Luna Sandals Leadville ATS Review

After the success of Born to Run, it would have been natural to assume that there would be a surge of interest in running in huaraches. However, in contrast to the dramatic (and, to those of us who endured the phrase "gorilla feet" in 2009, surprising) rise in popularity of FiveFingers, huaraches have never become mainstream. Three years later, you see people wearing VFFs to the grocery store but huaraches are still mostly confined to purist (or maybe extremist) minimalist runners. I think this is largely due to what has always been the inherently do-it-yourself nature of the huarache. Kind of like flyfishing or playing bassoon, a sandal newbie had to essentially learn a new craft just to get to the point where he could try the activity. Even if you don't make the sole yourself, with traditional laces you're still in a way making your shoes from scratch every time you lace them. That, and the periodic need to retie the knot on the bottom, gives a traditional huarache a fluid, organic quality which I love but which is a huge barrier to the beginner. You can't just pull a pair out of a box and try them out.

Until now, that is. Huarache companies have finally reached the point where they are selling sandals that are ready out of the box, no assembly or special training required. And the monkeys at Luna Sandals, as they have always done, are leading the way once again. Their latest generation of sandals is now at a point where they are ready for the mainstream. And, I might add, they are fantastic to run in.

Ted learning how to make huaraches from the Tarahumara runner Manuel Luna.
(Note the banana.)

The Basics

Luna Sandals is a Seattle-based company founded by Barefoot Ted McDonald (of Born to Run fame) and Bookis and Scott Smuin. Luna currently offers two models: the Original Luna and the Leadville. The Leadville is Luna’s trail model and is the thickest sandal they make. The sole is made out of 10mm Vibram rubber and has a shallow tread pattern on the bottom. One of Luna’s newest innovations is the MGT footbed, which is a thin layer of sticky material glued to the top of the sole. MGT stands for Monkey Grip Technology and is designed to keep your foot from sliding across the surface of the sole, especially when wet.

Luna offers a variety of lacing options; the one I tried is the ATS (All Terrain Strapping) which is Luna’s latest slip-on style. It is made out of soft nylon webbing except for an elastic section behind the heel and a thinner piece of webbing between the toes. This piece of webbing connects to the sole by a countersunk plug so there's no knot under the foot. The strap adjusts via an easy to use plastic buckle. 

To help you figure out which size you need Luna helpfully provides outlines of each size that you can print and stand on. This is a pretty foolproof way of doing it and it worked well in my case. Just remember that it is normal for the side holes to be somewhat under your foot--this had me worried until I went back and checked my other sandals and discovered that they were the same. If you want a pair custom-made to the exact shape of your foot you can make a tracing, send it in, and the Luna monkeys will make a pair to fit your feet. The Leadville costs $95 with the ATS laces. The custom option is an extra $15.

Happy feet

Comfort

These are very comfortable sandals, both when running and when used for casual wear. The ATS laces feel soft against the skin, the ribbon between the toes is barely noticeable, and the elastic heel section stretches as you move so it doesn't pull or rub against your heel. My feet were always happy when running even at the end of a 50k. In fact, after my last 50k I ended up keeping my Leadvilles on for several hours and wasn't dying to get into something else. Somehow I don’t think the same was true for all those people wearing Hokas.

Aesthetics

I really like the look of the ATS laces. They don’t call attention to themselves (which wallflowers like me will appreciate) but they have a finished, well-made appearance.

Testing out my pair at the McDowell Mountain Frenzy 50k
(I look suspicious because as a blogger I am constantly hounded by paparazzi)

Performance

To date I have somewhere over a hundred miles of road and trail running on my pair (including one trail 50k) and overall I have been very happy with the way they have performed. The 10mm sole (around 11mm with the footbed) is more than enough protection, even during my 50k which was on a trail full of sharp, pointy rocks. I’m planning to attempt my first 50 miler next month on similar trails and this is the sandal I’ll be wearing.

Wet terrain testing location

Traction is very good on both dry and wet surfaces. I did a very damp seven mile run in Oregon over the Thanksgiving weekend on a trail which went around and behind several waterfalls and the Vibram rubber gripped surprisingly well on wet trail and rock. The real problem with huaraches, though, is traction (or lack thereof) between your foot and the footbed. The MGT footbed is a huge improvement over the naked top but is still very slick when soaking wet. However, when dry or even damp, it grips the foot pretty well. So what happened when my feet got drenched was that for about 30 seconds afterward my feet were sliding all over the place, but once the excess water came off and the sandal became merely damp the footbed started gripping and my feet felt secure again.

