Product Review: Vibram Spyridon MR

Do you run in minimal shoes?

Well, ya should. You'll feel like a ninja.

And ninjas listen to this kick ass Pendulum song.


Ok, so maybe minimalism isn't for everyone. (Check with your local running store/coach.) There's been a bit of controversy over these kinds of shoes for a while now.  

Which is a damn shame. Because personally, I love them. These ones in particular.

Nice and dirty, like they should be.

I did some miles in Vermont with these, but lately they've been seeing a lot of our only local trail, The Hulk. It's not a super rocky trail, but there are plenty of roots and short steep ascents/descents.

And this shoe crushes it.

Good traction right there.

You can see in that picture right there ^ that there is a funky little piece of white plastic, well that helps protect your arch. My first pair of Vibrams didn't have that. And let me tell you, it can hurt when you step with your arch onto something sharp. So that's a pretty cool feature. A cool feature which still allows this shoe to be really flexible.

That's one shoe.

The lacing system is much better than my previous as well. This shoe has a speed lace system which, especially for OCR, is significantly better than Velcro.

Be thankful you can't smell them.

The sizing on a minimal shoe is always going to be strange. Especially if you off-road the hell out of it. Between the water, mud and extreme surface changes, you really beat the hell out of shoe, and stretching may become an issue.

I wear mine just a bit tight, I want to feel the trail if I'm sporting minimal shoes. And the aforementioned speed lace does a good job keeping them in place. I sweat like a SOB in Myrtle and my shoes are soaked within 3 miles. These don't shift on my feet at all. (NO SOCKS)

I have run in rain in these, no stretch. I have not, however, gone out and purposely run through water.

My previous vibrams (which I still wear), unfortunately have stretched beyond trail running and the velcro lacing system isn't up to the challenge any longer.

I really did beat the hell out of my old ones (on left).

I really like this shoe for all those reasons. I feel like a ninja. It has sick traction and while offering some pin-point arch protection, still offers great flexibility. The Speed Lace system is easy and secure.
And this particular shoe has not stretched a bit. 

And...it's Vegan. NO animal products at all. 

If you're thinking of going minimal, there are some VERY important things to keep in mind (and don't be shy about researching minimal shoes).

Make sure they fit! 
Duh. But seriously, don't just assume your normal size shoe is going to cross over into these. Go to a store, try them on.

Don't just put a pair on and go run a 10k. Start with real light mileage, even if you're a seasoned runner. Minimal beats up your feet, and as you're probably mid to fore foot striking now, it's gonna destroy your gastroc and soleus (calf muscles).

I'm not joking! Running in these takes some practice and, holy shit does it hurt at first. But once you're muscles get used to it, it's amazing. You feel light, nimble and bad-ass.



As of this writing (9/26/15), Vibram was offering 1 free Warrior Dash and 4 twenty percent off entries with a purchase of this very shoe. That's a pretty kick ass deal.

Racing is more fun with your best friend

Here's a review on a Warrior Dash I did a few years back.


I have yet to do a Mud-run or OCR in these yet. I'm a little nervous. Not because of the shoe. But because of possibly losing a one. I've done a couple races where the mud was so deep I lost a Reebok. But other than knee high mud (which no shoe is going to excel in) I really can't wait to try an OCR in these. Maybe the Carolina Sprint in November.

So check back on this post in early December to see how they held up!