Minimalist footwear with ankle protection? (not support)

[Meriadoc]

Hello folks. I have worn minimalist footwear since before my thru hike. I now refuse to wear anything else. Here is my question:

Sometimes when bushwhacking or hiking an overgrown trail it's nice to have protection from random sharp rocks, thorns and such. I am thinking of a minimalist shoe that's rugged enough for hiking with a upper that rises above the ankle but does not restrict ankle motion. Have you seen or owned any such footwear? Have you seen any plans for crafting some?

I anticipate being required to wear "boots" in the next few months but I don't want to wear restrictive inflexible boots. Something that fits my above description should be enough to satisfy my boot requirement and be my go-to bushwhacking shoe too.

[Feral Bill]

Sturdy gaitors?

[Malto]

Sturdy gaitors?

Thats where I was going to as well.

[Meriadoc]

Sturdy gaitors?

Absolutely. But I'm looking for something with the gaiter integrated into the footwear not only because I dislike gaiters but also because it looks more like a boot. (When I'm told to bring boots, then I will have minimalist boots.)

I'm really leaning towards sewing my own. It would be helpful to see how other people have managed it.

[Slo-go'en]

I'm really leaning towards sewing my own. It would be helpful to see how other people have managed it.

You may well be the first. Patent the idea

[Malto]

Absolutely. But I'm looking for something with the gaiter integrated into the footwear not only because I dislike gaiters but also because it looks more like a boot. (When I'm told to bring boots, then I will have minimalist boots.)

I'm really leaning towards sewing my own. It would be helpful to see how other people have managed it.

Golite used to have a shoe called a storm dragon that sounded a lot like what you are looking for.

[Son Driven]

My toes spread out and blistered, ended up using Altra Lone Peak 1.5 trail runners, that have a wide toe box and a zero drop heel. They are only good for about 500 miles on the AT. The AT along with my Altra shoes have forever re- altered my feet & posture. Shoes with heels now give me back pain, and my toes complain when I stuff them into a normal toe box. I am hoping the foot wear industry responds to this market, and provides more options for those who need a bigger toe box, and zero drop heel. I would love to see a tougher shoe that gets more the 500 miles, and a cold weather resistant boot, for winter use in Minnesota.

[Chair-man]

I am thinking of a minimalist shoe that's rugged enough for hiking with a upper that rises above the ankle but does not restrict ankle motion. Have you seen or owned any such footwear?

Merrell Proterras > http://www.merrell.com/US/en-us/Prod...erra-Mid-Sport
I own a pair and highly recommend them.

[Meriadoc]

My toes spread out and blistered, ended up using Altra Lone Peak 1.5 trail runners, that have a wide toe box and a zero drop heel. They are only good for about 500 miles on the AT. The AT along with my Altra shoes have forever re- altered my feet & posture. Shoes with heels now give me back pain, and my toes complain when I stuff them into a normal toe box. I am hoping the foot wear industry responds to this market, and provides more options for those who need a bigger toe box, and zero drop heel. I would love to see a tougher shoe that gets more the 500 miles, and a cold weather resistant boot, for winter use in Minnesota.

My shoes that replaced the Altras and lasted 900+ miles:
http://www.teva.com/mens-terra-fi-li...efault,pd.html
Not quite a zero drop and they had a rugged sole but I still felt things fairly well. I'm sentimentally attached to this model, but I have since replaced them with:
https://www.lunasandals.com/


Cold weather (really cold weather - it can't be wet):
http://shop.mukluks.com/Mukluks/departments/24/
I'm not certain these are minimalist - they do seem to have a pretty rugged sole. But they also appear to have zero drop.
The steep price inspired me to sew my own. This project is still in progress but it's going well. I will probably also sew moccasins for spring and summer once I get the method mastered.

Merrell Proterras > http://www.merrell.com/US/en-us/Prod...erra-Mid-Sport
I own a pair and highly recommend them.

Thanks! Bookmarked as an option.