Fortunately, "Merely damp" is the Oregon state motto

Overall the ATS laces perform very well. In dry environments they are sufficiently secure unless you are going to be doing a lot of climbing or scrambling. The weakness of the ATS system is that in the heel section the strong nylon webbing is replaced with elastic. This elastic is comfortable and keeps the strap from falling down in the back (one of my pet peeves) but makes the laces less secure. When running or (especially) walking up steep hills, the elastic can allow the foot to slide off the back of the sole. This was never a real problem for me, except when the sandals were soaking wet. The times when the sandals were soaking wet and I was attempting to walk up a steep hill, the sandals became almost unuseable and I had to walk up sideways just to stay on my feet. For someone like me who lives in a pretty dry environment, it’s a minor problem, but if you are going to be spending a lot of your time with wet feet I would strongly recommend getting traditional laces. 

My dream all-weather sandal would be the Leadville with the MGT footbed but with traditional 3/8" leather (or maybe nylon) laces with the countersunk ribbon from the ATS laces. You can currently get this exact setup except with hemp laces, so maybe I'll get my wish sometime soon. 

Another perk of the MGT footbed is that to some degree it seems to prevent blisters. Since my foot remains glued to the sole instead of sliding around there isn't as much friction. At least, that's the way it seems to me. I very well might be crazy, but after 31 miles of running at McDowell Mountain I didn't have a single blister or hot spot. So there. 

Conclusion

When it came to huaraches there were traditionally a number of things that people (including yours truly) often complained about. They included:

• Huaraches are hard to tie
• They make you look like a gladiator
• Can be uncomfortable between the toes
• They take specialized knowledge and/or skill to make/tie/maintain
• You can't buy them pre-made
• The knot under the toes is irritating
• The knot under the toes tends to break
• You feet tend to slip, especially when wet
• You have to retie/adjust them each time you put them on
• The heel strap falls down, especially on downhills

With their latest generation of sandals, Luna has addressed every one of these issues. The current Leadville ATS is a sandal that is straightforward enough for the novice, rugged enough for the ultrarunner, and comfortable enough for the beach bum. I have no plans to stop wearing my pair anytime soon. You can buy a pair for yourself here. 

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Sandal provided by the manufacturer



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Order my children's book about barefoot running: What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run?

Book Review: The Barefoot Running Book by Jason Robillard

Many of you reading this blog are probably familiar with Jason Robillard. He's the author of the blog Barefoot Running University, a frequent contributor on the Runner's World and Barefoot Runners Society forums under the name Last Place Jason, and all-around barefoot celebrity.

Basically Emma Watson with a more feminine haircut 

When he hasn't been running, blogging, or answering questions from inquisitive runners online, Jason has spent a lot of time over the years teaching countless people the ins and outs of running barefoot. It was only logical, then, that he would eventually write a book on the subject. Jason first published The Barefoot Running Book in 2010. The first edition was little more than a pamphlet of 60-some odd pages, but the brand new third edition is 224 pages of wiggly-toed wisdom.

Given how much Jason has written online over the years, and how much of it is still available on the web for free, it's reasonable to ask why you should pay $15 for a book when you could just go to his blog or read his forum posts. Heck, given the ton of information to be found on all of the excellent blogs, websites and forums that have popped up in the last few years, it's fair to ask why you should buy anyone's book in the first place instead of just doing a Google search whenever you have a question. 

And to answer my question, yes of course there's a running-related Google Doodle

Well, the problem with the internet is that there's a bit too much advice and information out there, most of it terrible, and bad advice can get you injured (or at the very least severely confused). What Jason has done with this book is compile everything that he's learned from teaching runners over the years along with the information he's picked up from other people into one succinct, easy to read book. This saves you from the trouble and headache of wading through a veritable Fire Swamp of conflicting advice.

You especially have to watch out for the TOUS's (Trolls of Unusual Stupidity)

Jason's approach is very eclectic, borrowing freely from all sources while weeding out questionable dogma. For instance, while he recommends the Pose Method in general he has rejected the Pose Method's assertion that you should lift your feet high while running, even at low speeds. Instead, Jason gives the more common sense suggestion of merely lifting your feet high enough to clear the ground. As someone who was confused by that particular piece of bad advice as a new runner, I wish I'd had this book back in 2009. 

