Questions & Answers

Just wanted to let people know that I am very happy with my NEOS overshoes. For the first time in my life my toes are not cold!! The overshoes are very wide, with lots of space to fit whatever you like underneath.

I don't, in fact, wear them with shoes, but with my down-filled hut booties! Coupled with a liner sock and a Smartwool outer sock, I can wait for the bus at -20 with no problem.

I have also worn this combination for snowshoeing excursions, and it is true (as Damien has pointed out before) that they are not that breathable. The down booties were soaked with condensation by the end of my hike (but my feet were still warm). And since I then just hoppped into the car to go home, it didn't really matter. If I were going to be out all day, or for multiple days, with periods of lower activity when my feet would have a chance to cool off, this moisture would obviously be a major issue. If I ever reach that level of outdoor winter activity I think I would spring for some of the mukluks others have mentioned ( for example: http://www.toesalad.com/node/1256 )

However, for my purposes - day-to-day bus riding and city walking, playing in the snow with my daughter, and occasional active use - this combination has been highly satisfactory.

My only refinement next year will be to try some Yak Trax on really icy days. I have been wearing Stablicers this year. They do a great job on the ice, but are only hanging on to the boot by a thread - the boots are a little too wide (Stablicers are shaped like a traditional shoe - too narrow at the toe and barely stretch around the boots). The Yak Trax look more adjustable.

MJP

I started my conversion to natural running back in November, 2011. It has taken some adjustments, but my form is good and my foot conditioning is great. I'm not in any pain or having issues right now. I'm up to a long run of 10 miles and increasing that about a mile a week now.

I run on streets 95% of the time. Not a lot of trails close by - I don't want to drive so I can run, except for a race.

I wear Luna Sandals and sometimes Stem Footwear. I get the sense that most barefoot and minimalist runners are trail runners. Is that true and will running on blacktop be an issue for me?

Thanks,

jerry

There have been a lot of posts about what minimal shoes to wear in winter. For fall 2012 Merrel will come with the Frost Glove: http://www.thegearcaster.com/the_gearcaster/2012/02/merrell-frost-glove-winter-boots-review.html#more This is going to be a womens model. I wonder if there will also come a wintershoe from Merrel for men.

I got this idea from Huarache Blog here: http://huaracheblog.wordpress.com/2011/10/07/museo-nacional-de-historia-mexico-city/

It's basically a triangle in front and a strip in back. Holds the lacing in place.

My piss-poor implementation using scrap leather that's just too thin actually works pretty well. This really enhances the comfort of the huaraches and I think if I did it over again with better leather, it would look pretty good, too.

The front: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7153/6846633309_8c5e6d62f3.jpg

The back (upside-down and blurry, sorry, ipod) http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7199/6846633663_914bfdf3c4.jpg

hi, what can you say about buying a EVO size 42, for a common user of a men's 9? As I heard they might run small. I also have Oaks size 42 and they are fine.

Dr. Mark Cucuzzella Drops the Knowledge Bomb on the Nation... a podcast interview with The Trail Runner Nation:

http://trailrunnernation.com/2012/01/dr-mark-cucuzzella-drops-knowledge-bomb-nation

I have been trying to figure out a solution to the problems I have had wearing my huaraches for hiking. Those problems are that because my skin chafes easily from the straps, I have to wear socks and because I wear socks, I get a lot of plant stickers stuck in my socks. I think I finally found a solution.

I got some of those Zemgear ninja booties. They work great. It's kind of a bit excessive on the sole now, because it's like you have the plastic sole on the Zemgears combined with the huarache sole, but it's actually not too bad for hiking if the trails are going to be really rough.

My homemade hiking huaraches are pretty thick-soled so I'm thinking that the booties would work also with my Invisible Shoes huaraches for when I don't need so much protective overkill but still want to keep the dang foxtails out of my socks.

I imagine this would work well when it is cold, too.

Just thought I would put that out there because in my searching to see if anyone had tried it, I couldn't find anyone who tried it.

Jesse ovar at the Art of Fitness has recently released a couple training programs...

