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Old 10-04-2011, 08:25 AM   #51
lbb
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Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

Quote:
Janet Rosen wrote: View Post
Anybody have any experience with Merrell's Barefoot Power Glove?
I need something for cold rainy weather and the Vibram 5Finger boots are $160, more than I can afford....
No personal experience, but they look interesting -- it sounds like there's a little extra stuff in the sole. I found a couple reviews:

http://www.myfivefingers.com/review-...l-glove-shoes/

http://birthdayshoes.com/merrell:
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Old 10-04-2011, 09:36 AM   #52
kewms
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Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

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Janet Rosen wrote: View Post
Anybody have any experience with Merrell's Barefoot Power Glove?
I need something for cold rainy weather and the Vibram 5Finger boots are $160, more than I can afford....
I've got a pair of the Merrell True Gloves -- the slipper-like version -- that I'm very happy with. Haven't worn the Power Glove but would have no concerns about buying them for myself.

Katherine
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Old 10-04-2011, 10:01 AM   #53
grondahl
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Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

My girlfriend is extremly happy with her Pace Gloves.
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Old 10-04-2011, 10:41 AM   #54
lbb
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Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

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Peter Gröndahl wrote: View Post
My girlfriend is extremly happy with her Pace Gloves.
Are they suitable for seriously cold and snowy weather?
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Old 10-04-2011, 02:08 PM   #55
Walter Martindale
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Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

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Phi Truong wrote: View Post
but i do. i mentioned i was a farm boy before. i lived in northern Minnesota for a number of years. even spent a year in Fargo, ND which also known as the gateway to North Pole.
Try Edmonton, Alberta... With the climate change it's not like that there for the length of time, but... I've been there when the temperature - the daytime high temperature that is - stayed below -30C for ALL of January. Same in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan...
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Old 10-04-2011, 02:12 PM   #56
Janet Rosen
 
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Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

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Mary Malmros wrote: View Post
Are they suitable for seriously cold and snowy weather?
I'm sure they aren't...was on phone a long time w/ Merrell's customer service and best they can suggest on any of the barefoot shoes is to apply waterproofing spray to the leather/fake leather - but many models have a large fabric areas and there are none from goretex...there is a Merrell's store in SF and I hope to get there later this week en route to picking up my mom at airport because none of the other retailers even REI are carrying the bootie types.

Janet Rosen
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"peace will enter when hate is gone"--percy mayfield
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Old 10-05-2011, 07:53 AM   #57
Basia Halliop
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Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

It's insulation that would concern me the most... How warm can you make them and still have them be form-fitting and still have individual toes?

I know for my hands I've never found any gloves to be worth the cold they cause in winter...

When they try to make gloves really warm it seems to end up with massive clumsy fingers and still not that warm (because of all the increased surface area).
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Old 10-05-2011, 08:44 AM   #58
lbb
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Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

Basia, in my limited experience, a minimalist shoe doesn't have to be form-fitting or have individual toes to do what it's supposed to do, i.e., give you a close-to-barefoot experience. I like my Soft Stars just fine. But they won't do for winter either. I am looking at the Soft Star Phoenix boot for winter (see http://www.runningandrambling.com/20...ot-review.html for a review). Unfortunately I haven't found a minimalist boot for a real winter that's under $200.
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Old 10-05-2011, 09:10 AM   #59
Walter Martindale
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Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

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Mary Malmros wrote: View Post
Basia, in my limited experience, a minimalist shoe doesn't have to be form-fitting or have individual toes to do what it's supposed to do, i.e., give you a close-to-barefoot experience. I like my Soft Stars just fine. But they won't do for winter either. I am looking at the Soft Star Phoenix boot for winter (see http://www.runningandrambling.com/20...ot-review.html for a review). Unfortunately I haven't found a minimalist boot for a real winter that's under $200.
We used to use laced up moccasins when we were kids - they were leather, had a thick felt insole, no treads, 2-3 pairs of wool socks. You got to learn balance really well because they were just smooth "hair side" leather in contact with the snow and ice... You could almost grip the snow with your toes while pulling the toboggan up hills.. and that was when our parents wouldn't let us go tobogganing until it warmed up to -30 F....

W
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Old 10-05-2011, 09:37 AM   #60
lbb
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Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

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Walter Martindale wrote: View Post
We used to use laced up moccasins when we were kids - they were leather, had a thick felt insole, no treads, 2-3 pairs of wool socks. You got to learn balance really well because they were just smooth "hair side" leather in contact with the snow and ice... You could almost grip the snow with your toes while pulling the toboggan up hills.. and that was when our parents wouldn't let us go tobogganing until it warmed up to -30 F....

