Even though these have a thicker sole than most Vibrams, the ground feel is fantastic. I usually wear my KSO EVOs, which have a really thin sole, so I am used to a lot of ground feel, and didn’t feel let down by these. The sole also features the Cacoon 3d membrane, which helps protect against uneven terrain, rock, stones etc. The path on the lead up to the base of Roseberry Topping is a gravelled path, so great to put this to the test. I could feel that I was standing on something, especially when there was the odd large or sharp one. However, there was nothing which caused pain. The membrane does a good job at spreading the impact, so doesn’t affect the way in which you walk.

Next up, I had the steps, mixed with mud and grass inclines. Obviously I went for the mud and grass to check out the V-Trail’s grip. It was wet on the ground, and I really did feel solid the whole way, no slippage. The MegaGrip sole still performs extremely well.

There wasn’t too much wet ground to test them on, so I moved on to the more rocky terrain on the run up to the top. I felt great the whole way. I have suffered in the past with a bad ankle, so I am always hesitant to go too crazy, but I felt solid the whole way up and down. The multi-directional lugs on the sole really came into their own, I could go from rocks, to grass to mud, and felt very comfortable doing so in the V-Trails.

Even though I was wearing Injinji socks, my feet were kept cool and dry the whole time. The V-Trail has an Anti-Microbial fabric liner, which helps with this, and they are as fast at drying as most other Vibrams. I did go through the odd puddle, but to be honest, you couldn’t really tell.

Definitely the biggest pro of the V-Trail is the traction. The Vibram MegaGrip sole is unbeatable in terms of grip, it feels like you are literally stuck to the rocks, or whatever you are walking on. Definitely gives more confidence when you are out and about.

All in all, I had a great run out in the V-Trail, and I imagine with us saying goodbye to the Summer for another year, I will be putting in a few more miles with these over the Autumn and Winter months. Plus, I got to take in some nice scenery along the way.

The New Vibram Furoshiki Wrapping Sole – A Feetus Review

As most of our customers will be aware, we began stocking the new Vibram Furoshiki last month. If you have not heard already, then this is the latest product from Vibram, and they’re not FiveFingers!

The idea behind them is that is essentially a sole, that proceeds to wrap around your foot. Furoshiki is a type of Japanese wrapping cloth, traditionally used to wrap clothes, gifts etc. and is the inspiration behind this new shoe.

Vibram market these as a casual shoe, ideal for travel, day to day use, that kind of thing. While some may expect them to be a sport/active shoe, they aren’t, and I’m not sure how these would hold up to such activities. But that’s not a bad thing, as these are a great looking shoe (some might argue a little easier on the eye than FiveFingers), they are a great design, and they are extremely comfortable.

On first opening, they are presented in a handy carry bag, perfect for travelling, as they are compact, and stops your shoes trampling over your clean clothes! The shoes themselves are wrapped up, but it doesn’t feel like it is forced. You would usually feel like your were going to split something if you bent a shoe in half, but it feels like a normal state with the Furoshikis, a very well made shoe.

The design itself is very innovative. The shoe opens up, as you may have seen in the pictures, and you simply slide your foot in, and strap the ‘wings’ around and Velcro them on. The heel feels very secure, and the material used on the pouch for your toes is very comfortable. They are perfect for any foot size and type; wide, narrow, funny shaped toes, everything. The way they are designed, if you suffer from bunions, the material simply fits around it, you no longer have to squeeze them into an uncomfortable shoe.

The first thing I noticed when walking around, is that you don’t get the usual crimp in the shoe where your toes bend. My toes were free to do as they please, and felt like I was walking around barefoot. There is enough give in the material to allow for natural movement, but not so much that it would feel like you were going to slip out of them.

For those with wide feet, there is a feature on the shoe which I think is great, the material of the soles on the shoe come up around the sides, so if you have a wide foot, the shoe simply flexes wider. No normally this would mean the material hitting the floor, and eventually tearing. But with the Furoshikis, the grip coming up the sides simply becomes part of the sole for people with wider feet. Great design work.

Now, for the colours, as you can see by the pictures, I tried the black, but, as you may expect with Vibram, there are plenty of colour options. The Black, Gru and Murble are all pretty standard colours, but then we have some of the more ‘out there’ colours, which can be seen here; Hmong, Carribean, Phulkari and Shipibo, with more to follow.

To summarise, I think the Furoshiki are exactly what they were designed to be. A comfortable, natural and compact shoe which is ideal for travel and casual use. They are one of the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn, and think they would be a great companion on holiday!

We’ll be doing a write up on some of the new FiveFinger range soon, so make sure you check back!