Six Week Walking Program – Transition to Running:

http://tao-fit.com/six-week-walking-program-%E2%80%93-transition-to-running

Twelve Week Running Program For An Injury Free Barefoot/Minimalist Transition:

http://tao-fit.com/twelve-week-running-program-for-an-injury-free-barefootminimalist-transition

The Sock Doc recently released an excellent series of articles called "Training Principles: Become a Strong, Fast, Efficient, Injury-Free Athlete":

http://sock-doc.com/2012/01/sock-doc-training-principles/

Which sandals should I get Branca Perforated Leather or Luna Catamount? I will mainly use these mainly for casual use. I may do a bit of running and hiking with them as well. Thanks in advance for your input.

I’m an ultra-light backpacker, I’ve been wearing the NB MT10 since July 2011 as my everyday shoe. Now I’m beginning to wear a minimalist shoe on day hikes and want to start wearing them on longer backpacking trips. I tried the Merrell Trail Glove and Vibram FiveFingers KSO. The KSO feels better on my foot and trail and is the one I’m favoring for backpacking.

My question is if wearing the KSO’s how do I keep my feet warm and dry during the winter?

Keep in mind I’m not out for a run or day hike, I’m out for 2-3 days. Even on day hikes my feet are getting wet and cold to the point of hurting. Crossing creeks is another problem with cold and wet feet. I’m not concerned with summer and warmer temps.

When I wore trail runners I used plastic bags to keep my feet warm in wet conditions, some hikers use neoprene or Gore-Tex socks. But none of these options work with the VFF.

Do I have any options besides wearing a shoe with a toe box for winter backpacking?

title says it all. I need something leather and non-slip. really non-slip. these don't have to be completely minimalist, but if you look for "chef shoes" you find all sorts of supportive, orthopedic, mumbo jumbo.

any thoughts would save me some time....

How long is the Altra Adam? I understand that it is wide, but I am concerned that the size 8 may be long for me. My Vivobarefoot Evo's are about a thumbs nail length too long. From their website the instinct's run short, which might work for me, but I am looking for a more minimal shoe. Any help would be appreciated.

I have Vivobarefoot casual shoes that I love. I bought a pair of Evo's, but they are more narrow and I have about a 1/2 inch of room. I am looking for a pair of wider shoes. I wear a 7.5 or 8. My evo's are 41's. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

How do you all feel about Minnetonka moccasins and boots? I have some kilty hardsoles that I love, but since I've been getting more into minimalist footwear, I'm concerned that the sole isn't really ideal (that being said, it is helpful to have that insulation when the ground is cold, so maybe the trade off is worth it).

But maybe I'm wrong, I'm certainly not an expert. Thoughts?

Hi I am a forefoot striking runner, who trains in Newtons and Brooks Pure Flow's. I am looking to transition to more minimal footwear. I recently purchased a pair of Vivobarefoot Evo's. My question is about how to transition to running in them exclusively. I run roughly 25 miles a week. How should I build up to running in them.

I am a 32 year old male, who is a recreational runner/weight lifter. I have transitioned from heel striking to forefoot striking with the help of Newtons, but now am looking for more minimal shoes.

I've been lurking for a while, time to say hi. I split my time between Newfoundland and New Brunswick, thus the vague "Atlantic Canada" in the subject line.

I've always had wide feet. My mother once apologized for having let me run around barefoot so much as a child, making it hard to find shoes that fit. Strange she'd see it as having let me "ruin" my feet, rather than consider there was something wrong with shoes, but I guess that's the mindset we're all trying to change. As a kid, in summer the soles of my feet were an interesting leather-like texture; I have approached that in recent years by going barefoot around the yard, and a few places it feels safe to do so.

I don't run, but I hike quite a bit. Once in a while, on soft squishy forest soils in mild weather, I'll ditch my shoes, and enjoy the funny looks I get. I'm trying to find a minimalist solution to the Atlantic Canadian winter. Here in Corner Brook we just got about 40 cm of snow in 24 hours, luckily the light fluffy stuff, but of course there will be slush eventually. I'm missing my Merrels.

This place is a great resource, I've learned a lot about feet and footwear hanging around here!

Interesting article written by a podiatrist http://www.podiatrytoday.com/tackling-10-myths-barefoot-running

Hello all, I'm currently completing the writing of a book (in French) about BF and minimalist running to be published in France beginning of June.

This will be the first in French. In order to illustrate it, I'm looking for free-of-rights pictures of BF / minimalist runners. If that's of interest to you to be featured in such a book and if you've got pictures (free of rights of course, the best would be that they've been taken "by you"), please send them to profminimaliste@free.fr including the mention you would like to be writen under the pic.

Thanks.

FRED