Kinder Land

I've not had a lot of time for blogging or outdoor adventures lately. A three hour daily round trip to work combined with the stresses of work have made for limited time for getting out and about let alone writing about them.

So with the wife away for the weekend and nothing planned for my Sunday it seemed the ideal opportunity for a trip to Kinder Scout. While it may not be a peak it is the highest point in the Peak District and synonymous with the English 'right to roam' and mass trespass of 1932.

However, despite its history there are times you have to wonder what you're doing.

Stood up on the bleak edge of Kinder Plateau this afternoon was one such moment. With the wind gusting at 60mph, rain stinging and the visibility down to 25 feet  it was certainly more of an endurance test rather than a pleasurable walk.

In fact the camera only came out on one occasion. Truth be told I really didn't fancy digging through my rucksack in to the drybag to get my camera out and then have to fight to keep the lens dry long enough to get a picture of the grey mist.

As you can see from this picture as I descended towards the top of Jacobs Ladder the conditions weren't great. However the mist parted long enough to remind me for a second quite how amazing the scenery in the Dark Peak can be.

I used my Goretex Merrell Gloves on this walk and while they proved surefooted on all but the slipperiest Peat bog they did mean soaked feet thanks in no small measure to my previous issues. I'm still on the hunt for a 'waterproof' minimalist shoes that can take the Merrell's place as my standard all weather option for walking and hiking. Answers on a postcard please...........

A view from Stanage Edge

The pictures don't really need too many words. 

I'll never get bored of living five minutes drive from the edge of the Peak District, being able to decide to head and (after grabbing the dog and a camera) being out in the Peak in 10 minutes is a real privilege. Of course this late evening walk also gave me a chance to give my new Merrell Trail Gloves a test run as well.

Minimalist in every way

It seems barefoot shoes aren't just minimalist in construction.....

Last Saturday I managed to crawl out of bed and get down to Endcliffe Park in Sheffield for the weekly Park Run. However as anyone who knows me will tell you I'm not great in the mornings so my key role was drinking coffee and acting a chief cheerleader for the wife who was upholding family pride and taking part.

Anyone who saw me may have thought I'd nodded off as I stared at the floor while clinging on to my coffee but I was awake (just) and watching people's shoes. What do you expect from someone with a trainer addiction?

With approx 250 people taking part there were plenty of shoes to watch as well but I didn't see a single other person wearing barefoots. 

It would seem despite more and more versions coming on to the market the manufacturers still have some way to go to sell them to the wider running community. But what is the underlying reason? 

• Is it simply they aren't marketed widely enough so people aren't aware of them or their benefits?
• Are they still seen as a niche market for people who like to be different?
• Is the need for big padded trainers so inbuilt now that people can't move away from this idea?
• Are barefoot shoes just too expensive for people to take a gamble on?

My personal opinion is its a mixture of all four of these points but from what I've seen over the past year its clear the manufacturers still have a long way to go in selling the concept to the wider public. I can probably count on my fingers the number of other people I've seen wearing barefoot shoes since I bought my first pair.

Minimalist in numbers as well as construction then. 

A new delivery

While the world was eagerly waiting for a VIP delivery in West London last week, 200 miles north in Sheffield I was waiting for a special delivery of my own. My new Merrell Run Trail Gloves.

My issues with the Goretex version of the trail glove are well documented on this blog. However with the demise of my second pair I was in need of a new pair of barefoots and I decided to give Merrell's barefoots one final opportunity to prove to me they can last the distance.

My criteria for a pair of barefoots is challenging. I do some trail running in them so they need to stand up to running in the Peak District in all weather conditions. However I'm by no means a daily runner and my barefoot shoes will need to adapt to spending a large proportion of their time doing long hill and beach hikes, plenty of dog walking and all-round general wear (including plenty of shopping, pubs and coffee stops).

So I chose the Merrell Trail Glove in Apollo / Ice (blue and silver). There's no getting away from it, Merrells shoes look the part. The construction of the trail gloves is quality, they feel like they'll last the distance and I personally think these are the best colour option in the range.

The Vibram soles look identical to my previous Merrell Train Embark and that's no bad thing, they've always been comfortable with good levels of grip. Lets just hope they remain attached to the upper half of the shoes this time.

First impressions after two hours of wearing are positive and they seem comfortable shoe. Which is a relief since these are the third size I've tried and its fair to say the trail glove comes up small. My usual size is a euro 46 and these are a 48. Even now they feel short and my toes slightly touch the end of the toe box. Time will tell whether they prove comfy enough or not. 

