Howdy, friends. This channel is about natural body movement and fitness for normal people looking to simply feel better and have fun doing so. The name is a play on my name, Ken, and kinetic energy - which is the energy of an object is the energy that it possesses due to its motion. We talk: - Fitness for "normal" people - Natural movement and barefoot training - Jump rope - Running - Mental wellness - Fun movement that we forget is "exercise"
I wear my sandals all year around even in 20°/30° Degrees Temperatures outside I am wearing my flip flops 🩴 or sandals . I would like to get my boys of pair of those socks . Some of my boys have the toes socks because they like to wear toes sock with there flip flops 🩴 because they hate wearing shoes & regular sock because all 6 of my boys have very wide feet 🦶 just like me & toes socks work better for them . Thanks you for sharing this video buddy .
I don't run but I do walk , work , drive , & ride my bike 🚲 with my 6 boys barefooted . I grow up being barefooted 👣 or wearing flip-flops 🩴because of how extremely wide my feet 🦶 are & how evenly straight across my toes are making it very very difficult for me to wear shoes , socks , & boots when I was young so I just played around the neighborhood barefooted 👣 . I also guess that a another reason for why my feet 🦶 are so extremely wide . But I was born with very very extremely wide feet 🦶 so .
I am thinking about getting me a pair of them . I have the Cruzers & the Numa sandals . I do have a question ? Is the toe loop adjustable ? I have big very very Extremely wide feet 🦶 that are 6 1/2 inches wide from my big toe to my lil toe with very very chubby fat wide toes that are Evenly straight across & my big toe is 2" inches wide & i am wondering if my big toe would fit through the toe loop . It suck having very very chubby fat wide toes that are Evenly straight across because both of my lil toes hang off the footbed of my flip flops 🩴 & sandals that I wear . & it's even worser with shoes & socks & boots because I can't wear them because of how evenly straight across my toes are . Shoes , socks , & boots will crush my 4/5 toes because they're evenly straight across instead of being at a 45° Degrees angle like your toes are & like how footwear are made . I would appreciate your opinion on this & good video buddy thanks you for sharing this video buddy . Keep on rocking your Shamma sandals buddy .
Absolutely! I just have to scrub 'em down before I bring them into the house or else my wife yells at me. 😆 But I see where you're coming from. As a Xero Shoes affiliate, they used to pressure us more to publish our reviews within a certain time frame from a launch date. They don't do that as much anymore and we're much more in control of when we put out reviews to remain in the program -- probably for the reason you just mentioned. For instance, I have two Xero Shoes boot reviews coming out for boots that my wife and I have been wearing for even over a year. I'm also about to put out a review of some Shamma Sandals I've put over 1,000 miles of road running on. So, stay tuned for longer-term wear tests!
Great review, man! Too many reviewers of minimalist footwear just present the product and offer no critique. I've been on the fence between these and Earthrunners for daily wear. Any thoughts? I was using the Xero DIY huarache but I broke the rubber at one of the side holes somehow. You mentioned the Earthrunners are uncomfortable between the toes-I wonder if you could sew the strap to the Amuri "toe loop" that Xero sells as an extra? Could end up as a nice upgrade. PS: If you don't like the shape of the H-Trail, you could always draw the form onto it that you want (leaving extra room!), then trim away with some scissors and smooth the edges with sand paper. That's how I fitted my DIY Huaraches.
@@graikonungr7502 For daily wear, that may depend on what type of Earthrunners you choose. Due to the softer trail foam in the sole of the H-Trails, I don't know if they would hold up longer on cement and asphalt. While great for providing that "tacky" traction in wilderness environments, a harder rubber may be better for more regular city wear. The tread on the H-Trails may also be a bit aggressive for errands to the grocery store and whatnot. But for hiking or trail running, they'd be exceptional.
A very valuable video that got me thinking and researching. I found out: The Tarahumarahe make their soles from the tread of old tires, which are usually at least 10mm thick (once the tread is torn off. If not completely, they're even thicker. They also tend to be stiffer than high end barefoot sandals/shoes. That's funny, because most barefoot shoe brands try to make their soles as thin and flexible as possible - while the Tarahumarahe OG's (which run a lot on hard sand, comparable to asphalt) run on soles so thick that barefoot shoe purists would make fun of it. Xero seems to be one of the exceptions with their Scramblers. Looking forward to give them a try! Thanks for the eye opener.
