New Vivo with Michelin soles are awesome. Alternatively Joe nimble, altra, or Merrell with vibram soles.
Vivo with Michelin soles is really interesting. I'm running on a 6mm stack height right now, and I remember vivos are about the same. Will definitely give them some attention
How recent did they start using those soles? I bought a pair of Vivos in January but they’re already wearing out pretty significantly and I don’t do any kind of serious running in them.
Relatively new. They're on the tracker and Novus right now. I have the trackers and they are barely scratched despite using them heavily all winter and spring.
I haven't tried the toed kind, but I had a great long-lasting pair of barefoot running shoes from Merrell. Also a great pair of lightweight hiking boots. Definitely recommend Merrell.
I bought Vibram V-Run in 2019, they're very close to 1500mi with obvious wear on the bottom, but no holes from wear yet. It's been 4.5 years with regular runs and in 2020 it was 100-130km monthly.
I am retiring them very soon because I stepped on glass running in the dark. I already bought a replacement, the same exact model and same exact color.
Dang, that sounds like it deserves a look
Idk how a 2mm sole can do that...
The best shoes I've found so far are ones I was born with. They provide the best ground feel and repair themselves over time when damaged!
Seriously, give it a try as soon as the temperatures allow for it. Plus you cannot really maintain bad running form while unshod. It will just hurt. I recommend at least one run a week without shoes to improve form.
Huaraches are very sturdy and can be easily made on your own with a piece of thick leather and some bungie cord. Other than that I've been running in the same pair of vapor gloves since 2014. But I only ever used them in winter, when it was to cold for bare feet. You can vastly improve the mileage of shoes with shoe go (glue skateboarders use to repair their ever braking shoes). Vapor gloves seem to get holes in the uppers long before the soles wear out.
I also built some leather shoes myself, which is a cool project, but also a lot of work. I've had good results with senmotic shoes as well, they are handmade in Germany and really sturdy. They do not come cheap, and are not quite as minimal as vapor gloves, but will last a lot longer. They will even change the soles for you if they brake at one point.
A community ti discuss barefoot and minimalistic shoes, for whom likes to give their feet freedom and enjoy a more primal feeling while walking, running and hiking.
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Rule 0 of transitioning to barefoot shoes is: take it easy! Give your body as much time as it needs - and then some - to avoid doing more harm then good!
For unshod and actual barefoot content, visit the barefoot community!