VibramFive Fingers Women's Trek Ascent Insulated Trail Hiking Shoe

As an avid Five Finger wearer (I could wear a different pair every day of the month), I wanted a pair of insulated Five Fingers that also looked "stylish". I have small feet and always wanted a pair of the leather "boots" that Vibram makes for the guys. Alas, I know my options will always be limited to the "girly" shoes, so I settled for the Ascent. I am glad I got them because I love these almost as much as my Grados. When deciding what size to order, I went with the majority and ordered a size up - these ended up being too large (long in the foot base and long in the toes). Unlike the Alitza and Entrada (which run small), the Ascents run true to size. I agree, there is an unusual "lip" in the toe opening, but once I wore the Ascents a few times, the "lip" wore down. I never really noticed it once I got the Ascents on my feet. They also seem a little snug at first, but after wearing them around for 10 - 15 minutes they loosened up (much like the Trek sport sandal). I wear my Ascents hiking in the Pacific Northwest (yes, cold and rainy) and I haven't yet experienced the cold, damp seeping-between-the-toes feeling that happens with my other Five-Fingers. No blisters or sore feet either.

The little toes are hard to get into. I had to over-stuff them to loosen them up before each use for the first couple of weeks. I ordered a size up (ordered size 42, usual size 40-41) and the fit is perfect as far as width and tightness of the shoe, however the toes are too long and I have lots of extra space at the end of my toes. Shoes are warm, but not winter proof. Don't try to use them as snow-going shoes. They are not waterproof and I find that the toes get wet and absorb water in the seams and near where the fabric meets the rubber sole. I have found they can be a little slippery on wet floors. I would buy these again, but I would order my size in men's instead of going up a size in women's. Be sure to measure your feet twice and check the item description/size guide! Overall very comfortable and worth the price.

This show feels a little smaller that my other five finger shoes, not in length, just in tightness in width and tightness in each toe. Wearing with lightweight injinji socks for a few days stretched them out a bit to be comfortable, as usual for five finger break ins. But if you want to wear original or heavy weight injinji, is I'd put up with them bring a bit too long to have the toes not be too tight. Wear a 40 European with lightweight injinji, and 41 with original & heavyweight injinji. Worth it to but both sizes of you like multiple weights of socks.

UPDATE:: My original rating was two stars, I'm downgrading that to one. As I noted in the original post, these are NOT the same shoes I got back last August. So much for the "buy it again" option at Amazon.The fabric is significantly heavier and much stiffer than that in the shoes I bought originally. It's possible of course that the manufacturer wanted a longer-lasting product; if you believe that I can get you a GREAT deal on some waterfront property in the Sahara Desert. The original shoes have held up quite well, considering that I've worn them 24/7 at least 8 hours every day since August 20, 2016, which is when I received them. Why does this matter? Because it is all I can do to force my toes into them. Not a size problem. When I finally get the toes there (took me 20 minutes this morning) the shoes are plenty comfortable and plenty large. Ultimately, I don't know whether the problem is with Amazon or the manufacturer, but someone needs to look at consistency. Again, I'm not going to return these shoes. Returns are a major hassel and I depend on these shoes, as I noted in an earlier post, I wear Vibrams not to wade through streams or do yoga or look cool, but to enable me to walk.********************First, I'm keeping these shoes, they're fine. On my podiatrist's recommendation I bought a pair of Vibrams close to a year ago. They made the difference between walking and not walking. Problem: the grass is really wet in the morning. I know the shoes can handle that, but my socks were always wet, which isn't good for your feet. So I ordered another pair, way too small, and had to return them. Then another pair, again significantly too small, returned them. I was following the Vibram sizing instructions but I kept getting shoes that were way too small. I looked very carefully, but I was unable to find a size listed on the shoes I was wearing, wet or dry. Finally, I went back to the original order, which told me what size I had bought, and clicked on "buy it again". Those shoes came and they fit, but they are absolutely not the same as the ones I bought the first time. That's not a problem for me; it does, however, reinforce my observation that the manufacturer has a problem with consistency and sizing. BTW, I know some wearers have several pairs and I might at some point (walking beats not walking by a country mile), but right now I just need to be able to change from wet to dry.

Cute shoes but seams inside are awkward and painful on the toes. Absolutely could not wear these. Ended up getting rid of them. Vibram sizing is weird compared to other shoes. Have yet to find a comfortable pair that isn't either too long or too short in length.