Minimalist shoes: a journey

The idea of minimalist footwear appeals to me from a number of perspectives. Aesthetically, I like the idea of having as little as possible on my feet. Minimalist shoes also tend to be cheaper than other shoes, particularly other running shoes. I also like the fact that I can (try to) make my own minimalist shoes, whereas trying to make a pair of padded, heel-raised shoes seems like it would be a nightmare.



My first pair of minimalist shoes was the DIY kit from Xeroshoes. The lacing is pretty complicated and difficult to adjust, and I had trouble getting the lacing to feel comfortable, so I bought the heelstrap, which greatly simplified the lacing and made it easy to get a comfortable fit. Once I figured out the fit, these shoes (sandals, really) became my go-to shoes for recreation. I ran in these off and on for about 3 years, until the loop in the sole where the lace is threaded got broken.

My next pair of minimalist shoes was the SoftStar Run Amok DASH. Where I work, closed-toed shoes are a requirement, so I can't wear Xeroshoes to work. I was initially hesitant to buy these shoes, because they seemed pretty expensive ($110 was more than twice what I'd ever paid for shoes before that). About 2 months after making them my every-day shoes, I ran an 18 mile race in them and experienced no foot pain or knee pain whatsoever (my muscles were super sore, but that's expected). These are great shoes, but they are a bit expensive for my tastes. As a bonus, they look kind of like bowling shoes, and I was able to bowl some pretty good rounds in them without making anyone suspicious.

My next minimalist shoes were of the DIY variety. The simplest way to make a DIY minimalist shoe is to simply remove the sole and midsole from a pair of conventional shoes, and replace it with a thin layer of rubber (or leather). To remove the soles of a shoe, all you need to do is pour boiling water over the shoe, and then peel the sole off (see this video). There is also a great book available on how to make shoes in the style of native american shoes: Native American Moccasins: a craft manual.
I never ended up using any of my custom made shoes, because I wasn't patient enough. Also they looked really ugly.

I moved on to the Ipari Hana shoe from Xeroshoes. These shoes look nice, but they turned out to not be a good option for me. They are not intended as running shoes, and caused me a great deal of pain in the knee when I tried to run in them. I think the cause of the discomfort was that these shoes tilt inward slightly, so not only do they not have arch-support, they have anti-arch support, making the foot rotate inwards to a greater degree than it would if you were barefoot. That is pretty weird and not good at all for running.

After that, I tried a pair of Merrell Vapor Glove 2. Those gave me similar problems as the Ipari Hana, but not nearly as bad. I ran in those until they wore out, which was maybe 6 months or so.

At about the same time, I got a pair of FitKicks. FitKicks are not marketed as running shoes, but I found them to be much more comfortable for running than the previous two shoes. I put a lot of miles on those shoes, and ran in them until the soles wore through, and was really very impressed by them.

I'm currently running (and walking, and doing everything else) in a pair of Adidas Adizero Boston 6's, which have lasted me almost a year and a half, and more than 500 miles. These, of course, are not minimalist shoes. I haven't had any problems with injuries or joint pain while running in these shoes. That could be because of the thicker soles. It could also be because I've been running regularly for about five years now, so presumably I've my joints have gotten stronger and I've also gotten better at pacing myself and not overdoing it.

In the future, I'll probably continue wearing the Adizero Bostons, or something very similar. I also keep a pair of FitKicks and a pair of XeroShoes Amuri Venture's (which seem to have been discontinued?) that I run around in when the weather is nice.

Walking:
Walking barefoot or in minimalist shoes is easy, and natural, and the risk of muscle or bone injury seems to be low. The oddest part is trying to get used to avoiding heel striking. When walking in minimalist shoes, it's more comfortable if the ball of the foot touches the ground before or at the same time as the heel. For this not to feel awkward, I had to make my stride shorter, which took a few weeks to get used to.

Running:
When I first tried to run barefoot, or in minimalist shoes, it caused me a lot of foot pain. Specifically the "top of foot pain" you sometimes read about in barefoot running blogs. I attribute the initial pain to transitioning too quickly, and not letting my muscles, joints, and running form adapt. When I started trying out barefoot/minimalist running, I was in pretty good shape, and doing a lot of running in conventional shoes, so I tended to run longer distances than I should have. I think that probably caused a stress fracture somewhere in my foot.

Recommendations for people considering switching to minimalist shoes:

I'm a big fan of the idea "Do what works for you, but don't be afraid to try new things." If you're happy with your current footwear, then really, don't bother with minimalist shoes.

If you decide to try minimalist shoes, I highly recommend FitKicks, they're really cheap and work just as well for running as any other minimalist shoe. Any of the sandals from Xero shoes are nice (I've only tried the DIY and the Venture, but I'm sure the others are good also). If you want a comfortable, minimalist closed toed shoe, it's hard to beat SoftStar if you can afford them.