Although the book starts off with a bunch of testimonials to the benefits of barefoot running, Jason’s own section on why people should run barefoot is surprisingly short and moderately worded. He’s clearly trying to stick to statements that can be backed by the current scientific research, which hasn't been terribly conclusive as of yet. (The relative benefits of barefoot, minimalist, and heavily shod running are extremely difficult to measure in a clinical setting). This gives the book a certain amount of credibility and protects against accusations of being sensational or pseudo-scientific, but the flip side is that if you’re looking for a book to give to a disbelieving friend or relative this isn't the most persuasive one on the market. This is (and is meant to be) a straightforward how-to book, not an impassioned argument.

Some people might prefer it that way

As a how-to book, The Barefoot Running Book will serve the reader well. It covers all of the basics while answering most of the questions that beginners invariably have, including the less obvious but frequently-wondered ones like “what’s wrong with starting out in FiveFingers” or “is it okay to heel-strike when walking?” Jason starts the beginner out walking and includes quite a few drills. If you are new to barefoot running and follow the advice in the book you should have a pleasant and safe transition and avoid the injuries and problems that some experience. 

The title is actually a bit of a misnomer, since the book covers much more than just transitioning out of your shoes. If bare feet weren't still so controversial, it could have just been titled something like "A Beginner's Guide to Running" (or, I suppose, "The Running Book"). The topics covered include diet, racing, training plans, cross-training, and ultrarunning. Some topics are covered in more detail than others, but most new (or old) runners will have most of the information they need in this one book. I thought the section on cross-training was particularly good. It includes a collection of suggested full body exercises (many of which I'd never heard of before) along with detailed pictures. 

So what did I not like about the book? For one thing, the organization can be a bit odd. To a large degree, the book is a loose collection of tips on various topics, some of which seem a bit out of place. For instance, the section "10 Barefoot Running Tips" at the end of the “Racing” chapter includes tips for running with a stroller and dealing with stores that require shoes. That being said, most of the tips in the book are excellent and if you read the entire book (which you should) you will get all the information, a slight case of ADD notwithstanding.

As I mentioned earlier, another thing I wish were different about the book is that it says relatively little about the benefits and history of barefoot and minimalist running. It seems strange that a book expansive enough to cover barefoot ultrarunning doesn’t spend more time explaining why you should be running barefoot in the first place. It mentions a little about the scientific research and includes a quote from Barefoot Ted about our prehistoric ancestors, but leaves out what--in my mind at least--is the most persuasive argument of all, which is the astounding history of barefoot and minimalist distance running in recorded history. (Ultra-distance running either barefoot or in what we would now call minimalist shoes was common in virtually every horseless civilization from ancient Greece to the early 20^th-century Hopi).

Finally, I have to note Jason’s demeaning practice of using increasingly skimpily-clad brunettes as cover models. When you look at the different editions side by side it's clear what Jason's marketing strategy is. Here is the 1st edition:

Toes...

2nd edition:

Knees...

 3rd edition:

Argghgh! My eyes!!

Based on this trend I strongly encourage you to buy the book now, since I shudder to think what Jason will be wearing (if anything) on the cover of the 4th edition. You can find it on Amazon. 

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Book provided by the author.


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Order my children's book about barefoot running: What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run?

My 6 Biggest Breakthroughs as a Runner

My journey from couch potato to ultrarunner has taken quite a few wrong turns and detours over the years. The success I've had has very little to do with hard work or determination, and a lot more to do with a few good ideas that I've had the good fortune to stumble across. Here are six of those ideas and the breakthroughs that resulted, in roughly the order that I found them.

1) Ditching bulky shoes
This was a turning point for me. I enjoyed running before, but there was always something that seemed off--I just wasn't moving naturally or joyfully. Once I got out of bulky shoes into something that let my feet function the way they were supposed to, something clicked. It didn't solve all of my problems right away but it did make running joyful again, and taught me to move in a way that felt good, natural, and just right.

2) Increasing my cadence
For me, this came naturally along with #1. I'm listing it separately because for many people it doesn't come naturally--even for many people who run barefoot or in minimalist shoes--and because it's probably the single biggest key to good running form. No matter what you're wearing, it's hard not to run gently if your cadence is high enough, and it's hard not to run like an elephant if your cadence is too slow.

