Considering Minimalist Footwear for Backpacking

[Tad Englund]

Hey Ryan or anyone else-

Do the Inov-8 288's handle standard crampons? Like a pair of BD Contours.

[Alex Eriksson]

For anyone interested, the Altra Lone Peaks passed my initial inspection and scientific dog-walk-evaluation with the Rocky Goretex socks I just purchased. Of note, the incredibly roomy toe box on the LP's leave room for the "cut for tighter more traditional toe box" GTX socks. Once on the socks have a bit of a "floppy end" of about 1.5" on my foot, but this is of no concern since the extra space in the shoe accommodates it without even bunching up.

The shoe's rather stretchy body also did well to deal with the increased overall volume of the setup I'll be testing out: Rocky GTX socks (obviously), over an REI midweight merino hiker for lots of warmth, over an REI merino liner. So even with essentially 3 socks on the shoe didn't feel overly taxed and had plenty of room for adjustment to taste.

We'll see how they do in the wilds beyond the grounds of Chateau Eriksson (aka my apartment complex).

[Ryan Jordan]

Tad —

Standard crampons seem too burly for the relatively soft 288's.

Some snowshoe bindings are fine with them.

As are Kahtoola's. I especially think that Kahtoola Microspikes and the 288's are a great match, and are my pick for icy trails, steep snow hikes, and the occasional glacier crossing as needed.

[jason quick]

>You have never experienced real agony until you have experienced frozen feet in under-sized shoes in the snow

Very much +1 there Roger.

[Lars Laird Iversen]

Interesting to see the return of the 288! It was my first step towards the lightweight backpacking world, the shiny promise of "the lightest waterproof boots in the world!" lured me into buying a pair. That was before I started hanging out here on BPL, and I have always felt that the consensus here would poo-poo a mid-height GTX shoe/boot. As I am a weak soul, always ready to be convinced by the internet, I am now dreaming of something lower, which drains water well. I´ve also started walking around in vivobarefoot Ra in town, and running in minimalist shoes (slowly and not very far – but it still feels great!) . I´m looking forward to the inov8 trailroc 150s! Then I shall have a new favourite shoe to drool over until cash comes my way.

Still, I can´t afford to change something that works decently, so I still wear the 288s. They tread well, they feel light (they ARE light for a boot!), and they hold up well – only a slight fraying after three years of use so far. On the down side, they do get clammy with the GTX barrier, and the toe box is narrow. I won´t take them out into cold weather (below -5C, sorry for being a celcian).

Ryan, or anyone else, I would be interested to hear more about why mid-heights with a GTX barrier should be reconsidered.

[Ryan Jordan]

Lars: I recommend something waterproof, with a high gaiter, for snow and cold/wet trekking, so the 288's are my choice. I'm not a fan of GTX shoes for the majority of 3 season conditions.

[Jonathan Rozes]

I've used 288s now through three elk hunting seasons here in Oregon. For that type of environment (temps around freezing; endless rain and snow; lots of cross country travel over wet, muddy ground; plentiful dead fall), I think they're the best thing going.

This year I tried a pair of RBH VaprThrm socks instead of the usual wool affair, and I'm a convert. My worries that they wouldn't be warm enough on their own, or that my feet would drown in sweat if temps got too warm proved to be unfounded.

[peter vacco]

" Don’t forget about the impact that pack weight has on the center of gravity. This results in a slight rearward lean relative to the barefoot runner "

ummmm ..
ok.

so form this shot at ought plus sea level on the Mackenzie Delta (very flat), we can see that excess weight makes things lean forwards. this puts the legs in a slightly climbing attitude, and we haven't even got to a hill yet. everybody knows Ryan knows exactly what he's talking about, but i thought a pic of things taken too far might better explain it.

even peter has lightened up on the boots since this shot was taken. the heavy boots were costing me probably over a mile a day in fatigue and discomfort. the lighter boots are just annoying on sidehills.
so if it's going to be miles vs an occasional bother.. that's not very hard choice.
the issue of security the big boots bring to the table is another matter entirely.

cheers,
v.

[Christine McClane]

I have been seriously thinking about getting Lone Peaks for awhile now. Have been wearing VFFs and Vivo Lucy Lite every day, but want something with some cushion for backpacking. However, having tried on the LPs three separate times, I can't get over the way my toes hit the stiffer stitched-on mountain design on the front. I think it would result in blisters within a few miles. I also have some heel slippage in them, though heel-lock lacing helped somewhat. So my question is, has anyone tried the new Altra Superior? I like the way they feel on my feet much better, but they have less cushion, more flex (but not as much as something thinner like my Vivos), and an even less aggressive tread than the Lone Peak. I think they would be great for day hiking, or short backpacks, depending on the terrain, but I'm just not sure, especially about the tread, for more difficult terrain, or week-long+ trips. I haven't done any hiking in minimalist shoes yet (except a short photo walk in my VFF KSO Treks), but plan to as soon as I can find time (and hopefully some slightly warmer weather), to see how my feet feel over rocks and roots in the Treks.

Anyway, my point is…thoughts or experience with Altra Superiors?

[C Brown]

The discussion of flexibility so far seems to focus on overall flexibility of the shoe. I am comparing several low drop or zero drop shoes and there is a big difference in flexibility from the heel to the toe. Traditional minimalist shoes are flexible tortionally (pick it up and twist the heel with your hands and it flexes). But I find a shoe that doesn't flex in the rear of the shoe prevents me from rolling out and givse me support on the scree and lateral inclines. However, flexibility from front to back at the ball or just behind the toe is a different issue. Some models are stiff from front to back (causing heel slippage in some cases) and some have huge front to back flexibility in the forefoot.

Any comment on advantages and disadvantages of flexible forefoot and more rigid heel?

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