Barefoot Running In NYC and The State Of Barefoot Shoes

Nice!

"Chris Hawson didn't run much in New York City until he took off his shoes. That was three years, and more than 9,000 miles, ago.

"You can blame Chris McDougall and Born to Run for that,” he says while sipping hot chocolate in a coffee shop near the Union Square Paragon Sports where he works as an outerwear buyer. “It was inspirational to me. I didn't treat it as a technique manual, but it set me off on a path.”

"A health scare in 2009 prompted Hawson, now in his mid-50s, to start running a couple of times a week, but he found his IT bands, knees, and shins started to hurt, forcing him to resort to inline skating. Then Hawson, who spent a decade leading bike and ski trips in Northern Scotland, discovered Vibram FiveFingers and ran a few hundred miles during the summer and fall, mixing them in with a couple other pairs of more traditional shoes. But winter came, so he packed the FiveFingers away because of the cold. That plan didn't last long, however, and pretty soon he had ditched conventional shoes entirely."

Read the whole thing.

I went to see In the High Country (a movie about ultra-runner Anton Krupicka) in NYC last night, and Chris was there. (Paragon organized the showing.)

Chris, as the Outdoor story makes clear, is the real deal. I've run with him a couple of time in various McDougall-organized "events". He really does do the bulk of his miles barefoot.

As a buyer at Paragon he had some interesting thoughts on the minimalist shoe market: it's fading. In large part because the minimalist shoes last so long. With no foam to break down, you replace your shoes when they tear, or when the sole wears through. Chis explained that he just tossed a pair of Altras that had 2,500 miles on them, because the sole wore through and he had torn the upper on a rock.

Given that the typical running shoe companies recommend that you replace their products every 300 miles, that's a major difference. He then mentioned that he probably had bought enough pairs of minimalist shoes to last the rest of his life, at that rate. I also have enough to last quite a long time.

Altra Torrin: not minimalist.

He explained that there are no new minimalist shoe designs coming out: even Altra's new line has a lot of cushion built in. We both wondered about the future of Merrell's Vapor Glove, one of my personal favorites. It was nice to see them in Merrell's winter catalog, but I wonder if they'll last through next summer. New Balance's Mimimus line does doesn't seem to be doing well (according to a New Balance store I visited recently), as the most minimal models are falling by the wayside.

Guess it's not too surprising... When Dr. Munson first invented the barefoot-style shoe after World War I, they put millions of them on the feet of American soldiers. They were very popular, but then the whole thing disappeared as generations turned over, and they were forgotten...

Hopefully a few companies will stick with the idea so folks like me and Chris can replace our shoes when we need to.

Luna, Russell, and Skora seem to be pretty committed to the minimalist idea. [P.S. And VivoBarefoot!]

But there's more research coming along showing the clear advantages of barefoot over shod foot-binding, so hopefully the idea will stick around.

After 10 miles running in the snow.

My running rotation has been barefoot, Luna Sandals, Vapor Gloves, and Vibram Fivefinger Speeds. None of them show much wear on the sole. If I do a trail race, I'll wear the Trail Glove, and I wore the Sonic Glove the other day when I did a 10-mile run in the snow. I can't really see any reason why I'd ever want to go back to the sort of sneaker I used to wear.

(Found the Outdoor story via Chris McDougall on Twitter.)

"The Evolution of the NB Minimus Zero Sole"

NB Minimus Zero

This is super-exciting:

"As we've covered before, it's impossible to discuss the sole design of any NB Minimus shoe without acknowledging the influence of Tony Krupicka's original MT100's. Both the worn rubber and the parts Tony carefully carved away played a role in informing the areas in which the sole should be providing additional support — and areas in which minimizing material will lead to enhanced ground feel."

So they took the foremost minimalist runner around, and designed a pair of shoes around him.  Way to go, NB!

Can't wait to try these out, I'll be buying a pair as soon as they're available.