I don't know why folks equate barefoot running with the Raramuri/Tarahumara. They don't run barefoot. Running barefoot in the Copper Canyons is treacherous. Barefoot Ted even brought high quality thin motorcycle tire rubber for them to use in making huaraches and Christopher McDougall said none of them wanted it. 😆 I tried running trails in Shamma Warriors for a while (their thinnest model) and wound up with a plantar plate strain from stomping a sharp rock. Now, while I love those for roads, I only run trails in thicker sandals like Shamma Maximus or Alpha models.
I've been using Trail gloves and Altra Lone Peaks for years. Just tried the Scrambler low and I absolutely love it. They Incorporated the things I liked about both those other shoes. It has the ground feel and stability of the TG and still feels protective like the LP without the squishing down and sacking out of the Altras.
They're still some of my favs! I usually run in sandals, but if I'm in shoes on the trails, I'm usually wearing Xero Scrambler Lows (sounds like a weird Dos Equis ad 😆).
Shamma Sandals. shammasandals.com They make many sole styles and a few different strap/lacing configuration styles, too. They're my favorite. My Shamma TrailStar Maximus sandals have almost 900 miles of road running on them and they're still my daily runners.
Some symptoms of metatarsalgia can be caused by arthritis which can be diagnosed by an X-ray and treated with medication. So I would advise seeing a physician for any chronic pain. Thanks for the video and information.
I just did a hike over the weekend and got absolutely devoured by chigger bites. I’m gonna try sulfur powder next time. What do you do to prevent bug bites in these sandals?
You must have really tough fascia and connective tissues because there are so many people whining on RU-vid because they ran in barefoot shoes and it caused them pain.
I can only speak for me, but most people who experience pain or injury with minimalist running footwear do so because they do too much, too soon/fast. Most non-minimalist footwear today has a raised heel - or a "drop" that is designed to cushion the heel or heel-first walking or running. Wearing shoes with a raised heel over a long period (for most people, most of their lives) will shorten the Achilles tendon. This means that running barefoot or in "zero-drop" minimalist footwear will stretch out these shortened Achilles tendons back to their natural length-causing pain in those tendons as well as the calf muscles they're attached to. For this reason, when anyone is transitioning to more naturalist footwear, they should do so slowly and gradually - only increasing time in them by about 10% weekly. This will allow for natural stretching and lengthening of those tendons and calf muscles. Also, most folks who experience this pain are running with an overstride (foot taking on load in front of their forward momentum). Usually, allow the overstriding forces to bypass the foot and send these forces up the chain into the ankles, shins, knees, hips, and back -- which is why overstriders tend to have injuries related to these areas and less so the feet. But when you switch to barefoot running or minimalist footwear, suddenly the feet are required to help distribute the forces. Most people's feet are weakened due to motion-control shoes -- which have isolated the moment in them and contributed to atrophy in the foot muscle, tendon, and ligament structures. However, with time and slow conditioning, the feet can be strengthened again. The only foot injuries I've had during running have been from sharp rocks on trails, which is more of a problem with my vision (I have bad eyes) spotting rocks than my feet.
what a beautiful perpendicular layout of streets, it looks nice to run without a lot of repeats :) I do walking in my city and it has a lot of different shapes streets and sometimes it is frustrating to walk through the same street again ;)
Thanks! As far as sandals are concerned, it kind of depends on how minimal you want to go and what kind of running you plan on doing. My favorite sandal brand is Shamma Sandals out of Santa Cruz, CA. I don't have any brand deal with them at all, but would love to! 😆 1. I run in their TrailStar Maximus model most of the time-racking up over 700 miles on my main pair. I plan on reviewing them during a sole-swap video when I hit 1,000 miles on them (they'll easy make it). shammasandals.com/products/trailstars-maximus 2. My second favorite of Shamma is the Elite Warrior, which is very thin, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for trails. But great barefoot-feel for roads. shammasandals.com/products/warriors-sandals 3. For running trails, a really great budget (under $100) are the Xero H-Trails. I just reviewed those recently here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2KwRyPQTbT8.html 4. For a good intro budget sandal, a good starter sandal would likely be the Xero Genesis sandal, which I've review here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VxBFyYiHFiA.html
Do you have a Xero suggestion for someone coming from Lems? I tried some Vivos but they are really, really narrow in the midfoot and the stack height is just too low for me at this point in my journey. Basically, I am looking for something that borders barefoot and simply being anatomical and zero drop. Altras have too much squish and stack height and vivo doesn't have enough even if it fit. Now, I've have tried a few xero on in person and know that they fit my foot shape (wide midfoot, mega wide forefoot and moderate toes). But I was hoping to find something with just a bit more underfoot than the 360s that I have now. They are fine for lifting but I can't wear them for hours on end. I'm looking for something that can handle super light trails (packed dirt and sand), roads (casual) and gym use (mainly stationary cycle, liss treadmill and occasional strength work). Just a basic generic trainer replacement. I used new balance trainers for this purpose for years but switched to nanos (not wide enough) for the past few years and like that they aren't ultra soft underfoot. I'm not even sure if xero has an offering that matches my request, lol. Real world experience would help though. I like their shoes, but their customer service is kind of iffy, at best (dogmatic and self-serving, if you know what I mean). So, asking always gets me a lecture rather than a response. Anyway, I'd apricate a rec if you have any suggestions!
