RunningPoint Announces Launch of Minimal Shoe Database

Published by Ronald on Thursday, 21 Jul 2011 09:09 EDT

Logo mosaic - shoe database

edit: closed/moved. We might find different plans for it.

We are opening up the shoe database!  We believe that currently there is no good and simple way to look for and compare minimal shoes. Some shoe companies have been releasing some amazing minimal shoes, and even better, there are now lots of companies specifically targeting barefoot runners and releasing some amazing things that have never been seen in the past.

Finding these shoes hasn’t been easy and keeping up with all the latest, greatest shoes in this area is a lot of work on your own. I missed out on a lot of these shoes because I generally shop at traditional shops and websites like Runningwarehouse because their site and information is awesome. The problem we have found with minimal shoes is that mainstream retailers can't inventory some of the best minimal shoes because the shoe companies are so small and that’s a shame.

We thought it would be a good idea to provide a nice way to find these shoes. We wanted to give an overview on all the minimal shoes that are available with as many specifications we could find like the weight, heel-to-toe ratio and when they were released. We also tried to find and link some reviews for the shoes so people could quickly and easily read more about any shoe they were interested in.

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Looking for a new minimal shoe

Published by Ronald on Thursday, 12 May 2011 15:55 EDT

overview

I’ve been looking online for possible shoes to get that are truly zero drop and have no or minimal support. It was a surprisingly long list I had to work through to find my seemingly perfect shoe just from other reviews online and pictures.

So I thought I would share my impressions of all the shoes I’ve looked at and why I might or might not get them. Here's the list I have looked into.

  • Altra adam,
  • Inov-8 f-lite
  • Merrell Trial Glove
  • Terra plana Neo and Evo
  • New Balance Minimus Trail
  • Invisible Shoes
  • Vibram bikila with laces

Review of Invisible Shoes Huaraches Part 2

Published by RunningPoint on Tuesday, 08 Mar 2011 16:00 EST

In case you haven't read Part 1 of my Invisible Shoes huaraches review, here's a bit of recap. Huaraches are one of the most basic forms of footwear and consist only of a material that protects the bottom of the foot and a lace to secure them. They have been used specifically by the Tarahumara Indians and have been popularized by Chris McDougall's book Born to Run. Steven Sashen of Invisible Shoes decided to modernize the huaraches and offers a DIY kit on his website or he will custom make you a pair.

Part 1 of this review chronicled the process of me measuring, cutting, and assembling my DIY kit. Part 2 is my review of running in the huaraches.

Appearance

huaraches side viewWhen you are dealing with a shoe that is designed for this extreme level minimalism, I'm not sure that appearance is even a factor. I personally like the way the huaraches look. When the laces are tied in the slip on method (which I use), they retain a bit of shape and look like a very stripped down version of any sport sandal from manufacturers like Teva or Chaco.

The only area to add a splash of personality to these shoes is in your choice of laces. There are quite a few choices for lace color with the DIY kit and I chose the black laces. I am glad I did so since I have adopted the huaraches as daily wear around the office and out in public. huaraches at workThe black laces help to not make my footwear a focal point, especially around the office. I am proud to wear them anywhere and have gotten nothing but overwhelmingly positive comments about them. There are no second thoughts involved with wearing the huaraches out in public like there would be with FiveFingers.

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