February 08

VIBRAM FIVEFINGERS V-TREK INSULATED: WINTER MINIMALISM.

Posted by Héctor Rubio on February 8, 2021 in trail running gear, trail running spain | 2 Comments

Vibram FiveFingers V-TREK INSULATED: Winter minimalism. Our TRAIL RUNNING SHOES section presents us today a winter barefoot model of special interest. The Vibram Five Fingers are the queens of minimalism in global trail running, from birth in 2006 until today.

With them it all began, as reflected in detail by the book Born to Run, collecting the race with Barefoot Ted’s tarahumara. Today we review the latest family novelty, the VIBRAM FIVE FINGERS V-TREK INSULATED. It arrives with a special winter lining, Vibram Icetrek 4mm rubber, weight 221 grams and a 139€ price. Let’s go with the technical analysis, by Mayayo.

VIBRAM FIVEFINGERS: HOW WAS IT BORN.

VFFFs are the first minimalist shoes to be used as such. We start by going over its story. It is perhaps the only pure barefoot shoe, because unlike sandals we run with our fingers open and free. This original concept will fit you… or not. But it’s probably interesting, given that tens of thousands of Five Fingers are sold every year, understand how they were born.

It’s 2006. Marco Bramani (grandson of founder VItale BRAMani) marine sports enthusiast, has launched a nautical shoe for sailing, kayaking and winsdurf with maximum grip and freedom. The Five Fingers. One day he received a strange request: A guy who called himself “Barefoot Ted” wanted to use these nautical rubbers… to run the Boston Marathon, the oldest and most prestigious in the world.

Ted McDonald insists and insists until Marco himself accesses and even publicly broadcasts the challenge: Here’s the original, historical press release. Ted turns 3h20m and the VFF rolled as the first “barefoot running shoe” rolls between small alternative circles already christened barefoot running. In the future this category of running shoes will be known as “minimalist shoes”.

After this start in 2006 the Vibram Five Fingers came a soft growth, word of mouth among “buzzes”. Until 2009, barefoot mania exploded with the release and success of Chris Mc Dougall’s great book “Born to Run”. With the utmost caution, always, or risk an injury. The minimalist tusnami that unleashed that story, still resonates all over the world- Here you can get to know it better, if you want to delve into the Barefoot world.

VIBRAM FIVEFINGERS V-TREK INSULATED

Vibram moves on with the Fivefingers, now introducing a much improved version for winter minimalism. The leading brand of high-performance rubber soles now launches the new Vibram FiveFingers V-Trek Insulated. From the Italian house they point out that it has been designed as: “The perfect minimalist tool for outdoor activities such as hiking and trekking with the feeling of being barefoot, but with all the security of a Vibram sole” Will it be?

Vibram FiveFingers V-Trek Insulated features a cover made of nylon, padded with an insulating layer and a special synthetic polyester lining. The shoe is equipped with a 4 mm flexible rubber sole made of Vibram Icetrek compound, ideal for low temperatures and perfect when slippery and uneven surfaces are found. In addition, the polyurethane midsole provides a touch of cushioning for all movements.

What changes from previous models? In other years we brought you winter models. If we make the comparison with previous models now, Vibram FiveFingers V-Trek Insulated has wanted to improve above all flexibility and comfort thanks to a new brushed fabric at the tip.

In addition, this novelty of 2021 features an internal lining and a Hypatex insertion in the fingers that offers water repelling and insulation to keep warm. Now, all that’s left is to test it thoroughly for you. We will hopefully confirm it as a good minimalist tool for those who love outdoor activities feeling full contact with the land, also during the middle of winter.