2018

[Bierzo Baggie]

Barefoot (or sandal) marathon was for a long time on my bucket list of extreme challenges. But I have learned the hard way that, as what Hal Higdon calls a "certified Clydesdale", cushioned shoes are a must for me.

....
Noticed that over the fairly technical Alto Sil course the other week the winner, Arizona Jim, one of the best rough-terrain trail runners of the moment, was wearing Hoka shoes which are anything but minimalist…

Now that is interesting. I've only tried Hokas once, at a race expo, and they felt fantastic running along the expo's firm, flat, floor, but I wasn't sold on the idea of running over rough terrain with them. It felt to me that you were trading balance and control for comfort. Clearly, I was wrong. I must ask my podiatrist about them.

Fascinating!

To be honest the guy could have been wearing clogs and still won. All I’m saying is that with the exception of in certain, very specific conditions or terrain a bit of cushioning is probably the most sensible bet for most of us, especially if we want to prolong our running to middle age and beyond..
 
I’m using Inov8 305 shoes at the moment which have a tad more cushioning than the Inovs and Sportivas I’ve used before. I’ll also use old, battered road shoes offroad when it’s dry. And on the rare occasions I run on the road, I’ll go for trainers with as much cushioning as possible. That’s where I am now anyway.