The full spec list is available here at www.merrell.com which is also where I ordered them from. It's worth noting they are available at a better price from other websites if you don't need Sasquatch size feet. I couldn't get a size 48 in the blue anywhere else.

Stay tuned for regular updates on Barefoot in Sheffield and of course if you've got any question feel free to ask away in the comments box below and I'll answer them as best I can.

Barefoot Tennis

Today was only the second time in 15 years I've played tennis and obviously with any trainer addict the first issue was what foot wear to roll out.

As regular readers will know minimalist shoes are my first choice for any sporting endeavour. Actually they're my only choice and with no tennis shoes of any sort my Vibram KSO Trek Sport were rolled out. 

When I reviewed the Trek Sports before I said that I was yet to find something they couldn't do. That still stands true. The stop-start nature of tennis combined with playing on a hard surface did prove tough on the feet and joints but the Five Fingers came through with flying colours.

By the end of an hour on court my feet where feeling a bit sore although I think some of that soreness would have been avoided had I worn my Injinji socks.

Ten minutes of the Wimbledon-esque performance was also done in monsoon conditions and the 'fingers' still gripped perfectly on the wet surfaces and never felt uncomfortable despite being soaked through.

There were some quizzical looks from other tennis players but they'll soon get used to the idea you don't need mattresses on the bottom of your feet to play tennis. 

So who knew, Vibram's Trek Sport are great for tennis. Pretty sure we won't see them at Wimbledon next year though. 

The view from the top of Mam Tor

Making the most of both the sun and the Peak District with a walk up to Mam Tor yesterday. As usual the Spryridons performed faultlessly.

They were never anything less than sure footed and super comfortable. 

Looking at some of the heavy duty footwear on show you wonder where people think they're walking. 

It can be a rocky road to barefoot running

Last night i was catching up on some reading on some of the blogs I follow and an old post from Lizzie at Inov-8 got me thinking.

You see over the last few weeks I've been suffering from some hamstring problems. Nothing horrendous, just tightness and mild discomfort when I walk and a pain when I run. I was annoyed that it was stopping me running but also confused. Since I started running again in January I've not suffered any real injuries in fact my running has been literally revitalised by the use of barefoot shoes.

For a quick history lesson, up until three years ago I used to run two to three times a week. Then I started to suffer from shin splints. Now anyone who has had shin splints will tell you how painful they can be. I quite literally couldn't run up my drive without excruciating pain.

Eventually I gave up, combining a torn tendon with the shin splints my body persuaded me running just wasn't my sport.

Then in January my wife saw an article about how barefoot shoes can help resolve running related injuries through better form.  I'd already been wearing barefoots for about six months but not for running and that weekend I went for my first tentative run in over three years .

Apart from a few tight muscles there have been no problems and I generally do a couple of trail runs a week and having been doing so since January. And this is where my annoyance comes back in, why now, when nothing's changed should my hamstring start to play up?

Its all too easy to think of our bodies as a machine, if it can do a certain activity one day then it should be able to do it everyday. My mind worked overtime trying to work out what I had done differently.

What I hadn't taken in to account is that we aren't machines. There will always be injuries, there will always be times when your body resists. The important thing is to know how to deal with these setbacks.

I knew the basics of what I was doing were right, my warm-up was fine, my running form was getting better and my fitness improving with every run. I rested the hamstring for a few days, no running, no jumping around and it started to feel better. So then when I took my running buddy for his evening walk I raced him across the park (he always wins) and the hamstring was fine.

Lizzie's post made me remember that after three years of running there were always going to be ups and downs. It was never going to be instant or perfect. 

Sometimes you just have to trust what has worked for you previously, accept there will be downs as well as ups and most importantly, keep the faith.

If you missed it you can read Lizzie's post on the Inov-8 blog here.... 

Become A Natural: No one said it would be easy…

Updated review of Merrell's Barefoot Train Embark

It's not good news for my Merrells.

Back in April I reviewed my Merrell Barefoot Train Embark Gore-tex with mixed results. I loved them because they had the potential to be the all round shoe I was looking for but my first pair fell apart after six months. 

Now, right on cue, after a further six months the replacement Merrels have both started to show signs of not being able to handle the pace. 

The first pair of Train Embarks fell apart around the outside of the toe box after a walk on the beach. Merrell agreed to replace them and the replacement pair have been used continuously through the winter for hiking, dog walking and general wear duties. 

However after a walk in the local park this weekend I noticed the 'new' Merrells were starting to split in the same place as the previous pair. While the damage may not look too much at the moment it renders the Gore-Tex useless as they now let water in. Also from past experience the rubber coating peels off pretty quickly once it starts.

