They're zero-drop shoes with wide toe-boxes and barely-there soles (though the outsole is studded with grippy lugs to facilitate trail running). And while they're not made with CrossFit in mind, they look like a worthy competitor to the Merrell Trail Gloves and New Balance Minimus MT10s.
I remember eying the Neo Trails a few months ago when I saw a sneak peek online, but promptly forgot about 'em when the NB MX20s came out.
Aside from a pair of Onitsuka Tigers Rotation 77s, the only shoes I wear to the office these days are from the VivoBarefoot line, but I've never tried any of the brand's athletic shoes. Sadly, I may have to wait a little while longer to give the Neo Trails a shot; with a $130 price tag, these babies are $45 more than my current favorites in the gym.
In a way, Christopher McDougall is responsible for sparking my interest in evolutionary fitness and Paleo nutrition. Even though his focus is on barefoot running, McDougall's book, "Born to Run," presented a compelling argument that applies equally to running and eating:
If hunter-gatherers (both ancient and modern) can run/eat/live more healthfully than their "civilized" counterparts who heel-strike in cushioned running shoes and fatten up on super-refined low-fat junk, why the hell do we think that these modern conveniences are so great for us?
It's a little disheartening, then, to see that there's some internecine warfare a-brewin' between the barefoot endurance running camp and the disciples of Art De Vany's "less is more" approach. The former say that humans are built to run long distances; the latter say that endurance running is a recipe for disaster. But I see more similarities than differences: Both espouse a philosophy of going back to evolutionary basics, and eschewing the crutches of Western civilization that turn out to be more harmful than helpful. John Durant has a nice write-up that tries to reconcile the two viewpoints, but for me, it boils down to this:
If you're someone who loves endurance running, go for it (provided you're not in footwear with a big-ass cushioned heel). But while humans may be "born to run," I'm not planning to go on any super-long runs because: (1) I'm lucky enough to have access to grassfed meat and wild game without having to engage in persistence hunting, (2) I get bored easily, and (3) endurance running ain't necessary -- or even optimal -- for fitness. Analogy: Just 'cause the Masai can thrive on milk and blood doesn't mean I need to get in touch with my inner vampire to eat healthfully. Just as with Paleo nutrition, the way we run should be based on "a logical framework applied to modern humans -- not a historical reenactment."
I’m all about going barefoot as much as possible, but unless you’re Fred Flintstone, Zola Budd or a Hobbit, you can’t go shoeless all the time.
That’s fine by me. It’s easy for me to decide what to put on my feet. I’m no Imelda Marcos, Carrie Bradshaw or Fat Joe, so I don’t have the daily dilemma of having to pick from a million shoes in my closet. As long as I have footwear that's comfortable, appropriate for the activity, and not terrible for my feet, I’m pretty much good to go.
So: Every morning, I slip on a pair of Terra Plana Barefoot shoes before heading to the office, and as soon as I’m home, I kick off my shoes and pad around in my bare feet.
You’re probably sick of the lavish praise I’ve heaped on Vibram FiveFingers, but I love ‘em to death. Over the past year or so, I’ve acquired a pair of Sprints, two pairs of KSOs, and a pair of Bikilas. (And judging by the fact that M has even more pairs of FiveFingers, she’s even crazier about them than I am.)
When I did P90X and Insanity in my garage, I got accustomed to working out without any shoes on. Now that most of my workouts are done at my CrossFit box, I want something on my feet -- but something that's as close to being barefoot as possible.
Of all my FiveFingers, my black KSOs are the least gaudy, so they're the ones I wear at the gym when my workout primarily involves running, jumping, balance or deadlifts. You know why I run in them, and you can probably guess why I wear them when attempting box jumps, pistols and single-leg deadlifts. But why wear FiveFingers when deadlifting? Because they’re stable and allow for virtually no compression (and therefore little to any absorption of force by a thick, cushioned sole). Plus, the closer your feet are to the floor, the less distance you’ll have to hoist the barbell up. Barefoot’s the best for deadlifts, but FiveFingers are a close second. (I'm thinking about trying a pair of Terra Plana's EVO minimalist running shoes, too.)
But for just about every other Olympic lift (e.g., snatches, cleans, jerks, front squats, etc.), I’ll don a pair of weightlifting shoes. Why buy weightlifting shoes instead of just pulling on a pair of cross-trainers or running shoes? Starting Strength's Lon Kilgore and Mark Rippetoe explain:
Proper footwear in the gym is important, especially if you are lifting free weights. When we lift weights we want two things to happen: (1) all the force our body produces under the bar should contribute to moving the weight and (2) the weight needs to be controlled in a safe manner. If we lift in a running shoe, it's akin to trying to lift while standing on a giant marshmallow. The soles of the running shoes, the marshmallow, will absorb and dissipate a large amount of the force generated against the floor that should be directed towards moving the weight... You can't lift as much weight in the wrong shoes.
