Luna Sandals From Here On Out?

Less Is More - Luna Original Sandals

After deciding traditional running shoes weren't for me a few years ago, I switched to Vibram Five Fingers and have put over 3,400 miles on them in about 2 years. I couldn't go much more than 13 miles in them without a nice set of callouses though from the 3-5 points they rubbed on. I then started wearing Injinji socks, which drastically reduced the problem. Still, running 40-50 miles a week left me with small callouses on the outside of my big toes, which would start to burn a bit on runs over 15-16 miles and be seriously annoying by mile 20, and by mile 30, I was done.

A fresh pair of socks would usually take care of it, but Injinjis are too expensive to be replacing every 200 miles for me, so I recently decided to try something different.

The ultimate minimalist shoe is the huarache sandal. This is little more than a rubber sheet with laces of some sort. I ordered a pair from Luna Sandals, the company run by Barefoot Ted. I got a pair of the originals with the suede footbed and ATS laces, a combination that looked to be the best for the type of daily street running I do.

After A 7 Mile Run

I immediately put them on after they arrived this past Wednesday and decided to see what they felt like. I took them out for a 2 mile test run and they felt good. I must have stopped about 10 times in the first mile tweaking the laces though, adjusting them so my feet stayed securely in the middle (front to back, side to side) of the shoes. The second mile I ran straight through.

I thought I had them adjusted right until the next morning when I went out for a longer run. The right one fell off before I had passed 100 yards. I tweaked them again about 4-5 times and by just over 0.6 miles, had them where I wanted them. I ran the next 6.5 miles with no issues.

I went for a longer run on Sunday. I had a better feeling for how they should be on my feet, though I still don't have them exactly right. I had to adjust them about 5 times over 16 miles, though only the first adjustment was necessary. On all of the others, I was just fine tuning and experimenting. I am getting to where I can diagnose the issue and know exactly which straps to pull on and tighten or loosen to move my foot around.

The point is though, I ran over 16 miles with absolutely no issues at all, and nearly a mile of that was on a mulch-covered trail I discovered today, something the Luna Originals weren't designed for. I could have easily gone further but decided not to push it. Without taking my shoes off and carefully examining my feet, I couldn't be sure there were no early stages of a blister or raw spot on the skin. Over 10 hours after the run though, my feet feel fine.

I was worried the buckle, which is like a miniature buckle on a backpack to adjust the straps, would rub a raw spot on the top of my foot. When I took the sandals off, there was definitely an indention where it had been, but it wasn't raw and didn't hurt anymore than the indention my iPod arm band leaves on my arm, which is to say, it didn't hurt at all.

It is still early of course, having only done two real runs in them in the last five days, but I can say that I've never felt this good after a run as far as shoe comfort goes.

Some may ask why I don't just go barefoot? I do a few barefoot runs each month, but I find I am spending way too much time watching where I step, to the point I lose what is going on around me. Not only do I need to watch out for glass, rocks and other debris, there are cars, pedestrians, cyclists and pets I need to watch out for. Barefoot running requires too much focus on the ground. Having a thin layer under my feet allows me to only worry about larger debris. I still cannot tromp around like I had a pair of Brooks Beasts on. The Lunas give plenty of ground feedback and I can still feel even the smallest branches and debris the size of an apple seed, it just isn't annoying like it is when barefoot. That allows me to focus more on my surroundings.

Does that mean I'll never wear VFFs again for a run? Maybe. Right now, something would have to go seriously wrong though for me to go back, at least for street running. As an added benefit, my feet don't sweat, which is likely a big reason for the lack of blisters. Water+skin+fabric is the worst thing for any type of repetitive exercise lasting over an hour.

For trails, I'll still take my Vibram Spyridon LS shoes for now. If I continue to get better at lacing them up and not fooling with them during the run so much, I can see getting some of the trail sandals, which simply have a thicker sole and an aggressive tread.

As an interesting aside, all of the Luna Sandals still use outsoles made by Vibram, which is what the company has been known for for over 80 years. They never made shoes until VFFs in about 2005. No matter what my decision, I'll still have Vibram technology with me.

Pocket Fuels As An All Natural Alternative

When going for long runs, I have to refuel. The human body generally only has enough stored energy to keep the body going for about three hours. I'm always looking for natural sources of energy to keep going. Even going that long without refueling is asking for trouble.

