Fourty Five Days with the Cloudneo
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Fourty Five Days with the Cloudneo

Byrichard

Intro


On Cloudneo are shoes that you rent, rather than own. They are designed for running but you can also use them for walking. They are designed for dry, warm weather, rather than wet. They are designed to last from three months to six months depending on how quickly you wear them out. They are brilliantly white when new, but within two or three runs they lose their luminescence.


Circular – Use – Reuse


These shoes are designed to reduce the carbon footprint of the shoes we wear. They are made from beans, rather than petroleum based products. Once you’re done with a pair you send it back to the manufacturer, so that they are grounded back down and turned into a new pair of shoes. In theory you never own them. In practice they are just extremely easy to recycle.


Comfort When Running


I have run with them in heavy rain, sunny weather, through grass, mud and a river that was running down a road. I was so used to the trail glove 7 that I had to get used to normal shoes, and the difference in the feel and centre of gravity. I found that with these shoes my ankles rolled on uneven terrain. I attribute this to being used to barefoot shoes, rather than a design flaw.


With some running shoes I notice that I feel knee strain if I run too hard, or after a certain distance. I find that with these shoes my knees feel okay. I have run five or more kilometres several times.


Slippery when Wet


The shoes are designed for warm, dry weather so when you’re running in Switzerland, over slippery surfaces you will slip and show that you were a snowboarder or skier multiple times. They’re sub-optimal for rainy and muddy conditions. When it’s raining water will make its way through to your socks within seconds or minutes. The one advantage with these shoes is that they’re made from such minimal material that if they get wet they dry by themselves overnight, ready for the next day. Shoes that dry quickly don’t need to be waterproof because they dry fast.


Walking Comfort


Although they are not marketed or purposed as walking shoes I have used them on a variety of walks. They felt good until I tightened the laces. I could feel a pressure point where I had accidentally flipped the lace around. When I identified that this was the problem they were more comfortable to wear, once again. When I run up and down the stairs in this building they’re quieter than other shoes.


Mud Removal


Although the shoes are mediocre to bad in mud they are very easy to brush clean once you get home after a run or walk. This is important to me. In Autumn, Winter and Spring shoes can get very muddy. The lack of tread that makes them bad in the wet makes them great for cleaning. A few brush strokes and they’re clean, ready for walking indoors.


Cost


These shoes are designed to last for about 600 kilometres, as are most shoes, so if you run or walk a lot you will replace them sooner than every six months. After 45 days of use, but without a clear idea of distance, although at least 75 kilometres the only signs of wear are a slight loss of tread on the front of the shoe, and a discoloration on the rest of the shoe. Running in muddy and flooded conditions has that effect on shoes. If you walk and run 240 kilometres per month you will replace them within three months.


If you replace your shoes after three months they have cost you 105 CHF. If you replace them after six months they have cost 210 CHF. The more you walk and run in them, the sooner they need to be replaced, and the more rational they are to own.


Limitations


At the moment Cloudneo shoes are designed for running on asphalt, rather than mud or gravel. They’re good on dry surfaces but tend to slip on painted road surfaces and slick mud. If it’s raining your feet will get wet although despite running in 6°c temperatures my feet did not get cold.


Niche Use


I walk eight kilometres per day. This comes to 720 kilometres every three months. If I replace my shoes every three months then I go through four pairs of shoes per year. By using the Neocloud shoes for walking and running the shoes that I used for three months are recycled and reused for the same purpose.


And Finally


You have a month to see that the shoes fit. They prefer for you to test them for fit indoors, so that the shoes do not get dirty as this would result in them being recycled too early, rather than reused by someone without recycling. The minimum contract duration after the one month trial is six months which comes to 210 francs. If you use one pair per six months they cost that to own. If you replace them after three months this falls to 105 Francs.


It doesn’t bother me that shoes are not weatherproof but it does bother me that the sole doesn’t have grip on wet and muddy surfaces. Yesterday I slid several times walking out of the village. With other shoes I wouldn’t. They need to provide shoes that are good in wet and muddy conditions so that this becomes a year round solution, rather than in good road conditions.


These shoes are not worth 210 CHF, and at 105 CHF they’re still expensive compared to other options. I feel that this is a six month experiment, to experience high end running shoes but that when I can I will end the contract.

A Walking Decline in the US Since 2019
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A Walking Decline in the US Since 2019

Byrichard

According to streetlight data walking in the US has declined over the past three or four years. The decline was by up to thirty six percent from 2019-2022. The clearest reason for this is that 2019 and 2020 were walking honeymoon periods. By this I mean that for the duration of lock down and “work from home” people had more time to walk since they spent less time commuting, but also because the natural habit of getting into a car to do something had declined., thanks to the pandemic.


