Barefoot Hiking
New Balance Minimus Outdoor 10 Review
Comfort is a primary feature of shoes for me; if it’s not comfortable and functional, I’m not going to wear them. The Outdoor 10 is not a shoe I consider comfortable and I don’t intend on wearing them again. If the shoe were wider from top to bottom and there wasn’t a constricting band across the top length-wise and width-wise, I think this shoe would be much more comfortable. If you have a narrow foot and you find the shoe comfortable, this might be a footwear option if you’re looking for a water-resistant transition shoe for light trail or road running. The Outdoor 10 was built on the same foundation as the Minimus Trail, and as a first foray into minimalist shoes, it could have used some improvement. Thankfully, New Balance listened to consumer feedback and made significant improvements in their Minimus Zero line of shoes. For more information about this and other models, take a look at the New Balance website.
New Balance Minimus Trail Zero Review
The Minimus Trail Zero is the best minimalist shoe NB has made to date and the best model so far of the big brand shoe companies’ forays into minimalist shoe design. I doubt this level of greatness could have been reached without the lessons learned from their original Minimus models released in previous seasons. The Minimus Trail Zero is beyond lightweight, exceptionally wide, fantastically flexible with great ground feel. The futuristic style and materials make for an eye-catching shoe. Although perhaps not well suited for extreme trail terrain, they work well on light trail and incredibly well on road. NB has reset the bar for minimalist running shoes and I can only hope the other big brand shoe companies take note and follow suit. Congratulations New Balance!
New Balance 110 Trail Shoe Review (WT110) Review
Although not a true minimalist shoe, the NB 110 is a good transition trail running shoe, which can be used for those occasions where you might not want to feel all the rockiness of a rugged trail. They have a 4 mm heel rise for those not quite ready for a completely flat shoe. They are a little too inflexible and narrow in the midfoot for my liking but I can see how someone with a narrower foot needing a shoe for trail running might appreciate the design of the 110. They are definitely more stylish than your average running shoe and definitely built to last
VIVOBAREFOOT Off Road Mid Men’s Boot
VIVOBAREFOOT has brought us some amazing shoes this year. Anyone looking to fill every niche with a VIVOBAREFOOT product, the Off Road Mid boots come close to being a great fit. There is, disappointingly, some room for additional improvements to make these boots great. A wider last would be first on my list of improvements, especially given the width of the typical VIVOBAREFOOT shoe. A repeat VIVOBAREFOOT customer might be surprised to find such a narrow fit. A slightly more flexible upper would allow a more natural fit and more comfortable movement.
Sneak Peek: New Balance 2012 Minimus Models
The holidays have come early at Living Barefoot! New Balance has sent a collection of shoes from their upcoming Minimus line for review and we are happy to report that the company listened to feedback provided by their customers and worked hard to make improvements to their existing Minimus models—and it paid off! Here is a sneak peek of our first impressions of the new models.
Jambu Bare Feet Designs Birmingham Barefoot Review
Jambu is one of those shoe companies with great ideas, and even the occasional great execution, but the Birmingham Barefoot is not one of them. This shoe is not comfortable, not wide enough in the forefoot and too wide in the heel seat to accommodate most feet, doesn’t hold your foot in place, doesn’t have good ground feel, and has a slight heel rise in the outsole. They look great but, sadly, don’t feel as great as one would hope compared to their looks. I would recommend trying them on in a store before buying them and determining if the fit is one that you can live with. Jambu has several types of shoes in the Bare Feet Designs line, and although I liked the Barefoot Vegan, I do not like the Birmingham Barefoot. I still think that if you’re interested in Jambu products, they’re worth trying on and seeing if they work for you.
