Core77

PaleoBarefoots: Chainmail Shoes For Better Back to Basics Running

By Kat Bauman - July 15, 2014

in Product Design

I come not to praise the Paleos, but to understand them.

Our story starts with the premise (which we will not unpack here, for reasons of brevity and taste) that running barefoot, or as close as possible to barefoot, is a more healthy means of locomoting. Under this premise, being immediately in tune with one's physical terrain is beneficial to the body and mind, requiring greater intentionality and physical dexterity in order to cover rough ground without injury. For those who cringe at the idea of walking barefoot to the mailbox, this might be a lost point, but the "natural running" school of thought has seen major conversion over the last ten years. While the overall claims seem understandable, there are some basic logistical difficulties with barefoot running. Namely, that the bottoms of feet are pretty smooth. This means that wet/uneven/slick surfaces can be dangerously low traction, and hard textured surfaces like rocky paths and concrete can chew you up after a while.

What to do, that won't deny naturalist runners the high levels of bio-feedback they crave? Designer/barefooted thinker Jörg Peitzker's answer: chainmail. Though "Paleo" brings to mind very little I'd associate with chainmail, the Paleo Barefoots are an interesting take on nekkid feet. The good: They provide traction, they're breathable, zero-drop, and minimal enough to conform to all the uncomfortable and delightful bumps and lumps of a trail. They also offer minimalist liners, paw-print styled sole pads to increase traction and better fit different environments, and can stave off archery attacks to your arches while LARPing. The odd: they're made of chainmail, not a material known for its ergonomic charm, so you're basically just putting snow chains on your feet.

A good application of unexpected material to niche need? A misapplication of minimalism? All I can think of is medievally shaped blisters, but I imagine my stylish high-viz trail-running shoes leave me well outside the target demographic.

o

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StNick

10 years ago

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Running barefoot is extremely dangerous for bone structure. First of all, we naturally pressure our heel too much when running, go ask a medical professional. Second, people claiming they ran a good 8-mile on these things the first time are blatant, and potentially dangerous, liars. That would break your heel for sure. I hope Core acknowledges your false advertising. It's way too obvious for a blog to suddenly receive 12 comments, all of them barefoot runners.
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- Jamie Wolfe
  
  5 years ago
  
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  I just wanted to point out how wrong this comment is. People have been barefoot running for thousands of years. You don't barefoot run heel first, but with the ball of the foot. Look up the Tarahumara tribe or Kalahari tribe who run for hours barefoot. There's also a lot of research done by academics:
  http://blogs.nature.com/news/2010/01/nature_video_the_barefoot_prof.html
  
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Ian Hicks

10 years ago

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I have been a Paleo user for 18 months. In that time I have covered around 500 miles, 99% of which has been on natural surfaces.

They proved excellent foot protection, at the same time give incredible barefoot simulation, which in turn allows me to relax and fully enjoy the beautiful countryside around me.

They are flexible, comfortable and extremely durable.

100% satisfied.

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April Burkhart

10 years ago

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As an owner and adoring member of the Paleo Barefoots community I can say that these are the most unique and versatile barefoot shoes!

I've owned mine for almost two months and run the trails with them with no problems from stones or other items on the trail that had been a problem barefoot running unprotected.

I'm also an avid disc golfer and have found that while my round mates have hikers or trainers covered in mud that takes days to clean off I am able to swish through the next puddle and emerge with clean shoes.

As far as connectedness and stability I have yet to find a better solution than the paws application on my Anterra Sport version. They provide a cross terrain grip that is second to none.

The newer ultra paws are a more multi surface application.

These are quiet and move with me as I traverse sand, grass, clay, water, rock, and concrete all during the average round of play.

I have never had a blister from wearing them but I usually wear mine with the slipper socks.

Anything else you want to know email me knit4love(at)yahoo(dot)com
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Mud Runner

10 years ago

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I'm a avid obstacle racer and trail runner that wears these on every run on trails. I've been a barefoot runner for 6 years now and I instantly fell in love with paleo's. For my races these have been great, granted I'm not running to be number 1 but just to have fun. I run a 30 min 5k on a good day in these or barefoot and I'm gradually cutting that time down. Long distance they do rub if you don't wear something like they provide on the site as a type of inner sock or something of your own invention to prevent rubbing on longer distances. 15km is the most I've gone in them or without them. I find them extremely comfortable just walking around and short distance runs without a inner lining. These are really nothing more than a filter and a mild protective layer for your foot. You are going to feel dirt, pebbles and most every texture you're stepping on with these. They're meant to give you the feel of being barefoot with a bit of protection. They do just that. On my races I find they give a lot of grip on muddy terrain especially with the paw's they now have. Which also helps with the obstacles in the races with getting a good footing on them. On pavement you can hear them a little. Course the Ultra's aren't meant for pavement. They're solely for trails and they're quiet as you run or walk. I've really enjoyed them this last year and 1/2 that I've had them.