The Return of Driving Post lock down


As pandemic lock downs came to an end so the nightmare of people using cars revived. When people are free to range further, out of lock down, they drive to do things, like shop, go to cinemas and go to indoor gyms, rather than enjoy the outdoor world. Imagine if, during the pandemic, you went for a one hour walk because the indoor gym was closed. Imagine if you walked locally, because it made sense not to drive far from personal toilets, and other conveniences.


The Pandemic Walking Options


I am not in the US, so my experience is irrelevant to the US situation. In my experience I walked up to three hours per day, and enjoyed my walks, until the habit of driving became a problem once again. Plenty of walks that were probably pleasant due to lock downs and fewer people driving, were destroyed by the return of cars and their drivers.


For two or three years I would walk down towards the lake and along farm roads that were narrow. During the honeymoon these roads were quiet. They were a pleasure to walk along. With the return of normal life people started to drive along these narrow lanes again, without being considerate of pedestrians.


The Loss of Safe Walking Paths


I went from having three hour walking loops that were empty of cars, and a pleasure to walk along, to paths that became a nightmare. When you have a car going at 50 to 80 kilometres per hour half a meter from you, every few minutes, every day, for years, you get fatigued.


That fatigue results in people, including me, choosing to walk less, and even to consider not walking at all, and getting into the accursed cars.


Attention On Cars Rather than Walking


No one addresses the elephant in the room. We have made a landscape where walking between villages on foot, or cycling, have become dangerous. If it’s dangerous to walk along pandemic walking paths, due to the return of people in their cars, then it makes sense that there would be a 39 percent decline in walking habits in the US. Why would you walk, when to walk is to expose yourself to dangerous drivers?


The Need for Rural Walking Paths Between Villages and Towns


That’s why I argue so often that instead of making towns and cities pedestrian friendly we must make it safe to walk between villages, and from villages to towns, and from villages to cities. Why would people walk along dangerous roads, rather than take a bus, or car?


Awful for Walking


I see that efforts are being made to make towns and cities more walker friendly but in my opinion it makes more sense to connect villages with walking loops. I want to be able to walk from Crans to Céligny to Crassier to La Rippe to Borex to La Rippe and plenty of other villages without having to walk along busy car roads. I want to be able to walk on walking paths where cars are banned. There are plenty of agricultural roads but villages like Eysins are scary. There is a bridge from Crans to Eysins where cars drive fast, playing chicken with each other despite pedestrians crossing. On another road people speed along at 80 or more kilometres per hour, without showing consideration for pedestrians. On a road between Arnex sur Nyon and Crans there are agricultural roads where drivers speed, without being considerate of pedestrians.


It’s fine and dandy for Nyon, Geneva, Lausanne and other towns to say that they want to increase walking, cycling and other forms of movement, but they won’t increase those means of transport if you can’t walk from villages around Nyon, into Nyon, or cycle from Nyon to Geneva without being thrown into parkings or onto busy roads where car drivers park in cycling lanes in summer.


I often walked to Crans and Céligny, until I grew tired of walking along agricultural roads with cars that were driven too fast and too close to me. I don’t want to stop every time a car is close to me. I want cars to slow down and overtake at slightly more than walking speed. That’s what I do when I am driving a car. I want cars to respect pedestrians.


Discouraging Cars Without Providing Alternatives


When Geneva changed traffic systems to discourage drivers, I stopped going to Geneva, and when Nyon made the same mistake I stopped going to Nyon. When I lived in London I once drove from Switzerland to London, saw the price of petrol and left it parked. If public transport is good, from villages to towns, and from towns to cities, then people will not use cars. The problem with Switzerland is that the policy makers live in towns and only see the journeys between towns, rather than villages. It used to take 45 minutes to drive from work home, and one and a half hours by public transport. You encourage people to walk, cycle, and take public transport when trains or buses are every five minutes, as with the London underground.


Walking Rather than Driving


If it was pleasant to walk from Arnex sur Nyon to Nyon, or from Borex to Nyon, or from Signy to Nyon people would have the opportunity to leave the car, and enjoy a pleasant walk instead. The problem that I see, every single time I go for a walk, is that whilst towns and villages try to discourage driving within them, they do nothing to encourage walking and cycling from outside.


I have a really healthy walking habit, but when I am made to fear for my safety on every single walk I seriously consider getting into the car, to walk somewhere, where I feel safer to walk. The paradox is that I would drive far, to walk a smaller distance. I would be part of the problem, by getting into a car, to go for a walk.


