I’ve caught the barefoot running bug and here are my collection of barefoot running blog posts. They include descriptions of truly barefoot running escapades along with the tamer minimalist running options and assorted reviews of minimal running shoes such as Vibram Five Fingers and Softstar RunAmocs.
If you want to start from the beginning try out my Barefoot Running Files:
Flip flop sandals have always filled me with fear, particularly the thong style with inter-toe strap, which seems like an horrific big toe accident waiting to happen.
Obviously I’ve been intrigued by the huarache sandals made famous by the Tarahumara and the book, Born to run. Intrigued, but not even slightly interested in wearing them – far too hardcore for my barefoot dabblings.
Having said that, I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so when Mike offered me a sneak preview of the new Circadian Earth Runner I jumped at the opportunity to try them out for size. The Earth Runner series include copper studs and coils which are designed to conduct electricity and “ground” you to the earth. I was of course deeply sceptical about this “grounding” stuff but when my sandals arrived I was disappointed that the grounding studs seemed to be missing. I needn’t have worried, the conduction system is still there, just a little less conspicuous in the Circadian model.
I don’t know if I’m feeling the benefits of being earthed but I do enjoy wearing them. I’ve taken to wearing them around the house like slippers, I feel good in them. I don’t apparently, look good in them, so I won’t be bothering you with photos of my sandals in action – I was not blessed with photogenic feet.
It is odd to feel the strap between your toes but I am getting used to it and the Earth Runners are amazingly customisable for such a simple product. The strap angle can be altered by shifting the buckle position and there are a few videos on the website to help with finding the perfect fit.
I’ve run with these on the treadmill but I’m taking it easy, I can’t shake off the vision of the big toe accident and so I’m nervous to take these out and run with abandon over trails where I risk snagging the sole and turning the lace into a cheese wire. Maybe I’ll get over this in time and relax into my Earth Runner, I hope so because they give a fabulous feeling of freedom. The underfoot experience is very similar to the RunAmoc Moc3 but the upper is more cabriolet style.
Earth Runners are currently running a kick starter campaign to send the Circadian into full production. It looks like they have hit their target so hopefully they will be available more widely soon but do check it out if you’d like to place an order and take advantage of the early adopter discount. I would strongly recommend the product quality and the comfort will only increase over the coming months as the footbed moulds to the shape of your foot.
I’ll be taking these on my summer holidays even if they do play havoc with my sex appeal.
The New Balance Minimus Zero is a surprisingly light shoe, the shoe box was so light that I half expected it to be empty. I know it’s billed as a minimalist shoe so was hardly likely to be bulky but it has such an imposing sole that I was expecting it to feel slightly more substantial.
The Vibram sole is fabulous.
It’s like a field of Eden projects – colourful geodesic bumps forming a flexible platform.
The pod design enables excess material to be cut away and explains why the shoe is so light. The dark pods have a firm and grippy layer to extend the life of the high impact areas.
The rest of the shoe doesn’t excite me as much the sole. The upper is made from a lightweight, almost transparent mesh and I’m afraid when I put my feet inside the sight of my hairy toes just ruins the visual appeal. I don’t think it is entirely my toes fault – not many feet are attractive through semi-transparent mesh.
With the New Balance Minimus all the design efforts appear to have gone into the sole and the upper has been left rather stark. The mesh is both unattractive and feels a bit harsh. For a shoe designed to be worn without socks I would have preferred a softer fabric. The ankle opening has slight padding but it has no structure and gapes quite unpleasantly when I wear it. The tongue is made from a soft felt-like material but it isn’t firmly attached to the shoe which means that it is a faff to get it to lay flat when you’re wearing it. It’s very easy to create a fold that would create a blister after a few miles of running.
I’m not overly impressed with the New Balance Minimus. It looks great until you put it on and then the minimal design of the upper lets it down. I have no complaints at all with sole which performs well for a midfoot or barefoot running style but the Minimus won’t be tempting me away from my barefot stalwarts the Vibram Five Fingers or the Softstar Moc3.
Soft Star shoes are my guilty pleasure, the fashion habit that I feel somewhat obliged to hide from the family.
I’m threatening to turn into one of those old biddies who wander round the streets in their slippers, but when shoes are this comfortable who really cares?
Soft Star shoes are as cutting edge and hip as elf made, barefoot shoes get. The original RunAmoc (reviewed here) was hard to beat but the elves have got a new recruit and he’s brought some tried and tested science to the shoe making table, resulting in the release of Moc3 RunAmoc. These are fantastically comfortable and have odour resistant properties that Vibram FiveFinger runners will envy.
I prefer the thicker sole option for trail running but they are also my gad about shoe of choice especially when camping.
I’ve just discovered their latest casual shoe offering, The Rogue, and I’m wondering if I can get away with these combined with a suit for work?
I’m in search of the ideal trail shoe for next months Great North Trail Run, to be held around Keswick in the Lake District. I’m not really at half marathon fitness so I feel the need to be kind to my feet which are going to be painfully slow plodders.
Searching around the net I was drawn yet again to the Newtons. It’s hard to avoid them in their full green livery but its less the style and more the concept that intrigues me.
