Minimalist Hiking Shoes

What is a “minimalist hiking shoe”?

I use trail runners. Some use racing flats. Some go with Vibram Five Fingers.

More details will yield better results.

Sorry, I was thinking about the shoes like Merrell Trail Glove, NB Minimus, Vibram Five Fingers. Those kinds of shoes. Can these be your everyday hiking shoe? I didn’t know if you could put decent mileage on these without injury or if these were more for short hikes.

. BAREFOOT JAKE .has a blog on the subject and there are lots of other blogs out there SOFTSTAR Backpacking in Minimalist Shoes and many discussions on the subject  HERE AT BPL with a search also BPL member  Damien Tougas has a site TOESALAD .

@annapurna

Thank you.

I went through alot of minimalist shoes about 8 years ago or so when they became popular. Mostly did some weekend backpacking trips in them and found that I didn’t care for anything that didn’t have some type of rock plate in them. The rocks and roots on trail ended up bruising my feet and causing more pain than I cared for. My favorite pair of minimalist style shoes back then were the NB MT101s. These days I went with a little more cushion/weight and usually go with Altras or NBs.

I got a pair of Merrell’s Vapor minimalist shoes and tried them on a variety of day hikes.

Up to about 10 miles (no pack), it seemed like a plus – I felt lighter on my feet, suspect I was using less energy, and for slipping in my luggage when I travel, they were light and packed down well.  That’s mostly what I use them for now: to travel with in the hopes of getting in a few miles after my meetings.

Beyond 10 miles, for me, and my feet felt kind of “beat up”.  Tenderized.  Not badly, but I learned a similar thing about my feet in the 1980s – for 20 miles, I could hike in anything (a low-cut trail shoe like the Nike Lava Dome, trad hiking boot, or running shoes).  Beyond 20 miles, heavy leather boots were never as comfortable as low-cut hiking shoes.  Beyond the first 26.2 miles in a day, and the running shoes left my feet wrapped around rocks and roots too many times and I much preferred something with some stiffness in the sole.  Ever since, I grab shoes in the store and try to twist them.  Shoes that I can twist 90 degrees or more may be fine around town but won’t work for me for long days on the trail.

But YMMV.  Literally.

@davidinkenai

Thank you for the info.

Boots/shoes are one thing where I absolutely ignore reviews by other parties.    Your feet are complex and I’ve found through trial-error and many, many, many miles of mistakes, what works for me.

I have trail runners…. I wear them for around town walks with my wife.   I’d wear them for a short hike.

What fits me and provides the most comfort is a mid-weight boot by Keen.   I’ve bought four pairs of the same size/model because like running shoes, these damn companies like to change models and there is no guarantee that the new ones will fit the same.    I have one of the four pair still brand new in the closet for when my earlier batch has run its course.

Since he asked about people who have switched to minimalist shoes and their experiences I gave him links to peoples websites who have made the switch and the many discussions over the years by people on BPL who have also done a lot of hiking in minimalist shoes and what they had to say about the switch and why it worked or didn’t for them, none of my links are for specific shoes, people may discuss what shoes they were wearing and the different attributes or flaws in a specific shoe to help others make decisions and he is probably aware he will need to decide in the end if it is for him or not and try many different shoes to see what works( or not).

I’ve used some of these minimalist shoes. This is a very broad category, in the sense that a shoe like the Vibram Five Fingers is very different from something like the Merrell Trail Glove.

I find the Vibram Five Fingers inappropriate for hiking. Some folks do it, but stepping on rocks hurts and I stub my toes all the time. A hike becomes all about the actual process of putting one foot in front of the other. So I quickly stopped using these, but I do like zero drop, minimal padding shoes like the New Balance Minimus and Merrell Trail Glove. For me, I want the lightest shoe that is still durable and still offers protection from rocks poking through.

I’m more a fan of moderatist shoes: zero drop or close to it and a low amount, but some, cushioning.  Some Inov8s fit this description and that’s what I’ve been using for a while.  They seem to allow good contouring of the ground with your feet.  For me, they seem to help with ankle stability because of the low profile and the manner in which your feet contour the ground.  But I like just a little cushion and some toe protection.  Like Dan, I sometimes stub a toe.

