Articles

I got into the minimal shoe thing after hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. My first attempt left me crippled when, after 900 miles of successful hiking, I replaced some comfortable shoes with a pair of highly-recommended motion control shoes. I was in excruciating pain within 100 miles and completely injured within 300 miles.

Around here, we often talk about the benefits of going barefoot, but there are a few drawbacks, too. I still think barefoot is best, but to prepare for a shoeless summer season, here are a few tips to help take care of your little one’s feet.

The following is a two part video that compares and contrasts five different models of minimalist footwear athletic use: the Altra Adam, the Merrell Trail Glove, the Merrell True Glove, the New Balance Minimus, and the Inov-8 BareGrip 200.

It’s (sort of) spring here in Montana. Cold, rainy days are punctuated by sunshine and highs in the 60s. The mountains are covered in snow to low elevations, but the rivers are rising—a sure sign that snow is melting somewhere. We know summer is around the corner, but wish that corner was closer than the end of June. Read more for a special announcement...

I have gone barefoot for many years as I prefer my feet to be open to the air. Until a short while ago I wore open sandals when it was impractical to go barefoot. In the summer of 2010 I tried hiking in flip-flops. It wasn't a success, my feet would slip out of them on steep climbs. When crossing or hiking along creeks they would either float off or worse - act like flippers in the water and eventually break. For creeks sandals just didn't work; stones and grit would continually get stuck in them. I reasoned there must be a shoe similar to flip-flops, which did not trap stones, was more securely attached to the foot and less likely to fall off or break.