http://www.sportsgator.com Sports Information and betting oppinions voted by a community. en Sat, 19 May 2012 22:24:00 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.sportsgator.com/images/blaze/misc/rss.jpg http://www.sportsgator.com http://www.sportsgator.com/showthread.php?t=215537&goto=newpost Sat, 19 May 2012 05:06:43 GMT I've been testing out a sneak-peak, pre-mass-production version of the upcoming, yet-to-be released KomodoSport LS Vibram FiveFingers. In a nutshell, the KomodoSport takes the speed-lacing system of the Vibram FiveFingers Bikila LS, which was released earlier this year, and the sole structure and design of the KomodoSport Vibram FiveFingers, which were also released earlier this year. I know at least a few Vibram fans prefer their KomodoSports to their KSOs.How does this feature mash-up function? Well, if you like a laced upper and the KomodoSport-style sole, it almost goes without saying that these puppies are for you. I have been finding them exceedingly comfortable (particularly in the "forget you're wearing them"/"forget to take them off around the house" departments). What follows is my run-down and review of the Vibram FiveFingers KomodoSport LS. Though they aren't out yet, they'll be out soon enough.Put in pictures, the Vibram FiveFingers Bikila LS has got "speed" laces (no tying necessary) to custom latch them onto your feet, a grippy/ridged-in-the-all-the-right-places-for-traction Vibram rubber sole, a seamless footbed that is ultra soft (it's seamless because the footbed is actually removable), and a slightly over-styled (in my opinion) upper made of a mix of breathable mesh and thin, stretchy A laced upper makes the KomodoSport LS FiveFingers easier to fit for those who have high insteps or wider feet. For reasons not fully understood by yours truly, some in the toe shoes community haven't understood the need for laces. I can only assume these fans can fit into a pair of standard Bikilas. Without a laced varietal, folks like Mrs. BirthdayShoes couldn't wear Vibrams. Meanwhile, anyone could enjoy wearing their VFFs "loose" on top, a feature for which the more adjustable Vibram LS system allows.What's my preference? I actually like the LS varietal of Bikila better for comfort, and it follows that I find the KomodoSport LS more comfortable, too — particularly when worn for knocking around. With the LS system, I can loosen up the speed lacing and reduce pressure on my instep. Mind, when it comes to high performance activities like running sprints, I find either system (straps or laces) work just about the same for me.Now as for the sole ...To me the big "win" in the KomodoSport line is the removable insole (easy to take out, not so easy to put back in). The insole is 2mm thick (Read: not very) but covered with a very soft material that feels fantastic on the foot — better than the Dri-Max you get with Bikilas, better than the leather you get with KSO Treks or the discontinued Mocs, and better than the "standard" footbed with any of the original Vibram FiveFingers. For comfort it's pretty hard to beat and it does seem to allow for better lateral friction when making cuts (chasing a frisbee, for example).Speaking of lateral cuts, the KomodoSport LS does well in this regard thanks to added traction from the sole design. All those ridges do increase one's ability to grip the ground — certainly better than the razor-siped but smooth original FiveFinger soles. What about ground feel? It's still there — my gut tells me the KomodoSport LS fits somewhere between a KSO and a Bikila for ground feel. That means you get a lot of texture through the sole — you're going to feel pebbles and cracks in concrete, just slightly muted. It's more than enough ground feel to make you think twice about landing on your heels with straight legs but not enough ground feel that an untrained runner couldn't manage to still have a slight heel strike (amazing, but I've seen some minimalist runners and VFF runners still heel striking — even slight heel striking when running means you're crusin' for a brusin'!). As for hard numbers on thickness, my calipers peg the thickness of the KomodoSport LS to be 1-2mm thinner at the heel than the Bikila. ]]> UFC nopq380 http://www.sportsgator.com/showthread.php?t=215537 http://www.sportsgator.com/showthread.php?t=215536&goto=newpost