A road test felt overdue for the new Vibram FiveFinger 2017 range, so I thought I would take the weekend as an opportunity to take the V-Trails for a spin. I decided to take them up Roseberry Topping, given that it has a good mix of terrain; grass, mud, rock and gravel.
I went for the Orange V-Trails, which I must admit I didn’t think I would be too keen on, and do generally go for the black and black grey options in my Vibrams, however, in person, they do look pretty good. They have a new sole pattern compared to their predecessor (the Spyridon MRs) but still feature the MegaGrip compound, so I can only imagine improved grip compared to these. They use the quick lace system, and have a handy strap on the heel to help get them on.
I wore these with a pair of Injinji Trail socks, but I do think they would be great without socks too, as they are a little more padded than other FiveFingers.
So on with the testing. Even though these have a thicker sole than most Vibrams, the ground feel is fantastic. I usually wear my KSO EVOs, which have a really thin sole, so I am used to a lot of ground feel, and didn’t feel let down by these. The sole also features the Cacoon 3d membrane, which helps protect against uneven terrain, rock, stones etc. The path on the lead up to the base of Roseberry Topping is a gravelled path, so great to put this to the test. I could feel that I was standing on something, especially when there was the odd large or sharp one. However, there was nothing which caused pain. The membrane does a good job at spreading the impact, so doesn’t affect the way in which you walk.
Next up, I had the steps, mixed with mud and grass inclines. Obviously I went for the mud and grass to check out the V-Trail’s grip. It was wet on the ground, and I really did feel solid the whole way, no slippage. The MegaGrip sole still performs extremely well.
There wasn’t too much wet ground to test them on, so I moved on to the more rocky terrain on the run up to the top. I felt great the whole way. I have suffered in the past with a bad ankle, so I am always hesitant to go too crazy, but I felt solid the whole way up and down. The multi-directional lugs on the sole really came into their own, I could go from rocks, to grass to mud, and felt very comfortable doing so in the V-Trails.
Even though I was wearing Injinji socks, my feet were kept cool and dry the whole time. The V-Trail has an Anti-Microbial fabric liner, which helps with this, and they are as fast at drying as most other Vibrams. I did go through the odd puddle, but to be honest, you couldn’t really tell.
Definitely the biggest pro of the V-Trail is the traction. The Vibram MegaGrip sole is unbeatable in terms of grip, it feels like you are literally stuck to the rocks, or whatever you are walking on. Definitely gives more confidence when you are out and about.
All in all, I had a great run out in the V-Trail, and I imagine with us saying goodbye to the Summer for another year, I will be putting in a few more miles with these over the Autumn and Winter months. Plus, I got to take in some nice scenery along the way.