Merrell Lithe Glove Shoe Review
Merrell’s Pace Glove shortcomings were not improved in the release of the Lithe Glove. As a minimalist shoe, the Lithe Gloves are too narrow to allow the foot to function naturally and the sole has a myriad of issues that make them uncomfortable to walk or run in. The upper isn’t even comfortable as the heel seat digs painfully in the back of my heel. The only things going for this shoe are its added warmth for cooler temperatures and excellent grip.
Oetzi Troop Leather Review
There’s a fine line between minimalism and adequate cold protection when it comes to footwear. Often you sacrifice great ground feel for sufficient insulation from the cold ground, not to mention style. In the Oetzi Troop Leather, you get the best of all these features in a comfortable, warm, water resistant, and stylish package. I love these boots and look forward to many winter walks with warm feet
Review: GoLite Tara Lite
The GoLites Tara Lite is a shoe we have been asked to review by a number of our readers and so, while this is not a minimalist product to our definition, we are reviewing it specifically for our readers. The Tara Lites is a fascinating product whose purpose is one that we don’t understand. It is a performance product with some unique features, one in particular that has never been seen in an enclosed shoe to our knowledge. The shoe’s concept is that of a sandal with a “second skin stretch upper”. In other words, the shoe is based around a thong sandal, one that has an upper and a protective toe guard. A strapping system provides more refined fit. Is this a viable design? Read on…
Review Merrell Sonic Glove
Merrell Sonic Glove Shoe Review By Al Gauthier Interestingly, this shoe is almost identical to the Trail Glove except for a switch of the upper material and some small adjustments to the last. With a side-by-side comparison, and thorough testing, we could find few difference in the performance of the Sonic other than the waterproof nature of the Sonic’s upper [...]
The 6 Key Features of a Minimalist / Barefoot Shoe
Minimalist / barefoot shoes are now being made by most of the major performance brands. How do you know what is really a minimalist shoe and what is just marketing? There are 6 key features to look for. If the shoe you are looking at doesn’t have all 6, then it’s not a minimalist shoe.
We Interview Damien Tougas, Blogger, Owner of ToeSalad, Barefoot Hiker – Listen Now!
Damien was our first guest on The Living Barefoot Show in 2009! We welcome Damien back to see what he’s been up to – and he has been busy. Damien has started a review site called ToeSalad.com and continues to share his experiences on his personal blog. Damien loves the outdoors and joins us today to give us his perspective on proper barefoot technique while Hiking.
VIVOBAREFOOT Neo Trail Review
The Neo Trail is another phenomenal product by VIVOBAREFOOT. They are extremely comfortable (with or without socks), have fantastic ground feel, and incredible traction on all wet or dry trail conditions including mud, roots, dirt, and gravel. It’s obvious to me that extra thought went into the design of these shoes in the angles of the lugs, the choice of materials, and the added protection for the arch and toes. The hydrophobic properties of the upper are really going to be handy in wet, snowy winter conditions. They are durably made and comparably priced. If you’ve been craving a truly minimalist trail shoe with excellent grip, the Neo Trail delivers.
New Balance is Releasing a Zero Drop Minimalist Shoe – Finally!
It will come as no surprise to all of you that New Balance is releasing a zero-drop version of the Minimus line of shoes called the Minimus Zero!. As New Balance says itself “Zero wouldn’t have been possible without the first round of NB Minimus product. “We definitely learned a lot in the process of [...]
Review: Inov-8 Bare-Grip 200
Inov-8 Bare-Grip 200 Review By Tina Dubois Review of the inov-8 Bare-Grip 200 – A Light-weight, Grip-galore, Minimal Off Trail Shoe This is the first Living Barefoot footwear review for the UK-based shoe company inov-8. The Bare-Grip 200 is designed as an off trail shoe, meaning across hills and [...]
Review: Merrell Trail Glove
Merrell Trail Glove Shoe Review By Al Gauthier Merrell has been making shoes for 30 years now. The most difficult part of writing reviews is when we have to write a review on a product that we have been excitedly anticipating only to find they fall short. In the case of Merrell, the review process [...]
