the running reverend

I’ve been a proud owner and wearer of Vibram Five Fingers. Originally, I purchased my Vibrams for casual wear. After a few months I decided to ditch my running shoes (at that point I was wearing a pair of Brooks Adrenaline 10). After a short run of less than a mile and a half, I felt good. So I began alternating between my running shoes and Vibrams. (I refused to run further than six miles in my Vibrams due to the fact that the bottom of my feet would end up bruised and aching for days.)

The weather in Pennsylvania has been incredibly nice this winter. We’ve had very little snow and temperatures have been rather balmy. Thus, I’ve been able to run with a great deal of regularity, which has been a nice change. 

The downside of all the nice weather is that the months have been flying by. Without the usual snow and ice, February snuck up on me rather unexpectedly. Since I’m planning on doing some races in the coming months, I figured that the nice weather would provide an ideal opportunity to change up my training regimen. So, for the last few weeks I’ve been alternative between long and short runs, consistently paced distances and shorter distances that really cause me to push hard.

I’ve also decided to switch up my shoes. My plan was to alternate between my Asics 2160’s and my Vibram KSO’s. One run in my Vibrams reminded me how bruised my feet were for much of last summer. So, I set out to find another pair of barefoot/minimalist running shoes that would help with muscle and joint strength, as well as a more natural running form. 

ENTER THE VIVOBAREFOOT

A few weeks ago, as I was researching barefoot/minimalist options, Left Lane Sports had a tremendous deal on the VIVOBAREFOOT Evo Mesh (pictured above). The Evo Mesh has many of the same features that I love about my Vibrams, with a slighly more sturdy outsole. At Left Lane’s price, I figured that I had nothing to lose by giving the Evo Mesh a shot.

They arrived a little over a week ago, and after a few runs here are some initial thoughts:

1. The Evo Mesh looks like a typical running shoe. The lacing system allows for a slightly more comfortable fit than my KSO’s.
2. The Evo Mesh feels like a “barefoot” running in my Vibrams. The big difference is that I’ve yet to experience the bruising and aching that accompanied my runs in my KSO’s. (I’ve even run an 8 mile stretch at, what for me, is a pretty strong pace.)
3. The heal of the Evo Mesh has a sneaker feel to it. At first I wasn’t fond of this. There was some rubbing and blistering along my heal. On my second and third runs, however, I opted to loosen the laces, which decreased the amount of friction and resulted in no blistering.
4. Although I’ve been running on roads, there is enough anti-skid material on the road for me to pick up the occasional stone/pebble in my shoe. This was fairly common with my KSO’s and often resulted in blisters if I did not promptly stop and remove the object. With the Evo, I have yet to pick up a stone. The shoe fits snug enough to keep foreign materials out without cutting off circulation or being uncomfortable.
5. This is a small qualm largely based on personal preference, but I am able to wear socks (if I so desire) with my Evo’s. As someone who has sweaty feet, this is a huge deal. On hot summer days, I found that my foot would slide around inside of my KSO’s. This made uphill runs difficult. With my Evo’s I ran in the rain (I wore socks for this run) and didn’t experience any sliding that prohibited my ability to tackle the rolling hills where I was running.

All of that to say, after a few weeks, while I still love my Vibram’s there is a new barefoot option that I’m even more fond of. 

That being said, there are some things that jury is still out on. Possibly the greatest concern that I have is durability. My Vibrams have held up incredibly well. They look (but don’t smell) like they did when I first got them. The outsole has held up exceptionally well, as has the upper.