What are all you minimalist/barefoot runners wearing when you’re not barefoot for run training?
I’m using a $9 water sockshoe (literally a nylon sock with a plastic sole) and for trails, the $29 Tesla minimalist chinese knockoff of the Merrells from Amazon.
I can surprisingly run 400m intervals at 5:45/mi on a treadmill in the cheap sockshoes and they don’t fall apart - they’re stronger than they seem!
I suspect I’ll be buying mainly water shoes for running in the future, as they seem closest to barefoot styled running. I used to have a pair of Fivefingers, which worked great, but surprisingly, the sole was so thick that it didn’t really feel ‘barefoot’ to me - you can tell this as well since you can’t roll up those fivefingers into a small tube like you can the sockshoes or the Teslas.
I’ve been using the Merrell Bare Access 4 for everything for the past couple of years. Including everything from short training runs up to IM races. I started with the original Merrell Trail Gloves and used a mix of those and the earlier versions of the Bare Access for several years before settling on the current solution. Not exactly barefoot, but they’re pretty minimal compared to most. I have a pair of Vapors too, which I might use a bit for shorter runs over the winter.
I do all my running outside and often in darkness so I do like a little protection.
Never tried barefoot yet, but pretty darn close when wearing the Vapor Glove shoes by Merrell. I really like the shoes, but my feet currently hit their max in them at around 9miles. When I am not using them I will often use the new Merrell Bare Access Flex (probably considered main shoe at this point). I throw in a pair of Newton Distance V, and a pair of Topo Ahtletic shoes ever once in awhile to change things up.
Ran my 70.3 this year in the Bare Access Flex. They are 0 drop, but do have a bit of cushion.
I bought up every pair of Merrell Road Gloves in my size I could find a couple years ago. Still have about 6 pairs left. I don’t know what I’m gonna do when those are all gone. Super pissed that Merrell stopped making them. Best running shoe I’ve ever used. Luckily I can get a ton of miles out of them, but they ain’t pretty by the end.
I tried the New Balance Minimus zeros, but something was off on them and my knees ended up starting to hurt. I think it was a super tight toe box. I tend to land on the outside of my foot, and I think the small toe box mucked up my foot landing.
Before that was a year on Vibrams, which I never fully adapted too and didn’t enjoy for long or fast runs. Before that - pre-barefoot running craze - was the Nike Zoom Waffle racer, and before that was Nike spikeless cross country shoes (way back in 2006).
Bummed the minimalist trend has diminished - so many shoes to choose from. Hopefully it cycles back around in another couple of years when I need to find a replacement for my Merrells…
Never tried the road glove, so not sure how it is compared to the new Flex, but I do like the new flex. My favorite Merrell was the very short lived Sonic Glove. Feet got a little warm sometime due to less airflow, but dang they were comfortable. Even though they had pretty much no cushion, they felt good to me. I think they were technically a trail shoe, but only used them on the road. Really wish I had gotten an extra pair or 3.
Looking at the flex, there is almost twice the stack height. The road glove is really similar to the trail glove, but less substantial on the tread. I think the road glove had a stack height of 8 mm or so, while the trail is more like 9 or 10 mm…I have a pair of trail gloves that I run off road in, but still prefer the fit of the road glove.
The road glove has the perfect amount of cushion to stack height for me, and is super roomy in the toe box. It is a great shoe that I have yet to find anything comparable to.
you can run in anything minimal if you are adapted to the style (takes a good bit of time). flip flops, water socks, socks with a strip of duct tape on the sole, cowboy boots (stay on forefoot like all running) , or best just go barefoot. I love it on the road, treadmill, track, off road if no bad thorns. I wear something 3/4 of the time, but love my barefoot sessions. Think BEKILE.
you can run in anything minimal if you are adapted to the style (takes a good bit of time). flip flops, water socks, socks with a strip of duct tape on the sole, cowboy boots (stay on forefoot like all running) , or best just go barefoot. I love it on the road, treadmill, track, off road if no bad thorns. I wear something 3/4 of the time, but love my barefoot sessions. Think BEKILE.
