Vibram Jaya's

I'd purchased a pair of Vibram Classics about a year ago. For a while I wore those Classics all day long every single say. I learned that those Vibrams would stink, I mean be downright wrank, after a week of continuous all-day-long wear. Weekly, I'd wash those Vibrams. And while I waited for those Classics to dry, I'd be forced into conventional shoes and my feet would be miserable.

REI, the store I purchased my Vibram Classics from, sent me a coupon for 20% off an item as well as my co-op dividends. Cha-ching! Last weekend I went Vibram shopping. As an FYI, the REI in Santa Ana relocated to Tustin, which, in my opinion sucks.

This pair of Vibram Jaya's were my destiny.


Different from my Classics in length of upper (the Classic uppers are more like a ballet shoe with much less coverage than the Jaya's) and type of sole (the Classics had a uniform sole with some texture, where the Jaya's have distinct sole texture -- the grey parts), the Jaya's fit differently than the classics: I wear a 40 in Classics and 39 in Jaya.
 

It's a little bit more "work" to get into the Jaya's as the uppers require your foot to enter the shoe in one direction but to accomodate your foot naturally, you need to turn your foot/toes at what feels like a 90° angle. I have to say the Jaya's are really effin' comfortable. I was worried that they'd feel more like "shoes" than the Classics since there is more sole texture and upper length, but I think I was being paranoid.

I'll be able to make concrete comparisons on the Vibram Classics vs Vibram Jayas soon.