Who knew that running with that barefoot feel could be so expensive.  New minimal footwear like  VFFs, EVO’s, Teva’s, Racing flats, etc, all can cost around £60 – £100 a pop!  If I could, I’d run completely barefoot but we all know that’s not always practicle.  So what are the options available to someone wanting to go ‘barefoot’ on a budget?

So far, I’ve tried 2 types of minimal footwear that won’t break the bank.

Minimal Experiment 1 – Aqua Shoes

I picked up a pair at my Local super market for £5.99.  They’re not the prettiest but they ticked all the boxes for a low cost solution: Thin sole, zero drop (heel to toe), ample room in the toe box for the foot to spread on landing and no supprt.

As you’d imagine with this mass produced footwear, there’s no half sizes or custom fitting.  They felt ok on but because the only thing holding them on is cord loop around the ankle, they did slosh around a bit.

The soles aren’t made for running either, obviously. They haven’t done as many miles as the 2nd type of shoe I tried but are already shoing signs of wear.  Also, the sole isn’t puncture resistant so extra care should be taken to where you step!

Overall I think they’re ok as a spare minimal shoe. Something to keep in the car just incase you fancy a run.  I may use them more during the winter though as you can wear socks with them and they’re slightly more water resistant than the next experiment…

Minimal Experiment 2 – Huaraches

Acouple of weeks ago I ordered a Huaraches kit from invisibleshoe.com and when they arrived, I fell in love with them.

At around $30 [£19] including (international) postage, they don”t break the bank.  I opted for the Do It Yourself kit rather than have the folks at invisibleshoe.com make them. More fun I reckon.  Plus, they have really easy to follow instructions on the website.

That was my Friday night sorted then, making Huaraches. The next morning I took them out for a test run. Wow!  They felt great.  Superb ground feedback, which is primerily due to the tough 4mm Vibram cherry sole included in the kit.

As the name suggest, you do almost forget you’re wearing them while running. On my first run, I hadn’t tied the laces on my right foot tight enough so I was aware of them slightly and some rubbing occured.  But, I adjusted the laces and now they feel great or invisible as the case is.

I’ve clocked around 14 miles in them so far now including a wet run.  I was a tad apprehensive about runnning in the wet with them – the fear being my foot would slip around.  In reality, they’re held on well enough with the soft but very strong lacing and because light quick footwork is required for barefoot running, there’s no huge driving force in each step which might cause slippage.

I’m really stunned at how much i like these running shoes. What initially started as an experiment and a laugh for my wife (at my expense) has very quickly turned into my favourite shoe.

Go With What You Feel the Most Comfortable In

I haven’t completely transitioned over to “barefoot” for all of my runs yet – I’m about 30% barefoot at the moment – but I can see myself sticking to the Huaraches for a long time.  We’ll see how it goes in the winter though, I may revert to the aquashoes. Either that or I’ll experiment with wearing thick socks with the Huaraches (I’d have to customise them for the teo string).

If you’re a barefooter and fancy dabbling in minimalist shoes, I’d highly recommend giving these shoes a shot. They’re great fun and feel great on.

Do you run ‘Barefoot’ on a budget?  If so, what do you wear?