Its clear that Vibram FiveFingers are continually becoming more and more popular, and its not just among runners. Individuals are wearing these “Barefoot” shoes to work in, run in, and even relax in. The trend is catching on with individuals of all ages. Teachers wear these shoes, with an added benefit of catching the attention of their students.
As FiveFingers become more popular a more common question people are asking is, “Should this shoes be worn by children?”. We reached out to the community on twitter and received a collection of responses that all appear below. Interestingly, very few people were at all worried about the “protection” of a foot, and instead focused on the cost of the shoes. Vibram sells boys and girls KSOs for kids at $60 a pair, and it appears that for many individuals that price is a bit high to pay for something they believe their children will grow out of shortly.
I personally believe that younger kids should be barefoot as much as possible. If I lived in warmer weather I’m sure my younger children would barely ever put a normal pair of “shoes” on. I do however like the idea of FiveFingers for kids 9 and older. It is true that the costs are expensive, especially with growing children, but the many benefits of a barefoot shoe may outweigh those risk.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments what you think about Kids and FiveFingers. Is it worth the price?
@myfivefingers seems like paying $60 for kids shoes when kids outgrow shoes so quickly is silly. If you want them to be barefoot, let them.
James Finley
thefinley
@myfivefingers #VFF ‘s for kids? I like the idea, but not sure about cost kids outgrow a lot of clothes and shoes
y3rt
y3rt
Kids love being barefoot. Vibrams make that safer. RT @myfivefingers: Writing an article re FiveFingers for Kids. What do you think?
djdeedle
djdeedle
@myfivefingers definitely good, my 11-y/o son loves his #fivefingers!
JaromÃr Vicari
jaromirv
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My 7 year old daughter is SO excited to get a pair of these! She’s been envious of her mommy and I for 2 years! I would MUCH rather pay 60 bucks for these than 50 bucks for a video game!! (kids “outgrow” those just as fast!)
Good point! There is a stack of games my son has already outgrown.. and he didn’t use them nearly as much as he’s used his shoes.
I know, right? She has also “promised” to start running with me…..if that’s not worth 60 bucks every six months, I don’t know what is!!
What about a recycling program for the shoes?
If they hold up to six months of kids, they should last even longer? It might be a decent way to cut down on high shoe prices, and get the shoes onto more feet than what would normally happen.
FiveFingers to wash easily.. Maybe a good idea. Something we should “handle” on myfivefingers.com?
After my daughter needed emergency surgery for an infected toe due to a splinter, I am seriously considering this shoe. She loves to run barefoot all the time.
so glad to know that vibram company also released the vibram fivefingers shoes for kids
My daughter begged for her VFF’s for months before they were available in her size. We bought them the first week they came in. She loves how light weight the shoes are. She is also running track for the first time this summer and loves competing in her “toe shoes”. Living in Texas means going barefoot outdoors isn’t an option when the ground is 100+ degrees, these shoes give her wonderful protection from temperature and dangers on the ground. I plan to have the next size up ready and waiting for her!
I’d love to see kids wearing these, but at $60 per set, it isn’t manageable for most families, so I really like this idea!
what about at school, though? there’s a lot of rough and tumble playing and knocking into each other and stepping on eachother’s feet – and that’s just accidentally! what about the on-purpose rough play? i am an elementary PE teacher and i am concerned about the safety of the top of the foot, specifically. Ideas? Thoughts?
From experience, I don’t think tennis shoes offer much more protection than the vibrams would, especially from deliberate attacks. If they’re all indoors and barefoot, though, no problem. I always loved the rare “barefoot days” in elementary gym class.
I spend $60 on a new pair of shoes every 6 months…ridiculous :)
This is another company that does children’s minimalist shoes. Worth a read on their take of foot health and children:
http://www.softstarshoes.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.display&page_id=23
Would you be in favor of a recycling program, then?
Those Soft Star Shoes were even more expensive than VFFs. Yikes! Come on entrepreneurs, bring on the price competition….