The walk that tipped the Merrells over the edge certainly wasn't rigorous, a gentle stroll with the wife and dog in the local park consisting of paved footpaths and grass. The Merrells did get wet however and I have a suspicion this may be the key factor.

When I say wet I'm only talking about standing in a puddle. Taking the dog down to the edge of a stream meant standing in about 2-3 inches of water for a few seconds.

This may not seem like much but the previous pair were also six months old when they disintegrated after getting wet on the beach. Their damage was much more significant but they also got much wetter. However surely a Gore-tex shoe should be able to withstand getting wet on occasions. 

My suspicion is after six months of use the materials and joints around the toes loosen up and allow water in which then means the coatings fall apart. These are my original pair's damage.

A Gore-tex equipped trail shoe should definitely be able to stand up to moderate use including getting wet on occasions. I can't help but feel that Merrell's decision to discontinue the Train Embark has something to do with the fact they just don't live up to the company's sturdy reputation. 

As can be seen from the pictures below, the sole of these shoes were by no means at the end of the usable life yet the shoe fell apart.

I'm as disappointed as anyone, if the Train Embarks had lived up to their potential I'm convinced they would have been the perfect minimalist shoe for me, comfortable, perfect for hiking and light weight. However they seem to have a fundamental flaw. 

There are major design errors that mean this shoe is simply not up to the job. Now the only decision is whether to replace the Train Embarks with another pair of Merrells or whether to go for a different brand. 

Has anyone else had problem's with Merrell's barefoot range? If so leave me a comment below, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

Silence isn't always golden

Unfortunately the blog's had to take a bit of a back seat lately, injury, moving house and a full agenda at work have taken all my time but what the last few weeks have given me is time to pull together some further thoughts on barefoot and plenty more time in my minimalist shoes. These start with an update on my Merrell Train Embark which you can read here. 

Barefoot rehydration drinks

The perfect rehydration drink for all those Barefoot activities.

Vibram KSO Trek Sport Rated

No piece of footwear splits opinion quite like Vibram’s FiveFingers.

There's no getting away from it, Vibram's FiveFingers (VFFs) are definitely eye catching. The first thing I found, even before I bought my first pair was they polarise opinion. People either love or hate them, there's little middle ground.

After dipping my toe in the barefoot pool I decided to take the plunge and go all in with the infamous FiveFingers. My primary need at the time was for a walking / hiking shoe and after reviewing the Vibram range the additional grip and slightly thicker sole of the Trek Sport seemed to offer what I needed.

My first piece of advice for anyone new to the FiveFingers is go and try some on before you buy. Vibram has a very good sizing chart on their website (available here) but there's no substitute for actually putting them on your feet. Partly because not everyone will like the feel of having your toes in pockets. It’s worth trying before you buy.

The Trek Sports were comfy from the start and my usual size 46 were a perfect fit. As with any barefoot shoe there can be a bedding in period and I did suffer some minor discomfort in the early days of wearing them. The instep of my feet felt strained and my feet ached when I took them off after three / four hours of wearing. This wasn't bad enough to make me take them off and within a couple of weeks wearing them for between one and two hours the problems were history.

The mesh upper does a good job of letting your feet breathe while keeping stones and gravel out of the shoe. I’ve worn these shoes all day in +30C with high humidity and they've never felt uncomfortable. They do get a bit sweaty when they’re worn regularly with no socks but not any more than a normal pair of trainers would. They can also be thrown in the washing machine if they get too stinky.

The Trek Sport has a heavier tread pattern than the almost non-existent tread on the KSO. This gives a sure footed feeling with stones, rocks and other trail debris rarely having any great impact. You can feel it’s all there it just takes the sting out of it.

I've used my VFFs for a variety of uses including hiking in the peak district, beach visits, walking the dog and general shopping / coffee drinking duties. They've even had outings in the snow. Through all the different conditions the grip levels have always been limpet like. This feeling is increased because of the ability to use your toes to grip far more than you can in a 'normal' pair of trainers. Anyone concerned that other VFFs might not offer them the versatility they need should look no further. These really are the do anything shoe in the Vibram line-up.

As with all VFFs there's an art to getting them on and it takes a little time to master. My advice, slide your foot in while getting your big toe and second toe in position. It should only take a little rearranging to get the other toes in position. Once you've done this then hook your heel in to the shoe and fasten them up.

As an everyday shoe the black Trek Sports can often go unnoticed, especially when worn with jeans or cargo trousers. I wore mine to see the bank manager on Saturday and they largely went unnoticed. And if some one does notice them i find a quick twitch of the toes usually guarantees a horrified look. 

