Victor Ballesteros designer of the popular Victory Gear Bag, the ultimate gear bag for ultra runners, is back with a great new addition to his lineup. The Grizzly from Victory Sportdesign is designed with adventure sports and travel in mind. This bag is currently being crowdfunded on Kickstarter. Check out the video.
When you run as much as I do you go through several pairs of running shoes every year. This can get expensive, that is why I buy from theClymb.com
For those of you that are unfamiliar, the Clymb is an online outdoor equipment retailer that offers daily flash sales. Each daily sale is for only a limited time and often the most popular products sell out quickly, though sometimes shopping on the clymb can feel like black friday at a walmart, the deals are fantastic as are most the shoes they sell.
Most everything that shows up on the Clymb is at least 40% off, I have even seen up to 90% off.
The Clymb does not always have the largest selection of shoes, but they usually have a decent selection of my favorite brands in minimalist running, including, but not limited to Innov-8, Newton, Altra, Merrell, and usually a handful of others. Ultra runners will appreciate Hoka's here at half their normal price.
Though I am usually looking for a new pair of shoes, Clymb has deals on all sorts of outdoor gear for cycling, camping, climbing, even surfing and yoga.
Because I love a good deal I know others will also. For every friend referred by you that makes a purchase at theClymb.com, Clymb will reward you with $25 credit. this is a win-win-win for everyone. Theclymb.com gets a new member, your friend saves on their running shoes, and you get $25 credit.
If you see the shoes you are looking for, I suggest you buy them immediately. Don't hesitate, if you check back in an hour they may be sold out.
This is how they promote their daily sales. Read them or don't, they are not important. I just visit the the sight when I am in the market to buy something.
Don't have a friend to refer you, here is my referral link. Sign up through this link and I will be rewarded with $25 Clymb Credit. And thank you in advance.
By Coach Mike Lotter
After 2 runs in my Fila Skele-Toes Bay Runners, mostly hilly, dirt/rock trails and fire roads, a little pavement, I am impressed and would buy them again. According to the label, this 'Bay Runner' model is made for any terrain, and so far, I find that to be true. The Fila Skele-Toes Bay Runner Model feel fast, and according to my GPS, are fast.
The Fila Skele-Toes have minimal tread but great traction because of the toes getting involved. They're great for picking one's way through rocky sections of trails that are common and sometimes troublesome on Mt. Tam. The Skele-Toes Bay Runner make this aspect of trail running fun for me, like a dance.
Rock protection is excellent, as the Skele-Toes Bay Runner, though light and thin, have a tough sole. They also have, as the other Skele-Toes shoes have, a 4 toe design that encapsulates the 2 smallest toes together in one toe box. This ensures more protection from snagging or stubbing on objects along trails, of the pinkey toe (a problem for users of FiveFinger designs, at times).
The shoes look great but not too flashy, in a grey with yellow draw string cord for laces, but there are lots of colors to choose from. The Fila Skele-Toes Bay Runner are a true zero drop shoe. This means like all good "barefoot shoes" there is no heel rise.
Fila does produce a road version of Skele-Toes with a sole more similar to that of the Nike Free 5.0. They are light and fast and good on the track and on roads, however, unlike the Bay Runner model I do not recommend these other Skele-toe shoes for trails or dirt with any gravel because they pick up pebbles and store them annoyingly in the spaces between the panels of soft the sole. The 'Bay Runner' has no such problem and I have not found a terrain these shoes do not like.
I do not recommend either version of the the Fila Skelet-Toes for really long runs, although I'm sure some runners would have no difficulty doing trail ultras in the Bay Runner or a marathon in the road version.
I highly recommend the specialized socks such as Injinji socks be worn with the Skele-Toes, for any distance and especially longer runs. These shoes require socks for 2 reasons: they chafe toes a little, that can cause bloody blisters after only 5 miles without toe socks (my experience). Also, the shoes, like any shoes, will get stinky quickly without socks.