Thanks for all the input. Since I started hiking almost 30 years ago I have been on an unsuccessful quest to find the perfect shoe for me. Sweaty feet, blisters, pain, missing toenails, etc. When I find a shoe that eliminates one problem, I gain another. When not working or at the gym I only wear flip flops because my feet just feel better in these. I see lots of people liking barefoot style shoes, hiking in sandals, etc. and thought I would see what other people have found that works for them.

Or, if you can eliminate one problem, you may eliminate several others.  e.g. “Sweaty feet, blisters, pain” – wet skin from creek crossings or sweat makes your skin softer, more wrinkled, and therefore more prone to blisters.  Quick-drying, high-ventilation shoes and socks may help with that.  They do for me.  Also, play with different sock materials.  For a 10-20 mile day hike, it doesn’t matter for me – cotton crew socks are fine.  For lots of miles or if I know my feet will be wet a lot, a 50-80%wool/20-50%nylon blend, works for me, with more nylon being a bit better.

Bruised and lost toenails:  That sounds like improperly fitted shoes.  A real outdoor shoe store will have a ramp in it.  Just a slope at 20-30 degrees is fine (at the Wilderness Supply we just made it from plywood and carpeted it) or it can be simulated outdoor path with handrails like REI has.  The point is, that while pointing downhill and trying to jam your feet forward in the shoes, your toes don’t touch at all.  If they do touch **at all**, you need a larger size.  Once you’ve got a shoe in which your toes don’t touch, you walk around the store for 10-20 minutes feeling for any discomfort but especially for any heel lift.  1/8″ to maybe 1/4″ is okay if it feels okay, but any more than that, and the shoe is too loose on you.

If you can’t find a size that avoids your toes touching AND has minimal heel life, discard that model.  Try a different shoe.  Especially a shoe from a different manufacturer – each company has their own concept of how a foot is shaped.  Merrill’s lasts (the forms on which shoes are made) are apparently shaped like my feet because they consistently work for me while some other brands don’t.

-“Are these less/more likely to prevent or cause foot injuries?”

If you have worn shoes your whole life then suddenly stop… Likewise if you have never worn shoes before then suddenly start…

I’m not a doctor but I think most people are willing to go out on a limb to finish those statements.

When I research minimalist shoes/barefoot hiking and running I always read ‘train your feet’

But to give perspective on how strong feet can get (and where you are on that scale) I find this JRE clip enlightening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-4lswuzlGM They talk about the capabilities and feet adaptations of barefoot ultra marathon runners and people who live barefoot. As someone who wasn’t allowed to go outside barefoot as a kid I don’t know if I could ever build such foot strength.

If you like flip flops https://lunasandals.com/

I use Vibram Five Fingers and hike in them. I get everyones recount of “they bought them and wore them and hurt their feet”. And I get told that I’ll stub my toe, they’ll kill my feet, you’ll be sorry, etc, etc.. But been wearing them for a few years now.  Longest hike was a month and a half hike with a pack weight of 15kg (33 lbs) without a problem. Hiking speed depends on the surface.  As you can imagine, very rough rocky surfaces, I’m slow down.

How are they? For me, they’re great and I’ll stick to the current pair until they are dead and then go on using diy sandals.  I’m not that keen on the enclosed foot shoe, and my big gripe with Five Fingers is between the toes wears holes in it faster than anything, so I’m constantly patching there, when the soles and top have a lot of life left in them.

Zero drop is a huge change for many people and I’d say a lot don’t have the strength or flexibility in their feet/ankles/calves to do it, without a very slow transition.  Of course they don’t do that,  and end up injured and blame the shoes.

Another thing I’ve noticed is that habitual shoe wearers seem dead to what their feet are doing. Their feet are just clubs on the end of their legs. Hence the ‘stub your toe’ statements. I don’t say I watch my feet all the time, but certainly there are times where you do need to pay attention to where your foot is going.

I guess the takeaway is that it can and is done, but take it slow, be aware of your body, and accept any limitations. eg. you can’t go fast and hard in all terrain.