The second issue is control of the weight -- and your body -- while standing on an unstable surface. A compressible medium placed between the feet and the ground will behave inconsistently enough during each rep to alter the pattern of force transmission every time. This means that the subtle points of consistent good technique on any standing exercise are impossible to control. And there is an increased chance for a balance or stability loss-induced injury while lifting heavy weights, since perfect balance cannot be assured on an imperfect surface.
For you visual learners, here's a video that shows the differences between O-lifting with running shoes and weightlifting shoes:
I bought a pair of Adidas Ironworks 3s, and love the solid THUNK! that the solid wooden heels make against the floor when I properly execute a clean. It’s gotten to the point that I can tell whether my technique is off by just listening to the sound of my shoes striking the floor.
Rogue, for its part, carries a pair of fine-looking Do Wins that almost resemble casual sneakers (except for the wooden sole, I guess).
And, of course, if you like the bowling-shoe look and insist on wearing ruby-red footwear, you can always pick up a pair of these babies:
So when do I bust out my all-black, sinister-as-hell Chuck Taylors? Any time we do a metcon that combines running or jumping with O-lifting. My Chucks hit a sweet spot: They feature a flat, close-to-solid heel that allows me to powerfully land and plant my feet for all kinds of explosive lifts, yet the soles are also thin enough that I can run in them comfortably without royally messing up my gait. In my Chucks, I can do just about anything that a CrossFit WOD calls for: plyo box jumps, erg rowing, thrusters, cleans, kettlebell swings, you name it. Besides, I’ve been wearing Chuck Taylors since I was a kid, and I don’t think I'll ever give ‘em up.
Best of all? They’re cheap, and you can wear ‘em around town even when you’re not exercising like a demon. So if you’re on a tight budget but need a pair of good, multi-purpose shoes, Chucks are a fine way to go.
But whatever you do, stop working out in running shoes. ("But what if I'm training like crazy for a marathon or an ultra?" you ask. My response: cut it out.)
This week, you'll find me in two new pairs of Vivo Barefoot shoes! But not at the same time.
M thinks the ones with Velcro fasteners make me look like I'm injured and wearing braces on my feet, but whatever -- they're comfy as hell. And they're nearly not as ugly as the weightlifting shoes I just bought.
For three days only -- July 2 to July 5 -- you can buy Terra Plana shoes for 40 percent off. Use the code JULY4 at checkout when you make your purchases on Terra Plana's website.
I love my Terra Plana Vivo Barefoot shoes. They're durable, comfortable, and unlike Vibram FiveFingers, they offer a barefoot-like experience without drawing everyone's attention to your feet. My eyes are up here, people.
Until I fell in love with Vibram FiveFingers and Terra Plana Vivo Barefoot shoes (and reaffirmed my lifelong passion for Chuck Taylor All-Stars), my typical footwear consisted of super-supported, big-ass foot coffins with heavy-duty inserts. M, too, was shod in MBTs and other shoes that offered more cushioning than an air conditioned ass pillow. After discovering the awesomeness of barefoot running and minimalist shoes, we've never looked back.
But what about our kids? They're barefoot a lot, and we put 'em in Chuck Taylors and kung fu shoes, but they're a pain to lace and unlace every time our boys want to run around outside. I suppose that's why Crocs are so popular among preschoolers and lazy adults who evidently don't care that they look like enormous children. (See, e.g., Mario Batali.) There really haven't been a lot of minimalist footwear alternatives for kids -- until now: Terra Plana now makes Vivo Barefoot shoes for kids!
As you know, I'm a big fan of Vibram FiveFingers, but have I told you how much I also love my Terra Plana Vivo Barefoot shoes?
I bought my first pair of Vivos (black Dharmas) a few months ago -- mostly because I was getting a few too many weird looks from co-workers when I wore my FiveFingers to the office -- and my feet (and knees and shins) have never felt better. The soles are thinner in the heel than even FiveFingers, and the toe box is flat and wide enough for me to spread and flex my toes with room to spare. It's the next best thing to going barefoot at work, and when I trek around town, I can feel my arch and calf strength continuing to build.
The shoes are pliable and soft, with no break-in time required. The slip-on Dharmas are also awesome for air travel -- they're off and on again in a flash at the security gate, and they're comfortable on the plane. It feels like you're wearing slippers all the time.
The drawback, though, is that you also look like you're wearing slippers all the time. The super-wide front of the shoe isn't the most attractive thing in the world -- but for me, the pros outweigh the cons.
The other day, I pulled on my (barely used) cross-trainers just to take out the trash; I felt like I was balancing on stilts, and my feet were encased in foam. These days, the only shoes I wear are Vivos, Vibrams, and very occasionally, my well-loved Chuck Taylors -- shoes with little to no support or sole. I work out with Vibrams or barefoot, even when jumping around like crazy. And yet my knee troubles and shin splints are gone.