Last but not least is affordability of these shoes. I have seen the Fila Skele-Toes, both the Bay Runner and the road version for great prices at some discount stores. I got mine for only $36. Compared to the Vibram FiveFingers, or Merrell Trail Glove this is a steal.
Mike Lotter is an avid runner and and High School Track and Field Coach in Marin County California.
Perhaps the most anticipated minimalist shoe of 2012, new natural running company Skora is set to release both the Skora Base and the Skora Form in February 2012. Here are some preview pictures.
Visit SkoraRunning.com to Pre-order.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_xUzi2XXug&w=560&h=315] For those of you that just want the low down and would rather skip the details, I LOVE THIS SHOE! This is the shoe that will replace my Merrell Trail Gloves for the foreseeable future. The Altra Adam is a true zero drop, lightweight, flexible, minimalist shoe with a great ground feel, and a very spacious toe box, whats not to love. Want to know more? keep reading.
There are four primary features I look for in a minimalist shoe.
The Altra Adam is a true zero drop shoe. This is one of the things I love about the Altra company. Altra is dedicated to producing zero drop shoes. Zero drop refers to the height differential between the heel and the forefoot. In a zero drop shoe the differential is zero. In other words, the heel height and forefoot height are even. In my opinion, the closer to zero drop the better.
A true zero drop shoe such as the Altra Adam best replicates the natural running form present when running barefoot for the obvious reason that when barefoot the heel is not lifted. By contrast to the Altra Adam, the New Balance Minimus has a 4mm heel-toe differential. The Nike Free 3.0 heel-toe drop is 7mm.
Ground FeelThe Altra Adam has an amazing amount of ground feel. The 3mm outsole allows the feet to feel and react to the terrain while still providing adequate protection from sharp or otherwise dangerous objects. The trade off with ground feel is that after a certain number of miles your feet are likely to become sore from not having that familiar cushion between your foot and the ground. As I primarily run on trails, I found I could get in about 12 miles before the ground became uncomfortable. Road running is much more forgiving in this respect. If you prefer a little less ground feel, the Altra Adam comes with an two variety of insoles, each of which provides a little more protection, and a little less ground feel. If you want even less ground feel Altra has a whole line of zero drop shoes, such as the Altra Instict, that are not as lightweight and flexible, but do include a midsole.
LightwieghtThe Altra Adam weighs in at under five ounces making it lighter than the Merrell Trail Glove (6.2 oz), or New Balance Minimus (7 oz), or even the Vibram FiveFingers KSO (5.7 oz). The lighter the shoe the more efficient each stride and less torque on the joints. The featherweight quaility of these shoes makes them amazing for speed work, especially on the track.
Toe BoxWhen you first see the Altra Adam you immediately recognize that the toe box is shaped a little different than most running shoes. Altra took the novel approach of making the toe box shaped like a foot. Not so much like a foot that you need special toe socks, but enouigh like a foot that the toes are allowed to naturally splay without being impeded by the side walls of the shoe. The roomy toe box of the Altra Adam make it amongst the most comfortable shoes I have worn. If fact, I got the Altra Adam to run in, but have found myself wearing them as my everyday running around shoes as well.
These are the most important features that make up a minimalist shoe, but there are other features that will probably interest you as well.
I found the Altra Adam fit true to size. In the past I have taken to wearing a half size larger for a little extra room in the toebox. The already roomy toe box of the Altra Adam make this unnecesary.
TractionThis is the only department were I found the Altra Adam to be lacking. In most running scenarios this is not a big deal, but when running down a steep hill in the mud a little more traction would be nice. This of course is another factor that would alter ground feel.
rather than laces the Altra Adam has two velcro straps. These shoes fit my foot so well I actually found these straps to be unessesary as the semi-elastic upper mesh held the shoe snuggly in place.
Strangely enough, I get this question often. Just as with any other shoe, I strongly suggest that you wear socks. No socks = stinky shoes = less friends. Don't like how socks hold in moisture? Try Smartwool.