The Birth Of the New Balance Minimus

Anton Krupicka interviewed about minimalist running shoes and New Balance:

"...These slippers trace their inspiration to a blend of cultural factors, but also to an evening in 2008 at a downtown Colorado Springs, Colo., sandwich shop.

"That night, Anton Krupicka, an ultra-runner working at Colorado Running Co., was having a post-run beer with the product manager of New Balance, a running shoe manufacturer from Massachusetts.

"The product manager, Bryan Gothie, was in town showing off a new trail shoe and asked Krupicka what he thought.

"'It's all wrong, Krupicka said....'

"..."It's overbuilt. It's too much of a shoe," Krupicka remembers saying.

"When Gothie asked what he meant, Krupicka held up his shoes.

"They looked like they had been attacked by Freddy Krueger.

"Four years before, as a cross-country runner at Colorado College, Krupicka had had a revelation. For much of his life he had been running in clunky, motion-stabilizing shoes with orthotic inserts, and for most of that time he had struggled with stress fractures in his legs.

"He wanted a shoe that would mimic the design of the human foot, which spreads out shock through the foot's arch and the runner's bent knees.

"'But there were none,' Krupicka said. 'I was so frustrated.'

"Every shoe he looked at, with the exception of racing flats, had a big fat heel getting in the way. And racing flats could not hold up on the trails.

"So one day he pulled out a kitchen knife and started hacking the heel of a pair of old New Balances. Over the next few months, between runs, he cut off more and more pieces he felt he did not need. He did the same to every new pair of shoes he bought.

"...'Since I started running in those shoes I haven't had a stress fracture,' Krupicka said. 'It encourages you to run in a much more natural way.'

"New Balance asked Krupicka to work with them on a new line of shoes. The company would come up with designs. He would test them on the trail, then, Gothie said, 'take the switchblade to them...'

"...Krupicka said that while he ignores most trends, he is pleased with this one.

"'It is a trend built on some actual fact and truth,' he said, because it encourages people to run in a more 'natural way.'..."

Read the whole thing.

"Unbreakable: The Western States 100"

A documentary about last year's race.  Looks extremely cool, to judge by the trailer.

P.S. Anton Krupicka posts the trailer and some comments as well:

"Sadly, I am probably the only podium-threat who won't be back at the race this year, my running continuing to be drastically hampered by tibial tendonitis ever since the Rocky Raccoon 100 way back in February. But I'll definitely be scouring the internet all day on June 25th hanging on every update just as every other fan who can't make it out to California should be."

That's a bummer.

"New Balance Launches 'Let's Make Excellent Happen' Global Brand Campaign"

In this post, I wrote:

"And now, the last piece of the plan: You want something a little more traditional? New Balance Minimus, with a Vibram sole, and Tony Krupicka's smiling face."

Well, here it is: "New Balance Launches 'Let's Make Excellent Happen' Global Brand Campaign":

"For the first time in its recent brand history, New Balance is closely aligning key products with its roster of world-class athletes to highlight their source of inspiration. The NB 890 is named "Barringer" (women's) and "Baddeley" (men's) after record holders Jenny Barringer Simpson (U.S.) and Andy Baddeley (U.K.). NB Minimus Trail is inspired by ultra champion, Anton Krupicka (U.S.)."

They're going to make an ultra-runner their front man in a global shoe campaign pushing a pretty minimalist shoe.  That's a big deal.
That old post is holding up pretty well, I think...

Follow-Up to "Krupicka vs. Jurek"

Krupicka finished 2nd, Jurek dropped out.  The race wasn't between them.  Sounds like a great race, nevertheless.  (Tony K does great race reports, as in that second link, btw.)

And congrats to Ian Sharman, the winner and new course record holder.

Original post.

Krupicka vs. Jurek

Rocky Racoon should be a great race.

Cool Interview with Anton Krupicka

UTMB is going to be an amazing race this summer, and it looks like he's got a great season ahead of him.

