Vibram Men's Men's V-Aqua Black Athletic Shoe, Black, 41 EU/8.5-9.0 M US D EU (41 EU/8.5-9.0 US US)

A saw a few reviewers mention the shoes can fit a bit loose and recommended sizing down so, normally being a size 11, I bought size 10.5-11 but found them too tight. My toe was jammed into the end of the shoe and I could not completely straighten my foot. I returned these for size 11-11.5 and they fit very well and have served their purpose nicely.

Excellent five toe shoe with the durable Vibram sole!

This is the 5th pair of shoes that I had ordered during my mission to find the perfect river shoes for kayaking and other water activities. Initially I was looking in the $25-$40 range. I tried two pairs of strappy sandalls and two pairs of mesh river shoes with toe indentations.I was hoping I could find a cheaper alternative to the Vibrams that I knew were great but I had no such luck. All four of the previous pairs that I received had issues with fit and comfort so I ended up returning them all.Folks, this is it. These shoes are amazing. I know the price tag is a bit steep but you get what you pay for. I usually wear size 11 shoes but I knew that I wanted these to be snug and read reviews which recommended sizing down so I went with the 9.5-10 size and ooooh baby, they fit like a glove. There is no uncomfortable rubbing anywhere, especially on the back of the ankle which is a concern that I had. I even got a bad abrasion on my small toe from going for a walk in my vans without socks. This happened the day that these Vibrams arrived and I was worried that my toe going into the toe pocket would rub on it as I walked and cause me pain but I don't even notice it. they are seriously comfortable.Some reviewers have mentioned the ankle strap not having enough velcro to tighten them to their liking and I agree that it could be extended just a little more but the strap that goes over the foot is plenty to secure the shoe. I put this to the test. During my first kayak outing my friend and I stopped at the side of the river and when we stepped out of our boats we immediately sank shin deep into the mud. Alarm bells immediately went off in my head because I had read reviews about the shoes being insecure and coming off. I didn't want to lose one of my brand new shoes but I had no choice. I had to get my foot unstuck. Well I finally got my foot free of the mud and the shoe didn't budge at all I walked in the mud a bit more and felt totally confident that the shoes were secure.I also read a review about concerns of the black shoes getting too hot. I don't know where that person lives or how hot it is but I have gone on multiple 20-30 minute walks on paved trails in 95-100 degree weather and they get a little warm but nowhere close to the point of being unable to wear them. Maybe they just have sensitive feet.The only question remaining is whether they will hold up over time. I saw some reviews that concerned me but as I said I have owned Vibrams before and they endured a lot of abuse before finally biting the dust (probably due to my own negligence) so I am optimistic that if I take care of these they are going to last.TLDR: Buy once, cry once. Shell out the extra money for these over a cheaper alternative. Order one size down. You won't be disappointed.

I was largely satisfied with this purchase. They fit on relatively snug and they let water go through so your feet won’t just be wet. I did have to get use to spreading out my toes a certain way to get each toe in, but it wasn’t too bad. My only issues with these were 1. On trails/ rocky terrain there is not enough padding to support your feet and 2. The ankle straps seemed too long and didn’t tighten very well.

Really comfortable and rugged at the same time...my feet love them lol

They fit my husband and he still wears them to this day so I think that’s a win. I haven’t heard any complaints

I clean like. 63 pools a week. The movement and dirt and grime that goes into all that is not for everyone. I originally bought the hemp ones and thought they would work but I got cal hypo on them. Literally unavoidable. And they got bleach spots. What’s up with that man? Why didn’t you equip those with cal hypo protection? Jk. Nothing I can do about that but also if you put that hemp through that kinda beating the smell is rank in those things. High concentration of tea tree oil and water keeps it from like stinking up the whole room but man. Didn’t see that one coming. So I got these because I like that it didn’t expose to much of the foot with the water drainage others I’ve with the webbed arch suck up a ton of dirt. Granted if you take this approach with water drains in the bottom and walk across dirt or sand or what ever you will get a little but not neaaaaarly as much. A few grains vs half the beach. I like how the rubber goes up all the way on the big toe too I do enjoy protection because when stuff is slippery and wet you can break something just walking. Also they smell amazing idk. You may get red marks on that one spot you hate on your Achilles. Fortunately they fold down backwards way from it and can still grip your foot. How ever this only happens on my right which is interesting because that means my right goes side to side more and my left stays planted more. Idk I’m happy though because the smell of a clean pool stays with them. Gotta get another pair of hemp ones though for around town and what not. Keep them dry though and not clean pools in them because I don’t imagine they get that bad. They feel like your feet have feet.

I use vibram five finger shoes all day every day but I wear toe socks with them and they have a tendency of getting soaked unless you waterproof the shoes. This makes it difficult to traverse extremely wet environments. So i bought these so I can swap out in case I decide to walk through the woods in the rain or if I feel like going into the water. Not only do they dry rapidly but they help me keep my grip even in the most slick environments. they fit great and they work great, 200/10