Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Minimalist footwear

I started wearing Inov-230's a while back trail running and doing all regular workout schit at the reco of a Crossfitter buddy. My leg/ankle strength has increased tremendously and I've started putting in quite a few uphill miles with a pack up to 60lbs. So far I'm having no ill effects and I'm wondering if I've had it wrong all these years with stiff heavy boots. Several AT thru-hikers I know are sharing the same sentiments. Mt feet never hurt anymore which is a welcome change. Anybody else going down this path or am I pissing up a rope long term thinking I may keep this up throughout this hunting season and beyond?

Your body was designed to have 0 degrees of heel drop and to walk on soft(er) surfaces.
I love Inov-8. I have the Talon 212 for hiking and trail running. The soles are extremly knobby, they tear it up on the trail. I have the F-lite 195 for crossfit, and love them as well. Running on pavement with them gives me a bit of shin splints. But, then again, like stated earlier, hard paved surfaces we not what the human foot was really meant for.

A lot of people try the minimalist footwear and think they are crap when they run 3 miles right away and can't walk the next day. Those are the people who don't have the patience to slowly correct all the years of wrongs built into modern footwear. I say keep rocking them or going barefoot as much as you can. It's what nature intended.

I've been wearing various water shoes as my primary outdoor shoes for the last 5 years. After long years of foot and ankle problems, including surgery on both ankles, I am free of the ailments that plagued me.

I've settled on the Teva Proton2 thru 4 and the new Nilch. Use them for all hunting, although, on rocky trail or sheep hunting I would use a similar shoe with a more protective sole, but still basically a minimal shoe.

I've packed moose quarters weighing up to 130+ pounds in them, and my feet/ankles were comfortable. For me, I'm sold on my water shoes. They're the modern equivalent of moccasins. Great in the woods.

I have been doing a lot of running in altra instinct zero drop shoes. I might have to look into the inov8 for bow and maybe early rifle season.

That's good to hear and I guess my question really revolves around heavy weight. Conventional wisdom tells me I should be wearing heavy boots with heavy support when packing weight. My feet are holding up better which flies in the face of everything I've ever known.

Merrell Trail Gloves here, love them.

I cannot stand to wear heavy stiff soled boots anymore.

I did a trail run in F lite shoes yesterday. I've also carried 75 lbs using Montrail trail runners. Heavy boots are not needed for most activities. The only time I use them is snow.

I developed Plantar's Fascitis this year from running barefoot on the beach, took me out for 6 weeks. No minimalist footwear for my flat little feet. I like light boots but I have to use inserts of some kind.

+1. I don't care for running in the Trail Gloves, however. I either go barefoot or use five fingers.

Once your go minimalist, it's hard to go back. I find regular shoes to be very uncomfortable anymore. It's good to see many more companies getting into the trend.

I live close to the beach but avoid barefoot running on it. The sweet zone for running is usually sloped and is littered with shells and debris. Something like the grassy perimeter of a soccer field is much better. I have plantar facitis occasionally (it was worse before barefoot running). Nightly arch strengthening exercises help a lot. Barefoot running is a drastic change for your feet and calves. Start out walking it for a few weeks and gradually work your way up.

Haven't tried them with a pack or serious hiking. Doubt that I will, due to a three high ankle sprains over the years.

However, do use them for trail running and everyday use. North face for trail running, not sure of the model number, but an ugly green color, New Balance minimalist and Keene sandals for walking around. No longer have any Achilles issues. You can see the increase in muscle definition along the sides of the top of my feet. More surface area of the foot comes into initial contact with the ground vs heel striking which occurs with what most of us wear. Heel striking forces most of the body weight on impact to be located on a small area vs spread over a larger area as with minimalist.

I'm hooked, regular shoes feel awkward and less stable.

Be sure to ease into them slowly. Your arches need to strengthen to what they should be. I have a normal arch and as mentioned above they may not be best for those with flat feet. Then again weak arches from years of high drop shoes may be the cause. Minimalist footwear forces the arch to strengthen.

I've hunted mostly in inov8 390's and 400's for 3 1/2 years now. On certain hunts or in certain conditions, either with very loose steep terrain, the heaviest weights, or real cold I'll pull out my Meindl's, but otherwise I do all my backpack hunting in inov8's. Haven't had any foot or ankle issues the whole time, though I do have to be careful taking heavy loads down loose slopes. My feet are just happiest in the inov8's, and I know they save me some energy through their light weight.

