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Barefoot Shoes

Black El-X FiveFingers Out!

The wait for the all black men’s Vibram Fivefingers El-X is over!

You can get them now with free two-day shipping (through Feb. 10) here for $75.

The wait for the all black men’s Vibram Fivefingers El-X is over! You can get them now with free two-day shipping (through Feb. 10) here for $75. Fit is similar to the Bikila if I had to make a comparison (I’m the same size in them as all my other FiveFingers–43 with 10.875″ long feet). Photos of’em if you’re curious after the jump. Review of the El-X is here
My personal take in a nutshell it’s that the El-X is the best thing to come out of Vibram since, well, probably the KSO. Incredible ground feel and fit. Awesome price point. For $75 how can you go wrong? Get a pair. I doubt you’ll regret it. Here: $74.95 @ CS

By Justin

Justin Owings is a deadlifting dad of three, working from Atlanta. When he's not chasing his three kids around, you'll find him trying to understand systems, risk, and human behavior.

23 replies on “Black El-X FiveFingers Out!”

THANK YOU SO MUCH for the heads up! I have been anxiously awaiting for these!
Just ordered my pair, can’t wait!!!!!!!

Are they good for running? I’m on my third pair of SeeYas and I want to know if I should consider trying these out…

Wow. The sole is like several previous soles combined. There are those crescent-shaped voids in the tread like the Classic sole, and the tread gets thicker where the Seeya had rubber and thinner where it had TPU. That’s awesome.

Man, I really want to order a pair of these, but i’m not sure which size to get, going off other peoples comments. (I’m 42 in the KSOs/KSO Treks).

Returning them would be hard, since i’ll be ordering them from the US and i’m in New Zealand! (I doubt anyone here carries them yet)

@Kyhwana

I just received my pair of EL-X’s in the mail. I wear a M39 in KSO’s with my left foot actually needing a size M39. I too was unsure which size to order but I went with the M40 in the end and I am glad I did! The EL-X’s are small and snug so it is probably best to size up, a M39 would be too small for my feet.

I’ve got a review coming up soon with more details, but wanted to go ahead and chime in for those with questions.

So far I’ve enjoyed running in these, though I will admit that they don’t feel quite as secure as other styles with laces or straps that really keep the shoes extra snug. But they don’t slip, slide, or cause hot spots (thus far) — just so long as your sizing is right.

Speaking of that, sizing is close to consistent with other styles, but not 100% exact. I usually wear 45s in the FiveFinger styles I own — and that’s also what I wear in the El-X. Styles I own: KSO, SeeYa, Komodo LS, Sprint. The El-X is ever-so-slightly snugger than those styles. On one hand this is good since it needs the extra security without straps or laces. But on the other they may be a bit too snug if your size is already fitted enough that even a hair tighter would hurt.

Just received mine in the mail today. I was extremely excited, until I tried them on… I’m not sure that I will be able to pull these off. The heel area is an issue for me. It’s too loose I think, my heel just doesn’t seem to fill it out. The heel feels sloppy while the rest feels nice and snug. I wear 40 in my Bikila LS, so I got 40 in these. I’m almost certain if I went down a size (although I believe 40 is the smallest) my toes would be very cramped. I have been waiting for these for months, only to be extremely let down. So bummed……… =(

Upon further investigation
TravelCountry also has the black version & code “SweetJuju” for 15% off brings it to ~$71 shipped (or $20 gift card for Every $100 Spent with “GiftMe”, but that means 2+ pairs or EL-X + Injinjis)

Roadrunnersports has them shipping Feb. 3rd , “CX12D054” gets 10% off order = $67.46 , $7 for 2 day shipping if you are inclined

I’ve had Classic, Sprint and a couple pairs of KSOs in size 41. Order same in El X, just got them and could barely put them on-blood constricting tight.

Just got mine, too. I’ve been mostly running in Lunas for the past two years or so but was a fan of KSOs in the past. Those just don’t work for me anymore so I was pretty psyched to try the EL-X. I went with size 44 (same size as my KSOs) but they definitely feel too snug in the toe/forefoot area yet a little slippy in the heel. Not sure these are going to work out … oh well.

OK. So I have them back on now.

My big toes actually touch es the tip of the toe pocket but I can flex it without a sock. Should I be worried that they are too small and size up again to a 43? Should I expect them to stretch out??

At the store, I seem to be a 42, a size over the Vibram chart. High arch and high instep an all.

i like the idea of the shoe, but why this yellow in-sole? this material gets worse and worn through so easily! this is very bad! :-C

Just got mine – usually a 45 so I bought the same. Fits good and snug – what I wished all my others did (I’m more like a 44.5), even better than the SeeYa. Heel cup seems slightly too big, but shouldn’t be an issue.

Even after 2 years of wearing KSOs, Treks, SeeYas and Stems, I still can’t get used to seeing my ankles without socks though. With these I might not get away with wearing Injinjis liners. But I’ll still try 😉

As described above, I tried these in my Bikila LS size 40 and the EL-X did not fit as well. The heel area was too loose and it seemed that I wasn’t filling it out enough. I ordered a size down to 39, received these in the mail last night. While the heel problem seems to be solved, much more fitted, the rest of the shoe is too small. My toes extend to the very tips and are uncomfortably tight.

I suppose I could use the size 40, but I’m just not sure how much the sloppy heel is going to affect/annoy me while wearing them on a regular basis. I will not know this without putting them thru the real world test, just strolling around the house isn’t a real good indicator but I need to keep them fresh as can be in case i need to return them.

Does anyone know if I will have the same issue with the Speeds? I have heard the heel cup is a big sloppy in those as well…

Just got my 42’s [see above comment]. Better, a little snug height wise in the front of my foot but they fit better. Heal cup could be tighter but these will work!

Surprise, surprise,
My first pair of Injinji orginals arrived *and*, though I bought them with the intention of trying on my VFFs at the store, THEY FIT INSIDE THE El-Xes.

Snug, snug, yes. Uncomfortable, no. Limited upward toe dexterity, yes. Less noticeable right big toe seam, yes.

😀

^ What I meant to say up there was; Will I have the same heel issue with the “SeeYah”, not the Speeds as I mentioned.

Sending both my 39 and 40 EL-X back today =(

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