I’ve now got two pairs of VFFs having recently invested in a pair of Spyridons for trail running duties (first impressions to follow soon). The comparison is interesting, the green and black Spyridons feeling much more sporty in their construction and focus while the Trek Sport definitely taking the position of the more versatile shoe.

Following the success of the Trek Sport a pair of KSOs maybe the next Vibram shoe to find their way in to my shoe rack. My understanding is the soles are thinner and offer even more barefoot feeling so I can't wait to get my hands on a pair.

Verdict

There’s no getting away from the fact you will get attention with these shoes and you will have people staring and pointing. If you don't like that you might be best looking elsewhere. On the basis I didn't feel the need to draw even more attention to my new shoes I opted for the black version of the Trek Sport.

The feeling given by the Trek Sport is like no shoe I've ever worn. You know you're wearing a shoe but the amount of feedback you get from not just the terrain but also just the process of walking in the FiveFingers really adds to the sensation. It sounds corny but I found the Trek Sport added a whole new dimension to any walk or run. You actually feel what the ground beneath you is doing. A sensation that is increased by the air flow offered by the Trek Sport's mesh upper construction. 

This feeling combined with the subtle styling and versatility of the Trek Sport mean they are the first shoe in the bag for any holiday or trip away. Interestingly they are also my first choice of shoe after a long day in my work shoes. With tired, aching feet the last thing you want to do is put another pairs of shoes on but the comfort and breath-ability of the Trek Sport make them my preferred choice to relax in.

A couple of minor downsides, the treads seem to wear quicker than a lot of shoes. This is probably down to the soft compound rubber they're made from. Can you have it all, plenty of grip and long lasting? They're also trickier to get on than other VFFs I've tried. Apart from these minor points, I'm sold. Tough, comfy and great performance. 

When I suggest the Trek Sport are the everyday choice it makes them sound dull and boring, however they're anything but. The Trek Sport are my VFF of choice for a majority of the time, they offer the feel and flexibility with the ability to go anywhere and do what ever I need.

Score 8.5/10

Merrell Barefoot Train Embark Glove Gore-Tex Review

The Merrell Barefoot Train Embark Glove Gore-Tex  (phew) were my first foray in to the world of bareform shoes. As I've explained before it came from a need for a particular type of shoe rather than a desire to go bareform. I've now been using them for nearly a year so here are my thoughts.

I wanted a shoe that was tough enough to use for long walks across the moors, comfy enough to use all day, looked good enough to wear to go for coffee in and most importantly were light weight. I didn’t want a traditional multi-sport shoe such as Merrell’s Chameleon. They're just too much like moon boots for me.

After seeing the Merrell Trail Glove in a local outdoor shop I went home and scoured the Merrell website (www.merrell.com) for something similar that fitted my needs.

While I liked the Trail Glove the focus of a running show concerned me, I’ve suffered from running related injuries for several years and tarnished by my physio's horror stories of the dangers of walking in traditional padded running shoes I wanted something designed to walk in.

The Train Embark were the obvious choice. While the Train Embark and Trail share the same Vibram sole the Train has a more substantial upper body with tough synthetic leather and mesh upper body with the all-important Gore-Tex layer.

I chose the awesomely tangerine Castle Rock / Dark Cheddar (orange and grey) colour way in my usual size 46 and they were a great fit from the start. Although they should be for the price, £125 isn't cheap.

Castle Rock / Dark Cheddar Train Embarks

Everything you read about starting out on the barefoot journey suggests short distances at first so I restricted the Train Embarks to a few trips to the shops and walking the dog for the first ten days.

However I've never been one for rules or advice so after less than two weeks of ownership I took them on a road trip from Arizona to California and the Train Embark took everything in their stride. Three hour hike around the edge of the Grand Canyon – Check, walking in Yosemite – Check, sight-seeing on the Vegas strip or chilling out in San Francisco – Check. I was over the moon that I’d found a shoe that did it all.

One of my fears when I ordered the Train Embarks was the sole would be too thin and I’d feel every stone and imperfection. I was soon relieved that the tough 4mm sole manages a careful balance of letting you feel the trail beneath you while protecting the foot perfectly. It is worth noting the Merrells are at the thicker end of 'barefoot' soles.

It wasn't all rosy in the first few weeks though. Despite the claim that the footbed is treated with an Aegis antimicrobial solution after two weeks of use I was getting complaints from Mrs T about the pong eminating from the tangerine terrors. A switch to trainer socks soon solved this and while it goes against many people's concept of wearing barefoot shoes for me it makes them a much more usable everyday shoe. Also by being selective and choosing very thin socks I don't feel I'm losing any of the feedback.