 

The 2017 Vibram FiveFingers Range – Sneak Peak #2

An Introduction to 2017’s Vibram FiveFingers – Part 2

In the final entry of our Vibram FiveFinger 2017 range sneak peak, we will be revealing the Vibram FiveFingers V-Trial and V-Train

The V-Trail

V-TRAIL_17M6901_BlackGrey_HERO._2000pxThe V-Trail is the next generation Spyridon MR/Elite. The Spyridon MR was a great shoe, and was very popular amongst trailer runners, and more specifically, mud runners (hence the MR). The Spyridon MR was a shoe that was directed at a very niche market, so we get the impression that they are renaming the shoe at the same time as the update in the design to appeal to a wider audience.

What Vibram Say:

New for 2017! Grab a pair early for the holidays! The V-Trail is the perfect technical trail runner for the adventure racer you know. This is our evolution of the very successful Spyridon MR / Elite product line!

  • Evolution of Spyridon MR / Elite

  • Vibram 3D Cocoon technology molded into the sole provides rock-stopping protection, now extended further into the ball area

  • Multi-directional lug design for grip all over!

What Feetus Think:

If it based on the Spyridon MR, then it looks to be a great shoe. The updated designs/colours are always a nice feature, but we are glad to see they are still using the MEGAGRIP sole. There is a new sole design, however, using a new triangle design on the sole. The 3D Cacoon feature is still there, which is a definite plus when running off-road.

 

The V-Train

V-TRAIN_17W660-_BlackGreen _HERO 2000pxAs with the V-Trail, the V-Train is the next generation version of the KMD Sport LS. Aimed towards the indoor fitness market (although still great for outdoor), the V-Trail has been getting people really excited!

What Vibram Say:

New for 2017! Grab a pair early for the holidays! The V-Train is the perfect training and fitness shoe, for use in and out of the gym! Step into the next generation KMD Sport LS today!

  • Evolution of KMD Sport LS

  • Provides Flexibility of a barefoot shoe with a little more structure

  • Special Rope Traction Lugs in arch for rope climbing

  • Circular lug pattern for grip during lateral movements

 

What Feetus Think:

Looks like a fantastic shoe, multiple pivot points on the sole make it great for manoeuvring quickly. We think the addition of rope traction lugs on the arches is different, but it shows Vibram are really looking into the target market for these shoes. As with the KMD Sport LS, they use the XS-Trek sole which is excellent for indoor and outdoor activities. We have noticed they have replaced the speed laces that were seen on the KMDs with standard fasten laces and a Velcro strap. Not too sure how we feel about this as we love the speed and ease of the quick fasten laces. It does mean you can get them fastened nice and tight meaning no loosening of the shoes during all those lateral movements, plus the Velcro strip will keep them tucked away … we’ll see how they perform in practice.

 

All in all, we are very excited about the next generation releases of what was already a pair of great shoes. We will have these available for pre-order very soon! Make sure you are signed up for our newsletter, or follow us on social media to find out as soon as they are available.

We are expecting these to arrive towards the end of March 2017!

The 2017 Vibram FiveFingers Range – Sneak Peak #1

An Introduction to 2017’s Vibram FiveFingers

Over the next couple of days, we will be going through the 2016 Vibram range, giving you the low down on the new models, the new colours, as well as some of the core Vibram product range.

On Today’s post, we will be going through the Vibram core product range (sorry guys, check back over the weekend for a sneak peak at the V-Train and V-Trail 😉 ), and taking a look at some of the new colours available in these FiveFingers. So, without further ado…

 

feetus-kso-evo-lavender-purpleThe KSO EVO

Without a doubt one of the best selling Vibram FiveFingers shoe. It is an incredible shoe, versatile, good looking, comfortable and is just a perfect all rounder.

In the Spring/Summer 2017 Vibram range, we are very happy to announce 1 new colours to the KSO EVO range. However, sorry to say Guys, but it is on the Womens range only. We have the Lavender/Purple.

There has been no change to the spec of the KSO EVO, and why would there be? It is perfect as it is!

 

 

 

 

feetus-v-run-oysterThe V-Run

The Vibram shoe that evolved from the brilliant Bikila Evo. Redesigned with a perforates upper for better ventilation and still has the quick fasten pull tab for the laces. These are a fantastic road running shoe, and have proven extremely popular in 2016. Off the back of that, we will be adding an additional colour to our range, for the men this time, the Oyster.

Much in the same way as the KSO EVO, the spec of the Vibram FiveFingers V-Run has remained consistent, and we will still be including the current range of colours in the range.

 

 

 

feetus-trek-ascent-deep-pondThe Trek Ascent

What a fantastic shoe this is. The number 1 selling Vibram FiveFinger shoe in the UK last year. The Trek Ascent has been popular amongst runners as much as hikers, and is a tough shoe.

The 2017 range sees an additional colour added to the range, the Deep Pond. The Vibram FiveFingers Trek Ascent will still feature the MEGAGRIP sole, which will keep you grounded no-matter the terrain.