Last Wednesday, we were alerted by the Reddit Barefoot Running community that a copy of the Vibram FiveFinger catalog for Spring/Summer 2013 was leaked by an online retailer. As you might expect, there are some very exciting new additions coming to the FiveFinger line-up, some of which we have seen before, and some that are brand new! Because the catalog comes from a Canadian-based retailer, I have reason to suspect that all of these models will be available in North America. Obviously, though, I cannot guarantee that some of these are not Europe-only releases, or that all of them will actually make it to production (next summer is a long time from now!). Disclosures aside, I think the new models represent a great step forward for Vibram and I am thrilled to be able to share details and photos of them after the jump!
The never-before-seen model I am most excited to see is the TrekSport Sandal, which will be available for both men and women. These sandals remind me very much of Keen’s popular hiking sandals. My only concern with this shoe is that the openings in the sides/top might make it easier to get sand or dirt inside the shoe, and the form-fitting nature of a VFF would prevent you from being able to shake it out as easily as you might be able to with a regular sandal. That being said, the openings do not appear to extend too far down the side of the shoe, so unless your foot actually sunk into dirt or sand, it would be difficult to get much in there.
The next new models I am looking forward to are three options meant for more casual use, of which there are two for women, and one for men. My guess is that these models are part of Vibram’s recent efforts to phase out the Classics and the Sprints, which are no longer available at all for men on their site, and are only available in a reduced number of colors for the women. All three of these models feature serrated blade lug soles, which is featured on the Classic Fresca released earlier this year.
Vibram is also releasing two models built specifically for water sports, the Maiori and the Signa. On the Maiori, you’ll note that the fourth and fifth toes are actually connected to help protect your smaller toes. It does look like there are still separate pockets for each toe (no need to change the name to FourFingers), and that the fourth and fifth toes are only connected on the rubber sole. A bold move, to be sure, but I can’t decide if it would be weird to have separate, but also connected toes. Not to be outdone, the Signa comes with it’s own special feature in the form of drainage holes in the soles. The colors for men and women are the same for both of the these models, so I have shown only the men’s version below.
Finally, there are several new models being released that we have mentioned before, including the SeeYa LS, Lontra, Spyridon (laceless), and the Speed XC. Because we’ve gone into more detail about these models in previous posts, I won’t go over each of them now, but check out the gallery below to see all of the colors set to be released!
Hope you enjoyed this look at all of the exciting new FiveFingers coming your way in Spring/Summer 2013! Be sure to vote in the poll below for your favorite of the new models and share your thoughts about the whole line-up in the comments.
You can view the entire PDF of the catalog here.
All images copyright of Vibram FiveFingers.
Meagan is a geochemistry research lab manager, runner, Netflix binge-watcher, and Mom to a rescue dog, a bunny, and a human child. She started running in May 2011 and ran her first half marathon in October 2012, followed by her first marathon in October 2013. In July 2018, she joined the triathlon world and completed an Olympic-distance race. After an extended break (pregnancy/maternity leave), she is making a long-overdue return to running and is preparing for a high-elevation half marathon at Crater Lake National Park in August 2020.