Well, thanks to HappySongBird's rec, who I think got her rec from Rick Whitelaw, I've finally found the perfect minimalist shoe for winter running. I'm something of a purist barefooter who only uses minimalist shoes out of necessity, but I think even those who use them as a preference will like these, provided their preference doesn't included some cushioning and structure.
If we take 'minimalism' literally, you simply can't get any more minimal than this. The sole is only 1.2 mm thick! That's thinner than even Merrell's Vapor Gloves or Soft Star's Moc3s. They also have much better traction than either of those shoes, which is very important to me since I mainly use shoes in the winter, when it's either too cold or snowy/slushy to run bare. The upper is super thin too, yet the shoes are so well-designed that they fit snug without being tight, and with no shifting around whatsoever. And I've found them to be true to size.
When running in them, only the tactile stimulation of running bare is missing. Otherwise, the foot feels and seems to function the same as when completely bare. I don't need to think about my foot landing at all, and can feel all the subtle contours of compacted snow. However, for those who use shoes to protect themselves from small rocks and debris, the soles might not be thick enough. On the other hand, they may dull the protrusions just enough to permit minimal shoddie wimpage--a real boon to those who enjoy barefooting but have low pain tolerances.
Finally, at $49 retail, they're around half the price of most other minimalist shoes.
If we take 'minimalism' literally, you simply can't get any more minimal than this. The sole is only 1.2 mm thick! That's thinner than even Merrell's Vapor Gloves or Soft Star's Moc3s. They also have much better traction than either of those shoes, which is very important to me since I mainly use shoes in the winter, when it's either too cold or snowy/slushy to run bare. The upper is super thin too, yet the shoes are so well-designed that they fit snug without being tight, and with no shifting around whatsoever. And I've found them to be true to size.
When running in them, only the tactile stimulation of running bare is missing. Otherwise, the foot feels and seems to function the same as when completely bare. I don't need to think about my foot landing at all, and can feel all the subtle contours of compacted snow. However, for those who use shoes to protect themselves from small rocks and debris, the soles might not be thick enough. On the other hand, they may dull the protrusions just enough to permit minimal shoddie wimpage--a real boon to those who enjoy barefooting but have low pain tolerances.
Finally, at $49 retail, they're around half the price of most other minimalist shoes.