W
Yeah, a lot of people want their winter shoes or boots to grip on ice, but no shoe will do that. Knobby soles will grip on snow, but they can't grip on ice, so you might as well get Vibram soles and add Yaktrax when needed, I guess.
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Old 10-05-2011, 08:44 PM   #61
kane hollins
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Dead Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

I have been out for knee pain but now my doctor says everything looks good and to return to the dojo. Now I'm generally out of shape and want to return slowly until I tone my body. How do I indicate to previous partners that I'm not as spry as I used to be. Not that I was all that good before but I want to provide good uke to the others. Return with some trepidation.
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Old 10-05-2011, 11:06 PM   #62
Janet Rosen
 
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Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

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Kane Hollins wrote: View Post
I have been out for knee pain but now my doctor says everything looks good and to return to the dojo. Now I'm generally out of shape and want to return slowly until I tone my body. How do I indicate to previous partners that I'm not as spry as I used to be. Not that I was all that good before but I want to provide good uke to the others. Return with some trepidation.
Kane, I am going to take the liberty of moving this to its own thread.... It's worth talking about but it needs its own thread. Thanks!

Janet Rosen
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"peace will enter when hate is gone"--percy mayfield
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Old 10-07-2011, 12:50 AM   #63
Janet Rosen
 
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Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

Update on Merrell's Barefoot Power Glove: I went to the Merrell Store in SF today. I didn't buy them. A couple of issues, one specific to that model and one specific to me/the Merrell Barefoot last.
1. The ankle length boot is really nice to look at. I tried it on in the only color they had, ivory, with the strapping in purple - would only ever have considered the black on black, but ok - I am normally a size 8.5, they only had 8, and it was actually a tad too big. So apparently these run big. HOWEVER. The closure just plain sucks, they really fell down on that. It is a single ribbon that zigzags across the foot and up the ankle and then semi-closes with narrow velcro then finally closes at the top with one of those press-together releases like on knapsacks and such. Very awkward to loosen for getting your foot in and in fact what could have been a single ribbon is actually two incredibly narrow ribbons (apparently an esthetic decision) that just get tangled up in each other as they pass through the halfassed velcro section....what were they THINKING???

2. I had tried on their mary jane style womans shoe locally last week and noted a problem but before commenting on it I wanted to see if it is across the board an issue...clearly many people are very happy with these Merrell Barefoot Gloves. If you are used to "regular shoes", don't have a lot of issues per se with your feet, and want to try a barefoot type of shoe, you will probably like the Merrels.
But for me, I'm a person whose feet fight molded arches, orthotics, and "proper supportive shoes." AND I had to stop wearing clogs yrs ago because the little pitching forward thing a clog does caused a lot of knee pain on my bad knee.
Well, the Merrell shoes are minimal in the sense that there is no elevated heel and there is a good wide front...but they have this thingie, a shock absorption plate, in the middle of the foot that to me is very obvious: as I take a step, my foot meets it, pauses a millisecond, then rolls over it just as if it were a small version of a clog. My foot also wants to fight with it.
To me this is a far cry from a minimal shoe, or at least what I expected from one after wearing the Vibram 5 Finger. All the Merrell people can do is stare at me and say, but there's no ball to heel drop.
(sigh) back to square one for winter footwear.

Janet Rosen
http://www.zanshinart.com
"peace will enter when hate is gone"--percy mayfield
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Old 10-07-2011, 06:12 AM   #64
lbb
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Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

That's unfortunate, but I have to say, not unexpected. I saw the description of the midsole plate and thought, "Uh-oh." And, to be honest, there are an awful lot of mainstream footwear manufacturers who seem to be jumping on the minimalist bandwagon, and I am skeptical as to whether any of them will really create a truly minimalist shoe. I get the feeling that what we'll see out of the mainstream manufacturers, at least for the foreseeable future, are compromise shoes, less built up than their conventional shoes, but still falling short of where you need a minimalist shoe to be.
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Old 10-12-2011, 01:23 PM   #65
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Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

Ok so I just had to report in...

Ive been wearing the vibrams to work every shift now for jsut about two weeks. They did take some getting used to and in the future I think I will go up a size but now they are breaking in nicely and I am more comfortable in them than in my tennis shoes.

What's freaking awesome is I have had virtually zero knee or lower back pain in the past two weeks other than one really sore day that resulted form a day of equine mud wrestling in the rain wearing my work boots....

I saw my chiropractor and massage therapist yesterday and both were impressed with the condition I am in physically. Usually I'm pretty out of whack when I go in and full of trigger points in my legs. Things were much improved.

I also notice big time that I move differently in them. More like I do when in the dojo barefoot on the mats. More balanced and centered.

Thank you so much for posting this thread because that is what got me to finally be wiling to give them a shot and I'm so thrilled that I did.
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Old 10-12-2011, 01:30 PM   #66
Cliff Judge
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Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

I also have to something to report -

The KSO Treks hang together much better than the regular KSOs when you come home later than expected and your Kishu Inu decides that they smell pretty strongly of you, so you must be in there somewhere.
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Old 10-12-2011, 03:10 PM   #67
Janet Rosen
 
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Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

Quote:
Cherie Cornmesser wrote: View Post
Ok so I just had to report in...(snip)...Thank you so much for posting this thread because that is what got me to finally be wiling to give them a shot and I'm so thrilled that I did.
YAY!!!!!

