Vibram FiveFinger Review - One Year in the Making

I've worn Vibram FiveFingers for over a year now and have put them through hell and back.  After a year I think it's time to tell the good, the bad and the ugly truth about these premier minimalist shoes.  I've been following a minimalist way of life, if you can call it a way of life, for a while now.  Since the economy tanked back in 2008 my wife and I have been living a more frugal life, spending less and getting rid of the non-essentials.  With this lifestyle I've become more active and gotten myself outdoors more often.  I had also read the book Born To Run by Christopher McDougall and took it to heart.Never one to go without shoes, I embraced the barefoot lifestyle and in doing so bought a pair of FiveFingers.
  Being a victim of a bad knee (went 10 years w/out an ACL and have completely torn up my meniscus) I was looking for a way to run w/out the constant pounding of pavement.  I would run and have to use a cane to walk the following day when I ran as I always had, heel to toe.  Then came the FiveFingers.  I took the transition slow, walking around the yard and gravel driveway at first then going on mile jogs and eventually increasing my distance and speed.
I've never been a distance runner, always running sprints in school.  I did notice that my distances continued to increase and I wasn't becoming fatigued as I had in the past.  Soon I was running 5k's without much effort.  Though I wouldn't consider myself a contender, I was running further than I ever had before.  And I was doing so without having to ice my knee and use a cane to walk afterwards.  Success, I thought to myself and went on a full out promotion of the shoes that held the key to my running happiness.  I would show pictures of them to friends and colleagues.  I was even able to convince a few to buy a pair for themselves.
Six months in my FiveFingers and I began to notice the sole pealing away from the stretch polymide fabric.  I was a bit annoyed to say the least and contacted Vibram FiveFingers customer support about the issue.  To say the least I wasn't satisfied with their response that I should just glue em back together.  "No kidding," I thought to myself.     I took the response in stride and simply "fixed" the problem and continued on.
I ran in my FiveFingers all summer & fall & even tried wearing them through the winter but, ended up with near frostbite one soggy morning.  They were put away till spring.  When the spring came I was in them almost always.  I was using them as my everyday shoe.  At  some point in time I decided that after nearly a year in them I was going to put them to the test, I was going to wear them in every for every activity I could.  I wore them hiking, climbing, running, in creeks, and my go to shoe.  They handled well in all situations save one, hiking.
I have written on wearing them hiking so I won't go into too much detail but, the mountainous trails of south central PA are not kind to these minimalist shoes.  I think my feet are pretty tough, I mean I can walk across gravel and trails without discomfort.  I'm no Cody Lundin but, I would say my feet can handle more punishment than most.  Anyways, the FiveFingers were no different than going barefoot on the Appalachian Trail.  I tried it, barefoot and FiveFinger'd.  The trail was just too much for either.  The rocky trails and uneven ground put my feet and knees to the test and I eventually had to go to my cross trainers to continue hiking.  I know my pace on a trail has some factor in my discomfort but, there is no denying that there is little protection against large jagged rocks growing up from the earth.
As of this week though I believe my FiveFingers have finally wore out.  I have used them to run twice now and experienced blisters each time.  I have notice they do not fit as snug and actually move a bit on my left foot.  Which happens to be the same shoe I've had to repair twice.  I have asked FiveFinges if the shoes, like most running shoes, have a lifespan.  I haven't received an answer as of this posting.  I am a bit sad by this but, will continue wearing them around the house and out.  Running in them is not going to happen though.
Overall, I am happy with Vibram FiveFingers.  Though I've had to repair them a few times and their customer service was a bit of a blow off, I still feel the product served their purpose.  I have no idea how many miles I put on them and I'm not sure if the particular shoe I have was intended to be used on mountainous terrain.  I would have like to have seen them last longer, of course, and perhaps if I had strictly used them for running they would have.  I do intend to buy another pair to be used strictly for running and eventually get a pair of their Classics for everyday wear.  I've never worn my running shoes as everyday shoes so why should I think FiveFingers different.  After a year of use I'd rate them 8.5 / 10 if I was asked.  I place them higher than any other running shoes I've worn and can't wait to get a new pair.