My husband has not shown ANY interest in ditching his running shoes, and honestly I don't blame him. He's one of these runners who makes me sick...uh, I mean whom I greatly admire 
...who never gets injured because he has a naturally gentle running style. (And he's fast too!) He's been running on and off for 25 years or so and literally has never had a running injury except shin splints, which he quickly got rid of. So for him, taking time to transition to being barefoot probably wouldn't be worth it, especially as the concept doesn't appeal to him.
He's used the Asics GT line for years. But they've started giving him blisters, and he needs to exchange the pair he just bought. We've talked a lot about my barefoot/minimalist journey, and with his fantastic running form, I think he might find a lot of freedom in a lighter pair of shoes without a big, thick heel.
So he's going with the Saucony Grid Type A4. They aren't nearly as minimalist as VFFs but appear to be far more minimalist than a Nike Free. (Probably more along the line of the New Balance Minimus.) The reviews we read on Run Blogger & Birthday Shoes were really positive. For someone who wants to stay in a cushioned shoe but wants one that's more flexible and light, I think it's probably a really good option. I'm crossing my fingers that he likes them!
I'm thrilled because I really didn't think he'd come around to barefoot or minimalist running. And I think it's WONDERFUL that there are options out there that are more minimalist than traditional running shoes, but less minimalist than VFFs. I'm not going to get him into VFFs (or even the new Merrells) any time soon, but if an "in between" shoe like this Saucony can get him out of shoes that have far too much cushion/structure, that's a very good thing.
I'm also glad I haven't been giving him lots of pressure to go the minimalist route. I've talked about it as something that's been good for ME, and eventually he was able to make the decision on his own.
...who never gets injured because he has a naturally gentle running style. (And he's fast too!) He's been running on and off for 25 years or so and literally has never had a running injury except shin splints, which he quickly got rid of. So for him, taking time to transition to being barefoot probably wouldn't be worth it, especially as the concept doesn't appeal to him.He's used the Asics GT line for years. But they've started giving him blisters, and he needs to exchange the pair he just bought. We've talked a lot about my barefoot/minimalist journey, and with his fantastic running form, I think he might find a lot of freedom in a lighter pair of shoes without a big, thick heel.
So he's going with the Saucony Grid Type A4. They aren't nearly as minimalist as VFFs but appear to be far more minimalist than a Nike Free. (Probably more along the line of the New Balance Minimus.) The reviews we read on Run Blogger & Birthday Shoes were really positive. For someone who wants to stay in a cushioned shoe but wants one that's more flexible and light, I think it's probably a really good option. I'm crossing my fingers that he likes them!
I'm thrilled because I really didn't think he'd come around to barefoot or minimalist running. And I think it's WONDERFUL that there are options out there that are more minimalist than traditional running shoes, but less minimalist than VFFs. I'm not going to get him into VFFs (or even the new Merrells) any time soon, but if an "in between" shoe like this Saucony can get him out of shoes that have far too much cushion/structure, that's a very good thing.
I'm also glad I haven't been giving him lots of pressure to go the minimalist route. I've talked about it as something that's been good for ME, and eventually he was able to make the decision on his own.
