Vibram Jaya versus Vibram Classic

I can't believe it, but my Classics are second string to my Jayas in my Vibram line-up. I honestly thought my second pair of Vibrams would play second-fiddle to my beloved Classics.

Vibram Classics the day I bought them, back in May '10.

The Jayas weigh quite a bit less than the Classics. Weight coupled with the shoe form means the Jayas are much more "barefoot" feeling than the Classics.

Jayas (39) weigh in at 6.3 oz while the Classics (40) weigh in at 10.5 oz.

While many report issues with the spine, or backbone, of the Classics, I never had problems. I never felt the need to tighten the Classics with the single-pull lace, nor have I felt that the single-lace dug into my feet. There is a little pillow of cushion at the top of the Jaya backbone that is quite nice. It's nothing extravagant, but it is there, about 1.5" wide, and just slightly puffed, wrapping around the achilles.

I reported previously that I had difficulty getting my foot into the Jayas, saying that it felt like I had to put my toes in at what felt like a 90° angle. Wrong, wrong, wrong. I was accustomed to putting my toes into the toe pockets of the Classics and then with a quick snap, 90% of the time, popping the Classics over my heel.

Jaya toe insertion is exactly the same as the Classic, but I treated the Jayas like they had a rigid backbone behind the heel. Now that I've gotten over that, I can easily insert my toes and heel into the Jayas by ignoring the imaginary heel backbone, flattening the heel spine completely. A finger used as a shoe-horn is quite-often required with the Jayas and only infrequently necessary with the Classics.

Compared to my Dr. Martens, the Classic sole is exceptionally thin and flexible. The Jaya sole, flexibility-wise, is as different from the Classic as the Classic is to Docs! Sitting side-by-side you can see the Classics are "flat" while the Jayas form a bit of a "U" shape. The Classics tend to keep the flat shape while on my feet and the Jayas are more a "custom" form to my foot(s). Once my feet are in the Jayas, their shape is no longer a "U" as they, well, accomodate my feet.

My Vibram Jayas and Classics

Having worn primarily Jayas the past few weeks, when I put the Classics on I realize that I can feel the built-in arch of the sole and the toe pockets feel rigid.

The Jaya shoe is so flexible that they will bend under pressure of even a vacuum cleaner. When vacuuming, I can use the vacuum to push my Docs and Vibram Classics out of the way. Turns out, when I attempt the same with the Vibram Jayas, my Hoover literally runs over them producing a sound similar to what I get when running over a thick electrical cord, like the one that powers the Hoover. Just sayin'.

Wearing only my Classics outside of work, I had no "feet problems" the past 11 months. Then I started wearing the Jayas. I've been wearing the Jayas outside of work daily since I bought them (and thus, the Classics not very often) and have noticed increasing discomfort when wearing my Doc's.

My feet are now typically achy and absolutely uncomfortable in the Doc's after 3-4 hours. (The soles of my feet, especially, are uncomfortable which suggests that the soles of my Docs are burnt out). The last hours at work are almost excruciating with my dogs barking constantly. I can't wait to get into my truck and pop my shoes and socks off to let my feet be feet instead of flattened stumps. Once that happens, my feet take about 5 minutes to be feet again.

Toes grip the gas, brake and clutch pedals, and actually play a role in what I'm doing instead of being tiny useless appendages that act in unison by force of leg muscles. I used to think that the pinky toe was an appendage worth being surgically removed. While it's worth is still questionable, I see now how that little guy actually does attempt to do something when allowed the opportunity!

I've essentially trained my feet over the last year to be functional, and my toes, particularly over the past couple weeks, to be functional appendages. Shoving those functional feet and digits into foot coffins, aka conventional shoes, is plain misery.

Jayas vs Classics? Jayas win, feet down.

A Funny Thing

One day last month, getting into my truck, I saw this note:

"THANKS SO MUCH
FOR BLOCKING

ME IN SO I

COULDN'T GET TO

WORK THIS MORNING!"

True, I did block him in. In fact, I had parked right behind him two nights in a row. I know the owner of the blocked car has a truck he uses regularly. So I left this note:

"I thought you were

courteously leaving

a space for others to

park behind your 2nd

auto for the 2nd

day in a row."

Notice the lack of apology --

if you don't want people to block you in, don't leave a friggin' car length behind you!

After I left the note on the dude's windshield, I couldn't help notice something in the interior of his car was missing:

Drive much without a steering wheel?

Spooky's Work Week Ritual

During the work week, Spooky awaits my return home.

Once I arrive home, Spook's quite vocal, asking me how my day was, why didn't I bring him any treats (the fact that he asks me this daily tells me he needs a lesson in humility), what are we having for dinner (Salmon Purina One), when is dinner going to be done (in 2 seconds), will I clean his toilet (of course, as soon as deal with his earlier concern), and can we go outside now?

Can we, can we, can we, please, please, please?

Once I put his harness and leash on, Spook waits by the door watching and waiting for my hand to twist the knob. If I don't open the door within seconds of him being harnessed, Spook's frantic with worry.

Spook's a little OCD. I like that about him. Reminds me a little bit of someone I know.

Why Catch Bins are a Good Idea

Remember when I said you should have a catch bin under your worm bin? Ok, maybe I never said so explicitly, but it was always implied even from the beginning.

This is why:

That's water, wet poop, and worms accumulated in The Offspring's catch bin. You really don't want this leaking all over your kitchen floor or whatever location you decide to keep worms.

Look at this mess:

Note that there are worms right in the mucky water! As an FYI, the container in there is an old Tidy Cat container.

I drained off the water caught in the Tidy Cat container cavity (formed over time due to a hole that eventually blew open in a corner) straight into the catch bin, taking care to strain out the worms floating around in there (and yes, they were still alive though slow-moving). Then I scraped the worms and poop into The Offpring so the worms could get back to work.

What kind of spa/resort do they think I'm running here?

I'll admit that the caught water was fairly stank. I poured the poop-brown water from the catch-bin over a bush in front of my apartment. And no, I didn't bother to rinse the catch-bin out before I put it right back where it belonged. However, I did wipe the pouring edge with a piece of TP left on a roll destined for worm feeding. You can hose out the bin, scrub it if you want, but once the water accumulation is discarded, the odor is pretty much non-existent.

It's up to you though, you clean-freak, worm-bin-wanna-be-havin' friends of mine. One day, you'll find that you can't have enough worm bins...yes, yes, my friends, we will revel in that together. It's only a matter of time...and I can wait.

And lie in wait I will.

Worm Eggs

These are just a couple of the many eggs I came across in a batch of poop I was prepping a few weeks ago.

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.