Vibram Five Fingers KMD Sport LS Review

The Vibram Five Fingers KMD Sport LS is a wider, more cushioned barefoot shoe that puts a softer feel on a more durable sole, making the shoe ideal for races of all distances on the roads, trails or the beach, especially in warmer temperatures, in wetter conditions and dry winter days, too!

Vibram Five Fingers KMD Sport LS Review

What is the Vibram KMD Sport LS Good For?

The KDM Sport LS, also known as the KomodoSport LS, is not only a superb  road running shoe, its an excellent choice for cross-training, Tai Chi, walking, power hiking on woodland terrain, gym workouts, biking, dancing, water sports like jet-skiiing, fishing, canoeing, sailing and trekking through creeks.

The KMD Sport LS is also super comfortable if you have a job requiring you to stand for long hours. Basically, you can wear these shoes for everything!

Vibram FiveFingers KMD Sport LS Review


Sole Specifications

The Vibram KMD Sport LS sits on a 2 mm polyurethane and soft microfibre midsole, plus a 4 mm TC-1 performance rubber outsole that really smoothes out the roughness feeling of harsh, beat up, cracked roads or rocky, rooted littered trails. Additionally, the sole offers a solid grip on wet, slimy rocks or when trekking up steep mountain sides.Vibram Five Fingers KMD Sport LS Review



The sole is amped up with smooth, textured rubber, circular lug strips from toe to heel that provides a more stable, clutchy handling and a flexible, nimble ride on all types of terrain!

Vibram FiveFingers KMD Sport LS Review

The Vibram KMD Sport LS’s sole offers a smoother, softer ride than most Vibram shoes, but despite being on the more cushy side of the minimalist spectrum, the KMD Sport LS offers a surprising level of gait-correcting sensory feedback, helping improve your forefoot running form.

Another functional asset of the sole is its zero drop, meaning the sole is completely flat, getting you closer to the ground which is extremely effective in helping improve the coordination of your forefoot strike when you run. 

Upper Specifications

The upper uses a mix of  breathable and abrasion-resistant polyester materials that’s more durable, thicker and stretchier than other Vibram models.  Also, if the upper gets super muddy, it doesn’t stain, rather the mud wipes right off which is why these shoes always look new, no matter how dirty they get!

Vibram Five Fingers KMD Sport LS Review

The upper gives the toes plenty of wiggle room because the upper is literally in sync with the natural shape of the human foot, and is intended to fully engage toe spreading to secure balance, which is definitely needed when zipping over loose or uneven surfaces.

Vibram Five Fingers KMD Sport LS Review

Even though the upper has more material density, its still radically stretchy enough, providing an incredibly comfortable fit, regardless of how wide your foot is. The shoe also fits great with toe socks, which is perfect for cooler weather. 

Vibram FiveFingers KMD Sport LS Review

You won’t have any fitting problems with the KMD Sport LS either, thanks to the improved pull cord Velcro strap lacing, which allows the shoe to hug closer to your foot without being too tight. It also works great at keeping debris completely out, and overall, makes the shoe easier to put on and slip off.

Last but not least, the upper comes in several fresh n’ vibrant colour options, too!

Final Thoughts

Vibram has done a great job at constructing a highly versatile barefoot shoe that’s perfectly suitable for the long haul. The KMD Sport LS is also wider, thus going in the right direction in functionality!

Vibram FiveFingers KMD Sport LS Review

Overall, the Vibram Five Fingers KMD Sport LS is a fresh-looking, snappy shoe because the outsole is very light and grippy, and what is more, it will last longer than the sole on other lighter barefoot running shoes. No doubt, the Vibram KMD Sport LS exceeds at racing distances up to the marathon while being perfect at what it does = making you feel as if you are really barefoot!

If you’ve enjoyed this review, you will also love my other reviews and recommendation on barefoot-inspired minimalist shoes for forefoot running here.

You’ll also LOVE my YouTube channel: RUN FOREFOOT, where I discuss the evidence-bases reasons forefoot running is safer and more efficient than heel strike running!

If you’d like, you can support Run Forefoot and help keep it going by making a donation in any amount of your choosing:

Or, you can also support Run Forefoot by shopping at the following top minimalist shoes brands, and be sure to bookmark the links:

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FeelGrounds: https://www.feelgrounds.com/?p=RunForefoot

Xero Shoes: https://xeroshoes.com/go/Run_Forefoot

Iguaneye: https://www.iguaneye.com/?ref=8tfXVc92

Soft Star Shoes: https://shrsl.com/3mp1b

Wilding Shoes: https://bit.ly/3lIygQP

Earth Runners: https://earthrunners.com/?rfsn=6763579.f7f9c9

Vivobarefoot: https://shrsl.com/3kvih

Zappos: https://goo.gl/J1CeAd

Bretta Riches

"I believe the forefoot strike is the engine of endurance running..."

BSc Neurobiology; MSc Biomechanics candidate, ultra minimalist runner & founder of RunForefoot. I was a heel striker, always injured. I was inspired by the great Tirunesh Dibaba to try forefoot running. Now, I'm injury free. This is why I launched Run Forefoot, to advocate the health & performance benefits of forefoot running and to raise awareness on the dangers of heel striking, because the world needs to know.
Bretta Riches

P.S. Don't forget to check out the Run Forefoot Facebook Page, it's a terrific place to ask questions about forefoot running, barefoot running and injury. I'm always happy to help!