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Tim Gay

10 years ago

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To Paljoey and others:
I agree with Steve Bailey's comments about comfort. They don't need to be tight fitting. In fact having some slack, while it takes some getting used to, is certainly not uncomfortable, and allows the toes to splay as they should. I find them infinitely better than any other minimalist shoe for muddy and wet and overgrown nature trails, and they have a better ground feel than any shoe I have tried.
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AJ

10 years ago

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I was an early adopter of Paleos, and I own three different types - one thing that you need to bear in mind is that if you want to run barefoot on any surface, you will always encounter a time of adjustment. You'll risk blisters (particularly on concrete/hard surfaces), cuts, bruises, thorns, etc. GoSt Paleos will not remove all of those problems, but when you combine them with the right environment, they will give you a considerably safer, and more enjoyable experience. Only the most hardy of barefoot runners would venture out into the deep forests and run with abandon - the rest of us would probably either not tackle that environment, or would approach with extreme caution. With Paleos, you can worry far less about the underfoot terrain, and get on with the enjoyment of running barefoot on a natural surface. Just like any other shoe, you'll need to get used to them (there are good tips on the site as well as on other blogs on how to do this), but I think you'll find that they are a great tool to help you experience the outdoors. The new versions are now available with 'paws' technology, so even formerly off-limits surfaces like pavements are easily accessible in Paleos. Everything that's worth doing requires a bit of patience and practice, and using Paleos is no exception, and if you want to run barefoot, in my personal experience, they are the best way to do it. They'll reward the time you put in.
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Phoenix is hot

10 years ago

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Will these be popular in Phoenix where it is about 111 degrees Fahrenheit, 43+ Celsius? Even thin sole shoes are a problem here in the Summer.
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Steve Bailey

10 years ago

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Well I have a pair.

I wore them for an 8 mile run the other day. My first run in them.

Totally amazing.

Quiet.

Smooth (the rings are circular and also circular in cross section so they are not sharp).

Grip like no other sole I have tried. Better than vivobarefoot and better than the mizuno trail shoes I wore before.

Don't knock it until you've tried it.

There are loads of positive reviews on the paleo barefoot website, no negative ones.

Stones don't get in.

Sand gets in and goes out again as quickly as it came in.
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Lee

10 years ago

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It doesn't look like it would be comfortable. also, with all the holes, i think you'd have issues with pebbles and dirt easily getting inside the shoe, which would be a deal breaker for me.

all in all, it looks like an impractical concept to me.

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Juan Cano

10 years ago

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I mostly think the jingling of the chainmail would drive me crazy. Kudos for going in a different direction altogether though.
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Paljoey

10 years ago

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I make my own chainmail jewelery and if the rings are small enough then the whole thing can feel quite nice, a lot like fabric. It is cool to the touch until you warm it up with your body heat and it is a nice thing to have.

However, wearing shoes made out of the stuff would not be fun for any distance. You'd have to have an extremely tight, tailored fit, because if you don't then when it rubs, it is still metal and not cloth. And because it's metal it will dig into your skin, and will be quite uncomfortable.

Also because it has to be a tight fit in order to not chafe and rub as much as possible, you've kind of gotten rid of the perceived benefits of running barefoot. Because you're still wearing something that compresses your foot just like a sneaker.

One more thing: Being made of metal, they are quite slippery themselves and without the pads on the bottom they would be useless because your bare foot would be better. However they do have pads and so I don't think they are much better in that respect than any other "barefoot shoe."

To Tim: Have you worn these? How did you like them as compared to a different "barefoot shoe" or sneakers?
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Tim Gay

10 years ago

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A lovely introduction to PaleoBarefoots of which I am a big fan. I would, though, like to take issue with your claim that rocky and concrete surfaces can chew you up. Those of us who like to run barefoot find that if you take time to acclimatise, concrete presents no difficulty - most of my barefoot running is on concrete surfaces, and there is a growing number of barefoot runners who run marathons barefoot on roads, notably in UK Tracy Davenport. The paleos, though, do offer a surprisingly comfortable form of protection in woods and forests where it's not always easy to see what's underfoot.
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k

10 years ago

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These look sweeeeet! I want to try a pair out, they seem to have a ton of advantages over regular shoes.
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