Review: Merrell Pace Glove
Review of the Merrell Women’s Barefoot Pace Glove By Tina Dubois Merrell has been a maker of high performance footwear since 1981. The company recently developed a barefoot line of shoes to satisfy the needs of the consumer-driven minimalist footwear market. The Barefoot Pace Glove is Merrell’s natural adventure shoe specifically designed for women. Although [...]
Review: Vibram FiveFingers TrekSport
Review of the VFF TrekSport The TrekSport is a vegan version of the KSO Trek (made of kangaroo leather) with the same aggressive tread designed for trekking and trail running. It is made of a stretchy coconut active carbon fiber material with TPU toe protection. The TrekSport upper also features a number of padded areas [...]
The Living Barefoot Show: Episode 27: We Interview VIVOBAREFOOT – What’s New for 2011
Living Barefoot Show for: Feb 1st, 2011 Episode 27 An Interview with the VIVOBAREFOOT Team: Sabra Ellingson, US Operations Director, Amy Schrader, Director of US Wholesale ,Michelle Hinsvark, US Marketing Executive. We talk about what’s to come from VIVOBAREFOOT an an exciting lineup for the spring / summer, and fall of 2011 0 Hour, 22 Minutes, [...]
Review: Vibram FiveFingers KSO Trek – By Andrew Searle
The KSO Trek is a great trail running shoe that is best for dry, light trails but not the best for really rocky or wet trails if you’re planning on running at high speeds. They are a fantastic trail running tool to improve running form, cadence, agility, and balance. They will also help you become more aware of your foot placement as well as strengthen the muscles of your feet and lower legs, which can all lead to overall improved trail running performance
The 2010 Minimalist Shoe Holiday Gift Guide
Vibram FiveFingers are arguably the first and most popular minimalist shoes on the market. With more and more specialist special models as well as a great selection of multi-purpose models, FiveFingers are a great gift for the barefooter who needs to wear shoes now and then or your favorite barefoot runner. FiveFingers Classic: Most minimalist [...]
Running and Rambling: VivoBarefoot Evo II Review and Giveaway; VivoBarefoot Evo Coupon Code
This article was originally published on Running and Rambling: VivoBarefoot Evo II Review and Giveaway; VivoBarefoot Evo Coupon Code: “But now, just in time for the holidays, that situation has changed. For ONE WEEK ONLY, today through December 6th, VivoBarefoot is offering 20% off both the Evo and Evo II. The men’s Evo II [...]
Daniel Howell (The Barefoot Book) is going to be on NBC
Just thought you might like to know that Daniel Howell (The Barefoot Book) is going to be on NBC’s the Today Show on November 30th! http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31510813/ns/msnbc_tv-the_dylan_ratigan_show#39748353 The above is a link to his recent appearance on MSNBS’s The Dylan Ratigan Show…..
Vibram FiveFingers Women’s Trek Shoe Review
Vibram FiveFingers Women’s Trek Shoe Review By Tina Dubois Review of Vibram FiveFingers Women’s Trek Shoe We are very pleased to review the Women’s Trek, it was a long time in coming and an example of how much Vibram values the input and requests of their customers. The Trek sole is the most rugged of [...]
“Barefoot Paul” Competes at the World Mountain Running Championships in KSO Treks
Mountain Running Championships? Hear about a new barefoot activity every day! The pics from Slovenia make the weather look a little cold but the competitor looks comfortable. This article was originally published on Vibram Five Fingers News, Reviews, and Fan Forums – Birthday Shoes “Barefoot Paul” Competes at the World Mountain Running Championships in KSO [...]
Footsore
Do not despair new Barefooters! If your feet are a bit sore after your first few forays into the barefoot lifestyle, don’t worry too much about it. Be careful to rest those tootsies though. Then you can go back to having your feet footloose and fancy free! SBL has written an article about being footsore. [...]
