throwfromthewoods
Double Eagle Member
In case anyone is curious about the minimal/trail running approach to shoes, I thought I'd give my impressions of the New Balance Minimus Trail 10v2 shoes.
The first thing is, if you're not used to wearing minimal shoes, I wouldn't strap them on and hit the course. I actually just wore them around for a couple weeks just to get my feet and legs used to them. After day one, my arches and calves were not happy with me. But they quickly got used to it. It seems my heavier duty Merrells were picking up some slack on my shoddy footwork.
If your heavy hikers/trail shoes are like the mother who always helps and tells you you can do anything even when you can't, then minimal runners are the dad that doesn't believe in training wheels and pushes you down the hill laughing.
But, once I was ready to play in them, it was a whole new experience. I bought them specifically for some of the more grassy park-like courses. Wooded, rough, technical courses still belong to my Merrells.
The first, and most important, thing is that these guys have Vibram soles. The hexagonal tread felt really good on tees and fairways alike. In addition, there are little Vibram tabs that wrap up the sides of the shoe right at the points where our plant happens. That should provide a measure of protection from wearing at the seams.
Also, there are leather straps sewn across the top of the foot and behind the heel. These give an even more stable feel when traditionally minimal runners are very flexible as they are built for forward motion, not pivoting and lateral strain.
These shoes made it easier for my to focus on one key thing. Pivoting on the heel when I drive. My clunkier Merrells made the whole heel-pivot thing feel awkward and I never could comfortably get into the motion. The Minimus shoes let my feet, ankles, and legs move more organically. I'm not saying I magically added 100 feet to my drives because of it. I'm just saying it is going to make it a whole lot more comfortable to practice with my heel-pivot driving.
Hopefully they can stand the test of time. They are not cheap. But I also don't get to play 3 or 4 times a week, 52 weeks a year. So my gear tends to hold out awhile.
I looked at a lot of minimal trailrunners. I had even been fitted for some Five Fingers at one point, but my last two toes don't set right and they kept falling out. Aside from the Five Fingers, these are the only ones I've found with the Vibram soles (although there may be others). But the Minimus also offer more stability and protection against the rigors and movements that we specifically use in disc golf.
The first thing is, if you're not used to wearing minimal shoes, I wouldn't strap them on and hit the course. I actually just wore them around for a couple weeks just to get my feet and legs used to them. After day one, my arches and calves were not happy with me. But they quickly got used to it. It seems my heavier duty Merrells were picking up some slack on my shoddy footwork.
If your heavy hikers/trail shoes are like the mother who always helps and tells you you can do anything even when you can't, then minimal runners are the dad that doesn't believe in training wheels and pushes you down the hill laughing.
But, once I was ready to play in them, it was a whole new experience. I bought them specifically for some of the more grassy park-like courses. Wooded, rough, technical courses still belong to my Merrells.
The first, and most important, thing is that these guys have Vibram soles. The hexagonal tread felt really good on tees and fairways alike. In addition, there are little Vibram tabs that wrap up the sides of the shoe right at the points where our plant happens. That should provide a measure of protection from wearing at the seams.
Also, there are leather straps sewn across the top of the foot and behind the heel. These give an even more stable feel when traditionally minimal runners are very flexible as they are built for forward motion, not pivoting and lateral strain.
These shoes made it easier for my to focus on one key thing. Pivoting on the heel when I drive. My clunkier Merrells made the whole heel-pivot thing feel awkward and I never could comfortably get into the motion. The Minimus shoes let my feet, ankles, and legs move more organically. I'm not saying I magically added 100 feet to my drives because of it. I'm just saying it is going to make it a whole lot more comfortable to practice with my heel-pivot driving.
Hopefully they can stand the test of time. They are not cheap. But I also don't get to play 3 or 4 times a week, 52 weeks a year. So my gear tends to hold out awhile.
I looked at a lot of minimal trailrunners. I had even been fitted for some Five Fingers at one point, but my last two toes don't set right and they kept falling out. Aside from the Five Fingers, these are the only ones I've found with the Vibram soles (although there may be others). But the Minimus also offer more stability and protection against the rigors and movements that we specifically use in disc golf.