5 Flavors Of Pocket Fuel 

Some of the more popular choices for runners and bicyclists include Gu Gels and Hammer Gels. Those may be entirely fine, but honestly I cannot understand the ingredient label. Here is the label from one of the flavors of Gu for example:

Maltodextrin (Glucose Polymers), Filtered Water, Fructose, Roctane Amino Blend (Histidine, Leucine, Valine, Isoleucine), Ornithine Alpha-Ketoglutarate (Okg), Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Potassium Citrate, Calcium Carbonate, Natural Flavor, Sea Salt, Caffeine, Contains Preservatives [Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate], Natural Vitamin E, Oleoresin Paprika (Natural Color).

Some of those words scare me a bit. There may be nothing in the world wrong with them, but my rule of thumb is, if I don't know what it is, I don't eat it, and to eat the above would require me to spend about half an hour on Wikipedia researching before I was comfortable with it.

For almost two years, my go-to running food has been the "gels" by Honey Stinger, as well as Honey Stinger Waffles. If you look at their nutritional information (PDF file) you will see some pretty big words in the ingredient list, but most of those are the chemical names for various vitamins and minerals. I still love Honey Stinger products and will continue to buy them buy the case.

I wanted some variety though and came across Pocket Fuel in the April 2012 issue of Trail Runner Magazine. The article listed 5-6 natural and organic nutrition options. I immediately ordered three of the products and am trying to get a sample order of the rest that has a variety of flavors versus having to order 6 of one that I might not like.

The first one I've tried on the run is Pocket Fuel. My goal was to run 20 miles on Saturday and see how it went. The weather had other ideas though. It rained all day (one of the 10 rainy days we have here in southern California) and I don't like running for hours in the rain. The chafing risk is too high. So, I went for a 9 mile run, and no nutrition is needed for that. On Sunday though it looked like there was going to be a break so I decided to head out. After running 9 miles on Saturday, I figured 20 would be pushing it, especially with a race coming up this weekend. I decided 12-15 would be enough, so I gathered up my water, a 4oz pouch of Chunky Coconut Cherry Pocket Fuel and a few Honey Stingers just in case I didn't like it.

My backup fuel wasn't necessary. Pocket Fuel is almond butter based. Almond Butter is usually pretty thick, often a peanut butter substitute for those with peanut allergies. Pocket Fuel is thicker than honey, but not as thick as JIF. You are supposed to squish (technical term) the packet to ensure it is mixed up so I did that before leaving the house. This one also had coconut shavings in it and supposedly bits of cherry.

I say supposedly because I never tasted any cherry, or much coconut. I could tell there was a good bit of coconut in it by the texture, but the almond butter flavor overwhelmed all other ingredients. It still tasted good, just don't expect some sort of coconut cherry pie flavor.

Personally, that is fine for me. I don't like sweet foods when running. While I love Honey Stinger waffles for example, I cannot stand the strawberry flavor.

The packets are much larger than normal gels. At 4oz, you cannot stick these in the normal pouches that may have no problem holding one or two of the 1.3oz gels. The side pocket of my Camelbak XTC easily held one, and might have been able to hold two. I'll test that theory when I go for a longer run, preferably a 3-5 hour trail excursion.

Pocket Fuel is packed with energy. They typically have between 430-490 calories each and between 18-31g of carbs. Each packet also has around 600mg of potassium, which is the equivalent of 1.5 bananas. Finding natural sources of potassium in long exercise sessions is better than drinking many of the sports drinks, which are often loaded with sugar and artificial ingredients. The Chocolate Espresso pack even has 200mg of caffeine. While I generally shun caffeine, I've found it does have its place early in a run. I often consume Honey Stinger Ginsting gels early in my runs which has natural caffeine from the koala nut. Caffeine from naturally occurring sources is fine with me.

Best of all, the ingredient list for Pocket Fuel is something I can understand.

Dry roasted almonds, organic evaporated cane syrup, organic coconut, bing cherries, organic palm fruit oil, sea salt.

The packs have a easy to use screw on cap so you don't have to consume the entire thing at once like you do with the smaller gels that have a tear-away. You also must have water available to help wash it down, just like almost all other gels. This isn't because you can get sick, as with some other gels, if you don't mix with water, but just because it is so thick.

I still have 4 packets to try from a flavor standpoint. I am wondering though if I will be able to tell the difference. Had the label not indicated what was in this, I am not sure I would have been able to tell it had coconut or cherry in it.