If this is your first pair of zero drop shoes you will want to take some time to transition. Most importantly you will first want to ensure that you are running with a natural forefoot stride and maintaining good natural running form. If you are not sure if you are doing this consider hiring a natural running coach such as myself. If you are not in the Bay Area, check out the Altra Learn to Run Initiative.
Even if you have perfected natural running in a shoe with a raised heel, when transitioning to a zero drop shoe you will likely notice your calves will become more sore than you are acustomed to. There is nothing wrong with this, they are simply deconditioned and will take some time to recondition themselves to running naturally.
Start with just a few miles per week with the zero drop shoes and slowly add more milage as is comfortable. Just like with any other kind of training doing to much to fast will lead to injury. If you do not want to sacrifice mileage while you transition, supplement mileage with the shoes you are most accustom taking extra care to maintain a short stride and avoid heel striking.
Have you tried the Altra Adam or Eve? leave your comments below.
What SmartWool has to Say: Our ultra light cushioned PhD Running Ultra Light Micro is great for mild weather and shorter distances, without the tan line. Thanks to WOW technology in high density impact zones, shock and abrasion are reduced.
Many people have asked my whether they should wear socks with their new minimalist shoes. Having experimented with and without socks, I can definitively say that with socks is the way to go. Socks not only minimize hot spots that may rub blisters on your feet, but more importantly socks are key in controlling foot odor. No socks may seem like a good idea for awhile, but after a while the stench of your shoes may cause you to lose friends.
This is the first sock I have worn that is worthy of its own review. What sets SmartWool apart from all the other socks out there? Most socks are made from cotton, SmartWool is made from wool. The wool obsorbs less moisture, better regulates temperature, and battles foot odor better than its cotton counterpart.
The SmartWool PhD Ultra Light Micro is very thin, very light, with a snug fit, perfect for minimalist running. If not for the fact that your feet were more dry and less stinky, with the low cut sleek design, you could easily forget you were wearing socks at all.
No. In the past wool created a problem with shrinking. Your socks would go into the wash a size 12 and come back out a size four. SmartWool seems to have solved this problem. After many washes, my SmartWool PhD Ultra Light Micro fit just as comfy as the first time I wore them. The Ultra Light Micro also contains a small percentage of spandex which keeps the socks from stretching and keeps a snug fit on your foot.
I was challenged to smell my SmartWool after I had worn them on a long run, wierd I know, but I was up for the challenge, and I was impressed by the lack of odor. According to the tech rep this is a natural feature of wool.
Before there was Gor-Tex there was wool. Wool is the original cold weather gear. Living in the Bay Area with very moderate temperatures I cannot speak for the temperature regulating abilities of the SmartWool PhD Ultra Light Micro. This is a very thin very light sock, for better temperature regulation you might consider thicker SmartWool socks.
Though admittedly expensive as far as socks go, I am a fan of the SmartWool PhD Running Ultra Light Micro. The odor control and comfort is unmatched. They keep my feet dry and don't hold water should I go running in the rain. I would definitely recommend this sock.
Shop for SmartWool PhD Running Ultra Light Micro on SmartWool.com
Please share your SmartWool experiences in the comments below.
Not since the Merrel Trail Glove have I been this excited about the release of a shoe. Danny Abshire, founder of Newton Running Shoes, and author of Natural Running has taken a large stride in the right direction. Newton has a vision unlike any other shoe manufacturer I know of. Newton aims to make a true zero drop shoe, not by lowering the heel, but by raising the forefoot. With the new Newton MV2, Newton has edged more towards a minimalist shoe by creating a zero drop shoe with a reduced heel height.
The only thing I can immediately tell that this shoe is lacking is a wide toe-box. Unlike the Merrell Trail Glove or the New Balance Minimus, the Newton MV2 does not allow the toes to properly splay when running. Along with general discomfort while running this also causes blisters to form between toes, and is ultimately impedes upon the natural running stride that one would expect from the author of Natural Running.
