I have both the connect and contact in the mail and I cant wait for them to get here and give them a run. All I have out here is some pretty severe sized gravel (as big as the size of your hand) but it should provide a good comparison to my trail gloves.

I have both the 4mm and the 6mm versions, although I haven't tried the 4mm yet. This is also the first pair of Invisible shoes I have tried, and I actually quite like them. I thought I wouldn't like the laces, but they actually feel quite comfortable. I really like the shaped sole.

I wore them on an 9 mile hike this past weekend. I question how long the laces will last in hiking conditions, the side laces are showing signs of significant abrasion already. I haven't tried running in them yet, but I am looking forward to that as well.

I think that is a cool idea to try to use the sole on your own shoes. I would be interested in hearing how that works out for you.

Woops, I guess it's the Contacts that I bought. I get the names mixed up. They're a lot of fun to run in. I was running on sand today and my toes naturally grabbed the sand like they would if my feet were bare. I think they are quieter to run in than my other huaraches. I am hooked on them.

I really don't care if the laces fall apart fast. You can buy 50ft of paracord for $8 at the hardware store, plus they also have the same cord that Invisible Shoes uses. You could just keep an emergency shoelace in your pocket, too, which would allow you to do a quick field repair without needing anything to push the lace through the holes.

Hmmm... if you're getting lace wear, there are a few things to do/consider:

1) The simplest thing -- rub a bit of epoxy or Shoe Goo on the lace where it's abrading

2) The next thing -- one customer cut a small groove in his 6mm Contacts, from the ankle hole to the outside of the sole. That way the lace is a tiny bit recessed

3) Make sure your heel strap is tight enough, so you're not sliding off to one side and stepping ON the lace when you walk/run

4) Since abrasion can only happen if you put pressure on that part of the sole, as you walk, pay attention to how you might be doing that and experiment to see if there's a lighter/easier way to walk that doesn't put pressure on that part (some people find that they're heel-striking and not even knowing it).

FWIW, I've put hundreds of miles on my 4 and 6mm and am still on the same pair of laces.

I'm glad I'm not the only one with sensitive feet! I think I am a pretty tough gal, but it's the plum-size rocks that hurt the most. ouch. I use the 6mm on more technical ground and the 4mm on road/paved path. Works for me ;)

Thanks for the tips Steven! I am not passing any judgement just yet :-)

My 10 year-old son got a pair as well (the 4mm), and he absolutely loves them. They are the only thing he wears now.