U.S. Army Bans Vibram Foot Gloves
By Rocky Thompson on July 20th, 2011
Toe shoes, Vibram FiveFingers, EvoSkins, whatever you want to call them, they’re no longer welcome in the U.S. Army. The Army has issued an order banning the use of minimalist shoes or anything that simulates barefoot running because they detract from the military’s professional image. You might think this kind of issue would be unnecessary as Vibram doesn’t make a steel-toe version of their popular FiveFinger shoes, but as you can see in this picture, some soldiers have actually been using them (it’s the soldier wearing them in the photo, not the dog).
Trendy outdoorsy people sitting at coffee shops= Good. Soldiers running from gunfire in foreign countries= Bad.
You are at least three weeks late on this
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The ban on all minimalist shoes only applies in basic training - minimalist shoes other than FiveFingers are allowed outside of Basic Training.
Write a comment…The toe shoes are light weight and army boots are heavy and bulky.
I could see these being a good option for OTB (Over The Beach) operations. That is with light loads.
I am a combat veteran of the army’s elite 82nd Airborne Infantry Div. I think that the army should be focusing there attention on results, instead of image. If a soldier thinks that a piece of custom equipment will benefit him in a combat zone to survive. Then the army should piss off. Back in garrison, fine, dog and pony show it up. But the people who are making these rules and regulations, are sitting in some office at the pentagon, 10,000 miles away!!!
These things will only make it harder to run in combat boots. So no bueno!
I wonder how those shoes would work for skateboarding =)
Write a comment…Well, the US Army is known far and wide for it’s intelligent, well-thought decisions… so this comes as no surprise…
The soldiers weren’t wearing them with their uniforms. Some soldiers were wearing them to their morning PT (Physical Training) that lovely time at 4 am when soldiers all over the country get together on bases to run miles, do push-ups and sit-ups and other fun stuff. Soldiers get to chose what shoes to wear, apparently, except for these.
Sucks.
Seems like the Army has a longstanding fear of anything that looks gay…
Write a comment…They are banned in the IPFU during organized PT sessions. You can still wear them while doing individual training in civilian clothes.
Supposedly they don’t allow any polypro clothes as well; stuff melts like Saran Wrap if in a fire!
That figures. I’m in the Army and I use the five fingers. The funny thing about it is this. The first time I saw these shoes was at FOB Salerno Afghanistan. The Army want’s high performance soldiers but refuses to let us wear high performance gear.
How does the shoe i see most people wearing detract from the professional image. Im on a US Marine Base i see at least 50% of the under 35 crowd wearing them. But then again the Marines have more of a warrior mindset built into them and if something will make them stronger, less prone to injury and possible faster even the old guys will jump on board
Vibram makes a great product on any shoe. But this particular design of footware proves to be impractical in the field and during physical training. The persons that tend to endorse minmalist products typically have a history of foot problems, therefore they should think twice about making a career out of the military. No one wants a whiner in the field.
herb, these probably provide the same relative amount of protection as a pair of boots when stepped on a land mine
Lame! I love my 5-fingers, and have run with them in Army PT tests. That’s the only time they’d be worn, never in combat. It’s a great fitness tool that the Army is banning. Sad day. I guess back to my Brooks when on duty.
really? We still use them for PT in the Marine Corps. Everyone is getting a pair. They use them for PT. Not going patrolling in Afgan ect.. They are usually on base with them. Civilians would rarely even see an army platton go for their 4 am Moto run. Im not a soilder, but as a Marine, that is a little silly. Little Girls and their fear of not matching a regular tennie. Girls!
Yes, these and other minimalist shoes prove beneficial to those who choose to wear them. What they do not do is provide a professional appearance. You can still wear them on your own time, just not while in uniform.
Finally, someone wake who thinks these shoes are rediculous. Ugliest things ever produced, and ydou look like a total douche wearing them.
Wow The old cell phone really did a crap job of auto correcting.
the special forces guy jumping at low altitude, with the dog who is actually probably better trained than most 20 year old army rangers, don’t play by the same rules as the rest of the military grunts,
ACTUALLY they are not authorized for use and it has been that way for a few weeks now. I believe if they serve a good purpose they SHOULD be allowed. OBVIOUSLY we do not wear them unless we are doing PT ( physical training ) as we are required to wear combat boots when in ACUS or unless a profile exists
Merica, your comment is irrelevant due to the fact we would NOT be wearing these shoes in the same situations that we’d be wearing boots. But for simple point of fact, boots do have more protection. some have steel toes ( as we obviously work with heavy equipment sometimes ) and they provide a ton of ankle support. all of which is important when in combat….
please save your remarks for ” stepped on a land mine ” for another article as NO SHOE/BOOT would help you from that, moron.
sgt pavlica
us army
since sep 04
2 deployments
personally i think its silly, i have been running in vibrams for the past 5months in afghanistan and i absolutely love them. A good number of my superiors utilize them as well. I’m hoping they are authorized during out Physical Fitness Test when we get home. “unprofessional”?? give me a break they are shoes and i’d rather see a fit soilder/sailor/airman/Marine in “silly” shoes then a fat one in sneakers
Banning minimalist shoes in Basic Training makes complete sense. Trainees’ bodies are put through the most rigorous physical conditioning of their lives, and few people have gone barefoot since birth to handle the extra forces. Minimalist shoes have their place, but not as the sole shoe in a training regimen, and you don’t have room or reason for multiple training shoes in Basic. The number of stress fractures that occur in Basic Training is high as it is without adding the additional training dynamic of minimalist shoes. I train with Five Fingers, believe in the minimalist trend, and I’ve been through Basic Training. The two do not belong together.
i too am a us army vet and i would have loved to have had my five fingers back then. i served in the 82nd (1-325) and have run countless miles up and down ardennes. as far as wearing them in the field, i do believe that a boot, not to say the gi boots are great, would have more ankle support when humping over the rocky terrain and rough roads. yes there is not much advantage when stepping on a land mine ( douche, some of us lost good friends by ieds) but during pt these should be allowed. i agree with a comment about the military should focus on getting better equipment for the joe to help him with being a better soldier (ie better vision, and protection). not with the overall look of a soldier. a happy morale leads to a better soldier.
If people in the military want to wear gay looking shoes then they should be able to wear stupid gay looking shoes. The Army should not tell them that stupid gay looking shoes are not allowed. That would be stupid and gay. Like these shoes.