Questions & Answers

I've been walking in minimalist shoes for two years now, and also done some running with barefoot shoes on roads and gravel roads - only short runs - 2 to 5 miles, but still, I thought that I had developed some foot strength.

So this spring I started trail running, and loved it. Only 2 miles to begin with, but then I had two longer runs - and now my left foot hurts. The top of the foot, towards the outside of the foot (the 4th and 5th metatarsal if I have got the technical language right.) A dull ache, which is better when I've warmed up and walked/run for a bit, but hurts more after rest and in the morning.

I've been running in pretty minimal shoes. ZEM 360s on treadmill, Inov-8 bare-x light 150 on roads, and Inov-8 trail roc 150 on trails.

I've taken it easy for a few weeks now, and it gets better, but is still there.

So - it seems that I underestimated the strain of trail running with such a minimal shoe as the trail roc 150, and also the difference between gravel roads and uneven trails.

I'm asking for tips here: should I just lay off running - at least trail running for a while?

Or can I start running again, but very short distances?

Finally, should I get a slightly more supportive trail-running shoe? Still zero-drop and wide shoebox...

I've been thinking about the vivobarefoot trail freak (but is it stable enough?), The merrell trail glove 2 (maybe the most likely - but should I get more cushioning?), other merrell zero-drop shoes (ascent 3, maybe?) - or the Altra offerings, such as the lone peak 1.5, or the superior 1.5

So - A complex question, but I'm sure there are some people out there that can answer parts of it!

Thanks!

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

It's taken about a year for me to feel as though my stride is where I need it to be, but will continue to work on improving it. About 6 months ago I started moving towards minimalist running shoes, and well now I'm there. I run in NB Minimus Trails and Brooks Green Silence.

My running shoes are fine for road and relatively smooth trails, but as I start moving into the ultra trail running direction, I feel as though I need something more substantial to protect my feet from the sharp rocks, and also snow is just around the corner.

Any input as to what to consider for this? Thanks

My son is 13 and runs cross country. We are all in the beginning of our transition to minimal/barefoot running. He is very excited about this but we are not sure how or what he should do for this season. Any advise, ideas would be greatly appretiated!

Hi

I've got a bit of time on my hands and have started blogging about minimal running from my point of view as a trail and mountain runner. Its in its infancy but I have reviewed all the shoes that I've tried in my search for the perfect minimal trail shoe.

Cheers for having a look... http://nearlyshoeless.wordpress.com/

The latest post is about down-hill technique and using the heel...

All the best

Nick.

I'm a minimalist mountain ultra-runner. I've been wearing minimalist footwear and running barefoot for a year and a half and am happy to try some of the footwear coming out in 2011! I'm currently running in VFF Treks, New Balance 101s. In the summer I ran barefoot, in VFFs and Lunas. Looking forward to the Merrill Trail Gloves!

Just wanted to see what experience others have had with having shoe repair shops cut running shoes down to be zero drop. I started getting my shoes zeroed out at the suggestion of Runner's Corner in Orem, UT to take my shoes to Village Shoemaker, also in Orem. I run either in VFF Bikilas for road runs or in zeroed out trail running shoes for trail running.

It took some trial and error to figure out what works for me. I learned that Brooks Cascadias have a big cushioning gel pod in the heel, and when the heel wedge got sliced out, I ended up with a lower heel than forefoot. I always hurt when wearing them and took them back to get a slim wedge put back in so they would be truly zero drop. My current favorites are La Sportiva Fireblades. Since they don't have too big a heel to begin with, it's not as much of a change to the shoe structure to bring the heel down by 10mm. I ran Rim to Rim to Rim of the Grand Canyon a couple months ago in the zeroed Fireblades and had no issues except for my cramped toes due to the somewhat goofy pointed toe shape. If La Sportiva would continue in the minimalist direction (remember the Slingshots that Krupicka used to whittle down?) and also make their shoes foot-shaped, they would have a killer trail shoe.

Hi all, I live and run in the mountains of NC. I love running the hills and have been minimal for just about a year and run in many different shoes. My favorite are invisible shoes huaraches but I also run in Brooks Mach 11 xc flats and Saucony Kinvara. I don't race yet but plan to start in 2011 and hopefully work up to a 50k ultra by 2012.

I'm Rachel from North Dakota. My minimalist journey began 2 years ago with half of my trail/ultra running outside of structured shoes. Tendinitis put an abrupt damper on my race season last summer and was the final straw to push me completely over the edge, now all of my mileage is minimalist & I'm loving it! :) The snow drifts are now a playground for my feet.

This should be fun! I'm looking forward to hearing about all of your experiences & tips on how best to enjoy the minimalist life.