Think of that paradox. I have to get into a car to go for a walk, because the local walks are too dangerous because cars do not slow down enough, on roads that are meant for agriculture, not cars.


And Finally


During the pandemic honeymoon, especially during lock downs, I got to experience the great potential of walking locally. During the honeymoon of lock downs I could walk from Nyon to Founey, and from Founex to Crassier, and from Crassier to Tranche-Pied, and from Tranche Pied to Gingins, without fearing cars. I could even walk along the motorway because it was quiet and pleasant.


So many efforts are being made to discourage the use from within towns and cities, but they forget that the place from which people are most likely to drive, is villages. If people can walk between villages safely, then the need for cars is diminished. It is futile to make towns and cities pedestrian friendly, and more village like, if villages require people to use cars.


For me there is no mystery. People walk less because it’s more dangerous to do so, now that roads are filled with cars again. Global society should bring back the habit of people walking between villages, safely. Cycling suffers from the same issue. If it is dangerous for children to cycle, things need to improve.

Walking With an Umbrella
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Walking With an Umbrella

Byrichard

Yesterday i looked at the rain forecast and it looked as though I could go for a walk, without taking a proper rain coat. I wore the btwin cycling rain jacket instead. I decided to carry a mini umbrella with me in case the rain got harder.


I have carried this mini umbrella several times in recent weeks but until yesterday I had no reason to use it. Yesterday I could feel that the rain was getting heavier so I took it out and I walked for fourty or so minutes with the umbrella.


I have a deep hatred of umbrellas because, in my eyes, a rain coat is much better, when it’s raining. Yesterday I deployed the umbrella but almost instantly found myself fighting with the wind. I had to swap it from hand to hand depending on the wind direction and I had to lean it so that the exterior was pointing into the wind. The wind wanted to lift the umbrella and take it away from me.


With an ordinary rain coat you put it on, and that’s it. You’re ready to walk in the rain for hours without thinking about it. With an umbrella the opposite is true. It might be easier to carry when not in use, but as soon as it’s open it’s trying to catch the wind and fly away. You find yourself impatient to walk either sideways from the wind or with your back to it. Walking into the wind requires the umbrella to be in front and tilted to block your view, so that you can’t see where you’re going.


For years I had a negative opinion of umbrellas and yesterday I reinforced that negative opinion. What is the point of carrying something that takes two to three times your space, catches the wind, and blocks you from seeing where you’re going?


Usually walking in these conditions I would have had soaked trousers, a soaked hat, and everything beneath the cycling rain coat would need to be changed, for dry clothes. This time my trousers were soaked but the top half of the body was dry. The umbrella did keep me dry but inelegantly.


Rest assured that I haven’t changed. I was testing one of the sea to summit mini hiking umbrellas. I like the btwin cycling rain jacket because it’s easy to crumple into a bag in case of rain. The one drawback is that it has no hood so you still get your head wet. It’s fine in light rain. In rain, as it was yesterday, it makes sense to have an equally easy to carry umbrella. It’s so light that it can live in your hiking bag in all weather, ready to be used within thirty seconds if the rain gets heavy enough. Without the wind this solution would have worked well.


If it had been raining heavily before I started my walk I would have worn a proper rain coat, and maybe even proper rain trousers. It’s because the swiss weather app didn’t confirm that it would rain that I took the risk of walking in the rain with minimal rain gear. I got home with the top half relatively dry but still had to take off socks and change trousers.

The Age Old Hatred of Pedestrians

The Age Old Hatred of Pedestrians

Byrichard

Last night I was reading from a book, rather than from a kindle or audible book. As a result I had to keep the bedside light on. I also had to ensure that the light light the pages of the book. I was reading from the book “Beneath My Feet, Writers on Walking” introduced and edited by Duncan Minshull and I came across an exert written by Karl Philips Moritz. He wrote Journeys of a German in England in 1782.

In this book he writes about walking in England and about how people were puzzled that someone would want to walk from London to Richmond and back. People couldn’t fathom that someone would want to walk such a distance on foot.

Pleasant English Miles

At one point he says “Walking four miles in England feels like walking one mile in Germany”, to paraphrase. He enjoyed walking in England. He speaks of stopping by the side of the road, finding the shade of some bushes and reading. Apparently people on the road were puzzled that someone would stop by the side and read.

What is so striking about this writing is that it is from 241 years ago, before cars, before the steam age, and before the forms of transport we are familiar with today.

Several centuries later another eccentric would go for long walks, Grandma Gatewood. People were puzzled that someone her age would walk the Appalachian Trail alone, more than once.

