I think saying "Vibram got kinda lucky with their design" is taking away from what Vibram achieved with this product. It's no different from any new venture. I

I think saying "Vibram got kinda lucky with their design" is taking away from what Vibram achieved with this product. It's no different from any new venture. I've been interested in barefoot running ever since products like Vivo and Nike Free began making headways into the market. The article posted makes it seem like these are competitors introduced after Vibram Five Fingers, but they were all introduced at roughly the same time. The barefoot products mentioned were all introduced at a time period where barefoot running was beginning to gain serious traction. It was excellent timing for all companies pushing barefoot products. Personally, I think alot of Vibram's press has to due with their unorthodox design. Nike's barefoot alternative is a much more traditional shoe design (that I think is more known for its comfort). Vibram is popular due to a quality product with some timing that wasn't just coincidence (they weren't the only company who saw the trend). I think their "honest" and unorthodox design gave was the real differentiator that made them that much more popular than the competition