Visit the Newton website to see more specks on the Newton MV2
And here is the review from RunBlogger.
Have you tried the Newton MV2? Leave your comments below.
Today my Merrell Trail Gloves are celebrating their 700 mile birthday(nearly all of those miles on trails,) and I thought I would celebrate by letting my readers know how they are doing.
Having been a dedicated runner for many years, I have run the tred off of more shoes than I can remember, but it is not often that I have put 700 on a single pair. In fact most shoes will never see 500 miles.
In a traditional running shoe the first thing to break down is the padding. as can be expected, the padding breaks down more in the places that absorb the majority of the impact. this can lead to a consistent uneven foot placement with each stride. this can lead to repetitive movement injuries such as runners knee.
Merrell Trail Glove has no padding. this means there is no padding to break down, which translates to many more injury free miles. This means less money on running shoes and more money for entry fees.
Zero drop shoes, such as the Merrell Trail Glove, requires the involvment of the muscles of the calves which may not be appropriately conditioned if transitioning from a running shoe with a heel-toe differential. Begin by wearing the Merrell Trail Glove for one or two shorter runs per week. Slowly incorporate more miles over the next three to four months. Here is a page on Getting Started Minimalist Running.
Upon purchasing the Merrell Trail Glove I was under the impression that you do not need to wear socks. So sockless I was until my shoes were to putrid to touch. I definately recomend wearing socks with these shoes. A thin layer of socks not only kept my shoes and my feet socially acceptable but also stopped the rubbing on the big toe that I discussed in my initial review of the Merrell Trail Glove.
The best and worst thing about the Merrell Trail Glove is the lack of padding beneath the heal. This allows for a much smoother and natural stride, however, if you do misstep and land your heel on a rock or other solid object this can bruise your heel which can make the rest of your run considerably less comfortable.
At 700 miles I am not yet ready to retire my Merrell Trail Gloves, but I am bumping them from my primary shoe to my secondary shoe. with the recent influx of minimalist running shoes I have many other shoes to review to make sure RunNaturally.org continues to provide the best minimalist advice.
Do you have these shoes? Leave your review below.
The to call the Reebok Realflex a minimalist running shoe, or to say it emulates barefoot running is a real stretch. Much like the Nike Free, the Reebok Realflex is more flexible, more lightweight, and includes fewer support features than the average running shoe, but the toe-to-heel differential alone keeps shoes such as the Reebok Realflex as well as the Nike Free is a slightly different catagory than the most minimalist shoes such as Vibram Five Fingers, Merrel Trail Glove, and the Altra Adam.
The Reebok Realflex, as well as its older brother the Nike Free, are what I like to refer to as "reduced shoes." That is to say, they have some but not all features of minimalist running shoes. In the case of the Reebok Realflex what is missing is a Zero-Drop heel-to-toe differential, as well as a true ground feel.
The heel-to-toe differential is the difference in the height of the forefoot of a shoe and the height of the heel of the shoe. In a zero drop shoe this differential is zero. Over the years, running shoes have accumulated more and more heel padding to soften the blow of a heel strike. Though this did make running on your heels more comfortable, it detracted from a natural forefoot stride (notice when running barefoot your heel is not elevated more than your forefoot.) The most minimalist of running shoes have removed the heel to bring it down to the level of the forefoot. Other reduced natural running shoes such as Newtons, or the original Altra, instead of lowering the heel all the way, instead the forefoot was raised to create zero drop heel-to-toe differential.
Because the Reebok Realflex, like the Nike Free, has done nothing to alleviate the heel-to-toe differential I would not classify either as a minimalist or barefoot shoe, but the increased flexibility, and reduced weights show a marked improvement on Reebok's previous line of shoes.