My other slight negativity is the difficulty in getting them on. Once on your feet they're like a good set of slippers but getting them on can be... frustrating. This is due in main to the stiff upper body and the lacing system which can restrict access slightly.

As you'll gather the first six months of ownership were generally very positive until me and the Merrells had a major falling out. On a trip to the coast I noticed the rubber toe bumper on the front was coming away from the main body of the shoe. As it was only a small split I wore them the next day for a gentle walk on the beach and it all went wrong. The front of the shoe effectively disintegrated. with all the rubber covering on the upper shoe peeling off and the sole and bumper becoming detached. This happened on both shoes as well which makes me think it maybe a manufacturing defect. 

Needless to say I wasn't impressed but to give Merrell their dues they eventually replaced the shoes. Only problem being the orange version were no longer available so i had to settle for the Black and Blue option. In my opinion they look far better in the orange but it appears this colour has been discontinued. 

Not as eye-catching in the Black / Olympia Blue

The new Black versions have now had six months of use including several walks on the very same beach and so far are still in great condition. So I'm happy to put it down to experience.

Interesting though the uppers on the black version seem to be constructed from a different material and I have to say don't feel like they fit as well as the orange ones did. They feel roomier and a looser fit. I certainly haven't been won over as easily as I was with the originals.



Conclusion
The Train Embarks have been fantastic as a do anything, go anywhere shoe. Wearing them everyday they look great and have become my shoe of choice for any out door adventures. The Gore-Tex lining does what you'd expect and means the only way water is coming in is if you stand in water that's deeper than the height of the shoe.

The orange version were amazingly comfy but as mentioned the black ones don't feel as snug as their brighter counter parts. 

Of course I can't ignore the fact the original pair fell apart but I've currently no fears with the newer replacements. They've been worn every day for six months for a large number of different tasks including in deep snow and mud and they're still fully water tight, solidly built and looking good as you can see in the photos below.

Currently Merrell's website is only showing one size of Train Embarks as being available (8.5 UK). If they are discontinuing the range totally it will be a real shame. These shoes are a little bit of development and a couple of colour choices away from being a fantastic trail shoe.

The score has to be a 7 / 10 

First blog, first post. Big pressure

I can pinpoint the moment the slippery slope started.

22^nd April 2012 at 9.40pm.

I’m not an evangelical runner, I don’t run every day and I’ll be honest and say I’d never really heard of Barefoot / Bareform / Minimalist shoes before April 2012. What I didn’t realise back then though was I was already looking for them.

Anyone who knows me will tell you I have issues with trainers, I love them. At the last count I had over 30 pairs in the wardrobe. Most are fashion pose rather than sport prowess but I love them.

But despite loving all these ‘sport’ shoes I couldn’t find a shoe that filled the gap in my life. Something that was rugged enough to go on long hikes, relaxed enough to wear every day and crucially were light weight.

Then in 2012 while preparing for a US road trip I needed some shoes I could wear all day sight-seeing, go hiking at the Grand Canyon and wouldn’t look out of place walking round Vegas or San Francisco.

I considered all the usual trail trainers such as Merrell’s Chameleon but they weren’t hitting the spot until a sales assistant in a well-known outdoor shop pointed me in the direction of Merrell’s Barefoot range and suggested I had a look at the whole range online.

Skipping home to my computer I logged on to www.merrell.com and that’s the point the slippery slope started. I realised the shoe I’d been looking for was the Merrell Train Embark Glove.

Within another 30 minutes of internet action I’d ordered a pair and become an expert on barefoot shoes. And then the real education began.

I've now been wearing both the Merrells mentioned above and my two pairs of Vibram Five Fingers (KSO Treksport & Spyridon) for nearly a year. I've done long hikes, short walks, trail running and just lounging around in them. While they're great for walking in I got a real shock when I tried running.

I used to go running at least two or three times a week (in traditional trainers) then shin splints and knee problems stopped me for over three years. Towards the end of last year i decided to give it a go again, however this time in "barefoots". The result was five months of running with no injuries and I'm a convert.

I know plenty of friends and colleagues who scoff at the idea of barefoot running as a trendy fad. All I do is just nod along, i they're happy running in their heavily padded trainers then great, you carry on. But for me, "barefoot" works and the results are undeniable. I can run again, I can do so with fewer injuries and better running motion and perhaps most importantly I really enjoy running again.

Until next time......