A Minimal Fad: Confessions of a Torchbearer

First, Nitmos made the comment. Then, Runners' World reported the sharp decline in sales. Finally, the nerds at The Science of Sport wrote a lengthy piece on whether it was just a fad. Is it true? Was barefoot running and minimalist shoes soooo last year?

In referencing the Runners' World news brief, the Scientists noted that the "lasting legacy" of the barefoot/minimalist movement was the development of conventional shoes that are lighter and lower to the ground than previous models.

"[The 'barefoot bubble'] has driven the realization that the bulky, heavy and excessively cushioned shoes were not necessary and probably didn't do what they purported to," writes Ross Tucker, of The Science of Sport website. "The shoe industry as a whole has adjusted its paradigm, and that is certainly a good thing, in general."

While sales might be down, the benefit to those who still ascribe to a "less is more" approach to running footwear is that Big Shoe now has options that suit their needs. Companies like Merrell and New Balance have created entire lines of minimal running shoes that run the gamut from extra-thin and lightweight shoes without a heel drop to incrementally thicker options with slightly raised heels.

Another common theme among barefoot/minimalist runners was the idea that runners don't need to change out their shoes every 300 to 500 miles, a figure that was conjured up to sell more shoes. While these runners may not provide big sales, they will be more loyal to companies that provide them the type of footwear they desire.

The biggest "win" for the barefoot/minimalist camp was more attention paid to running form. It's not the shoes, or lack thereof, but how you land. This idea has led to a multitude of academic studies over the last couple years to figure out how runners can better avoid injury.

After experimenting with a wide variety of running footwear over the last four years, I finally settled on two pairs of shoes that fit my 3F criteria, while incorporating barefoot runs 10 to 20 percent of the time. While the proselytizing has largely died out, my preference for barefoot/minimalist running has not.

Nitmos' implication of my carrying a torch for some long forgotten band was more on the nose than he may have realized, though. You're talking about a guy who prefers music that was last popular during the 1920s and '30s. Jonas Brothers forever? More like Skillet Lickers forever!


Maybe someday I'll be considered a barefoot/minimalist running revivalist.

Flashback Friday: Minimalist Experiment

aka, the long story of how I started running in less shoe

* * * 

The journey of running in minimalist shoes began after a pair of  Brooks T6 Racers caught my attention at the 2009 Akron Marathon expo. These ultra-light racing flats would provide my first step into progressively less and less shoe.

Unlike other runners who have gone this route, it wasn't injuries that spurred my decision to cast off the bulky stability shoes. There was an early bout of shin splints that I learned to overcome with toe raises. There have been a few instances of hip pain. There was even a case of the ubiquitous Iliotibial Band Syndrome, which may have been the worst of my running pains.

For the most part, these issues were either a result of "too much, too soon" or poor form. Or both. However, except for some initial calf soreness from adapting to a flatter shoe, injuries have been absent from my running life for the past two years.

And there's no real wood around to knock on if you believe in such jinxes, which I don't.

Since switching to the Brooks T6 Racers, which were retired after 728 miles, my running shoe arsenal has undergone rapid turnover in search of the ideal, bare bones shoe. All the while, I've been running barefoot increasingly more each year.

After the Brooks came my first foray into running sandals (aka huaraches or "hippy shoes"), a pair of homemade contraptions that first opened my eyes to the benefits of technological advancement in the shoe industry. Just so you know, industrial rubber sheeting is much heavier than you might think.

Then I succumbed to the siren call of the Vibram FiveFingers, an experiment that didn't even last as long as human gestation, with only 127 miles logged. I've considered trying to sell my KSOs on eBay, but haven't built up enough motivation to do so. If any of you would like to try a pair, let me know and we can work something out.

That Christmas came the New Balance MT101s, the predecessor to the Minimus line that was introduced last year. These too suffered a short lifespan, due to a narrow toebox and more favorable options. These are now my yard work shoes.

Last summer I got my first solicitation for a review in exchange for free product in the form of Invisible Shoes. The commercially made huaraches were the inspiration for my homemade pair, but the lighter weight, high-tech sole material quickly became cause to supplant my little craft project. I still enjoy running in the sandals on occasion, but more for novelty's sake. I was just thinking the other day that it's been a while since I've run in them.

Then in the fall, I thought I finally found the game-changer, the "one true shoe." The Altra Adams were as thin as Vibrams but without the individual toe sockets. That's what I have been looking for, I thought. They arrived from the manufacturer just in time for the Akron Marathon, where I learned that there was one fatal flaw to these shoes: the poorly placed straps. Oh how I wished they'd make a pair with laces ...

Lo and behold, my wish was granted! And on top of such good fortune, the Altra Samsons became my second shoes-for-review transaction. While these shoes are my current choice for road running purposes, they just don't cry out, "These are it!"

Finally, the very same week I got the Samsons, I went out and bought the New Balance Minimus Zero trail shoes. On trails, these are it.

While I think I've found the best shoes for me on the trail, I still haven't found what I'm looking for on the road. Perhaps, my road "shoe" are my bare feet. The early warm weather this year has already allowed me to log some shoeless mileage, but the more recent cool spell put an end to that trend.