Janet Rosen
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"peace will enter when hate is gone"--percy mayfield
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Old 10-12-2011, 03:12 PM   #68
Janet Rosen
 
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Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

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Cliff Judge wrote: View Post
I also have to something to report -

The KSO Treks hang together much better than the regular KSOs when you come home later than expected and your Kishu Inu decides that they smell pretty strongly of you, so you must be in there somewhere.
ROTFLMAO!!!! So sorry you didn't get video, Cliff!

Janet Rosen
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Old 10-12-2011, 03:15 PM   #69
Janet Rosen
 
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Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

I'm still searching.
I really like my Keen pool shoes (nifty red and gray!) so I tried on a pair of Keen shoes, not minimal but my feet didn't fight them in the store. Bought them, walked around my carpeted work office less than an hour, L index toe jamming underneath, R index ball of foot pain. (sigh). Returned them. I am waiting for them to get ... I don't remember the brand now. Friggin' EXPENSIVE is what they are. Not minimal but not a super strong arch, nice wide box, very slight heel raise, fairly flexible sole. Report to follow. Keep your fingers crossed.

Janet Rosen
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"peace will enter when hate is gone"--percy mayfield
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Old 10-13-2011, 06:46 AM   #70
lbb
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Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

I've been pleased with my Soft Star Ramblers. They're minimalist moccasins. They're a pull-on shoe with an elastic that holds them closed, which sounds flimsy and not very secure, but they stay on and stay in place. They look a little like old-man slippers, although that may be because I ordered mine in plain black -- the two tone versions look like,well...I dunno, elf boots or something? Anyway, the old-man-slippers effect is minimized if you're wearing long pants (and, to be honest, if you'd wear a black shoe with shorts, you're probably immune to concerns about dorktastic looks anyway). They'll do okay in a business-casual environment.

But enough about looks -- how do they feel? Excellent, that's how. They feel like a slipper with none of the sloppiness -- or sometimes, not even like a slipper. It really is like being barefoot in terms of the foot movement -- there is no sensation of binding, tugging, lifting, pushing, poking, or even presence, really. At the same time, there's this unobtrusive protection, so you can walk with confidence. They have a fleece insole which is not removable. When I first saw that, I thought, "Uh-oh," because my feet tend to sweat and overheat. As it turns out -- I don't know if it's the shoe or the fleece -- these seem to keep my feet at just about a perfect temperature.

I'm pretty sold on these, and considering their boots, but I saw one review that said they didn't hold up in real winter weather. Still searching...
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Old 10-13-2011, 10:42 AM   #71
Janet Rosen
 
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Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

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Mary Malmros wrote: View Post
I've been pleased with my Soft Star Ramblers. They're minimalist moccasins.....But enough about looks -- how do they feel? Excellent, that's how.....
I'm pretty sold on these, and considering their boots, but I saw one review that said they didn't hold up in real winter weather. Still searching...
I was looking at their website and filled in a customer service inquiry about a week ago and haven't heard back - not a good sign.

Janet Rosen
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"peace will enter when hate is gone"--percy mayfield
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Old 10-13-2011, 01:19 PM   #72
lbb
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Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

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Janet Rosen wrote: View Post
I was looking at their website and filled in a customer service inquiry about a week ago and haven't heard back - not a good sign.
That's weird. I had some questions about fit and got a pretty prompt response (1-2 business days).
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Old 10-13-2011, 09:06 PM   #73
Janet Rosen
 
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Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

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Mary Malmros wrote: View Post
That's weird. I had some questions about fit and got a pretty prompt response (1-2 business days).
Double checked the site: they had email issues for a week and ask folks to resend so I have. I like the black ramblers and they are $40 less than the not minimalist shoes I'm testing at home this weekend (Taos - nice looking, well made, too expensive and not minimal...)

Janet Rosen
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"peace will enter when hate is gone"--percy mayfield
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Old 10-14-2011, 01:31 PM   #74
sashen
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Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

I got rid of all my various knee, leg, calf, shin, ankle pains when I went minimalist (took about 4 weeks until years of pain was gone, never to return).

The VFFs never fit me, and the new rash of "minimalist" shoes are mostly far from it.

I've spent the last 2 years in nothing but bare feet, sprinting spikes or my Invisible Shoes. In fact, last month, I made a few hundred bucks when I sold all my other shoes (including some "minimalist" ones that aren't) on eBay
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Old 10-14-2011, 01:58 PM   #75
Krystal Locke
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Re: Minimal Shoes and My Knee Pain

I'm really digging skateboard shoes for a huge decrease in knee and back pain. Airwalk brand, Flip model. Padded nicely, but flat inside. Cheap as shoes can be. And all the 20 something year old guys I work with think the 45 year old fat girl is totally cool. Win.
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