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The premise behind barefoot and minimalist shoes is that having strong, limber, well-developed feet is better for health and injury prevention over the long term; much better than depending on cushioned, built-up shoes. If your feet have been shackled in overbuilt kicks for most of your life, chances are your feet are pretty weak. Making the transition to barefoot, or a more minimal shoe for everyday wear helps, but only to a point.

There appears to be a bit of a growth spurt happening in the split toe (aka tabi) footwear sub-culture of barefoot shoes these days. Probably the most high profile example is the newly released Topo Athletic running shoes. Other brands include ZEMgear (who have been doing it for years), B2R, and SMAAT. Never mind the fact that the Japanese have been doing this since... like... forever. Is this new trend a marketing gimmick, or the natural evolution of barefoot shoes?

So much of the debate that surrounds the barefoot/minimalist shoe world revolves around running and injury. One side can be found saying that running barefoot or nearly barefoot can reduce injury, the other side can be found saying "nope, you have no proof". Then there are the studies that attempt to study the question and don't find any significant differences either way. Does this this mean that barefoot running is dead?

In 2014 Toe Salad's Editor-in-Chief Damien Tougas and his wife Renee Tougas plan to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. As difficult as long distance hiking is, an adult couple thru-hiking the AT is not especially unique. What makes this thru-hike noteworthy is that we are planning to hike America's most well known long distance trail with our three homeschooled kids. And of course we will do it in minimalist footwear, taking our years of lightweight hiking and short trip backpacking experience to the next level.

Lightweight backpacking principles are what have enabled us to do multi-day trips with our children, comfortably and safely, without overburdening ourselves under the weight of gear. Because we use the same gear for car camping as we do backpacking, we are able to fit all of the gear (for five of us) neatly (although tightly) into the trunk of our car. So far we have managed to survive without having to purchase a minivan or roof carrier - an achievement I am proud of :-)