BIG Shoe Dilemma- Vibrams or other minimal shoe?

[bounceliketigger]

Hi all. Looking for some shoe reviews and opinions. I typically train in Vibram Five Fingers, but haven't gone farther than 10 miles in them and that was mostly on dirt or TM. I've gone about 8 in them on pavement. I'm really nervous about trying to run the Princess 1/2 in them on pavement. But, whenever I run in sneaks, even fairly minimal ones like my NB 550s, I end up w/ some sort of pain--shins, kness, balls of my feet, whatever. In Vibes I get some muscle fatigue in my feet and calves, but that's about it. I'm concerned that the 1/2 is going to be just too much and too cold for Vibes but don't know of another good minimal shoe to use. Is it too close to race day for a new pair?

Any opinions would be appreciated!

 

[BriarRabbit]

You've got less than a month but I like the Mizuno Universe as a minimal shoe.
http://www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/products/MIZ673/

Lots of Vibram and minimal shoe discussion in the Runnersworld barefoot thread.
http://www.runnersworld.com/community/forums/runner-communities/barefoot-running

 

[bounceliketigger]

Thanks--that's good info.

I tried Mizuno's, a good relatively minimal shoe, but toe box was too narrow for me.

 

[verticalchaos]

Don't they make lined vibrams? Some of my running club teammates wear vibrams regularly but got lined ones for the winter.

 

[bounceliketigger]

Hm. Could be Vibram Flows. I wear socks but they're still pretty cold. Mainly I just dont know if I could hang that long in them on such a hard surface. Doing 11 on the TM tomorrow. Still not pavement, but it'll give me a better idea insofar as distance.

 

[verticalchaos]

I don't know...I just heard one of them say something about she needed to get some that were lined when she was putting on some racing flats. I did see people wearing Vibrams last Saturday during the Arctic - um, I mean Manhattan Half Marathon (high of 14 degrees before wind chill!). And I was one of the stupid ones MARSHALLING it - meaning I didn't even get to move around that much! *points to self* I am insane!

 

[bounceliketigger]

I know someome who did that crazy Manhattan deep freeze. Sheesh! & my temp limit is about 25!

must have been Vibram Bikilas the person was talking about. They're lined. I wish someone would come out with a Goretex & Thinsulate barefoot shoe!

 

[SAHDad]

I know someome who did that crazy Manhattan deep freeze. Sheesh! & my temp limit is about 25!

must have been Vibram Bikilas the person was talking about. They're lined. I wish someone would come out with a Goretex & Thinsulate barefoot shoe!

I was lucky enough (read: had babysitters) to do some outside running at the end of Dec and early January in my Bikilas. 20 or 25 degrees was a lot better than 34 - if it was cold enough, I wasn't stepping in icy, slushy piles, and getting my shoes wet. As long as they were dry, my feet were warm enough - though I wasn't having to blaze my own path through the snow, merely following others who had already done so.

 

[verticalchaos]

I know someome who did that crazy Manhattan deep freeze. Sheesh! & my temp limit is about 25!

must have been Vibram Bikilas the person was talking about. They're lined. I wish someone would come out with a Goretex & Thinsulate barefoot shoe!

Yes, that day was INSANE! The craziest though was the guy running in SHORTS and a SINGLET!!! No arm warmers. No headband. No hat. I swear I went into convulsive shivers both times he passed me.

What was really freaky was seeing the icicles hanging off people - especialy beards or moustaches but also some dreadlocks. And then there were the icicles from ears of those with ear buds in. I didn't realize how much your ears sweat until I saw that.