Haven't bought any running shoes in 15 months and on the cusp of yet another winter, having just turned officially old and recently won an age-group 1st thanks to that passage, I'm feeling the need for a treat. I run barefoot except on rough trails or in the depths of winter, in which case I've been using NB Minimus Trails. I use them for pretty much anything, and I like them a lot. However, their traction on ice isn't great, and they offer no protection from the chilling effect of splashes of slush. I live in the mountains in BC, Canada, and our temperatures are usually in the zero to minus-12 degrees Celsius range, where ice and slush typically alternate, often on different parts of the same run. I've used 1/4" hex-head screws in the bottom of non-minimalist shoes in the past to great effect, but the lugs on the soles of the Minimus aren't thick enough to take the screws.
As far as I can tell, my ideal winter running shoe would be a cross between the VivoBarefoot Neo Trail (zero drop and water-resistant) and the Invo-8 Oroc 280 (aggressive lugs and studded). I'm almost tempted to try the Oroc, but I don't like the 6 mm drop and the additional rigidity.
Does anyone know of anything new out there that might fit the bill? A truly minimalist off-road shoe with water resistance and enough of a lug to take studs ... or with studs already installed?
Thanks for any thoughts.
miranda
As far as I can tell, my ideal winter running shoe would be a cross between the VivoBarefoot Neo Trail (zero drop and water-resistant) and the Invo-8 Oroc 280 (aggressive lugs and studded). I'm almost tempted to try the Oroc, but I don't like the 6 mm drop and the additional rigidity.
Does anyone know of anything new out there that might fit the bill? A truly minimalist off-road shoe with water resistance and enough of a lug to take studs ... or with studs already installed?
Thanks for any thoughts.
miranda