Reebok is marketing the shoe as adding an elevated heel as an improvement on true minimalist shoes, as this cushioned heel will make heel striking more comfortable. As a natural runner however, I am not as interested in comforting my heel strikes as I am in ensuring I don't heel strike in the first place. and, let's face it they did not improve upon a minimalist shoe by adding a heel, Reebok and Nike have both improved upon all their other shoes by making them flexible and lightweight.
Here is the Reebok Realflex promo video, if you are in marketing and enjoy running, after viewing this video I am confident a marketing position will be opening up soon at Reebok.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6h1SMjQEog]
Notice the heel striking even in the promotional video.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyXP2-hYvSs]
Much to the surprise to many of us in the minimalist running community, shoe manufacturer Brooks has announced its intention to listen to the market and produce a minimalist line of shoes. (Though I should point out they were very cautious not to use the term "minimalist running shoe.") This is most surprising due to a 2010 open letter from the CEO of Brooks in defense of bulky stability trainers.
After hiring a market research team, or reading the comments posted at the beneath the aforementioned open letter, Brooks has decided that there is a market for minimalist shoes, and regardless of their drawbacks or benefits is willing to produce a shoe that millions of people will buy. I applaud Brooks on this noble move.
To avoid commiting to a minimalist shoe, the author of the announcement referred instead to a shoe that allowed more "feel" and less "float."
"Float" I assume is referring to excess cushion, and "feel" I gather refers to the lack of.
Regardless of what they may call it, I am excited to hear that Brooks will attempt to produce a minimalist option. though there are lots of great minimalist shoes currently on the market, admittedly the market could use more competition. On a similar note, Brooks has also promised to make these shoes less expensive.
"Our glaring opportunity is to create a new product line designed from the ground up to provide the runner with an incredible feel experience. “Less is more” has become the design philosophy of many brands in the market right now that are chasing the minimal trend. The hard part about that for us is that we don’t feel that “less is more” is a great consumer proposition. It is no doubt an uplifting life philosophy, but a product promise? Runners shouldn’t have to pay more for less technology. We want to build a better, biomechanically sound product in a lighter package that allows the runner to feel more with less."
I do hope that Brooks is brave enough to drop the heel rather than drop the ball like Nike's attempt at a minimalist shoe, the Nike Free. If they can commit to including all the key elements of a minimalist shoe look for a runnaturally.org review in 2012.
Brooks intends to call its product Brooks PureProject collection and it is scheduled for release October 1st 2011.
As a minimalist runner I must admit I have been awaiting the Merrell Trail Glove release for quite some time. Not being one to buy shoes without trying them on first, I went to REI the only retailer I could find that I was sure would be carrying the Trail Glove. Apparently size 10 is very popular in the bay area. I was there the day after the release and REI was sold out of size ten. So I tried on the 9 1/2 and the 10 1/2, after about 20 laps around the store and a 15 minutes in the buyers dilemma as to whether or not I should just settle for the 10 1/2, I eventually opted to return home and order size ten directly from Merrell.com. This was a postponed my excitement for another week as I anxiously awaited the arrival of my shiny new Merrell Trail Gloves. This was ultimately the right decision, when I tried on the size ten they fit like a glove, pun intended.
I immediately began to compare the trail glove to the minimalist shoe checklist to ensure I had made the best decision.
