Gist Five Toes Barefoot Running Shoes Review

Now that we’re well into the second year of this whole “barefoot renaissance” business, it’s getting a little hard to tell who’s who sometimes in the world of minimalist footwear.

One case in point is Gist Five Toes, a Santa Barbara-based company that proudly cites the Tarahumara Indians as the inspiration for their design - but instead of producing huarache-style footwear as some other Tarahumara proponents have done, they created a product that seems more inspired by the Vibram company.

Gist Dirt Runner

In fact, your first impression of Gist may be to label them as a Vibram FiveFingers knockoff – and honestly, you’d be well within your rights to think so. Even their name – a term for the essential part or meaning of something – seems to acknowledge the obvious: the essential noticeable feature of these shoes is the toe-glove styling that Vibram pioneered, made popular, and until very recently, manufactured exclusively. And calling them "Five Toes" in comparison to FiveFingers seems like a gimmick to trap misinformed Google searchers.  For the record, though, the company’s website says their name comes from the belief that “running is the gist of life,” which is certainly a tough one for me to dispute. So I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.

Nevertheless, it would take something pretty phenomenal to make a new product that looks almost exactly like the industry leader and somehow distinguish yourself as a reasonable alternative. Gist doesn’t quite reach that mark with its first footwear models, but it has some compelling features that could eventually earn it some market share in the ever expanding minimalist arena.

Contoured 5mm rubber outsole

Their product offerings currently consist of two models: Gist Originals for road running and general all-purpose use, and Dirt Runners, which are the model I’ve been testing recently. The underside is very similar in appearance to Vibrams, with a 5mm rubber outsole that wraps around the tops of the toes in front, and attaches to a performance fabric upper. The upper has a thicker rip-proof material above the toes, and transitions to a ventilated mesh on the midfoot area.

Mesh upper with zipper closure

The most distinguishing feature of the upper is the zipper fastener which allows for very easy on/off function. You don’t have to do nearly as much toe curling and wiggling to get into a pair of Gists as you do with FiveFingers. My biggest fears when I saw the zipper were 1) that it would be uncomfortable against my skin, and 2) that the fastener would bounce when I ran. The first concern is solved with a sturdy fabric layer between the zipper and the skin, and the second issue was noticeable, but not distracting or uncomfortable in my testing.

Low-profile, strapless uppers

This zipper is also the only means of adjusting the fit of the Dirt Runners; there are no straps around the heel or on the forefoot as many Vibram wearers are accustomed to. While this is great for convenience, it makes the overall fit of the shoes a little unpredictable. I had some occasional impingement issues on the front of the toes (in particular, for some odd reason, at the third toe) that typically resolved when I could shift my foot back into the heel cup, but I found myself wanting to secure this fit through the heel and arch a little bit better to keep my toes off the front end, especially when running on hills.

(One point of disclosure that should be pointed out here is that structurally, the Dirt Runners have more in common with Vibram’s strapless Classic FiveFingers model, which I’ve never owned or tested. Therefore, it might be unfair to compare them to the Vibram KSO, but since 1) that model is the most prevalent among runners, and 2) it’s one that I’m familiar with, that’s what I used as a point of comparison. For whatever that’s worth.)

Separation of outsole from upper

Another construction glitch that I discovered was some spotty separation of the upper from the outsole material. This tends to happen in high flexion areas, and the picture above was taken after about 50 miles on the shoes, so long-term durability would definitely be a concern here.

Where Gist excels is in ground feel and overall weight. The 5mm outsole feels more flexible than Vibram’s KSO, and allows a very natural sensation against the ground. Flexibility between the toes is slightly greater as well, providing a greater range of motion across all the small joints in the forefoot to let the toes spread more naturally on impact. Overall weight of the Dirt Runners is 5.5oz, which is 0.2 lighter than KSOs. When these fit correctly (i.e. when my heel isn’t moving or my toes aren’t contacting the front end) they replicate the freedom of going barefoot quite well.

So there are definitely some things to like about the Gist Dirt Runners – and while they aren’t going to make you forget about Vibrams anytime soon, at a price point of $50, they’re clearly aiming to provide a more affordable alternative to the larger company whose prices have been creeping steadily upward with each new model. I wouldn’t pick them over any of my favorite minimalist models - and I think your money is better spent on the more durable and well-proven Vibrams - but I think they’ve got some potential, with a couple of design tweaks here and there, to be a rival player in the minimalist footwear game.

*Product provided by Gist LLC
**See other product reviews on sidebar at right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.



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