do you guys consider these to be viable running options?!??! Nike free, NB, Inov8, etc....

[AABarefoot]

So in doing research on shoes i had dismissed the NB, Nike (more on principal than anything else, but now on fact), Inov8 (even though if i were a shod runner, i would be a pure Inov8 runner for sure! love their stuff!) etc.. because these shoes, although a step in the right direction, are not what i consider to be minimalist shoes. i think the first part of the definition of a minimal shoe should be "0mm vertical change from heel to toe." from what i can tell, all of the companies above fail to meet that.

i did buy a pair of the Merrel shoes becaus they seem to be going in the right direction, but still, ground feel through them is almost non existent.

right now the two ways i run is barefoot or in my KSOs. i am dieing to try a pair of VIVO but i dont want to guess on size, so i am holding out until my next trip to NYC. so, needless to say, i am used to feeling the ground. even going to my Bikilas i feel disconected from what is happening under my feet(i use them as my recovery shoes after i run barefoot). let alone the Merrell. and i cant even fathom the two pairs of Nikes i have sitting in my closet (one of which is a Nike Shox!!! :~ ).

i was just wondering if i am in the majority here. if you are used to barefoot i cant imagine putting on a shoe that has that much padding, even for an ultra. do any of you guys run in any of these shoes? if so, why?



im not tryin to critisize anyone i am genuinely curious because i dont think i could run in them.

AA

 

[Barefoot TJ]

No.

No.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Seriously.  If you have to

Seriously. If you have to put something on your feet, have you thought about a pair of socks or huaraches?

 

[jschwab]

No. The only time I even wear

No. The only time I even wear my racing flats or 790's (precursor of the MT100's) is if I need a splint for a sprained toe. A splint! I think that says it all!

 

[ajb422]

lol Jschwab,  did the same

lol Jschwab, did the same thing when I had that stress fracture/reaction whatever, I just threw on my aasics running shoes, worked just as good as a boot in my opinion

 

[NakedSoleNate]

no.  but then again, I can't

no. but then again, I can't hardly stand to put on my thin flops when somone in a store raises a stink .

 

[mokaman]

If you want to run fast on

If you want to run fast on hilly rocky trails you will need some thicker soles...for me shoes are mostly for trail running. As time went on with barefoot running my trail shoes have also gotten skimpier with no speed loss. The Merrell Trail gloves are my heavy duty shoes currently but I haven't tried them yet on the most brutal trails to see if I would want anything with more protection. My favorite road shoes are an old pair of Puma H-Streets that I cut out the heel lift...they only weigh 4 oz and are like 5 years old. The Merrells are the first regular running shoe I haven't had to cut away some part of the shoe to be happy with them.

Its really a matter of finding what you like...most of the shoes I see talked about still don't thrill me enough to try but I have ran in many different shoes over the last few winters. I'm not so critical about ground feel as many newer barefooters seem to be...its a factor but no shoe will ever have enough ground feel anyway.

The Vibrams are just ok, fun for slow muddy trail runs mostly...they are great for hiking though. I like my $10 Target water shoes just as much and prefer leather moccasins for ground feel.

When I first started with minimalist shoes cross country racing shoes were about as thin as you could get...now the bar has been raised(lowered) alot and soon there will be zero drop shoes to suit most runners.

On pavement you only need enough protection to keep your feet warm whatever that may be. I probably wear a dozen kinds of minimalist footwear for work and general non-running purposes even though I'm barefoot at home. I can run in any of them in a pinch and have ran in them all at least one time or another.

Bottom line there is no barefoot running shoe...so just find what works!

 

[Jimmy Hart]

Depending on what my workout

Depending on what my workout calls for and my mood my foot wear includes, Inov-8 Road X 155 (new stuff that you guys cant get yet), Bikila, ZEM, Barefoot, Asics Spikes. With that said my closet houses many pairs of Frees, VFFs, Altra Instinct, Terra Plana Evo, and a few others. Some of those I wear for daily use like the Instincts but others like the Free and the Evo never get worn because of comfort issues.