That said, I'm sold. Once I burn through these other 4 flavors, I'll settle on one or two and start ordering by the box. I'll continue to use Honey Stinger, and perhaps one or two others from the Trail Runner article, but Pocket Fuel will definitely have a place in my backpack.

Soleus GPS 2.0 Watch Only $95 Through Groupon

New Soleus GPS 2.0 Watch

If you have been considering getting a GPS watch but haven't taken the plunge, now might be the right time. Groupon's latest offer is Soleus GPS 2.0 watch, which hasn't been released yet. Unlike most Groupons, this one is only valid for a few days. It expires March 5, 2012, so you'd need to use it pretty much as soon as you printed it.

I've had the GPS 1.0 watch for a few months and really like it. The biggest gripe I hear about it is the lack of being able to upload data to your PC. The GPS 2.0 watch adds that feature, as well as an interval timer.

I like mine and don't really miss the features the 2.0 watch adds, but if I was in the market for one, this would be on my short list. It appears to be the same dimensions as my 1.0 watch, and it is the first GPS watch I've seen that can be worn as a regular watch without looking goofy. It does take a while to lock on, up to two minutes, but once it finds the GPS satellites, it doesn't lose them. I've used mine for about 350 miles on roads, forests, mountains and valleys and it has never lost signal.

The only thing that irritates me is I paid $89 for my 1.0 version just 2 months ago. Now for $6 more, I could have had the latest version. Oh well, all of technology is like that.

Review: Vibram Five Fingers Spyridon LS

When Vibram announced their spring lineup a few months ago, the Seeya piqued my interest as a road running shoe, but the Spyridon did nothing for me. After getting more serious about trail running in January though, it was clear the Spyridon was something I needed to investigate.

Five Fingers Spyridon LS
Military Green w/grey & black accents

I've owned a pair of Five Fingers KSO Treks for about a year and a half and have occasionally used them for trail running. When running on dirt trails with relatively shallow grades or trails that have minimal rocks, they are pretty good. When the grade gets steep though, the kind that requires you to go up on your toes or down with very rapid shallow strides that are essentially a controlled fall, they could use improving.

After running just over 70 miles on trails this year so far, I was getting close to investigating other offerings, like the Merrell Barefoot trail shoes. My wife has a pair and loves them. Actually, I already have a pair of the Tough Gloves, but those are my dress shoes, so I'd need something for outdoor abuse.

That was when I recalled the announcement about the Spyridon LS from Vibram. The shoe is named in honor of Spyridon Louis who won the first modern Olympic Marathon in 1896. The "LS" in the name refers to the speed lacing system the shoes have rather than the Velcro strap most often seen on Five Fingers.

I received my pair via courier on Thursday and decided to test them out on a 10 mile run Monday through Whiting Ranch, an area that provides a wide array of surfaces and grades.

Outsole, including a view
of the "rock-block" mesh

The tread is an aggressive design, mimicking the tread on a BMX bike tire. The outsole is a mere 3.5mm thick, compared to the 4mm thread on the KSO Treks. Despite being a bit thinner though, the Spyridon's offer better protection from rocks. The midsole has a nylon mesh that spreads the impact from a rock over a wider area, thus lessening the impact. It is difficult to see in the pictures, but that white area just under the arch is a semi-transparent piece of plastic or rubber. Under that you can see the mesh that protects the midsole of the foot.

The tread also offers superior grip on loose surfaces, such as dirt or rocks. If you compare the sole of the KSO Trek and the Spyridon, you can quickly see the difference.

KSO Treks, top
Spyridon LS, bottom

The KSO Treks, the brown shoes on top in the image to the left, have 5 cross shaped lugs on the heel and just over a dozen under the ball of the foot. The rest of the sole has ridges of various thicknesses. After running on loose surfaces, I am convinced that sole is more for looks than actual traction. For trails with low grades, they are great, but steep grades causes more slipping than I would like. Part of the reason is those lugs wear out fairly quickly. I have 100 running miles and 24 hiking miles on those soles, plus a few hours of casual use. There is also about 10 miles on asphalt or concrete running to and from trails. With under 150 miles on them, those lugs have gotten too worn to be very useful. That tread may be more useful as a hiking tread than a running tread.