[leaftye]

http://birthdayshoes.com/minimalist-...mini-mil-tr101

[HarderthanNails]

http://m.newbalance.com/New-Balance-110-Boot/MT110-B,default,pd.html?dwvar_MT110-B_color=Black_with_Red&start=49&cgid=101000

Found this newbalance "boot" haven't tried it out yet but hear good things about it

[Son Driven]

This is a good thread, the Belleville military boot, would be a good choice for the early AT starters, and the mukluks would be nice to have when the temps get south of zero. The Teva's would be a good after the trail warmed up. However, I would want to explore the amount of drop on the Teva's. By the time you add gaiters to the Merrill's, the weight would be very close to the Belleville boots.

[RedBeerd]

This may not help but seems relevant. I did some serious bushwhacking in a 3 month period (in the sierras busting through manzanita) in a pair of leather NB minimus. Prior to this they were worn hiking regularly for 2 months. They held up the whole time and I still wear them.
There are trail running gators but the pair I had once didnt really offer much protection. If it can cut your leg it can cut through some fabric. Heavier duty gaitors didn't seem to fit right with trail runner type shoes.

[1azarus]

good stuff here, indeed. thanks to all posters.

[imscotty]

Those New Balance Boots are on sale now through 'The Clymb' for $65 (I think a membership may be required). I have not tried these shoes myself...

http://www.theclymb.com/men/8086/men...uct/99048?f=mi

[q-tip]

After trying seven pairs of boots, I use trail runners with heavy duty ankle braces. If you wanat the models send me a PM.

[Meriadoc]

http://birthdayshoes.com/minimalist-...mini-mil-tr101

Nice! Those Belleville boots are close to what I am looking for. I'm a bit concerned about the reviewers talking saying that it has ankle support. Might not be flexible enough around the ankle but I might be able to just leave the top loose.

This may not help but seems relevant. I did some serious bushwhacking in a 3 month period (in the sierras busting through manzanita) in a pair of leather NB minimus. Prior to this they were worn hiking regularly for 2 months. They held up the whole time and I still wear them.
There are trail running gators but the pair I had once didnt really offer much protection. If it can cut your leg it can cut through some fabric. Heavier duty gaitors didn't seem to fit right with trail runner type shoes.

Yes. This is relevant. Thank you.

[Son Driven]

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#in...38766f448427fa

These max cushion trail runners intrigue me. My feet got so bruised on the AT that they still hurt.

[Snowleopard]

My toes spread out and blistered, ended up using Altra Lone Peak 1.5 trail runners, that have a wide toe box and a zero drop heel. They are only good for about 500 miles on the AT. The AT along with my Altra shoes have forever re- altered my feet & posture. Shoes with heels now give me back pain, and my toes complain when I stuff them into a normal toe box. I am hoping the foot wear industry responds to this market, and provides more options for those who need a bigger toe box, and zero drop heel. I would love to see a tougher shoe that gets more the 500 miles, and a cold weather resistant boot, for winter use in Minnesota.

Two things for colder weather:
Use Rocky goretex socks inside your shoes. http://www.campmor.com/rocky-gore-tex-socks-1.shtml They are hard to get on, so you might want a larger size. They help a lot with my Vivobarefeet shoes that are not warm at all, but I don't use them at 0F.
NEOS overshoes: http://www.overshoesonline.com/?gcli...FUtp7AodPgwAfQ I have the Adventurer model. I can wear them over my running shoes and they add a lot of warmth. More often when it's really cold I use them like mukluks, just add a Sorel felt liner inside them -- this is pretty warm. Their main disadvantage is that they are not breathable, so the liners get damp. Using a vapor barrier sock or bread bag over thin polypro liner socks would improve this.

I'm tempted by the Steger mukluks, but they are not supposed to be good for wet conditions. Even in the far north people carry rubber boots with felt liners in wet conditions and only use mukluks in cold dry conditions.

Meriadoc, I'm interested in how your DIY mukluks turn out.

[leaftye]

Nice! Those Belleville boots are close to what I am looking for. I'm a bit concerned about the reviewers talking saying that it has ankle support. Might not be flexible enough around the ankle but I might be able to just leave the top loose.

Please post about them if you buy them. I'm interested in these too.