Review – Vibram FiveFingers Flow
Vibram FiveFingers Flow Review By Tina Dubois Overall impression The Flows are my favourite Vibram FiveFingers (VFFs) model to wear in cooler temperatures. Like all other VFF models, they are comfortable, form-fitting, and have amazing barefoot feel. The Flows are long-lasting and the grey upper/camo sole have a unique look to them (which does garner [...]
Review: Kigo Footwear Curv
Kigo Curv Shoe Review By Tina Dubois Review of Kigo Footwear’s Kigo Curv Shoe We are very pleased to review the second generation of Kigo Footwear’s Mary Jane-style shoe: the Curv. There are a few improvements to the Curv compared to the first generation, the Star, but for the most part, they are the same [...]
The Living Barefoot Show: Episode 23: We Interview Rachelle Kurimoto
We Interview Rachelle Kurimoto We talk with Rachelle about Kigo Footwear and it’s progression over its short history. Join us as we discover how Kigo Footwear was formed, how its focus has changed over time, and what they have in store for the future. To learn more about Kigo Footwear, visit http://www.kigofootwear.com/ Get 20% off [...]
Foot Changes after Two Years Living the Barefoot Alternative
Foot Changes after Two Years Living the Barefoot Alternative This post has been a long time in coming, over two years in coming actually. I switched to the barefoot alternative in May 2008 and have been wearing barefoot alternative/minimalist footwear as often as possible ever since. I wish I had taken some ‘before’ pictures of [...]
Are you really barefoot or are you confused?
Are you really barefoot or are you confused? It has been an incredible year so far. Acceptance for barefooting, barefoot running, and minimalist shoes has grown in ways that we could never have imagined a year ago. Amidst all this growth society has needed to take in a whole new vocabulary in order to properly [...]
Five Fingers KSOs in the Klondike
More fun things to do in your VFFs. My godparents live in the Yukon and my godfather has hiked the Chilkoot. It’s an amazing experience but I’m sure they stunk something fierce after that hike! This article was originally published on Vibram Five Fingers News, Reviews, and Fan Forums – Birthday Shoes Five Fingers KSOs [...]
Hiking the Garden of the Gods in Vibram Five Fingers
This article was originally published on Vibram Five Fingers News, Reviews, and Fan Forums – Birthday Shoes Hiking the Garden of the Gods in Vibram Five Fingers: “ Pictured above in their Bikilas and KSOs, Andy and Kaitlyn visited the The Garden of the Gods on their recent trip to Colorado. Andy gives us the [...]
Finnish Girls Hike Alps in Toe Shoes
Those crazy Finns… I can say that because I’m half Finnish. Great Finn girls hiking the Alps in VFFs! This article was originally published on Vibram Five Fingers Birthday Shoes Finnish Girls Hike Alps in Toe Shoes: “ Sara and Eeva were ready to get the heck out of Finland after graduation, so it was [...]
Barefoot Trail Running 101
Barefoot Running posted a short guide to starting trail running. This article was originally published on Barefoot Running “Once you have the fundamentals of barefoot running down, notice that your stride and cadence are changing, and can feel that your feet are tougher and your eyes are more alert to where you step, you might [...]
Barefoot Hiking
Nathan Smith from In Between My Toes posts about his 8km barefoot hike. Pics and video included. A nice little post about enjoying the great outdoors barefoot! This article was originally published on In Between My Toes Barefoot Hiking: “ (Read the full article / article originally published on: In Between My Toes.) Original Article [...]
We Interview Daniel Howell, Author of The Barefoot Book on The Living Barefoot Show
We Interview Daniel Howell The Living Barefoot Show – Episode 16 – We Interview Daniel Howell, Author of The Barefoot Book. Daniel’s book is a wonderful addition to the barefooters library. Using diagrams and covering subjects that few other books have covered in great details, Daniel goes into great detail of how the foot works, [...]