I've had pain in my foot for years. Have seen multiple doctors and therapists without any luck. They just tell me to wear proper shoes with cushioning. The last weeks have been really bad with a lot of pain in my foot. Did these exercises 30 mins ago and the pain was gone in an instant. Still feels good. I guess it will come back but I'll keep doing this exercise. I've had the same kind of pain i my shoulder and the solution to that was a similar rubber band exercise for the shoulder. Thank you!
That's precisely why I made this video! Awesome to hear. I personally find that cushioning and support only bypass my bodies own healing and strengthening systems. Going barefoot as much as possible has actually heightened my arches, strengthened my feet, and reduced injury-because I can feel the ground and build instead of brace my feet. Motion is lotion. Sensation is the path to healing. Pain is a signal to change, not deaden.
@@keneticchannel I've been doing this exerice a few time a week now and I can tell you that my foot is a lot better now! I have even started walking barefoot again which I haven't been able to do without pain for the last years. So thank you again for posting this video!
Pretty accurate sizing. I couldn't tell you how it compares to the Vapor Glove. For that price, you can almost order two at a time and return the one that doesn't fit as well (Thanks, Amazon! haha).
Great shoe, i have a pair. But dont last: i have 4 holes in the mesh, the sole is done, after 6 months. I dont run. I just wear them in the home and for everything daily. At the same time i wore them so all the time, that maybe 6mths is a lifetime. But my mesa trail 2 went through the same, and they hold up much better. I use an extra insole and they feel close to the scrambler.
Were you wearing them on concrete and asphalt frequently? Because most trail running and hiking shoes are made with a softer rubber designed to grip natural terrains a bit "tackier" than road shoes. This also mean that if they're worn more on roads, concrete, and asphalt, they may wear down faster than road shoes. I'd recommend the Xero Forza Runner if you're looking for shoes that hold up well on man-made surfaces: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ktFORXYsl1g.htmlsi=Vi2VjZBuUjOh1mcR
Quite comfortably, if you listen to your feet and legs! Many have reported it being more comfortable because it's maximally efficient. You definitely can't run on your heels this way. Try it sometimes on a smooth sidewalk.
I couldn’t get a good lockdown in the beginning. I didn’t think the Velcro went over far enough. Maybe it might feet or too skinny so what I did is I just went to the store and super glued a little extra Velcro on there and now they are much better before I would wear them for going outfor I do food delivery at night. They’re great for that but running express a real rough trail now but now I if I steal one of my tech straps for those other brands, I’ll add it to it and I’m doing good and I’m happy with it.
Good to hear! Yeah, I had a little issue with the buckle sliding at first, but as it gets a little dirty and cleaned-and-dried out, it stiffens a bit on top to give the strap material a little bite for the buckle to hold onto.
Thanks for the review. Would you suggest this shoes to someone with extremely wide feet, who likes to walk/hike in trails and rocky trails? Is the Mesa Trail a better option, in your opinion? Thanks.
These feel a bit wider than the Mesa Trail IIs in my opinion, but not sure if that's the case. I like the sole better, though both are good. And when you say wide, so you mean wider than are comfortable in standard shoes or barefoot-style shoes? Because most models of barefoot-style shoes are wider than standard shoes. These are definitely wider than standard hiking boots or trail running shoes, but Xeros aren't the widest in the barefoot-style world.