Sat, 19 May 2012 05:06:12 GMT BirthdayShoes first reported on the Vibram FiveFingers KomodoSport (say that five times fast!) in Fall of 2010 with our sneak preview Komodo review.... BirthdayShoes first reported on the Vibram FiveFingers KomodoSport (say that five times fast!) in Fall of 2010 with our sneak preview Komodo review. Everything I wrote in that review still stands today. But now that the production, final KomodoSport has been out for a couple months, I wanted to do an updated review and video, as well as compare the KomodoSport to specific other models of Vibram FiveFingers.What is the FiveFingers KomodoSport?The FiveFingers KomodoSport, or "Komodo" for short (rhyme!), features a brand new Vibram outsole and footbed. Here's an official shot of the KomodoSport sole from Vibram.Look at all those jaggedies! The stated goal of the KomodoSport is to raise the "intensity" via an "aggressive multisport design [that] inherits what we love about the KSO with functional improvements that appeal to the most active fitness enthusiast" (I'll get to a specific KSO vs. KomodoSport comparison below). The most obviously different feature of the KomodoSport is it's aggressive 4mm rubber outsole (the bottom you see above — note the arch is EVA). This outsole features grooved tread to provide additional grip when engaging in more tenuous, stop-and-go, laterally cutting exercises or recreation—think sprints. Here are some more shots.The KomodoSport outsole is paired up with a removable "footbed," which I think of as an insole, that lays on top of the rubber outsole, thereby eliminating any of the bottom seams — namely the ones at the toe pockets. Just look at this photo of the inside of the KomodoSport and note that you see zero stitching at the heel and the fabric doesn't pop up at the base in the toe pockets.The seamless KomodoSport footbed is also incredibly soft, and if you do the math, a 3mm footbed plus a 4mm outsole gives you 7mm of total thickness give or take a millimeter. I'm getting ahead of myself here but by comparison the FiveFingers KSO has a 4mm (The KSO sole is just smooth/flat with razor siping vs. raised/lowered portions like the KomodoSport) and a 2mm EVA midsole — 6mm.Note: I don't recommend removing the FiveFingers Komodo footbed as it's pretty hard to get back in. Also, if you're wondering if you could remove it to get a bit better ground feel, well, you could, but given the inside portion of the KomodoSport outsole is rubber covered with a gritty mesh, it's clearly not intended to be worn without the footbed in place. Maybe sans footbed plus socks it'd be okay — if anyone tries it let me know!While the Vibram FiveFingers Komodo Sport may look beefy in the sole, it still provides a great deal of ground feel and toe flexibility. I'd estimate it's marginally better than the Bikila and Trek-styled soles and marginally worse than the KSO. The upside is that the KomodoSport is considerably more functional for recreation and fitness activities that require launching across a field or stopping on a dime.The FiveFingers KomodoSport for Sprinting, Weight Lifting, and Lateral CutsThe FiveFingers KomodoSport's outsole/footbed combo is designed for traction (1) and (2) being able to cut laterally. Think: chasing after a launched frisbee or launching into a sprint. Raise your foot if you've ever launched after a frisbee in Sprint FiveFingers and attempted to stop only to find you couldn't stop? Maybe it's just me.Another recreational example is kickball. First off, kicking a big squishy ball (as with kickball — not sure about soccer) works remarkably well in FiveFingers. Take away the shoelaces you get with a standard shoe and add the wide, flat surfaced base that is a foot in it's close-to-natural condition—a.k.a. wear a pair of Vibrams— and you get a pretty accurate kicking foot. The sting isn't terrible and you can really nail the ball — or bunt if you like that strategy. Directional kicks are much easier, to boot. That said, as I noted a bit over two years ago, rounding bases in KSO FiveFingers is difficult to impossible. You just can't stop. Thankfully, the tread design of the Vibram KomodoSport goes a long way to providing stop and go traction — both for kickball and chasing frisbees. ]]> Requests nopq380 http://www.sportsgator.com/showthread.php?t=215536