Things You Shouldn't Put On Your Blog...

If you're a sponsored athlete:

"Wore some new kicks that put an instant spring in my step. Charged up the frontside of Green in a one-second PR of 31:28 (6:20, 12:10, 14:40, 18:20, 22:00, 28:55). Jogged over to the top of Bear then and enjoyed the new shoes' grippiness for a 17min descent of Fern."

Alright, darnit.  New MT101s or Minima wouldn't really be "new kicks", now would they?

UPDATE: To eliminate uncertainty that this post seems to have engendered: Krupicka has been wearing the New Balance 101 and Minimus for a while now.  I doubt that he'd refer to them as "new", just because he got a new pair.  It's got to be a new prototype, IMHO.  

I suggest he shouldn't be putting this on his blog because I hate being teased... ;)

P.S.S: He clarified in the comments to the above post:

"When I wrote "springy new kicks" I was simply referring to the fact that it was a fresh pair of shoes as opposed to a pair with a few hundred miles in them."

Never mind.  This is what's known as "jumping the gun", in running lingo. ;)  Thanks to Doug.

How To Design a Trail-Running Shoe

Tony Krupicka's ideas on how to make a good shoe.

"In thinking about the design of this sort of trail running shoe, I start with two central, unassailable guiding principles:

1. The purpose of a trail running shoe is ultimately to improve one’s footing

2. The concept of Occam’s razor: The simplest solution is usually the best.

My biggest issues with the MT100/101 revolves around the midsole...

UPDATE: In light of this post, I think NB's working on a new trail running shoe, beyond the 101 and Minimus.

Modified New Balance MT100s

In light of the Minimus and MT101 shoes coming out, I thought I'd post my experience with the MT100s from last fall.  This was originally posted Nov. 11, 2009. (Follow the link for the full discussion.)

I got back from the cobbler a little while ago with my modified sneakers in hand.

If you didn't know what they were supposed to look like, I don't think you could tell what had been done with them. Fortunately, we have another pair of unmodified MT100s around, so we're going to be posting some side-by-side comparisons later on.

I did try them on at the cobbler. Standing in a resting position, my heel just kisses the ground with the weight resting on the ball of the foot. Just like my Vivo Barefoot shoes or being actually barefoot. So I consider them to be a success in that regard.

Unfortunately I still have a broken pinkie toe, and I'm unable to run more than a short distance without pain. I'm going to try to go for a run in them later, as I'm hoping that the rock-guard plate will help support my forefoot enough to allow me to run. So if you're waiting for an in-depth review, I'm going to have to disappoint you. Also, this is an unseasonable warm November in the Northeast, so running in the snow (the whole reason I got these) is going to have to wait, for some snow.

A little later...

OK, here it is. This is a 9.5 mens compared to a 10.5 mens, keep in mind. Neither pair has been worn outside for running, yet. My friend (another Vibram victim I talked into this whole enterprise) bought the MT100s also for winter running when we went to the store. He also has no desire to run in them if it's warm enough for KSOs. He had a big shin splint issue until he learned to run barefoot-style.

The pictures are huge, btw. If it's an issue, let me know and I'll downsize and upload smaller pics.

Altered is on the right in all the pictures.

Here's the before and after, from far enough back so you can see what was removed. I propped up the heel of the altered shoe so that you get a good idea of what was removed.

MT 100 Compare

Here's the close up. The workmanship on the altered shoe is better than the original, I just noticed.

Compare (Near)

The soles: you can see in this shot where he cut a little low, and cut through the top of the dimples. This is entirely cosmetic, I don't know if the dimples even reduce weight much, as they're pretty shallow. The altered shoe is the smaller one. Those orange circles are the stone guard that you can see through the sole.

Compare Soles

Just so you can see what the workmanship looks like up close.

Closeup of the Heel

He wasn't able to peel the sole away, so wound up having to cut it down. I don't know that that makes any difference in practice, but if you have any ideas of your own, there you go.