3) Building gradually
Man, was this a hard pill to swallow. Even more than most people, I have a hard time easing into things patiently. The most embarrassing part is how many different times I've had to learn this same lesson, because I kept repeating the same mistake in different contexts. Distance--the time I went out and ran 10 miles even though my longest runs at the time were 3 miles. Speedwork--the time I decided to add speedwork and did three sessions in the first week, including two sessions of uphill sprints at 100 percent effort. Crosstraining--the time I decided to try HIIT and did multiple session per week on top of peak mileage. The end result each of these times was that I got injured, which meant that I had to let things heal and then start building up all over again.

4) Crosstraining intelligently
It takes a certain base fitness to be able to run long distances. If you're an out of shape couch potato (like I was am) then you can't just go out and run a bunch and expect everything to go smoothly. When I first started running I had a bunch of extra weight and exactly zero muscle strength. As I increased my mileage, some muscles grew stronger (my calves) while other muscles remained weak (my quads). The result was a bad case of runner's knee. Once I learned to strengthen the right muscles, the problem went away. The broader lesson I learned am learning is that the more balanced an athlete you are (which is to say, the fewer weak areas your body has) the less chance there is that your body will break down on you.

My first mistake, then, was not crosstraining at all. My later mistakes have included crosstraining too much (high mileage on tired legs is a dangerous combination), with too much intensity (be careful with tabatas and the amount of weight you use), and jumping into new activities too fast (#3 applies here as well).

5) Not running on consecutive days
Aside from #1, this has been by far the biggest and most surprising breakthrough for me. (I wrote about it in more detail here). I'm naturally injury-prone and until recently had never made it to the start of a goal race without being sidelined for several weeks or months during training. Since switching to a running schedule where I run every other day, I've run my first two ultras without injury and have even been able to finally start real speed training.

The principle behind this is that your body grows stronger by stress and recovery. By having recovery days between each run I've been able to run harder with less wear and tear on my body. I'm making faster progress and my body doesn't feel beat down like it used to, even though I'm running the same weekly mileage. Some people can get away with running every day, but if you (like me) are injury-prone, I can't stress enough how life-changing this can be. Everyone should try it.

6) Realizing that training smarter is more important than training harder
When it comes to running, or really exercise in general, I have two natural inclinations. One is to sit on the couch and eat Chinese food. The other is to go try Emil Zatopek's 100x400m track workout. Neither one would result in me becoming a better runner--the first for obvious reasons, the second because I would immediately get injured and be confined to the couch eating Chinese food again. The reality is that thoughtless zeal and pride can have a worse effect on your training than laziness. After all, if you spend a day watching TV and eating Chinese food, you can always go run the next day, but if you do tons of wind sprints and injure yourself, you might not be able to run for weeks.

Everyone knows that achieving your goals as a runner takes discipline, but what it's taken me a long time to learn is that that discipline takes many different forms. Sometimes it means gutting it out through the last few miles of a long run when all you want is to quit, but sometimes it means calling it a day when you're on the verge of injury. Sometimes it means skipping a run (or doing an easier run) when you feel like running and running instead on a day when you'd rather stay home. Sometimes it means reducing mileage and intensity for a week because your body needs it, even though that's going to screw up the running schedule you had planned. You have to know your body, and then make smart decisions based on what you know. Personally, I know that I'll improve a lot more training at 80% effort day after day (which can be a drag) than I will training at 100% effort and getting injured after a week.

I thought about titling this section "not being an idiot" (or maybe, "being less of an idiot). I've made a lot of bone-headed decisions over the years, and many of them came down to pride. I was proud of my x-mile week, or my x-day running streak, or I didn't want to feel like I was wimping out. But the fact is, it takes more discipline to train with your head than with your heart, but it gives much better results.


So that's my list. What do you think? How do your experiences compare?

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Order my children's book about barefoot running: What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run?

Is Disney Secretly Pro-Barefoot?

