Thursday 20 October 2011

Merrell Trail Glove vs New Balance Minimus vs Vibram FiveFingers

In recent years the running community have witnessed the rise of barefoot or minimalist running, in which keen enthusiasts strip down their chosen footwear to almost-not-there lightweight, uncushioned and minimal shoes. Some brave hardcore runners even head out the door with nothing on their feet but the mud splatters picked up on their way!!!
I say thank goodness this has come about. For too long shoe manufacturers have wrongly convinced us that cushioning, arch support and mattress like shoes are the way forward to injury free running. This has not been the case. In recent years running related injury has soared. Runners such as myself were left with weak arches, sore knees and painful backache.

In walked (or ran I suppose) the barefoot running revolution. With exception to some individuals taking a 'jump in the deep end' approach thinking it to be the panacea they had been waiting for, barefoot running has provided the running community with a wake up call we needed.