I don't run much, but I do wear inov8 230's at the gym, they seem to be a pretty good compromise for mixed lifting and running and jumping.

I'm feeling like the rest of your post addressed the the first paragraph. I too have lived with chronic high ankle sprains. The less stability offered by your shoe, the more support your body builds. I have a really good artical I will post a link to when I find it again.

How long was your transitional period? You think you may have pushed it too far too soon? As we men often do.

No question that I did exactly that. I read in "Fix Your Feet" that a good way to strengthen your feet & ankles is to run barefoot in soft sand. That weekend I ran on the beach for about 45 minutes. The pain started the next morning. 6 weeks later I finally made an appointment with the podiatrist and got in about 2 weeks after that, just as the pain was becoming managable.

He's an athlete and said our feet are very similar. Basically told me I was very prone to it and that I should expect to get it in the other foot sooner or later. He made some recommendations as far as running shoes and I asked about the Nimbus, etc. He didn't think that was a great idea for me. I'm finally feeling pretty good so I'm just gonna stick with what has allowed me to run pain-free for 20 years: New Balances with good arch support.

Down the road I may try to transition into something more "minimal" but right now I can't risk anymore training setbacks.

I tried the Trail Gloves and loved them but ended up with a stress fracture in my left foot. I did my best to gradually work into them...but still may have overdone it. I've since switched to the Brooks Pure Grit for running trails and Pure Connect for running roads and love them. More cushion than the Merrels, but not too much. 4mm heel to toe drop so I'm still able to use a mid-foot strike. That said, I just can't imagine using a shoe of any kind for hunting (especially side-hilling w/ a heavy pack). I would love to save the weight, but the thought of being 5 or 10 miles back with a sprained ankle just isn't worth the risk.

Same here with regard to hunting steep country, combined with the fact that in Pa we have various thorns that would easily punch thru the sides and bottom.

However, I think we are not far from seeing some of the major boot manufactures reduce the heel drop in some of their offerings. From what I read, some light hiking boot already have.

I've had zero problems with ankle rolling while wearing low drop shoes no matter the terrain or weight which is 180 degrees from what I usually experience in my normal training area. I believe the leverage of a shoe/boot with significant drop works against me more than I previously thought. I dabbled with this last archery season with Salomon trail runners and gaiters and was pretty happy even packing out deer on steep terrain. I'll probably order some Roclites for this coming season and give it an honest whirl.

Having been exposed to a few disciplines of the martial arts since childhood where it was routine to run in bare feet, I think it fair to say my feet are pretty tough in comparison to average. I do not believe this minimalist approach is anything new, but only rekindled in the recent past because of blogs, articles and a book or two which has whipped it up into a fad. You can look throughout history and find all sorts of people and individuals who made it routine to go bare foot and/or with minimal footwear. Just because one individual has difficulty walking down a gravel driveway to the mailbox in bare feet, doesn't mean there aren't those who can do so in a full sprint without issue.

With all that said, IMO, day hikes, light backpacking, some overnighters, etc., may be of no issue with your feet protected my by most minimal materials of little to no support; but, making it a habit to do so when backpacking heavy loads into the wilderness while covering rough terrain is not such a good idea. It does not work for me, and this comes from a guy who has hiked many miles in the mountains in fitted elk hide moccosins with both single and doubled soles. I believe your risk for injury becomes too high as you will likely become fatigued during your trip and while sidehilling, scrambling, crossing obstacles, etc., you may likely fracture a toe or your foot, turn your ankle, shred your minimalist footware, severely cut or puncture your foot, and maybe get shin splints. Any number of things along that line may happen.

Just recently I was reading of the terrible foot issues incurred from the lack of foot protection during the Lewis and Clark expedition. You could easily be hobbled for days miles away from rescue. There is a reason you should wear a helmet when playing full contact football, and there is a reason you should protect your feet when tackling miles in the backcountry while hauling a heavy load.

Best

Gary ,
I agree with what you say. I too have been involved with martial arts for over 30 years and train barefoot in gravel lots of times. The soles of my feet are heavily caloused. On the other hand i've broke one ankle and torn ligaments in the other. I wear a good sturdy boot for hunting or hiking. I guess i'm a traditionilist and i prefer all leather boots.