The combination of minimalist shoes and barefoot running has improved my overall leg strength. My calves have more defined muscle than they ever have, even back when I played varsity ice hockey where pushing off with your toes generates critical skate speed.

Furthermore, injuries don't plague me like they do other runners I know. It seems Martini is always between injuries. Mrs. Viper has struggled with arch pain. So many bloggers write incessantly of their recent aches and pains. It's always runners' knee this, patellofemoral that, and don't forget the matatarsals. Ligaments and tendons and blisters -- oh my!

I won't go so far as to say I haven't suffered any running injuries since I've gone wholeheartedly minimalist, but nothing aside from a marathon has forced me to stop running for a significant period of time.

The reason for my durability? Better running form, which came as a result of reducing the cushioning underfoot and increasing the amount of ground feel I experience. My feet are freer to adjust to the terrain, and my limbs are strong enough to handle increased loads from such adjustments. Or so, that's my theory.

When I went in to buy my New Balance Minimus Zeros, I asked to try on the shoes I bought and the Merrell Trail Gloves. One of the clerks at the running store told the one helping me that "I want him to try the Brooks Pure Connect."

While I loved my Brooks racing flats, the company has done nothing but pay the slightest of lip service to the demands of the whole Minimalism Movement. The Pure Project shoes are very light and fairly flexible -- for a cushioned shoe. I put the shoe on for a second and immediately removed it.

For someone who came in asking for two very specific shoes, the experience was akin to a car salesman showing you a Chevy Suburban when you came in asking about a Toyota Prius or a Nissan Leaf.

I know the man was just doing what he thought was right, but I struggled with the thought that he had some anti-minimalist agenda or was some shill for the Brooks brand. I had done my homework and knew exactly what I was looking for and what my body could handle, whereas he may have had customers asking about the trendy Minimus shoes with their amusing ad campaign only to go out and run too much, too soon after wearing bulky shoes that weaken your running bio-infrastructure.

Mrs. Viper recently bought a pair of the Pure Connects and likes them so far. She purchased them from the same store where I got the New Balance, and it sounds like the guy who helped her was the one who recommended I try the Brooks. Again, I worried that he had some arrangement with Brooks, but then I remembered that running is a personal journey. The shoes that work for me, may not work for her.

My experiment with barefoot running and minimalist shoes has led to quantifiable improvements, as well as perceived improvements. Not only have I logged new PRs, I've increased training distances, felt more relaxed at faster paces, recovered faster from difficult runs, and felt and overall improvement in how I feel when I run. Best of all, my journey isn't over yet.

Back Talk
Wherein we say the obvious

Jamoosh noticed my increasing supply of minimalist shoes: "You are turning in to the Minimalist Shoe Guy!"

Answer: I know, right? And it spawned this ironically maximal post.

Happy Hour is nearly upon us, teammates! Have a finely brewed weekend. Run well and drink well. Oh, and happy Mothers Day to mine and yours and those of you who qualify. Cheers!

The Minimalist in Me

I got into minimalism back in the early aughts when I began to read the likes of Raymond Carver, Amy Hempel, Gordon Lish, Mary Robison, Chuck Palahniuk and others. One of my favorite professors was a Hemingway scholar, and perhaps the "iceberg" principle was driven in too deep.

The desire to achieve more with less led me to running in 2006. All I needed was a pair of shoes. Now, I am starting to wonder if I need those.

Last year, before the weather got cold, I attempted my first barefoot runs. Soon, I will make more unshod attempts.

All this talk about natural vs. unnatural running, barefoot vs. shoes and minimal vs. stability cushioning has me shaking my head. The debate is pointless. Nobody has the facts. The arguments are based on limited studies, personal experience and opinion. So, here are mine.

I needed shoes when I started running. I need less shoe now. I will probably always need some shoe because of winters in Ohio.

Ever since the Akron Marathon, I have run most of my miles in racing flats. Because I was recovering from the race and entering winter, I ran a lot less. Easing into minimal cushioning allowed me time to strengthen my feet to handle the increased load.

Before I bought the low-profile Brooks T6 Racers, I became skeptical of cushioning. I have three other pairs of running shoes, and only one has logged fewer than 500 miles. I rotated between these shoes while training for the marathon and raced in the lowest mileage of the three. That pair now has logged 450 miles.

By continuing to run in well-worn stability shoes, I pounded the cushioning down until it was ineffective. My feet had to get stronger to make up for the decreased support. From there, I made a gradual shift to the racing flats.

Yesterday, I took yet another step into less shoe. I bought a 12-by-12 inches piece of 3/16-inch thick industrial rubber for $6.04. Here is why.

This minimalist trend has also been good to my wallet. I've spent about $75 dollars on running shoes in the last 22 months, during which I have run about 1,800 miles. And guess what? I haven't used my injury tag since June of last year, before I logged my highest marathon training mileage ever.

My advice for those who plan on running in minimal shoes or bare feet: Don't be stupid. Making a switch like this is like starting over. Your lungs, core and thighs might be ready to go out long and fast, but your feet and calves are not.

Start short and slow. Stop if it hurts.

This all goes back to being an Experiment of One. You are your own test lab. Listen to your body, not the so-called "experts."

[Drunkard's note: Yes, this can be summarized as, "I was into minimalist running before it was cool."]