For awhile I kept seeing the same debate in the runner world, barefoot running vs. traditional trail running footwear. I looked further into it and I realized that both sides had plausible arguments with various “scientific” ways to explain which one was better for runners. But I felt as if neither side wanted to give up their biases to explain the best solution….why not utilize both types of footwear?
For nearly 4 months I have been running in my popular Vibram Five Finger Sprints and my Salomon XT Wings. I have been extremely satisfied with running in both since they offer such a different feel and stride. Putting these 2 types of footwear together have made my legs stronger and my overall runs better.
I will run in my 5 fingers for no longer than 5 miles because after that my legs just seem shot, even though many runners have reported no problems running for longer distances. I use my Salomon XT Wings to get me through longer runs, tough terrain and rainy weather and these shoes rock! Keep in mind too that bigger runners may also benefit less from barefoot footwear because of the overall shock delivered to the feet and legs. I do not have this problem because I am 5’7” and weigh 165lbs.
So there you have it… There’s no debate; just knowing what your body likes and trying both approaches seem to work just fine. So when the dust settles and the running magazines and blogs still write articles about this debate, I will be running in stride in both of my favorite runners.
Any chance you will be carrying the New Balance Minimus shoes? I really want to try them!
We currently do not carry New Balance shoes in our shop shoes, but the closest thing to the shoe you mentioned that we do carry is the Merrell Trail Glove. We have nearly sold out of these but we can always see if we can special order them directly from Merrell.