Those are Vivobarefoot EVOs. They have zero heel lift and no cushioning.
There is evidence that moving to a barefoot style will preserve your joints indefinitely, because it's the way humans are built to run (forefoot landing), and cultures that run barefoot run into their old age. I can run five miles with zero joint/back pain, which I could never have done in traditional shoes. But it's a l-o-n-g transition to barefoot style - it took me months to be able to run two miles. It's tough on the soft tissue in the calf and the foot, and it's easy to injure your foot by doing too much too soon (on the barefoot running forums, TMTS is a meme). Traditional running shoes pretty much immobilize your foot and weaken the muscles dramatically. It takes a long time to come back.
This is an excellent video by Lee Saxby that explains the whole thing pretty well.
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http://vimeo.com/19520448I like my Vivos way better than traditional shoes, but I don't like them near as much as I like barefoot. I don't want to get all mystical and wierd - I'm really not a hippy - but there's something about running barefoot ...that is immediately lost when you put on shoes.
In the Spring I'll be getting a pair of ZEMs so I can put them on for protection when needed, and take them off whenever possible. These fit in a pocket easily.
What brand of shoes are those? Spent last night waking up every time I moved my left knee. I may have to rethink my discount shoe store strategy.
