Running totally barefoot is for babies, hippies, and dilettantes.

-Anonymous anti-barefooter

The Barefoot Revolution- Minimalist Options

So you want to run barefoot, but just cant bring yourself to actually hit the city streets with those naked feet of yours?  This is probably the most common reason why there are

shoes marketed for being most “like barefoot”.  There is glass, garbage, gum, and generally nasty water and crap everywhere.  Whomever would want to touch any of that with their barefoot could be crazy.  We have compiled a list of different options for those of you who want to benefits of running barefoot, without all of the risks.

They are organized by type(including example pictures), with associated reviews(we paraphrased and condensed many reviews into one uber review), and recommended usage(which type of runner each type of footwear would work best for).

Type- Most Minimal

The Huarache Running Sandal

Review:

This is a great shoe (sandal) once you figure out the quirks of making them and tying them.  What is both an upside and downside is that these are handmade.  You have to buy the rubber sole material, and the type of lace (here a piece of rubber and a leather strap, respectively), trace out your foot, cut it out, lace it, then tweak it to make it work well for you.  All of this takes a little time, but once you get the fit right, it feels great.  It offers good protection from glass and gravel while still giving you the feeling that nothing in on your feet.  These have some problems though in extremely wet, muddy, or technical terrain.  Also not really a winter shoe for snowy locations.

Recommendation:

Great for the runner on a budget and for road runners, as well as anyone running up to 50 miles.  At less than $25, this sandal will last as long as the sole material holds up.  This could be over 1000 miles depending on the material!  It does well for road

runners, runners who do fire roads or dirt single track.  May not work well or hold up on extremely hilly rocky terrain without significant reductions in speed.  This is the official Growstronger.com minimalist shoe.

Type- Most Like Barefoot

The Vibram Five Fingers

Review:

With the separate toes, lack of any midsole, and thin rubber outsole, this shoe was most like being barefoot.  It comes in several models to fit each runners needs and fit the climate. However, due to the highly specialized design, it may not fit every foot, so you should try it before you buy it.  Vibram sole can last over 1000 miles, and the different models will also suit different terrains.  the upper material has been known to tear though after only a few hundred miles.

Recommendation:

Although this shoe needs to be tried on and fit precisely before you buy it, for those that can fit into it, it is the thought of as THE barefoot running shoe.  Recommended for all types of runners, running any terrain, and for any distance.  These can get expensive, anywhere from $75-$120, so they are not great for budget minded runners, but with a good stride these can last for 1000’s of miles.

Type- The Curious Runner

Nike Free-like Shoes

Review:

This is a great all around running shoe.  If you like the idea of keeping the look of a running shoe, but like the idea of creating a more flexible shoe for your feet, this could be it.  Some complaints were that it still had some significant support compared to being actually barefoot, and that the heel was still higher than the forefoot, making it easier to heelstrike.  These also aren’t as good for very technical trails as the individualized lugs have been known to break off.

Recommendation:

Great shoe for people who are interesting in seeing what barefoot running is like, but don’t want to invest too much time in rebuilding their training plans.  For all types of runners in all climates, though it may be best for gym use and road use.  At $85 the shoe may be minimal, but the price is not.  This would also make a good transition shoe for runners wearing very supportive shoes with orthodics.

Type- The Zero Cost Alternative

Modified Current Running Shoe

Review:

Although this is the cheapest option- being free- it is a little complicated to do.  Basically you cut a wedge out of the heel of the shoes you are wearing now.  The idea is to make the heel just as high as the forefoot, thereby removing the heel lift.  A brief example:  The shoe to the right has more foam under the heel than the forefoot.  You can see this with the white foam between the red colors and how it tapers down to all red in the toe area.  What you do is take a knife, and, carefully, cut off the white foam.  This leaves no tread on the heel so there is no traction, but a good stride should not necessitate needing a heel.  Though not having any of the barefoot feel, unless you are wearing a minimalist shoe, this setup seems to be able to allow for proper form.

Recommendation:

Great option for anyone who wants to work on their stride, or for runners covering very technical terrain over many miles, over 50 at least.  Can work for any climate.  Not for runners wanting a more minimalist or barefoot feeling shoe.  Cheapest option being that it is free.  Not for runners afraid to use knives.

Type- Best All-Rounder

Racing Flats

Review:

This is a great all around option.  Racing flats have been around for many years.  There are cross country versions that give added traction and protection for trail runners, and they are already some of the lightest and most minimal running shoes you can buy.  Although they are incredibly light and flexible, they still generally have some heel lift, again, allowing for heel strike, and are still not minimal enough to give the barefoot experience.  However, this option seemed to work best for many different types of runners.

Recommendation:

Best shoe for anyone who still wants to wear a more traditional looking shoe.  Also best for anyone who want more protection than the few millimeters of rubber that a true minimalist shoe delivers.  Recommended for all runners, on all terrains, all climates and all distances.  Also, as many of these can be bought for $20-50, this is a great shoe for all types of budgets.

Type- Most Minimal While Still Looking Like a Shoe

Water Shoes/Feelmax Type Shoes

Review:

With a similar amount of material between you and the ground as the Five Fingers or the Huarache, these shoes will give you good protection, excellent ground feel, a fairly long life, as well as warmth.  The Feelmax shoes seem to wear through a little quicker than the water shoes.  Also these are both very minimal shoes.  They have some traction, but may not be the best for extremely technical trails with lots of steep angles.  These both look enough like normal shoes that they can be worn around town, but are also so minimal that they give you great ground feel and also feel quite a lot like being barefoot.

Recommendation:

For the runners who want very minimal footwear and also don’t want people staring at their feet.  The water socks are perhaps the cheapest of any product if you want to purchase a shoe.  Anywhere from $5-40 means you can go in many directions and have many options.  The Feelmax shoes are a little more expensive, around $70+.  These two options will work for any runner at any distance, in any climate, but you may not want to use these on the most technical of trails due to the thinness of the sole and the lack many of the models have of traction.

Type- All Around Minimal Shoe

Yoga and Martial Arts Shoes

Review:

These are great options.  As you can see from the example shoe to the left, these have no midsole, and no heel lift.  Many will have a little more grippy outsoles than our previous type.  Being lace up they have a good fit, and seeing as how they are still formed around a last-meaning they are molded to the shape of a foot-gives them some upsides and downsides.  The downside is that they dont seem to fit every runner the same way, and they tend to be cut to give some arch support.  The upside though are those very traits.  If you run on more undulating terrain, that support seems to hold your foot in place inside the shoe better than if it wasn’t there.  Many of the name brand shoe companies make these shoes so they can be very stylish as well.

Recommendation:

This is for runners who want to look good while also having as many benefits of going minimalist as possible.  For any runner who finds the shoe comfortable, in any climate, and on most terrains.  You may find traction a problem on very loose terrain.  Moderately priced, these shoes run around $60, so they are not great for the most budget minded.  The glue holding the shoe to the sole has also been a point of contention for some people so this shoe may only last in the hundreds instead of 1000’s of miles.  However, they should work well for anyone racing any distance.

These options are but a few of many out there.  We tried to give you a good example of where to start though, and these seem to all be the most popular options among both barefoot and minimalist runners.  Remember that when starting any barefoot running regimen, that you need to start very slowly.

If anyone has any questions about different options, where to find or buy these shoes, or how to make or modify some of the shoes shown in a couple of the above options, let us know and we will be happy to help out!  Happy Feet Mean Happy Running!

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This entry was posted on Sunday, October 18th, 2009 by GrowStronger at 10:14 pm and is filed under Barefoot Running. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.