For running I like a wide variety to help me get the job done. I don't think you have to run barefoot all the time in order to be healthy and proper about it all. I love to run bare but I also love to sprint on the track and my spikes get the call for that job every time. I like the Inov-8s for really long runs because I don't fatigue and can play with my pace more during the run than I can when I'm bare or in minimal shoes. My minimal shoes and bare feet get used for middle distance running, fun running, recovery running, hill running, and on any other run I feel like using them.

I can't stand conventional shoes and honestly never really could. I have the Free's because a previous job required a "normal" shoe and those were at least really flexible. Outside of that I've always run in racing flats or waffles because I like the minimal feel. Not necessarily being able to feel every grain of sand or groove in the pavement feel like the majority of my barefoot bretheren love so much but I like the feeling of being light and letting my foot flex more than anything else.

 

[Barefoot Warren]

Nice answers. I think you

Nice answers. I think you have got to look at the shoes mentioned as tools!! If the trail is so bad it is gonna kill your feet, wear something to protect them.

VFF, Merrells meet that target, wearing something to protect yourself and make your run more enjoyable does not make you less of a barefoot runner in my eyes!! Of course the true purists might see it a bit different

 

[AaronH]

Depending on the surface and

Depending on the surface and distance, ground feel isn't always a good thing. I'll run gravel barefoot or in huaraches as a short exercise to condition my feet but there's no way I'm doing a long run on gravel roads or rocky trails with just 4-6mm of neoprene or rubber. I've tried, and it's counter-productive. I run in Inov-8, New Balance, and Merrell fell/trail flats and think that they're all perfectly viable for the conditions in which they were designed to be used. Shoes are just a tool; pick the right one for the job.

 

[AABarefoot]

hey guys, thanks for all the

hey guys, thanks for all the replies! sorry it took me so long to read them all! busy weekend.

i am glad that you guys dont really consider these shoes to be ok. I live in FL, so rocky terrain, gravel, etc... really dont apply to me. the roughest thing i run on is old asphalt roads, which i love to run barefoot on. once i start traveling to race i think the thicker soles will be an issue but right now i dont really need anything thick.

thanks so much again for the replies, getting out there to run barefoot today

 

[ajb422]

I do run in frees, well I

I do run in frees, well I haven't in about three weeks, but we have a love hate relationship. I go from defending them here because at the time I'm doing all my mileage in them to deciding I'm never running in them again because they are too heavy and pick up too much mud. I suppose I'm currently loving my minimus for trail runs, and enjoying being bf on the roads now that its warmer in the mornings so I no longer have a use for them at the moment. Although give me a month and who knows, I could be back to doing 90% of my mileage in them. I suppose I like to have options for my runs (although man do I wish I had Jimmy's hook-ups and had that many options )

 

[Rabina]

After about a year of natural

After about a year of natural running, I'm happy with my mix of Luna Equus sandals when it's aboving freezing, otherwise Inov8 195s get the nod or its cleated cousin, the Talon X190 when there's a couple of inches of snow. For deep snow or thick ice up in the mountains, there's only only product I'd recommend, Inov8's Mudclaw 333.

 

[jlubkoll]

I'm hooked up to Saucony

I'm hooked up to Saucony Hattoris if shoes are needed. I consider shoes as tools, use when necesary or when they ease the task at hand. They do have zero drop and very little padding.

I've recently written a little review about them, especially how they do after 400km of usage - it is however in german at “Barfuss” oder minimal Schuhe im Dauereinsatz: Saucony Hattori

Jörn

 

[bubba hotep]

Yes, for NB, can't comment on

Yes, for NB, can't comment on the others. There are certain trails and conditions here in Texas that require something more than huaraches. I've been very pleased with my NB MT 101s and am looking forward to trying out the new 110s.