Tracks made by the Spyridon

The Spyridon, in contrast, has the same tread design over the entire sole. This tread continues around the edges on the sides, front and rear. I found this to be helpful when running on sections of the trail where the sides of your feet are likely to need traction in areas where water has washed out part of the trail, or on sections that are heavily banked. Of course, if you are going up or down a steep grade and the surface is completely loose, you are still going to slip. It is like thinking your fancy SUV with AWD is invincible in the winter. If you get on ice or aren't careful on snow, you will break traction. The same holds true on a trail. The Spyridon doesn't allow you to be an idiot oblivious to the surface, but it does give the focused runner more security than the KSO Treks. (In case you are wondering what an oblivious idiot looks like when running, check this video out.)

An example of a trail that, with
careful steps, you can easily tackle
with the Spyridon LS

When wearing minimalist shoes, you have to keep your eyes about 10-15 feet in front of you so you can anticipate where to step. Unlike shoes that have very thick soles and heavy cushioning, true minimalist shoes offer little more than a thin layer to protect the skin of your foot from the running surface. You can step on a dime and feel it. This is good because you are more focused on the run. This is both more enjoyable and can prevent the type of injury you get from stepping on a large object like a tree root or in a hole, both of which can cause a twisted ankle or a severe jolt to any number of joints not expecting the impact.

The Spyridon offers a good compromise between the these two extremes. You won't feel a dime, but very small rocks and twigs are noticed. Larger rocks, say the size of a small grape, though no longer cause as much pain due to the rock-block effect at mid-foot, the area you are most likely to get hurt. You will still feel small objects though, perhaps two dimes thick, so you aren't insulated from the run.

As far as comfort, the Spyridon's feel great. I quit trying to run sockless in Five Fingers a year and a half ago. I always run with Injinji socks. No matter how well Five Fingers fit, there is slight rubbing directly against the skin, and when running for several hours, that can cause blisters and eventually callouses. Injinji socks almost completely eliminate that possibility. There are people though that like to run sockless in Five Fingers and these should perform well. The fabric is made of a sock-like material, similar to other offerings from Vibram like the Bikilas and Komodo Sports.

Carrying the shoes on
my Camelbak

Tread life is an unknown at this point. In order to maximize tread life on my trail shoes and minimize the frequency I have to purchase a new pair, I've started driving to the trail heads instead of running to those that are closer to the house. The closest one though is still nearly two miles away, and putting that kind of asphalt mileage on trail shoes will take its toll. On my first run in the shoes today though, my wife needed the car so I decided to run to the trailhead barefoot. I figured I'd carry the shoes and put them on when I got there. The only flaw in that plan is my hands are the first things to sweat and carrying anything, especially a shoe in each hand, got annoying quick. While running on the trail, a place where I do a lot of thinking, I remembered by Camelbak has some straps on the back that I've never had any idea with to do with. Now I know. I ran barefoot home and this was a much better solution.

Styling is about what you would expect from Vibram. Toe-shoes always garner attention and Vibram throws a bit of flash in for good measure.

Top view of the Spyridon
before the run today. They will
never be this clean again.

The sides near the ankle have a rock pattern, suggesting their off road purpose. There are two colors of fabric accenting the shoe as well as reflective strips running from the toes swooshing to the outside edge. When it comes to running shoes, the more reflectivity the better. While it might not be very useful on a trail, the reflective properties could help if you run on a fire road or unpaved country road when the sun isn't up.

Cleaning is the same as all other Five Fingers. Wash in a gentle cycle then allow them to air dry in the shade or inside. I always recommend using a fan to speed the process to minimize any odor issues, a problem most likely to occur if you don't wear socks.

The shoes are $120. I ordered mine from CitySports, a store I've had good service with. You should be able to find them at your favorite online Vibram Five Finger supplier. Right now you cannot order them directly from Vibram. Immediately after launch, Vibram gives 100% of its production to retail partners until there is an adequate supply. If looking for them locally in a retail store, focus on stores that have a wide array of off road shoes, like REI. It has the shoes on its website, but when using the inventory tool, it shows all stores in my area "out of stock" which means they don't have them in yet.

If you have some Five Fingers already, the sizing should be the same as other models, both in men's and women's sizes. I have several pair and all of them are size 43, except for my KSO Treks (42) and Mocs (44). If you have Flows, KSOs, Sprints, Classics, Bikilas, or Komodo Sports, the size should be the same.

I highly recommend them for running trails, but only if you have experience with so-called barefoot shoes.

Related links:
Vibram Five Fingers Spyridon LS Page
Birthday Shoes Review - From the perspective of someone that runs with no socks