Kristin the Minimalist

If there is one thing that my running obsession has been bad for it has been my bank account and my closet space. No matter what activity I fall into, it seems I never fail to find more things to buy in order to support it. That being said, I think it's about time I wrote a post about running shoes. After all, running is all about using your feet and thank goodness we live in an age when there are so many options for what we could wear on them!

If you've ever visited My Things page, you may have noticed that I rotate shoes during my training. This is not something that all runners do, nor is something all runners need to do. The reasons many runners do rotate shoes, however, are:

1. prolonged life of shoes by allowing them to dry out/decompress between uses

2. different types of shoes for different types of runs (ie. speed work vs. trail runs)

3. reduced risk of injury

4. prevents your foot from "molding" to one type of shoe (keeps your feet on it's toes!)

5. allows you to indulge in shopping for more shoes!

Okay I admit, reason number 5 has a lot to do with my multiple pairs of shoes, but all the other reasons are just as valid for me as well!

Now to get to the meat of this post: minimalist shoes!

What is a minimalist shoe you ask? Minimalist shoes are flexible, lightweight shoes that encourage a midfoot strike and keep you close to the ground. They help simulate running barefoot and, at least in my experience, they usually have a heel-to-toe drop of less than 12mm. Heel-to-toe drop is the difference between the height of the heel and the height of the toe. The higher the heel-to-toe drop, the higher up on your heels you will be. 12mm is considered a normal heel-to-toe drop with what is considered a standard amount of cushioning under the heel. The less cushioning, the less height difference between the heel and toe, and hence the more minimalist the shoe.

And what about this midfoot strike I mentioned? A major point of philosophy behind minimalist and barefoot running is that landing on your midfoot rather than your heel not only prevents injury, but is also more natural for us as human beings. After all, none of us emerged from the womb wearing platform shoes and our ancestors certainly didn't chase down dinner across the African landscape in the Nike Pegasus. We are born barefoot. As children we run around in our homes and on our lawns barefoot. When you run barefoot it is natural for you to land on your midfoot rather than your heel. Landing on your heel causes your body parts to stack themselves up unnaturally when you land, which can cause many injuries and put more strain on things like your knees.

Since many of us grew up in shoes with more cushioning however, heel-striking may be normal for many of us. Hence, transitioning to a minimalist shoes can be tricky and sometimes even unsuccessful. I made the transition relatively quickly after I started running, so it was easy for me. For someone who has been running for 5 years in mainstream shoes, however, they might find the change more challenging. I'm not here to tell you that you should aim to transition. All I can tell you is my experience. If it's not right for you, then it's not right for you. End of story.

If you are interested in minimalist and barefoot running I would recommend that your read Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. Like many thousands of others, I decided to make the switch to minimalism after reading this book. Not only is it well-written and an interesting story on it's own, but it goes into a lot of depth (much more than I could ever!) about the whys and hows of minimalism. In addition I would recommend visiting Runblogger, which is a blog that I came across while looking for advice on what minimalist shoes to buy. This guy really knows his stuff and his reviews are extremely in-depth. It's my go-to blog for running shoe reviews and a big help when I'm trying to make decisions about what to include next in my rotation.

A Closer Look at My Closet

Saucony ProGrid Kinvara:

HT (heel-to-toe drop): 4mm
Weight: 6.7 oz

The Kinvara was my first minimalist shoe. Prior to this I had been running in Brooks Ghost 3 (also a great shoe, though not minimalist), which were my first real running shoes ever. I bought the Kinvaras when I had about 350 miles on the Brooks, so I still had enough mileage left on them to do the transition. I started running 1 mile at a time in the Kinvaras and alternating between the two shoes. What I noticed immediately after my first mile test run in the Kinvaras is that the back of my calves were sore, but not in any place they had been sore before. They felt sensitive at the back of the calf right above the ankle. I didn't even know I could work that muscle! Within two weeks I made a full transition to the Kinvaras and never looked back! I have about 275 miles on them right now, and have been considering running my first marathon in these. I will be due for a new pair by then though, which is when I will make the upgrade to the Kinvara 2 (which comes in a lot of fun colors!).

Brooks Green Silence:

HT: 8mm
Weight: 6.9 oz

After having such a great experience with my Brooks Ghost 3 I was really eager to buy something from that company again, though at that point it had to be minimalist. I chose the Green Silence for a number of reasons. Not only was it getting rave reviews in the running community for being well-built and durable, but it is also an extremely eco-friendly shoe, made from 75% post-consumer recycled materials and a biodegradeable midsole among other things. GREEN Silence indeed! I haven't run in these as much lately, as I've looked to shoes with an even lower HT, though I did complete my first half marathon in them back in May.

His and Hers Green Silence

Saucony Hattori:

HT: 0mm
Weight: 3.8 oz

I admit that a few years back when I first saw the Vibram FiveFingers I thought they looked nutty and that anyone who wore them looked evern nuttier. That said, you can't have a discussion about minimalist running without mentioning them. They are the ultimate barefoot shoe, with a 0mm HT, or zero drop. When I got into minimalism I decided I should see what all the fuss is about. Unfortunately though, my stubborn Morton's toe prevented a proper fit, and I gave up after 20 minutes of trying to force them on my feet. Maybe I will feel inspired one day to try again. As well, there are a number of videos and articles online about stretching the Vibrams out to fit a Morton's toe.

Though feeling defeated I did not give up my quest for a zero drop shoe! Fortunately around the same time I was looking at Vibrams the Saucony Hattori came out. These shoes are sometimes referred to as the One Finger shoe (vs. Vibram FiveFingers...get it?). Like the Vibram it is zero drop and extremely light. It is the lightest running shoe in my closet. I primarily use my Hattori's for speed work as they feel practically weightless, though I've taken them on a few easy runs as well. I only have about 60 miles on them (since speed work is only a few miles a week), but so far they are holding up great. I don't wear socks with them and they easily slip on my foot. They remind me of those water shoes I used to wear as a kid when we went swimming (why did we have to do that again?).

New Balance Minimus Trail:

HT: 4mm
Weight: 5.5 oz

Since I plan to get into trail running and ultras in the near future I wanted to add a trail shoe to my line up. I heard great things about the New Balance Minimus line and decided to give it a go. This shoe can also be worn sockless like the Hattori (though because of a stubborn heel blister I have yet to go barefoot in them). They are just as good on the road as on the trail, so even though almost all of my running right now is road running I can still rotate the Minimus Trail in. This shoe is super flexible and is very roomy in the toes which my wide feet require. I set a PR in these shoes a few weeks ago and I couldn't be happier with them! And yes, that is a Vibram sole (to satisfy my Vibram craving). I look forward to the zero drop Minimus Trail that New Balance is launching next spring.

New Balance 1400:

HT: 8mm
Weight: 5.7 oz

These are the newest addition to my closet. I just took them on their first run last night and they were AMAZING! I felt like I was flying! They feel extremely light weight. It's almost like they're not even there! They are racing flats so they are meant for speed. If all goes well I plan to wear them at least to the two 5ks I am running in September, if not the half. And if nothing else, they look damn good!

A successful first outing for me and my 1400s!

As I add/replace shoes in my line up I will continue to update, though it will probably just be one shoe at a time instead of bombarding you with five all at once!

Happy running, friends!