New Chinese Counterfeit Jaya Hit the Market

It was just a matter of time for the Chinese grey market to produce counterfeit JAYA in new colorways.

The differences are mostly in the fabrics utilized in the production.

The lasts used are also sightly different from the REAL JAYA.

The pads are manufactured with nylon / rubber mix.

Don't be fooled, BUY SMART.

Agent Orange Blossom


Here are some pictures: (click on picture for full view)
Take a good look.

More Counterfeit FiveFingers TREKSPORT

It was just a matter of time for the Chinese grey market to produce counterfeit TREKSPORT in new colorways.

The difference is mostly in the fabrics utilized in the production.

The lasts used are also sightly different from the REAL TREKSPORT.

The sole is manufactured with nylon / rubber mix.


Don't be fooled, BUY SMART.

Agent Orange Blossom

Here are some pictures: (click on picture for full view)

More Counterfeit FiveFingers BIKILA LS

It was just a matter of time for the Chinese grey market to produce counterfeit BIKILA LS

The difference is mostly in the fabrics utilized in the production.

The lasts used are also sightly different from the REAL BIKILA.


Don't be fooled, BUY SMART.

Agent Orange Blossom

Here are some pictures: (click on picture for full view)

NEW Counterfeit FiveFingers collection 2011

Meet your new collection of Chinese counterfeit Vibram FiveFingers 2011 edition.
Look carefully ....

This is a collection of KSO, KSO TREK, CLASSIC, SPRINT, SPEED and BIKILA which all came out of the gray China markets.

Notice the "Non Vibram" colorways, Spandex uppers and toe pockets shapes that differ from the genuine article.

Don't be fooled, Shop Smart !

If it's not listed on the VibramFivefingers.com site then it not genuine; it's that simple.






















Don't be fool ..... Shop Smart !

Agent Orange Blossom.

Baking Soda Pockets .. What Are They ?? Why ??

Baking Soda Pocket ..... What are these things ???

There have been many questions since I posted about the infamous Baking Soda Pockets, so here are the answers.

Please be aware that the pockets do not replace the daily clean-up procedure but are a supplement to proper hygiene.

Baking Soda Pockets 101

A baking soda pocket is made of 3 parts,

1. Sodium Bicarbonate
2. Activated carbon
3. the pocket itself as the container.

NAHCO3 Sodium Bicarbonate (also known as Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate) is a chemical compound that is highly alkaline that is, among may other uses, has been found to be an effective fungicide against many organisms. Bicarb is often used as a neutralizing agent that absorb odors caused by acids (sweat is acidic), a tried-and-true method.

Activated Carbon is well known for it ability to absorb Exotic Volatile Organic Compounds (E-VOC) and in air purifiers. The purpose of Activated Carbon is to change contaminants from a gaseous phase to a solid phase which are stored in the porous material.

That said, the combination of 2 odor fighting ingredients seemed very appropriate to test and the results came out with a very positive outcome.

Since many people have asked what are the pockets the here is how you make them.

I use commercial grade tea pockets (made from Abaca pulp); they are 8 cm x 18 cm (3" x 7") They are stuffed with 5 teaspoons of Bicarb (roughly 30 grams) and 3 teaspoons of Activated Carbon (12 grams).

Then you mix the 2 ingredients evenly and pour the mixture in the bag and seal it. And there you have it, you just made yourself a baking soda pocket. Lab experiments shows that the average life of a pocket is 2 months from the date of activation.

Let me explain "date of activation"... This operation is done only once in the life of a pocket. Research shows that activated carbon works better when after completing the pockets they are inserted in a microwave over for 5 seconds. This is all that is needed. Longer time will not make things better and could possibly damage your appliance.

Below are some pictures of a completed and activated Baking Soda pocket.

Hope you enjoy, and keep it clean and fun !

Agent Orange Blossom.

PS: Thank you all for supporting my blog.

A completed Pocket with Baking Soda and Activated Carbon particles
A Baking Soda Pocket in use

I Get Nasty Blisters with my FiveFingers... Why ???

A buddy of mine, which converted to FiveFingers minimalist footwear 6 months ago, came to my lab a couple weeks back and we discussed his issues with massive blisters on the great toes, on the side of the foot and heel.

This, according to my friend, appears to happen after a 8 or more miles run. Joe does not wear socks just like many of us VFF-ers .... Blisters that he never had before and, so far, are a recent occurrence.

So I proceeded to elaborate on blisters, causes, effects, and remedies. (A little science is always fun)

BLISTERS
It turns out that blisters are pretty common among athletes, that they wear socks or not. Blisters develop when the feet and the footwear continuously rub together, causing the outer layers of the skin to separate from the inner layers; the gap created is then filled with lymph fluids. Then come the pain.

Blisters normally will heal on their own; the lymph fluid is reabsorbed and disappear and as you shed your outer skin everything looks good soon after.