Although I never noticed this when I was younger, I recently read something pointing out that Disney has a long history of depicting their heroes, heroines and princesses barefoot. And you know what, it's true. Let's go through some of their protagonists:

Aladdin

Tarzan

Original subtitle: "The Erwan Le Corre Story"

Esmeralda (Hunchback of Notre Dame)

Kida (Atlantis: The Lost Empire)

No, no one else remembers this one either

Pocahontas

Sleeping Beauty

Giselle (Enchanted--the animated part at the beginning)

Ariel (The Little Mermaid)

Lilo (Lilo and Stitch)

Rapunzel (Tangled)

Mowgli (The Jungle Book)

Man, does Disney have some sort of barefoot agenda? That's a lot of movies. And we haven't even mentioned this one yet:

"The Luna Sandals Story"

...Which makes it all the more ironic that Disney is known for zealously enforcing its requirement that visitors to its theme parks wear shoes at all times. I mean, their mascot is a mouse, for crying out loud. And mice don't wear...

Oh

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Order my children's book about barefoot running: What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run?

Shoe Review: Merrell Trail Glove/Pace Glove

These shoes aren't exactly hot off the press (they came out spring 2010) but this seemed like a good time to write a review because (1) I've run several hundred miles in my pair, (2) they're still Merrell's flagship minimalist shoe, and (3) they're still probably the best minimalist trail shoe on the market right now. In fact, when Emily was looking for a new trail shoe this summer to replace her New Balance MT10s, getting a pair of Pace Gloves ended up being a no-brainer.

The Basics
First of all, Merrell has different names for the men's and women's version of this shoe. The men's version is the Trail Glove, while the women's version is the Pace Glove.

No, I don't know why they have different names. Yes, it's needlessly confusing. In this review I will refer to both models as the "Trail Glove," mainly for convenience, but also because I'm a sexist pig.

"A sow's place is in the barn!"

The only difference that I can find between the Trail Glove and the Pace Glove is that the Pace Glove has an elastic material around the top of the heel, while the Trail Glove doesn't. More on that in a bit.

Trail Glove on the left, Pace Glove on the right

Uploading that last picture I just realized that the Pace Glove also doesn't have one of those loops on the back of the heel. So if you're one of those women who depend on loops on the back of your shoes to get them on, then you might be out of luck.

"A woman of true inner beauty will have feet which fit into a shoe without effort." --Merrell  promotional material

On the other hand, if you are one of those people who have always wondered why shoes need loops on the back in the first place, you might be okay.

Merrell lists the weight as 6.2 ounces for the Trail Glove and 4.7 ounces for the Pace Glove. They certainly feel very light on my feet. The shoe is zero drop (meaning there's no raised heel), with 4mm of EVA cushioning (that's not very much) and a 1mm rock plate in the forefoot.

The Trail Glove retails for $110 and the Pace Glove for $100. Why the price difference? Beats me, unless $10 is what it costs to manufacture a heel loop. The Trail Glove comes in eleven different color schemes (including one with the uninspiring name of "drizzle") while the Pace Glove only comes in six, apparently reflecting Merrell's belief that men are more fashion conscious than women when it comes to shoes.

Fit
These are very form-fitting shoes. They fit snugly around the entire foot except for around the toes. This combined with a non-bulky upper makes my feet seem smaller when I'm wearing the shoes. (Emily says my feet look "dainty" in them, so if that's what you're going for, great). The last (shape of the shoe) matches my foot well, without any wasted space. The toe box is roomy enough to not constrict the toes during running, but not so roomy as to feel luxuriantly spacious. In other words, my toes don't feel squished during a run, but if I stretch my toes out they will hit the sides of the shoe. This isn't necessarily a problem but if you spend a lot of time barefoot or in huaraches it is noticeable. I for one would prefer a roomier toe box.

This is how a barefoot runner's toes respond to shoes

For those of you with especially wide feet, or who just want more room, a wide version of the shoe is available, although there aren't as many color options (only two for men and three for women).

Comfort
These are not shoes that strike you as comfortable when you put them on. There's virtually no cushioning anywhere so they don't have that bedroom slipper cushiness that many cushioned running shoes have.

Next year the Brooks Addiction 10 will have more cushioning, advanced motion control, and bigger ears. 

I also don't find them very comfortable for wearing around town. In fact, I never wear them except when running because I find them uncomfortable and constrictive.

However, complaining that the Trail Glove is uncomfortable walking around town is like complaining that the four point seat belt in your Ferrari is uncomfortable driving to the grocery store. Of course it is. The real question is whether the Trail Glove is comfortable while trail running, and the answer to that is yes. They feel great while I'm running, which is to say that they don't feel like much at all. They almost let me forget I'm wearing shoes, which for me is the ultimate test of a running shoe.

