I thought I’d do an updated review on the Vibram KSO (KSO stands for “keep stuff out”)
and how they play a big role in being an effective lever of giving you greater mechanical control,
helping create more balanced, more productive footsteps during running and walking, because
aside from going barefoot, the KSO is one of Vibrams thinner shoes and when you can
feel the ground with good sensory clarity, helps make it more possible for your forefoot
strike landing to become more easily sustained during running which not only can give you
an economical opportunity to perform better, but a more effective forefoot strike may also
help narrow your odds of getting injured.
Firstly, I want to underscore that the KSO were actually voted the most popular out of
all the Vibram models for its versatility and have remained incredibly favorable since
their inception about a decade ago.
So what can the KSO be used for.
With my experience, along with other wear-tester accounts, the KSOs are the perfect shoe for
running short and long distances; they are great for 5 km runs to the marathon, particularly
on smooth roads, grass, or semi-technical terrain, the beach as well as obstacle course
races; they're also great for walking on pretty much any kind of terrain and backwoods trail
hiking; they’re great for other sports, like golfing, soccer, kickboxing, karate;
they’re great for crossfit, high intensity interval training and lifting.
They hold up well in wet and humid conditions, that’s why they’re great for swimming
and white-water rafting because the velcro straps really locks the shoe onto your foot
very securely as compared to regular water shoes.
And, last but not least, the KSO are excellent for casual wear.
What are the specifications that makes the KSOs so effective and what gives the KSOs
their greatness and high degree of likability.
In looking at the upper, it’s made of abrasion-resistant, stretchy, supple, thin nylon that’s flexible,
adaptable and stretches to accommodate a wider foot and to your overall unique foot contours.
It really does bond to your foot like a sock, which is pretty much in line with the rest
of how most Vibram Five FInger shoes feel and fit on the foot.
Bottom-line, the upper of the KSO is incredibly form-fitting; like a wrap around your foot.
In terms of breathability, the upper is airy; it provides pretty good airstream to keep
your feet cool in warm temperatures.
Since the the upper of the KSO does provide large-intake air volume, you may want to wear
toe-socks in them if you plan on running in freezing temperatures, but thats just based
on my preference.
The upper is also pretty durable --I would say more durable than the upper of the KSO
EVO ( I also did a video review of the KSO EVO which is linked down below in the description
box), in fact the KSO’s upper is quite durable enough for high mileage on all sorts of terrain,
like soft trails, grass and muddy areas.
The seams are pretty solid and really do a good job at holding the shoe together.
As for the shaft height, the KSO fits a little higher up on the ankle; a little higher up
than most Vibram models, but lower than most traditional running shoes.
Seems to me also, that the KSO has more material density than most Vibram shoes, yet the KSO
doesn’t feel any heavier or bulky; my feet kinda feel more armoured and protected in
the KSO.
The material construction of the KSO seems more durable than the KSO EVOs.
I’m also a big fan of the hook and loop velcro closure strap; it really provides an
adjustable, dynamically adaptable fit that really helps the shock lock onto the foot
in a comfortable way, not too tight and not too loose; it secures the shoe onto the foot
enough to prevent the foot from slipping around inside the shoe, especially when wet; Also,
the closure as well as the upper construction of the KSO are literally tailored to keep
debris out (hence KSO stands for KEEP STUFF OUT) because it really does a great job at
doing just that.
I've never fused with small pebbles or sand getting inside the shoe.
In all, the velcore strap makes for a very accommodating, lock-in fit that doesn’t
compromise comfort.
Overall, the upper’s durability life seems pretty long-lasting; these shoes have been
through rain and mud many many times over which hasn’t caused any loss in structural
integrity to the shoe.
As for the individual toe sockets, which is what makes the Vibrams most recognizable out
of all running shoes, the toe sockets have plenty of room; they’re flexible and stretchy;
they bend well with your toes; they really encourage your toes to spread out, prompting
greater toe flexion and extension which is going to offer better handling in terms of
balance control, especially on uneven terrain; you’ll definitely feel more stable, more
balanced, and of course, when you have better balance control at the feet, also puts the
ankle in a stronger position, making overall dynamic stability of the foot/ankle complex
more easy to sustain.
In contrast, failing to allow full toe-splay and toe flexion and extension during running
and even walking, which would be the inevitable outcome in most traditional running shoes
because such shoes tend to have a narrow toe-box, causing the toes to cram and squish together,
even overlap onto each other, which may certainly postpone any realistic effort in improving
ankle strength and toe strength.
This is why, sometimes, because of the loss of toe splay, flexion and extension, may create
unbalanced footfalls which may be an open slot for an ankle injury.
Luckily, you can count on the Vibram KSOs for encouraging the toes to play a more active
role, putting your toes to work in the way they should by expanding at each step, bringing
much needed landing stability.
Another way the Vibram KSO improves balance security during running and walking is through
its incredibly thin outsole which heightens your sensory awareness to levels not experienced
in most traditional running shoes.
The more you can feel the ground, the more it really helps keep you focused on your foot
strike pattern during running, which should be a forefoot strike landing pattern; the
outsole thinness of the KSO really infuses the foot with the sensory capital that helps
guide your forefoot strike to be better positioned to secure a shortened stride, a higher cadence
as well as a lighter exchange with you and the ground, which is going to help deliver
more impact protection.
You can certainly harness the power of the sensory feedback to deliver the changes you
want to see in your mechanics which not only includes spreading more balance stability,
but gives you more proactive footing because you’ll be more continuously aware of your
foot strike pattern and intensity and is probably one of the most reliable ways to bring together
safer, lighter, more responsive mechanics that aren’t self-defeating or damaging to
the body.
