LeftLane Sports is one of the many short-term deal sites, similar to TheClymb and many others. They seldom have much of any interest, but as a devotee to barefoot shoes, I'm excited they just announced a VFF sale starting this Friday at 10 a.m. EST.

If you sign up through my link, you get an instant $10 shopping credit, and they also give me $10 credit. I think you can sign up on your own, but neither of us will benefit.

I don't know which models or styles will be available, but I know I'm due for another pair -- I've recently worn the toes out of my favorite Sprints and am hoping this sale has decent colors/sizes.

I'll try to post an update with more info once the sale goes live. Happy holidays to all.

(edited to fix embedded link)

Edited by timalan on 12/14/2011 12:21:52 MST.

Looks like a limited selection of colors/styles, but they have Sprints, KSOs and Trek Sport models in a good range of sizes, if you aren't picky about color.

FYI: The $10 credit for signing up only work for orderes over $50 so you can't use it on the shoes...

Picked up a pair of the black/black sprints in size 43 for working out and light jogging.

Besides Injinji, what other brands of toe socks do you all recommend?

Sorry -- I didn't realize that the $10 off only applied to $50+ orders. My apologies on that. I guess if you get two pairs of shoes. :)

As for socks, I have never worn socks with my VFFs. I've had several different models (Classics, Springs, Trek Sports) or the past few years, and have never worn socks with any of them.

The biggest complaint with wearing VFFs sockless is that they can start to stink. The best solution I've found is to keep several dryer sheets crumpled up in the shoes when they are not in use. I generally replace the dryer sheets every few months. The dryer sheets pretty much solve the problem. The other solution (in summer) is to wash the shoes and then leave them out in the sun to dry. A quick wash and good sunlight kills pretty much everything that causes odors.

Hope this helps. Enjoy!

I should also add that I much prefer Sprints/Classics for general jogging/walking/exercise and Trek Sports for anything on rougher terrain (e.g. hiking in rocky areas, trail running in muddy areas).

The Trek Sport sole is stiffer and thicker than the Sprints/Classics -- pretty much all of the VFF line is thicker than the Sprints/Classics -- and I really like the groundfeel I get from the simpler soles. Much closer to true barefoot. That said, the Trek Sports are borderline as to whether they really offer enough extra protection for hiking on rocks for too long -- eventually, your feet will be really sore.

For me, the biggest plus to Trek Sports is the additional traction if you're doing a lot of distance on loose/muddy/slippery surfaces. The traction of the Trek Sports over the Sprints/Classics is significant on poor surfaces. On concrete, dry grass, etc, the Sprints/Classics are at least as grippy, if not moreso, than the Trek Sports.

If you've got the money, I really like having both sole options in the closet, each for different conditions.

I enjoy wearing socks with my vibrams when it is cold out, since I wear mine in the winter too.

I recommend Smartwool toes socks. The best thing about them is that you had to work really hard to get them to stink. My feet smell so much better when wearing my vibrams since I switched to them. I also get a better fit in my komodo sports with the socks.

Hey:

Thanks, you should get 10 from me, I signed up and bought a pair. I've been wanting to try a pair out and for 50% off I figure why not now. I bought the treks because I just had to buy a pair of wigwams to use the $10 dollar credit.

Thanks,

-Kevin

I logged in that morning and the few they had in my size were all sold out. =(

Steven,
Have you tried the VFFs on in a store before?

In my experience, VFF sizes are different from other shoe sizes because of the unusual fit. And even some different VFF models fit differently from one another. I've learned I'm a 42 in their basic models (which I still prefer), but I've tried on styles where I would be a 43 or a 41, depending on how that particular style runs...