Winterproof FF

Paul M

Barefooters
Aug 28, 2011
16
11
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Got a pair of expensive Bikila Exo WP recently, after suffering some severe toe 'coming back to life' pains in post run showers. That was wearing Spyridons, proabably post race standing around chatting causing most of the trouble. I looked at warmer choices and only found Trail Freak Winterproofs as an alternative. Something to be said for 'mittens' in cold weather, but I was wary of water proof shoes that potentially fill up with ice cold water. So the Evo WP's built in gaiter was the decided for me.

Pros. Keep my toes toasty on frozen ground. Don't fill up with water. Decent mud grip (a shade less than the Spyridon) and fine for tarmac sections.

Cons. Expensive. Compared to classics feel like Wellingtons at first, but soon come to appeciate the loss of minimalism is jstfied by the warmth, for the intended use case. A little more of a faf to put on than other FF, but worth the effort. Talk of grip on ice is a big porkie -they don't.

I don't think it's fair to score these on the normal criteria given their specailst nature. Recommneded with some reservations if, like me, you seem to be going soft in middle age.
 
Komodosport LS is warmest vff that I know. I currently run with normal bikila evo because of that achilles problem.. Elastic low heel cup of bikila evo seems to not aggravate it, like higher heel cup of komodosport ls does. With warm up evo has worked in colder weathers too (like today, -15°C/5°F), but it's not really good. So I wonder, what kind of heel cup bikila evo wp has? Does it has any separate heel cup inside that gaiter? And does that gaiter cause pressure to achilles?
 
Don't have normal bikila evos for comparison, but the WP's certainly don't have the heel cup of the classics. I don't think you'd have a problem as the heel is basically elastic.
Lontras are the other warm option, but apprently not easy to get on through the gaiter.
 
i have lontra's. takes 10 minutes to get them on. i think they keep fairly warm. don't remember since i don't have the time to run like i used to and i have other shoes much easier to put on.
 
WP's didn't work for me, gaiter part of shoes are just discomfortable, almost painful. Tried them for half a kilometer, I'm not sure if I test them ever again. :rolleyes:

But all of sudden I got this idea - how about using toesocks with vffs at winter. o_O As I don't normally use socks, I haven't seriously thought about that.