Barefoot parks in Europe
Surfing around the Internets tonight, I found information on “Barefoot Parks” in Europe. Appparently, Germany, Austria, Denmark, France, Hungary, Switzerland and the UK all have parks that cater to being barefoot. The parks are landscaped with different textures for people to walk on and fun balance equipment to play on. Check one out on your [...]
Review – Vibram FiveFingers KSO Trek
Review – Vibram FiveFingers KSO Trek Overall impression This beefy, tread-happy KSO upgrade with kangaroo leather is the perfect solution for trail runners and those who have been looking for a little more protection underfoot. Despite the substantial sole and the use of leather, this KSO remains as comfortable as the previous incarnations. It is [...]
Ticks
This article was originally published on Society for Barefoot Living Ticks: “ We’re now moving into tick season. If you look for advice on ticks, almost all sources say the same thing. Here, for instance, is what it says at Wild Survival: Dress for the outdoors by wearing light colored clothesl Wear long pants tucked [...]
Living Barefoot Announces: The Worlds First Barefoot Search Engine
The first search engine in the world dedicated to barefooters, barefoot runners, foot health, and minimalist shoe enthusiasts. Barefoot Finder is a custom search engine powered by Google, that searches a select group of web sites (including blogs, databases, forums, and articles) carefully chosen by the Barefoot Finder team and by users like YOU.
Review – Vivo Barefoot Dundan Boot
I absolutely love the Vivo Barefoot Dundan boots. They are incredibly comfortable and stylish. They are easy to put on and fast to take off. The lace and zipper combination allow them to be adjustable for a wide variety of ankle and leg widths while having the convenience of a zipper. They have an excellent barefoot feel but at the same time inspire confidence while walking on sharp surfaces due to the puncture-resistant sole. I love them so much, that I can’t wait to get a second pair in a different color.
Why Barefoot?
Why Barefoot? Because being barefoot is healthy for you! Because being barefoot can feel great! Because being barefoot is how our bodies were designed! Have you ever stopped to think about why we need so much support and protection? The answer is that we don’t. The answer is that the more we wear shoes, [...]
Review: Feelmax Kuuva Boot – Winter Barefooting Series
Feelmax Kuuva Boot Review By Tina Dubois For barefooters and minimalist shoe enthusiasts alike finding winter footwear products that can stand up to northern climates can be challenging. As part of our winter barefooting series, we are pleased to review the Feelmax Kuuva boot. We are very pleased to review our second minimalist footwear product [...]
Climbing in Five Fingers | Maria Coryell-Martin: Expeditionary Art
Climbing in Five Fingers | Maria Coryell-Martin: Expeditionary Art: “0 Posted 18 November, 2009 in Gear Last month I enjoyed a beautiful climb up the South Arete of the Early Winter Spires in the North Cascades. Though I love strolling in the high country, I don’t often do technical climbing. Thanks to my brother-in-law and [...]
Barefoot hiking: just doff it
Barefoot hiking: just doff it Earth Island Journal , Fall, 1997 by Darren Richardson A walk in the woods can be the perfect escape from the stresses and fast pace of modem life. Hiking allows us to enter a sensory-rich world with fresh air for the lungs, beautiful landscapes for the eyes, the stirrings of [...]
Feet First — One step at a time
Stepping in the mud and muck, grass and gravel, has these nature enthusiasts extolling the virtues of going shoeless By Kasha Stoll The Capital-JournalWhen a group of 13 barefoot hikers got bottlenecked at a muddy pass on the Emporia State University nature trail recently, Linda Jones reminded them why they were there. “Just trek on [...]
‘Barefoot Stew,’ 83
‘Barefoot Stew,’ 83 – Served in U.S. military, drove stock cars, lived life without shoes In one of his many other lives, Punditty takes to the trails several times a year with a group of barefoot hikers. While this may not sound like everyone’s idea of a good time, the 3- to 5-hour walks (with [...]
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