Undecided on where to start in the way of a minimal shoe, decided to give a go at making my own. I'm very pleased with the first pair, and plan on making a second pair. "If" I can learn how to post pictures here, I'll do a step by step.
Until then, here is what I made them from:
Pair of injinji toe socks $12.00
Pair of oversized generic insoles that a local running store gave me for free.
Tube of Amazing E-600 contact cement $4.00
Truck inner-tube (like what you use to float down the river) $10.00 (enough to make about 5 pairs)
Wearing the toe socks, put a coat of the E-600 on the bottom of the socks. Next, I put a coat of the adhesive on the insoles. After a few minutes to let the cement partially cure, placed my feet into the insoles and stood up to let my body weight compress the insoles to the socks and mold them to my feet. After about 20 minutes or so, carefully slid off the socks/insoles to finish setting up. The next day, I layed out the rubber inner-tube (after cutting it into strips) and glued the rubber to insoles using the same process as the sock/insole gluing. Waiting another day, took a pair of sissors to trim away all the excess material.
I only have logged about 20 miles in them. So far, they are very comfortable. I have no clue how many miles I'll get out of these. Mostly run barefoot so I'll probably use these just for lomger runs and races...
Tom
Until then, here is what I made them from:
Pair of injinji toe socks $12.00
Pair of oversized generic insoles that a local running store gave me for free.
Tube of Amazing E-600 contact cement $4.00
Truck inner-tube (like what you use to float down the river) $10.00 (enough to make about 5 pairs)
Wearing the toe socks, put a coat of the E-600 on the bottom of the socks. Next, I put a coat of the adhesive on the insoles. After a few minutes to let the cement partially cure, placed my feet into the insoles and stood up to let my body weight compress the insoles to the socks and mold them to my feet. After about 20 minutes or so, carefully slid off the socks/insoles to finish setting up. The next day, I layed out the rubber inner-tube (after cutting it into strips) and glued the rubber to insoles using the same process as the sock/insole gluing. Waiting another day, took a pair of sissors to trim away all the excess material.
I only have logged about 20 miles in them. So far, they are very comfortable. I have no clue how many miles I'll get out of these. Mostly run barefoot so I'll probably use these just for lomger runs and races...
Tom