David (the Cobbler & Cordwainer) mentioned to me that there was still a pretty built-up arch in the sneaker, and that we could cut away the insole to reduce that. I didn't listen in his shop, and spent the rest of the afternoon wondering what the heck that lump under my arches was, as I was wearing them without the insole. I put the insole back in, and it lessens the arch, but I think I'm going to follow his advice (and listen a little more closely next time he has a suggestion).

The toe spring is not really an issue, as the toe area is really soft, I can flex it down almost flat without a problem. Excessive toe spring is a problem if you cut the heels off, the toes can wind up pointing to the heavens, which is not comfortable.

Sneakers are really warm! Too warm. I've gotten used to having cool soles in the Vibrams and the Vivos. Hadn't realized it until I put these on. But since I want these for winter running, I guess that's a feature.

With the insoles in and the plate under the ball of the foot my busted foot feels much better. I think I'm going to try to run in them in the morning, and see how they do. And how I do.

These are a very different shoe from the Mizuno flats, they're a trail running racing flat. So they're heavier, and have a beefier sole with a more aggresive tread, and the stone guard. But with the kind of running I'll do in these, I think that's appropriate.

Ideally Inov-8 will make something that will make it unnecessary for me to go through this exercise again. The sneakers are $75, labor $50 = $125, or the same cost as the Vibram Treks.

A couple of updates: I was able to find another cobbler who did another pair (the unmodified pair in the pictures above) for $25. 

I ran in these pretty regularly in the winter, but found after a while that they gave me runner's knee.  Reverting to Vibrams cured the runner's knee immediately, going back to the 100s brought it back.   Even wearing the Russell mocs was better on my knee, despite the weight.  My colleague, owner of the unmodified pair above, had the same thing happen to him, and I'll note that Anton Krupicka, the athlete for which these were designed, has been battling a similar issue for quite some time.

I ran one race in these, despite the runner's knee, and they did OK, it was a 20k and I managed an 8:11 pace.  The knee hurt quite a lot, and I pretty much stopped running in them after getting my Russells.

I still use them occasionally as back up shoes, or casual shoes, and I'm going to crack them out again for a trail half-marathon that is coming up.  I broke or disocated the other pinkie toe two times in Treks, and I don't feel like doing it during a race, so I'm going to wear these.  I don't expect that the runner's knee will return from just one or two runs.

Runner's knee aside, with some warm wool socks they worked great in the snow.

UPDATE: Posted a comparison with the new, modified MT101s here, including the last modification I made to the 100s.  I ran a race in the 101s, also.

More On The New Balance Minimus

At Birthday Shoes.

Follow-up to "Vibram's Plans for World Domination"

Thanks to Pete at Runblogger:

"And now, the last piece of the plan: You want something a little more traditional? New Balance Minimus, with a Vibram sole, and Tony Krupicka's smiling face."

Mwuah-ha-ha-ha! (Twists pinkie ring and pets cat)

:)

Leadville: Krupicka's Race Report

A tough outcome.  But he'll be back.

I'm just happy to hear his knee didn't fail.  Uncooperative stomachs are part and parcel of ultra-running.

Good Luck to the Leadville Competitors

Especially Barefoot Ted, who'll be running in his Luna sandals, and Barefoot Jason, who'll be running in Treks.

I'll me rooting for Tony Krupicka to get a course record (and win) as well, which would be pretty cool.

Here's an interview with Jason from Competitor.com, and here's an interview of Mr. Krupicka from New Balance.

Krupicka's 2nd CR at White River

Amazing.  Do you think it's a coincidence that both Krupicka and Roes seem to do better when they don't have a rigorous training schedule?  And neither has a coach...

(I'm not implying, btw, that they don't train a lot.  But they both seem to have unstructured training plans.)

What a run...

Jurek and Krupicka at Long's Peak