Cold barefeet?

October 11, 2011 1:36 PM

I'm a convert to shoe minimalism; I walk and run in Five Fingers or Merrell Barefoots (Barefeet?) and my knees have never been happier. This morning's cold rain made me wonder... what do 'barefoot' runners and walkers wear in the winter?

All the waterproof shoes I've found are heavy and have stiff, padded soles. I've thought about overshoes but I'm not sure running in them would be a good idea, plus sweating inside rubber is rarely pleasant (unless you're into that sort of thing... NTTAWWT)

How can I keep my feet dry this winter as I run and walk without ending up in a heavy boot or trail shoe?

posted by workerant to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (13 answers total)

I think they may 'wear' treadmills. When, and it's not as often as it should be these days, I run it's barefoot or, recently, in five fingers but I'm from close enough to the equator that this isn't a problem any time of year, even extended periods of colder, barefoot hiking in Yellowstone was doable for me.

Extended exposure to snow/slush/etc is unimaginable to me and I've been a barefoot type person since childhood so I have some... let say immunity and tolerances that have built up on my side.

That said, I wouldn't totally write off the idea of someone going barefoot for runs in the snow, but man, it'd take training and exposure for a long time to be able to do it at all, forget comfortably.

One way to stay dry is to stay on the track/treadmill...
posted by RolandOfEld at 1:45 PM on October 11, 2011

Five fingers have waterproof versions flow for women & flow for men, as well as a newly released men's winter boot Bormio.

I haven't tried Flow or Bormio, so, no words on how we'll they actually insulate though.
posted by firei at 1:49 PM on October 11, 2011 [1 favorite]

Also, if you buy socks to go with them, it will keep you a little warmer in theory, and won't be gross because they won't get wet because of water proof shoes...?
posted by firei at 1:51 PM on October 11, 2011

I didn't realize that you hadn't mentioned waterproof socks. YMMV but hikers seem to like them as long as they have some breathing ability. That and/or wool/smartwool socks would be my recommendation.

Think normal light weight trail shoe (non-waterproof edition) + socks as needed. No?
posted by RolandOfEld at 1:53 PM on October 11, 2011

Look up Russell minimalist shoes. It's a custom place and $$$ but supposedly they are awesome and last forever.

I wear soft sheepskin boots for regular winters wear- not uggs, more like a shearling moccasin.
posted by fshgrl at 1:58 PM on October 11, 2011

I wear Vibram Flows in cold weather, without socks.

They're not waterproof, and they're not fun in slush (but neither are regular running shoes.) In cold weather, my toes go numb from the cold until I'm fully warmed up (around the 10-15 minute mark) and I'm fine after that.

I switch to regular running shoes on the days that it gets below about 15°F. At that temperature, if I have no insulation between me and the ground, I lose heat out of the bottom of my feet at a significant rate.
posted by BrashTech at 2:25 PM on October 11, 2011

Merrel's Embark Glove or Sonic Glove? They are trail running shoes, but light and barefoot. The Embark is Goretex and the Sonic is water resistant.
posted by rtimmel at 2:56 PM on October 11, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'm not sure how cold it gets in East TN (as listen in your profile), but I ran this past winter in Chicago in nothing but Five Fingers Classics without socks. When the cold/snow made it hard to tell what I might be stepping on I switched to my pair of Adidas Sambas that I'd ripped the plastic insert out of and rubber cemented a layer of leather in to. There's the protection of a sole, but it's very flexible with no arch support. And socks.
posted by cmoj at 3:19 PM on October 11, 2011

Last winter I wore Vibram Flows with merino wool socks for running in temperatures as low as -25°c (in Ottawa). It was kind of cold when I first set out, but the friction and motion warmed them up handily, even on icy sidewalks, which surprisingly led to less slipping.
posted by urbanlenny at 7:27 PM on October 11, 2011 [1 favorite]

While not marketed as a minimalist shoe, the Saucony Shay is a tight-fitting racing flat with excellent grip in winter conditions. At $69, it beats the minimalist shoes in the price department as well. And then there's the Nike Free line--quasi-minimalist shoes with a thick-but-flexible sole that will protect you from cold asphalt surfaces.
posted by Gordion Knott at 2:47 AM on October 12, 2011

While they won't help with keeping you dry (other than wicking sweat from your skin), you might find Injinji Socks to be of interest. They have toe compartments so you can wear them with FiveFingers, and they're constructed of wool and nylon so they won't absorb moisture like cotton. Also, unlike cotton, wool will still provide some insulation even when wet. Good luck!
posted by EKStickland at 6:59 AM on October 12, 2011

A good friend of mine goes barefoot all the time and his Vibrams *are* his cold weather shoes. He only wears them if there is frozen stuff on the ground -- he says his feet just don't get that cold otherwise.
posted by linettasky at 3:26 PM on October 12, 2011

Look up Russell minimalist shoes. It's a custom place and $$$ but supposedly they are awesome and last forever.

Here's that link. I've never ordered from them, but I've had it bookmarked for a long time and I think someday when I am feeling flush I will order a pair.
posted by Forktine at 7:02 AM on October 14, 2011 [1 favorite]