Wearing Vibram Five Fingers while Skydiving?

[hokierower 0]

Does anyone wear a pair when you jump? I've got two pairs that I wear for most everything (except work) and want to wear them for jumping but just wanted to see if anyone else had done it previously.

[GLIDEANGLE 1]

I don't wear them myself, but I know at least two jumpers who jump with them with great success!

The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

[hokierower 0]

Thanks, that's reassuring. I wore them on my Lvl 1 even though I didn't get to jump and my instructor looked at them and said "you're gonna jump in those?"

[likestojump 3]

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Thanks, that's reassuring. I wore them on my Lvl 1 even though I didn't get to jump and my instructor looked at them and said "you're gonna jump in those?"

I am not an instructor, but I do own a pair of those shoes.
I think it's highly unsafe and irresponsible to have a newbie jump in those.

picture for those who do not know WTF they are : http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/Five-Fingers-Sprint-Mens.htm

[tmarine253 0]

I own a pair, never jumped in them, but am considering it now. I dont see how it is that different than a shoe other than possibly stubbing your toe would probably be a little easier in these rather than shoes.

[hokierower 0]

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Thanks, that's reassuring. I wore them on my Lvl 1 even though I didn't get to jump and my instructor looked at them and said "you're gonna jump in those?"

I am not an instructor, but I do own a pair of those shoes.
I think it's highly unsafe and irresponsible to have a newbie jump in those.

picture for those who do not know WTF they are : http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/Five-Fingers-Sprint-Mens.htm

Care to elaborate? I'm not trying to be a smartass, just wondering.

For the record, I have a pair of sprints & a pair of KSOs (http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/Five-Fingers-KSO-Mens.htm)...I was wearing my KSOs.

[danielcroft 2]

I think I have 7 pairs of VFFs and wear them all the time. My wife and I have been wearing them for about 3 years now.

I don't wear them jumping because I caught my toe while landing once and did some damage, wasn't fun. My wife still jumps in them but that's her choice, I also know people who jump bare foot which is fine too. I choose not to use them because the chance of injury is a bit outside my acceptable window.

[rtroup 1]

I own a pair as well. Would never jump in them. I consider jumping in them to be only slightly safer than jumping bare foot. The chances of getting a toe caught and maybe ripped off are too great. Remember we don't always have the option to land in an obstacle free landing area. Shit happens.

(insert philosophical quote here)

[riggerrob 558]

Bad idea!
For the same reason that Tandem Instructors are not supposed to wear open-toe sandals: too great a snag hazard!

[stayhigh 2]

It is fine.
People go barefoot all the time
Don't be a bitch

Bernie Sanders for President 2016

[danielcroft 2]

[phoenixlpr 0]

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Does anyone wear a pair when you jump? I've got two pairs that I wear for most everything (except work) and want to wear them for jumping but just wanted to see if anyone else had done it previously.

Well, I know a guy who jump with bare feet if the weather is warm.

As a student you wear proper footware, as a D licensed jumper you jump in whatever you want to.

[virgin-burner 1]

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It is fine.
People go barefoot all the time
Don't be a bitch

right, there's this instructor friend of mine, she used to jump barefoot. she has now two artificial hip-joints at age 35. she broke bones in places i wouldnt want to mention. she doesnt jump barefoot anymore.

“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

[piisfish 135]

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she broke bones in places i wouldnt want to mention.

boobie bones ??

are all these broken bones due to barefoot jumping ?

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[virgin-burner 1]

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she broke bones in places i wouldnt want to mention.

boobie bones ??

are all these broken bones due to barefoot jumping ?

that's the story i got; you know her too!

“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

[craigbey 0]

Do you get a pair of 'toe-socks' with those?

edit: Sorry, I just noticed that they DO sell toe-socks. Weren't the 70's great?

[bofh 0]

I once got hit by turbulence exactly as I was about to flare and found myself on the ground rather quickly. I had a straight leg that I landed on, the bones in the knee hit each other and got damaged. It only hurt for three months which was lucky according to the doctor. My shoes had some air bubbles in the soles that took up some of the impact force, they were flat after the landing. Barefoot or with shoes without any dampening would have resultet in a much worse accident.

[DARK 0]

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Bad idea!
For the same reason that Tandem Instructors are not supposed to wear open-toe sandals: too great a snag hazard!

how are vffs a greater snag hazard then regular shoes?

[Beatnik 2]

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how are vffs a greater snag hazard then regular shoes?

Do you not see the four openings in the front that lines could go into and snag? Regular shoes don't have that and the lines can go one of two ways. Plus the velcro straps also have snag potential.

[DARK 0]

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how are vffs a greater snag hazard then regular shoes?

Do you not see the four openings in the front that lines could go into and snag? Regular shoes don't have that and the lines can go one of two ways. Plus the velcro straps also have snag potential.

you are seriously suggesting that a line is more likely to get snagged in between your toes and stay there then it is to get wrapped around a regular sized shoe weather or not that shoe has laces or velcro?

you might be right but i very much doubt it

[hokierower 0]

Wow, go to sleep with 3 replies, wake up with a whole bunch!

My other "problem" is that I don't have any tennis/running shoes to wear . I wear my VFFs to work out and construction boots for work. When I go out it's either the VFFs, sandals, or my boots.

I can see the potential for stuff getting in between the toes or stubbing them, hell, it happens when I'm just walking around. I can see a possible problem from there not being a conventional sole with padding. But I don't see a problem as far as rolling or twisting an ankle because like a tennis shoe, there's no support in that area.

I guess I'll see what happens and then make a decision from there.

[Halfpastniner 0]

Come on man. If you can afford to skydive, you can afford to buy a pair of shoes. Something without snag hazards and decent support.

BASE 1384

[piisfish 135]

how well do they grip or slide on grass/tarmac/dirt whichever landing zones you might land on ?

I prefer soles that slide.

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[hokierower 0]

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Come on man. If you can afford to skydive, you can afford to buy a pair of shoes. Something without snag hazards and decent support.

Haha, it isn't that I can't afford a pair, I just haven't needed a pair in the past year or so, therefore I was trying to see if there was anyone who has already jumped in them and can give me some feedback.

Like I said, the only difference that I see between VFFs and tennis shoes is that the VFFs don't have a cushion in the sole. I'll look into buying a cheap pair of go-fasters though.

My VFFs let my little piggies feel FREEEEEE!!!

[Scrumpot 1]

Bad idea AS A STUDENT, and while you are under an instructors supervision - also not your decision to make. Your instructor will INSTRUCT you, as to what is acceptable - given your DZ's lay-out, location and several (whatever) factors are applicable to the (and your) appropriate applicable instruction and safety considerations, as at this juncture in your skydiving "career" you are yourself, not yet capable of fully discerning - and therefore, for yourself - deciding.

If you do not have appropriate footwear (which I as an instructor at least at the DZ's I instruct at, would NOT allow you to wear these on your AFF jumps) - when you arrive at the DZ - we actually have and "stock" suitable "loaner" footwear we will fit you in.

If the above is not the case at a DZ where I am instructing, and you show up in these, and we cannot find suitable alternate footwear for you at all - I'm sorry, but your then just not jumping that day. Again - it is at your juncture YOUR INSTRUCTORS DISCRETION and HIS/HER call entirely. On student status (at least anywhere I have ever instructed before) - WE will decide for you, what is suitable footwear, versus what is not. Once you are off student status ...have at it. Jump whatever you want. However, until then...

Blue Skies,
-Grant

coitus non circum - Moab Stone