@@keneticchannel Hi, thanks for the reply. I'll tell you this : I normally wear the Xero Prio, for everyday walking and I love them. They're perfect for my feet. Do the Mesa Trail or the Scrambler have the same width? I was reading and watching reviews comparing the two, and I came to this conclusion: the Mesa are basically the true minimalist shoes of the two, while the Scramblers are more of "real" shoe (so more structure) but can still be considered minimalist. Do you agree? Right now for trail I'm using the Altra Lone Peak. They're way more cushioned than the Xero Prio, and have lots of space in the toe box. What's the widest barefoot shoes you can think of? Thanks.
@an.20.24 I haven't tried the Prio, but the Mesa Trail II seems like the trail version of it. The Scrambler has a more substantial sole -- especially heel -- but is more minimal than standard shoes. But if you like the Prio, you may prefer the Mesa Trail II, which I reviewed here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-m2834LnppqA.html
@@keneticchannel Yeah, that's the same feeling I've had while looking at the Mesa Trail: it's basically the trail version of the Prio, so, as minimalist as you can get. I'm going to look at the review you made for the Mesa. Thank you a lot for the info!
Man you have a lot of sandals man. I am the same way too. I have a lot of flip-flops 🩴 & sandals to make my own Store. " LOL" Flip flops 🩴 & sandals is all i wear. I don't own a pair of shoes , socks , or boots because I have big very very Extremely wide feet 🦶 sz15 6E wide ( which is very very extremely wide feet 🦶 ) with very very chubby fat wide toes that are Evenly straight across making my foot very very Extremely wide at 6 1/2 inches wide from my big toe to my lil toe. My flip-flops 🩴 & sandals Barely & I mean barely fit on my feet 🦶 because my toes are wider than the flip flops 🩴 straps or the straps won't fit over the top of my foot Because of how extremely wide my feet 🦶 are. It's was cool to see what the sandals look like on your feet 🦶 so that people can get an idea of what they look like with them on. It's so awesome to hear that you are a sandals fan just like me. I am wearing my flip flops 🩴or sandals all year around even in the winter time. Good video buddy thanks you for sharing this video.
That depends on how you like your shoes to fit and the application. For trail footwear, I lean toward the tighter/shorter side to reduce the instances of tripping. For roads, I don't mind them being a little larger. They're mostly true to size, but lean just a little bit on the smaller side if either side. I would recommend printing out the sizing templates from Xero's website to dial in the fit that is right for you.
I broke my foot amd after 3 weeks I have that pain on the joint under my toes. I use a Chinese foot massager with spikes. I've had that for 40 yrs. Am using it since I broke my foot. Strengthens my feet. Circulation moving. And stating off when need be!
Thanks for this revivew! I'm just in a search for my ultra traiils shoes. I've got Mesa Trails (I) as my daily trainers and stepping on a gravel is a challenge :-) I also have a Terraflex II and recently did a trail race on the distance of 35km. I've never trusted fully the grip of Mesas' - they tend to slip on the grass or on dump trails - Terraflexes are much better and do protect feet better as have more rigid sole. So I guess Scrambler low is even better. For my ultra to go shoes I consider either Scramblers Low or, Inov-8 G270 V2 - this is the most mimialistic shoes in the realm of cushioned shoes - it's a zero drop, quite wide toebox, great outsole with grafen infused and relatively low stack 22mm. I'm going to take my next 50k run with Terraflexes and I'll know if I need some more cushioning to ease my feet or go for Scramblers - they are tempting but would I survive longer distances than 50km ? :-) Time will show.
I've never tried the Terraflexes, but the treads look just like Mesa Trails. I would say that the Scramblers have a wider-feeling, more substantial sole than the Mesa Trail IIs I've tried. If someone asked if I were to go with Scramblers or Mesas/Terraflexes for a ultra, I'd probably go with Scramblers.
@@chrisdeheij4507 H-Roads. They don't exist yet, but I really think @xeroshoes could easily make some utilizing the Xero Forza Runner tread style and material and the H-Trail straps and foot bed material.
Would these be a good first barefoot sandal? I've already replaced my boots and shoes now I need to replace my flip flops. But I am still in the transition phase and have shoes/boots with some padding. Some of the other barefoot sandals look pretty minimal and I know that is the point, but I don't think I am quite there yet. Thanks in advance.