Totally agree. Hence my preference for water shoes or water socks that typically cost <$25 if I do need something on my feet.
I try and run barefoot as often as possible for as long as possible on roads when I can as I still feel it’s the best way to strengthen up all the run-relevant structures of the leg and promote good form. Luckily most minimalist footwear is so lightweight and small that if you want to go unshod midway through your run, you can just take 'em off and hold them or even stuff the small ones in your shorts pocket. Can’t do that with regular shoes!
I also discovered that treadmill decks get HOT with barefoot or minimalist shoes! I have run in a clockwise pattern on my SoleF80 to keep the temps from getting too hot for my feet! (And I lube my deck a lot, so it’s not that.)
Gotta admit that the idea of socks with a strip of duct tape on the sole is pretty ingenious sounding, and something I will def have to try just for kicks. Never heard of that before!
My thought is that I am better off walking around all day ‘barefoot’ than just doing my workouts in a minimalist shoe. Therefore my daily shoes consist one of THESE MODELS.
I then try to then run in a neutral/lower drop/lower stack running shoe but still technically traditional. Like a Saucony Kinvara or Brooks Pureflow.
BTW, how are the self made xero style shoes doing?
Actually, TERRIBLE!
I’m sure I ‘could’ make them work, but it’s simply not worth it to me anymore.
Problems:
The Vibram Cherry sole is too thick for me, amazingly enough. I lose a lot of ground feel as it’s fairly stiff and thick (0.5cm, which is thicker than all my water shoes, and really noticeable.)
I freaking hate lacing the things up. I know there are ways to keep it laced once and then never lace it again, but I tried several methods, and they all don’t work right if I start running fast, so I have to relace them every time. In comparison, my slipperlike water shoes are slip-on, and go!
The water shoes are just better, in every dept. I was hoping the huaraches would bring me minimalism to a new level short of barefoot, but those $9 watersocks I have are even better and closer to barefoot. So there’s no reason for me to use the huaraches.
In summary, that was a $60 project that ended up being a total bust for me, but it was still fun to investigate, and now I know!
Next project for real - I’m gonna try duct tape or some other tape at the ball of my foot area for barefoot road running. I don’t need this for training - it’s really to see whether I can use it during fast races like 5ks/10ks where my skin might not be prepared for that high-speed trauma, but just needs a thin extra layer of protection, rather than a full sole. (This won’t work at all for trail running - the trails I run have enough gravel and pebbles that you gotta be really careful of them even with my Merrell knockoffs.)
My thought is that I am better off walking around all day ‘barefoot’ than just doing my workouts in a minimalist shoe. Therefore my daily shoes consist one of THESE MODELS.
I then try to then run in a neutral/lower drop/lower stack running shoe but still technically traditional. Like a Saucony Kinvara or Brooks Pureflow.
I have been wearing a pair of the “Ra II Hopewell” for almost 2 years now as my casual dress shoe for work. I love them. Have a pair of the boots for in the winter.
Do any of the water shoes/socks have a fairly wide toe-box area. Looks like they are mostly just normal shoe type width.
Mine are ‘normal’ width, and those Tesla minimalist shoes are narrow-box for sure. Still, I have wide feet with wide toes, but I seem to fit fine in these - the reason being that these minimalist shoes (at least the Teslas and the shoe-socks I bought) are so soft and flexible in the top that they really are closer to a sock than a shoe. Meaning that your wide feet can stretch out easily in them as compared to normal shoes, so it hasn’t been an issue.
I def have wide-foot issues with normal running sneakers - Nike’s entire lineup doesn’t work for me at all since it compresses my feet in the front, even if I size up (gets too loose 2 sizes up)
That was 2012, though, and not much has been heard from him since
I was wondering about the barefoot movement a couple weeks ago, when it was still warm enough that I could take my post-run cool-down stroll around the block barefoot, as I like to do during the Summer
I read somewhere that walking barefoot connects you to the Earth’s natural energy, and can diminish chronic pain, fatigue & other ailments