The outsole of the KSO is 3.5-mm thin, but impressively durable which is a high praise
for the shoe because it’s tricky to formulate an outsole that’s paperthin, that streamlines
high sensory resolution, that replicates the feel of being barefoot, but at the same time,
is durable and puncture-resistance enough to match the demands high mileage running
on any kinds of surfaces, especially harder surfaces.
But with my experience, the outsole of the Vibram KSO has the durability to support high
mileage running.
In my view, the outsole of the KSO is more durable to that of the KSO EVOs outsole, but
not as durable as the Sockwa X8s outsole to which the Sockwa X8s outsole is even thinner
than the KSO (you can find my review on the Sockwa X8 linked down below in the description
box as well).
Another feature of the KSOs outsole that I like is that it provides decent grip, yet
doesn’t have aggressive, protruding tread that makes your foot stick to the ground.
The razor-sipped tread pattern on the KSO is not only non-marking, but provides easy
handling for if you want to go fast on softer trails and in wet and humid conditions.
Overall, the KSOs rubber outsole has quite a long durability life considering how thin
it is.
The KSOs are also a flat shoe; they don’t have a stacked heel which is perfect because
there’s no mechanical interference that prevents the heel from fully lowering down
to the ground which in turn, puts the Achilles tendon in a unique position to potentially
load up with more elastic spring energy, which can be an economic imperative in potentially
giving you more gas mileage because your stride will be more spring loaded which may cut down
on muscular demands of the lower leg.
Also, the lack of heel padding may free the heel from heel pain because in most cases,
running shoes with a stacked heel, the heel padding smashes off the heel at each step
during running which adds up over running long distances and may cause radiating heel
pain, but this is not the case with the KSO because there’s no structural obstructions
at the heel, when you land on your forefoot and the heel lowers to the ground, there’s
nothing jabbing into the heel.
That's one of the highlights I really appreciate about zero-drop running shoes and of course,
being zero-drop, or completely flat closely reflects the barefoot condition because obviously,
when we’re barefoot, there’s nothing propped up under our heel.
The flatness of the KSO, the lack of under-heel padding can aid as a mechanical recalibrator
as well, helping deter you from heel striking when you run, helping secure a more effective
forefoot strike because it’s gonna hurt if you heel strike in these shoes.
One thing I noticed is the outsole at the heel isn’t as flexible and soft as the forefoot
of the KSO; as you probably noticed when I roll up shoe, it didn't bend and fold at the
heel as easy as the forefoot.
As compared to the outsole of the KSO EVO and the Sockwa x8, the outsole of the KSO
is slightly stiffer and less soft, but the KSO still gives similar ground feel and a
high degree of sensory clarity, which again, is necessary and strategic in helping get
the proper mechanics in order, so that costly mechanical mistakes can be avoided because
when more sensory input is delivered through the foot, it elevates the role of certain
reflexes involved in mediating greater hip extension (which means a higher back-kick)
which helps drive a shortened stride as well as a high step frequency which can help phase
out certain impact force variables.
As for the insole, the insole of the KSO is of a 2-mm thin EVA material that offers comfort
and is responsive and flexible, it moves extremely well with your foot, like the rest of the
shoe.
Even though the insole is a moderate layer of protection, it doesn’t diminish ground-feel
resolution or clarity; it actually overall, makes for a fast, light feel.
The KSOs are machine washable; let them air dry, they dry pretty quick.
Just for a sizing tip, because they do fit like a glove, you may want to get the next
size up from your regular size.
Overall, the KSO is one of my favorite running shoes.
Im really impressed with not only the versatility of the shoe, but the shoes construction in
terms of durability.
I love that the KSO moves extremely well with your foot and holds up well; I also know that
the KSO is a popular choice among those who do obstacle course races.
I also love that the KSO gives the sensation that you aren’t wearing anything at all
on your feet which really does make for a fast, light ride.
If you dont want to run in the KSOs, but would rather walk in them, that’s great too because
there’s no structural obstructions, as I call it, so the KSO is really an invaluable
foot-strengthening tool for if you dont want to walk barefoot either.
And of course, the KSO also does more than strengthen the feet, helping the feet become
more physically resilient and tolerant, they also help you move better with more balanced
biomechanics because of their capacity to almost fully replicate the feeling of being
barefoot.
You always have to remember that sustained mechanical competence and effectiveness is
fundamentally influenced by external cues at the bottom of the bare foot, and aside
from going barefoot, the thinner the outsole of a shoe, like the KSOs, can be an important
source of external cues or sensory feedback that can be a reliable mechanical stabilizing
force.
And lastly, one of the most most appealing aspects of the shoes, aside from the toe sockets,
is the lightness as reduced weight is always important because it doesn't really undermine
economic sufficiency.
Without a doubt, the KSO is really the ultimate light, flexible and agile package that may
help you make tremendous progress in reversing foot weakness.
In that regard, I just want to say a special note on a lot of the anecdotal evidence that
I came across about the clinical relevance of the KSO in that according to acnetdonal
accounts, the KSO seems to have an impressive record of success in helping resolve knee
pain, shin splints, foot pain and hip pain, making them an appealing therapeutic strategy
as compared to the traditional running shoe probably because of the KSOs role in engaging
the foot in ways that helps spread stability to the rest of your body and of course, the
KSO helps provide the engaging sensory input that your foot strength and mechanical effectiveness
needs to thrive in ways that may help you become more prepared to meet the demands of
running.
I hope you've enjoyed this review.
I also did a blog post version of this review which is linked down below in the description
box and i also linked where you can get the Vibram KSO.To stay updated on all the latest
research on the health and performance benefits of barefoot running and forefoot running as
well as to watch more in depth reviews on forefoot running-conducive running please
hit the subscribe button thank you so much for listening and watching.
Have fun out there on the roads and trails.
Bye for now!