Some shoes have bad spots where they rub the foot but the Trail Gloves don't and blisters haven't been a problem for me. I always wear socks but the shoe is designed to be able to be worn sockless. I tried running sockless a little bit and it felt fine, although I can't say whether that would be true for longer distances.

Emily loves the elastic around the Achilles tendon and says that it's extremely comfortable when she runs, especially compared to her New Balance MT10s which often left the back of her ankles bleeding. The backs of my Trail Gloves have never caused me any problems.

Me about to run the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim in my Trail Gloves

Performance 
Okay, now we get to the real question: how do these shoes perform on the trail? The answer is, almost perfectly. Where this shoe really shines is running fast on technical trails. If you've tried this in bulky shoes you know how irritating or downright dangerous this can be, with falls or twisted ankles a constant possibility. The Trail Glove's low stack height (how much material there is between your foot and the ground--not much in this case) makes it hard to twist your ankle, the snug fit and lack of a padded upper keep the shoe from moving around as you run, and the slim profile of the shoe (mainly due to its lack of extraneous material) allow you to place your shoe with precision on the trail, reducing the odds of tripping. Traction is pretty good, with tread that is aggressive enough to work well on most trails without being too pronounced to be comfortable on flat surfaces. You're going to slip around in deep mud or snow, but that's true just about anytime you're not wearing crampons.

Most importantly of all, the shoe allows the foot to function naturally. The sole is very flexible (the rock plate is only in the forefoot) and this combined with the minimal cushioning gives you excellent proprioception and groundfeel. However, groundfeel is a double-edged issue in a trail shoe, since you always have to strike a balance between being able to feel what's under you and being protected from it. Even good shoes will fall on a continuum, with shoes with great groundfeel and terrible protection on one end and shoes with terrible groundfeel and great protection on the other. Where on that continuum your ideal shoe falls is determined by what you are going to be doing--if most of your runs will be 10 miles or less in the daytime then you'll want something on the groundfeel end, whereas if you are going to be running rugged 100 mile ultras in the dark, you probably want something with more protection. I think the Trail Glove has more than enough protection for people running distances less than 50 miles. I have run up to 25 miles on extremely rocky trails in my pair and have never come close to needing more protection. That being said, if you step directly on a sharp rock it's going to feel bad, but that's why you don't step directly on sharp rocks.

Toe protection is something that's an issue for some people. I have extensively tested this quality of the shoe and can conclusively tell you that if you kick a rock or stump in a pair of Trail Gloves it is going to hurt a lot, though much less than if you had done so barefoot.

The mesh upper breathes well, although the flip side of that is that plenty of dirt and moisture is going to get into the shoe, especially into the toe box. Several times I have dribbled water from a bottle onto my shoes and instantly ended up with wet socks. Water-resistant, these are not. On the other hand, once your feet do get wet the shoe drains quickly, although it will still take hours to dry completely. If you want something water-resistant, Merrell does offer the Sonic Glove/Lithe Glove, which is basically the Trail Glove but with a water-resistant softshell upper.

It's $25 more, but at least you ladies finally get a heel loop

As for durability, at this point I have several hundred miles on my pair and while they wouldn't pass for new, they seem to still be near the beginning of their lifespan. I expect them to last much longer. The Vibram sole is most likely going to last forever and the upper still looks as good as new. In fact, at this point it's impossible to tell what the weak link is going to be since nothing is showing much wear. This is an extremely well-made shoe.

Although the Trail Glove is of course meant for trail running (just as the Pace Glove is of course meant for pacing back and forth), I have done a lot of road running in my pair. They're definitely not ideal for road running (no shoe with a rock plate and off road tread would be) and if you are going to do most of your running on the roads I would recommend getting something else, preferably something farther toward the groundfeel end of the spectrum. However, if you're going to be doing both trail and road running and want to use one shoe for both, then the Trail Glove will work just fine. In fact, I've been surprised at how much I like running on the road in them, although they are a bit loud when they hit the ground.

Conclusion
As I mentioned at the beginning, I think the Trail Glove is hands down the best minimalist trail shoe on the market today, at least for the needs of the average person. If you are going to run 100 milers over rugged terrain you may want more protection, whereas if you do most of your running completely barefoot it may be a bit too much shoe for you. For most people, however, the Trail Glove will be just about perfect.


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Order my children's book about barefoot running: What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run?