The Merrell Trail Glove performs excellently in this area. It is truly a Zero-drop shoe. This means that the heal to toe differential is 0mm, as opposed to the traditional 12 mm offered by most traditional running shoes. this is number one because I feel this is the most important quality to look for in a minimalist shoe. Grade A+
I don't have an unusually wide foot, so this toe box was very generously sized. this is important as a wide toe box will allow the toes to naturally splay upon striking the ground. The toe box was easily as wide as my old school traditional running shoes, and much wider than most racing flats I have encountered on the market. Grade A+
According to Merrell the sole is made from 4 mm Vibram material. With the exception a 1mm forefoot plate to more evenly distribute weight, there is really nothing else separating the foot from the ground. In my opinion this is exactly the right amout of protection. Now that I have had the oportunity to try them out on some trails, the trail glove makes it easy to travel over sharp rocks and sticks and acorns and poop, protecting the foot without actually altering running stride. Grade A+
Upon trying on the Merrel Trail Glove for the first time I did notice that they hug the arch of my foot. this concerned me at first, however, the material hugging the arch is quite flexible providing protection from debris more so than unnecessary arch support. The upper is cut well below the ankle allowing the ankle full range of motion with no interference. Grade A
The men's Merrell Trail Glove weighs in at about 6.2 ounces. this is about half the weight of my last pair of traditional trainers, but about twice the weight of my Huaraches. I have seen many shoes that are much more lightweight, however, while examining the shoe, I couldn't devise any ways of making the shoe lighter, while maintaining full functionality. Grade B+
Very, I have only had these shoe for a week and the complements keep coming in. I did of course buy the Amazon colored Trail Glove directly from the Merrell website, (a color not available at REI.) Grade A
At 110 dollars the Merrell Trail Glove is the second most expensive pair of shoes I have ever purchased. I must admit the price mad me quite hesitant, however, I have never not gotten my money worth out of a running shoe. I hope as more truely minimalist shoes become available the price will come down to a more reasonable price, still at $110 they are only $20 more than Vibram FiveFingers, and come in $50 less than Terra Plana Evo, and in my opinion the Merrell Trail Glove is a much better shoe than either of those brands. Grade B-
Upon receiving my Merrell Trail Gloves in the mail I canceled my 25 mile tempo run and opted for a hilly muddy 12 mile trail run, ( I never like to try to go to far in my first run in new shoes lest I end up 15 miles out and hobbling home covered in blisters.) Instantly these shoes where amazing, they truly had a barefoot feel. One thing that I instantly noticed is the traction. The traction of the Merrell trail glove is far better than any other minimalist shoe I have ever worn. Along with the shoe not sliding around on the muddy trails, even when wet, my foot didn't slide around in the shoe, a common problem with my huaraches.
These shoes are designed to be worn with no socks. This fact combined with all synthetic materials makes a shoe that does not hold water. In other words, no heavy shoes from running through a puddle.
The only drawback that I have found is that somewhere in the inside of the upper lining of the my left shoe there was a seam that rubbed on my big toe. I didn't notice this until about mile 6, but by mile 10 it was very evident that something was amiss. When I finally removed my shoe, the rubbing had worn through the skin leaving a small hole on the top of my foot.
This is an easy fix with a little tape, of some scissors to give the offender a trim, however, I am in the class that believe you should not have to fix brand new $110 dollar shoes.
So far I only have 100 miles on these shoes, and so far they are holding together excellently, but before I declare these shoes durable they will need to see at least another 400 miles. I will try to follow up when they reach that point.
All in all this is the best shoe I have ever worn. It has all the features needed to make it a great minimalist shoe. But this greatness comes at a price, $110 if you want to put a price tag on it. The only problem is the rubbing on my left toe, I took care of this easily, but hopefully this is something that Merrell will take care of before releasing the Merrell Trail Glove 2.0. Hopefully this is the only thing the change on the Merrel Trail Glove 2.0, unless they can find a magical more light weight material.
Have you tried the Merrell Trail Glove? What did you think? Leave your comments below.
Have you reviewed another minimalist shoe and want it featured on runnaturally.org? Email me and be published.
With its February 1st 2011 release of its Merrell Trail Glove, Merrell has become the first major shoe brand to release a zero drop running shoe that looks like a running shoe. I applaud merrell for their bravery in actually following through with a true Zero-Drop barefoot running shoe, and I reward them by buying a pair today. I have been anticipating these shoe for months I am so excited they are finally here.
Also check out the barefoot training section Merrell has added to their site. Barefoot Connection.
Read an in depth review of the Merrell Trail Glove from Jason Robillard Author of The Barefoot Running Book. Read the Full Review
Update: Our Merrel Trail Glove Review is now ready.