A Minimalist's Shoe Reviews

I train in racing flats. Crazy, right? Well, after wearing "normal" running shoes and going through 3 different pairs of orthotics, I kept getting injured. One day I read some threads on LetsRun about minimalism and it made sense that stability, cushioning, etc. in shoes weaken your feet. Think about it: try to run barefoot and see how long you can heel-strike. I am a natural mid-foot/forefoot striker, so all that extra heel height put additional strain on my tibia.

Minimalism is not a cure-all, however. I have had injuries since the switch, but they were due to training errors. If you are fine in regular running shoes, stick with what works. If you want to try something new and have the patience, try training in flats. Here are the flats I have trained in, ranked by my preference:

#1 New Balance RC152

I like the slightly curved last and wide forefoot of the New Balance RC152. These shoes fit my feet really well. The only drawback is that they are bright orange. The color is good for racing to make you look like a badass, but on the trails they got a few stares. I still want another pair. These are great shoes.

#2 Adidas adiZero RC

The adiZero series is quite popular. I'd like to try the Pro and PR. I really liked my experience with the Adidas adiZero RC. The shape of this shoe is very similar to the NB RC152, but more narrow. It has a low heel and is flexible. The sole of the shoes were durable, the upper on both shoes ripped. It ripped where the 3 stripes are stitched to the mesh. Perhaps mine were defective or I should have gone up a size.

#3 Asics Gel Hyperspeed 2

The Asics Gel Hyperspeed 2 is classified as a marathon racer, so it is more solid than some of the other flats. I like that it has a little more cushioning so that I don't feel every sharp rock under my feet, but still has a low heel. A drawbacks is that the shoes are less flexible than some of the other flats. You also have to be careful running on trails because the soles are made for roads. Overall, these are really good shoes. They are also what 2008 Olympian Ryan Hall wears in his races.

#4 Mizuno Wave Idaten

My first pair of flats were the Mizuno Wave Idaten. They are now called the Wave Ronin. I used to always wear the Wave Rider, a neutral trainer, so this was a good transition shoe.

Mizuno shoes fit my feet really well. However, the heel is still high for a flat and the shoe has the plastic "wave" in the arch and heel which makes it heavier and less flexible.

#5 Asics Piranha

The Asics Piranha is the lightest shoe I've worn, about 4.8 ounces. It almost feels like it's made out of paper. Unfortunately mine were a size too big, so my footstrike was a bit off. They are also

fairly narrow. I recommend them for road running. They don't hold up well on trails.

#6 Nike Air Zoom Streak XC

Nike makes great spikes, so I tried a pair of their flats, the Streak XC. They were okay, but not a favorite of mine. The heel is a little high, the sole is not flat, and they are very narrow. However I did see Dathan Ritzenhein wearing them at the Olympic Trials. Nike also makes the Air Zoom Katana Racer and the Air Zoom Marathoner. I've heard a lot of good things about the Marathoner.

#7 New Balance 205

The New Balance 205 has too much heel in my opinion. It's not

necessarily too high, but it felt wide. There is a large amount of space between the heel and the forefoot. Also, there is hardly any

traction on the sole. This is not a problem for racing, but is if you train in flats. I've seen several NB sponsored athletes, like James Carney, wear them.

#8 Nike Trail Free 5.0

The Nike Free is not exactly a racing flat, but it is a minimalist training shoe. I have a pair of the Trail Free 5.0. It is similar to the Free 5.0, but has a little more traction and a suede upper. Mostly I wear them to walk around in, but have worn them running. They are heavy and it bothered me that they did not have a heel counter. They are comfortable for walking around. I'd like to try the 3.0, which is much lighter.