Newtons encourage the efficient forefoot running stance by the existence of the unique cushioned actuator lugs under the metatarsal region. These are designed to encourage the idealised barefoot running style. See this external review if you want to know more about the construction of the Terra Momentus.
Unlike the more minimal barefoot shoes such as Vibram fivefingers and Vivo Barefoot which can lead calf injuries if adopted in too gung-ho a fashion, the Newtons come with an acclimatisation guide and the store where I bought then sent me an email with similar information and a link to a video guide.
That’s corporate responsibility.
My first run was on the treadmill, not really the designed terrain but as I was acclimatising slowly, I thought it would be ok. After 2k I felt the lugs burning into my feet, rather as though I had a pencil taped under my shoes.
Quite irritating really.
By the time I took these out on to the trail I had replaced the insoles with my custom pair from profeet. That combined with the appropriate terrain removed my awareness of the lug. I knew it was there though and did have a fear of scuffing it on twigs and sending myself sprawling.
It didn’t happen thankfully.
Its hard to tell without video evidence, whether the Newtons affected my running style. I did find that I completed the Mitcham common circuit in double quick time but that could still be the Zombie effect.
My sense with these shoes and indeed with efficient mid to forefoot running styles, is that they are more suited to the faster runner than the plodder. I think they benefit and indeed encourage greater lift, which is easier with pace. I will keep at it though and keep you informed if I experience an epiphany.
I was scheduled for another run this evening but after watching Biggest Loser UK and seeing myself get thrashed by one of the contestants over the 5k distance, I didn’t feel much in the mood for running.
I opted to row instead and as I’ve been reading about the new rage for barefoot and/or strapless rowing I thought I’d go back to my roots and give it go.
It’s supposed to hone your technique but maybe that requires you to have some to hone.
It turned me into rather a pants rower. Everything dropped – pace, power, stroke rate. I kept thrusting myself off the back of the machine.
Better improve before the biggest losers show me up at that sport as well.
My running outlook is looking grim again but I’m not completely despondent. I feel the opportunity for experimentation. The sort of experimentation that probably got me into this mess in the first place but blogging fodder nonetheless.
I’ve just been to see my latest running guru and as expected it has resulted in yet another path opening up to me. Another path for me to hobble along and bemoan the runners curse that is plantar fasciitis.
Why don’t experts ever agree?
Of late I’ve dabbled in normal running and then barefoot running of both the truly barefoot and the partially shod variety. I’ve crosstrained, army trained, occasionally weight trained and swung kettle bells to destruction.
Along the line I’ve taken my dose of injury from ITB, spondylolithesis and plantar fasciitis. It would be tempting to pin each ailment to the latest fad but my records are just not that clear.
Almost everyone else is happy to blame barefoot running for my latest spate of crippling PF and although I know it is not conclusive and despite suffering with PF before I discarded the shoes, I’m tempted to go with the crowd and abandon all hope of truly minimalist, pain free running.
Today’s guru was the podiatrist who told me my calves and backside are too weak for barefoot running and that I need to abandon the running school with its fore foot running focus, until I see some improvements in the pain level.
This all makes me feel a little glum.
She did instruct me to find a functional trainer for lower limb strength building and a pool for a spate of aqua jogging. Now that could be fun. Or highly embarrassing.
Having just returned from 6 hours wandering around the Westfield centre we weren’t terribly eager to go out again and foolishly felt a treadmill mile showdown might be the perfect low energy Juneathon offering. I was sent some really interesting Tabio sports socks to try out today but unfortunately they were about 4 sizes too [...]
My Vibram Five Fingers have started to cause consternation in the house, the stench is creating a no go zone in the hallway but at least this movie can raise a little smile.
Given that my route was going to take me along the dried river bed that forms part of the Diktamos Gorge, the Vibrams were never going to be an entirely sensible choice. Still, if I’m going to do a crazy run in the 42 degree blazing sun just to fetch breakfast I may as well [...]
A beautiful pair of Vibram Five Fingers arrived just before the camping expedition. Unfortunately all the photos were taken post camping trip where of course it rained relentlessly and so the Five Fingers have lost a little of their new shoe gleam. I wanted to get a slightly larger pair of VFF’s as my earlier pair of [...]
I've signed up for the London2Brighton Challenge a 100km walk (or run for the crazy few). It will take me in the region of 24 hrs and as a solo competitor this will mean traipsing though the night, across the downs, on my tod. I am already scared.
If you would like to offer any support I am collecting for a charity dear to my heart - the Samaritans.
Having said that, I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so when Mike offered me a sneak preview of the new Circadian Earth Runner I jumped at the opportunity to try them out for size. The Earth Runner series include copper studs and coils which are designed to conduct electricity and “ground” you to the earth. I was of course deeply sceptical about this “grounding” stuff but when my sandals arrived I was disappointed that the grounding studs seemed to be missing. I needn’t have worried, the conduction system is still there, just a little less conspicuous in the Circadian model.
The rest of the shoe doesn’t excite me as much the sole. The upper is made from a lightweight, almost transparent mesh and I’m afraid when I put my feet inside the sight of my hairy toes just ruins the visual appeal. I don’t think it is entirely my toes fault – not many feet are attractive through semi-transparent mesh.