Some blisters will pop (or sometimes we do it our-self) causing them to become infected. Medical attention is highly recommended if you see blood and some yellow liquids coming out of the blister bubble.

On such injuries I always use MoleSkin from Dr. Scholl's or whatever is similar to "MoleSkin". This product provides a waterproof shield and really relieves the pain associated with blisters. I clean and dry the area to be treated, cover the hot spots with patches of MoleSkin , put my favorite footwear back on and keep going.

What are the culprits in causing blisters on your feet?

• Moisture
• Heat
• Friction
• Slippage footwear not properly secured or too big
• Fungal infections of the skin

While walking downtown to get a good cup of Java, Joe asked me if my feet were slipping in my VFF's . After telling him that I never had such problems I decided to get a closer look at his problem.

While quizzing Joe about his running habits I found out that he cleaned his VFF's on average once a month., runs every days for at least 1 hr and wear his VFF"s for at least 10 hrs a day.

Then Joe tells me " I feel like my feet are slipping in my VFF's after I wear them for 30 minutes ..."

Then I thought ..... Oh Yeah ... Dead skin, Sebum, body fat, ....... !

So, I told Joe to give it a try to my methods:

• Clean your VFF's every nights,
• Make sure they are dry before you wear them again
• Clean your feet before you wear your VFF's .....
• And let's see what happens.

He agreed.

Just got a call from Joe this evening .... Will be having coffee tomorrow PM .... And the good news are that Joe has been blister free for 2 weeks; he is a pretty happy camper again.......

Yes, it's a fact that poorly maintained FiveFingers and poor hygiene will cause all sorts of problems including nasty blisters that will most definitely hamper your exercise routine.


Have Fun and Keep it Clean !

Agent Orange Blossom.

 Note:

Probably the easiest way to clean your VFF's is to jump in the shower with them, and when you are done, use the suds as you are rinsing, a quick rub then rinse again and you are done.  All you have left to do is to let your VFF's dry in a coll, well ventilated area overnight.

Also see my article on the topic: Link below.
http://fivefingers-tips.blogspot.com/2011/09/stinky-fivefingers-other-minimalist.html

FiveFingers Repair ** How To ** From A to Z

Although Vibram is more than excellent with their outstanding 90 days Warranty exchange "No questions Asked" policy on all their FiveFingers products, there are times when you truly wish that the Vibram Warranty would go forever.

So, when something dramatic happens to your most favorite footwear you must come up with something creative to fix the problem permanently. For instance, a friend brought me a pair of VFF's SPRINT in pretty bad shape and I looked into the problem and devised this repair.

I also had my favorite blue BIKILA big toe come unglued; time to fix this too!

To make an effective and permanent repair on your VFF's you will need some basic tools, such as:

• Denatured Alcohol
• Cotton Swabs
• Locking Clamps
• Pressure Clamps
• Dental Pick
• Shoe Goo
• High Density Foam (not necessary but very practical)

Shoe Goo ... Why ??? Shoe Goo is a "flexible when dry" polyurethane bonding agent that contains Toluene (C₆H₅CH₃₎, a clear, water-insoluble liquid; Chemically it is a mono-substituted benzene derivative, i.e. one in which a single hydrogen atom from the benzene molecule has been replaced by a univalent group, in this case CH3. Since it is a solvent, Toluene will react with nylons, polyamides & polyurethanes based fabrics by fusing them together when pressure is applied to the materials. The results are a waterproof bond that will last.

It should be said that I also investigated other glues and had some pretty awful results:

Crazy Glue leaves a hard crunchy residue that will crack easily and further damage your VFF"s
Rubber Cement gave me the worse results, causing discoloration, and the repair came unglued with the first wash. I got a similar result with LocTite Stik'n Seal and SuperGlue.


The best way to repair a partially detached sole or pad from the fabric is as follows:

• Thoroughly clean and dry your Fivefingers
• Use a dental pick to remove dust dirt glue scraps
• Clean the area with denatured alcohol and let dry for 30 min
• Use the plastic end of a cotton swab and apply a thin even coat of Shoe Goo on both sides of the area to be repaired
• Align the 2 pieces together and press between fingers
• Install the clamps evenly across the glued area
• Allow to dry completely for 24 Hrs in a ventilated area.
• Keep in mind that the bonding process works much better at temperatures above 66 °F
• Use Crazy Glue only to reset the laces in the Velcro/leather tab on the LS series.

Here are a couple pictures of the process: (click on Picture for larger view)

Tools of the Trade


FiveFingers SPRINT ** before repair TOP ** Clamped Middle ** Completed Repair Bottom
Here is an example of a repair on a MOC pad:
Repair Work for Detaching side on KSO
BIKILA toe bumper repair; the foam toes are inserted to provide leverage & grip

BIKILA Toe Repair Completed (at only 700 miles got to take care of them)