ThinkRunning

Take a Walk in my Shoes

As soon as I saw these I registered my interest for a pair and was quite surprised when my shoes arrived so early at the end of February!  I think I must have been one of the first people in the country to get a pair! Minimal footwear for running looks set to become a lasting trend for many rather than a fad for a few folk, labelled as eccentrics because they believe in running a little closer to how Nature intended us to run.  All the barefoot feel shoes or very minimal ones I have tried (except Vibrams) seem to have a definite junction between upper and sole, which at times I can feel and it can get a little uncomfortable on long runs sometimes. I was intrigued when I saw that the upper and sole seem to be welded together or be one piece! The shoes at first sight do seem very well made indeed – which is quite relieving when you have just spent £110.00!

I was rather put off by the price to start with then thought that these shoes may well last much longer than one pair or maybe even three pairs of conventional shoes. As you will find out later if you read on, I had quite a surprise! I really like the look of these, there are  a few colours to choose from in the EVO. Made by Terra Plana who have a range of ethical footwear, many of which actually look suitable to use as running shoes, the EVOs looked very much like “the business” from my point of view as a minimalist running enthusiast.

Look & Feel

Very attractive, simple shoes that don’t really look odd on your feet at all like as some people describe the Vibrams. the EVOs just look like shoes; I chose black because they blended in better I suppose. These shoes are a little heavy, or at least heavier than I would expect such a minimal shoe to be though they are very comfortable to wear and a pleasure to run in. They are a shoe that demands good running technique in order to run safely and pain free – just as barefoot running requires the same skill. The shoes have reasonable grip on most surfaces until you meet a shiny or smooth one with wet shoes and they skid all over the place. They aren’t suitable for running in icy or slippery conditions in my opinion. Some might disagree but then they would probably run barefoot across a frozen lake too – I wouldn’t.  if you plan to use them in wet or slippy conditions then be careful, you have been warned!

Running in them is great fun – they let you feel the ground beneath you and your feet flex in order to accommodate the terrain. Wearing these is  close to being barefoot and very close to wearing Vibrams – I wear the Vibrams when I want to go shoeless though and I wear my EVOs when I want to wear very minimal shoes; there is a distinct difference between Vibrams and these.

Benefits

As proudly displayed on the website you can expect the following benefits from using barefoot shoe to run in:

1. Strengthens the muscles in your feet.
2. Realigns your natural posture.
3. Feeling the ground, stimulates sensory perception.
4. Flexes your feet as nature designed.

I tend to agree but would also add a word of caution – as does the Terra Plana site – don’t just wade in there, buy some shoes and expect to be able to run perfectly. You have to gradually strengthen the feet up for a start! More importantly though you need to check to make sure that you are running with the requisite skill in order to prevent injury. It’s no good running on your heels in these – you will break yourself. I can help you there though. I can video your current running style, show you what needs improving and show you how to make the necessary changes, just like I did. If you are interested in learning to run barefoot or in minimal shoes or you are simply fed up of being injured through running then get in touch with me and book a one to one session. Naturally it takes more than just one session or reading a book; it takes time, patience and practice but nothing in life worth having is too easy now is it?

Features

The Evo is described as “VivoBarefoot’s first running shoe”.  It has a thin 3-4mm puncture resistant sole to protect feet from sharp objects and a slimline last that fits the feet anatomically – they are more roomy in the toebox which is good. The uppers are made from a kind of mesh which I guess is the TPU cage that “allows for ultra lightweight breathability”. In reality I find the shoes maybe a little hot and maybe not so comfortable without socks. I do prefer to wear socks with them to be honest, thus they aren’t as close to bare footing as the Vibrams which I wear without.

I do like Terra Plana’s strap line though and it more or less sums these very desireable shoes up…

“No gimmicks, no fuss, no marketing fluff, it is what it is; a barefoot running shoe that lets your foot move how it is supposed to.” I can agree with that for the most part.

Durability

I said there was a surprise. As seen quite clearly in the images here, the mesh has some holes in it. I’m not sure if the cage will give way too but on closer inspection the mesh fabric seemed weak in places, weaker than the unaffected fabric in other parts of the shoe. Not sure if it’s just wear or general weakness near to the sole where it’s welded on?

Value for money

For what they are, these shoes are expensive and I do have concerns about how long they will last. For the cost to be justified I would expect them to last at least twice as long as ordinary shoes and thus far I have yet to be convinced that this is the case. I await Terra Plana’s response on sending the shoes back and will update when I hear anything. I emailed them today.

Summary

I like the shoes, I’m just a little disappointed at how expensive they are and the questionable durability. For a minimal shoe though, they still take some beating especially if you don’t like the toe separation with the Vibrams. There are, however several more minimal shoes due to the market soon as the industry starts to rise to consumer demands for minimal shoes and competition is bound to hot up. Terra Plana need to address the durability and price if they are to keep their place in the market.