Confused

According to Google Bard walking was normal in 1782, as was horse back riding, horse drawn carriages and sailing ships. Given the context it’s interesting that so early, before steam and trains people would have seen walking from Point A to Point B as strange.

The idea we have that the car encouraged people to stop walking is erroneous, in that people did not walk from A to B long before then. The idea that the carriage was an ordinary form of transport to get from A to B, rather than walking is interesting. Was the writer trying to save money, for his travels, or did he simply enjoy the act of walking?

And Finally

I found copies of the book in electronic format so I will take the time to read a copy, to understand more about the reasons for this long walk.

A Walk During Cow Rush Hour

A Walk During Cow Rush Hour

Byrichard

Yesterday I decided that I would start my walk by going along a dangerous bit of road, at the start of the road. The idea behind this is to avoid being endangered by selfish car drivers when I’m fatigued. It’s better to put up with their dangerous behaviour ahead of a walk, rather than after it.

I Don’t Want To Give Up Walking Locally

I spent time thinking about walking, and avoiding cars, and I came to the conclusion that I no longer want to walk across a bridge. Every time I walk across that bridge I see cars driving too fast and to close to other people, as well as myself. One day someone will be injured on that bridge. The bridge is barely wide enough for one car to drive by, and cars often play chicken with each other, and play Russian roulette to see if they can get away with running the gauntlet without hitting each other.

there is a good bridge just a few meters away that pedestrians could use safely, but it’s made to look as if it’s on private property so I stopped using it. That farmer has a vineyard. He recently planted bushes to mark his land but in doing so he has forced people to walk on a busy road, rather than in the grass. We could cross the road but because the pandemic hasn’t ended, I prefer to be across the road from others.

The Safe Walk

I can leave the village I live in, on foot, along a wide road with good visibility. By walking along this road I can see cars coming from far away and they have plenty of space to deflect to the other side of the road, to show some respect. I can also flee into the grass without too much trouble, should I feel the need. I have a lot of room to get away from cars that are driven by people who never walk.

The rest of the route is nice. I walk up through a village, go slightly beyond it, and then I turn right, and then I walk along a weather worn road towards some fields where cows spend their days. Yesterday I counted up to 11 herons in the field with cows and another field nearby. The beauty of this route is that few people walk it. People like to walk along two paths, and I use a third. I walk right after lunch, on a regular basis, because that’s when the walks are quietest.

Blocked by Bovine Rush Hour

Yesterday I was blocked from continuing onwards by the cows. They were being transferred from one field to another and to do this the road was blocked. I could have pushed my way through but I didn’t mind having to wait a few minutes, whilst the cars were migrated from one field to another, ahead of milking.

Long Distance Walks

One of the challenges I face is that I don’t want a short 3-4km walk. I want an 8-10 km walk and in order to have such walks you need to walk between villages, and along busier roads. Nothing is built for people who want to walk from village to village so it’s for us to find routes that are not too exposed to car traffic, and especially dangerous road segments. This road segment is very dangerous. Cars go along too fast, and there is nowhere for pedestrians to shelter. There is a smaller bridge here but it seems to be on private land and there is a metal chain to block access if you come from the village. If this bridge was open to pedestrians and cyclists then walks would be much more pleasant, and a lot less dangerous.

Danger comes from cars not slowing down, and not letting others pass safely. The other danger comes from people not deflecting to the other side of the road to avoid pedestrians when there is no reason not to.

Mobilité Douce With Blinkers

There is a pedestrian mobility site but as with every other mobility body it looks at cities rather than the countryside. It looks at making walking popular for people who already have pavements, side streets and more, rather than to connect villages. The more dangerous it is to walk from village to village, the more likely people are to use cars. Switzerland has invested millions in cycle paths, and yet those cycle paths go through car parks, and in summer the cycle paths along the lake become pedestrian paths for the car drivers who parked on the pedestrian paths.

You don’t encourage people not to use cars, if you make it dangerous to walk or cycle between villages. Policies and decisions are taken by people who live in cities and towns, rather than villages.

For more than a decade, but especially since the pandemic lock downs I have seen the need for walking paths that connect villages, without cars or other vehicles. Walking and cycling routes should be safe and pleasant for walkers. Walking between villages should be a pleasure, not a gamble.

And Finally

If I walked once or twice a week I wouldn’t feel the way I do. it is because I walk along these paths every day, and I am exposed to the danger on a daily basis. It’s since they put in some bushes that I feel in danger. Until those bushes were put in I was in danger crossing the bridge but I was safe before, and after. Now I’m in danger walking to the bridge, and from the bridge, by a farmer’s choice. What was a safe and pleasant route, became deadly.

Walking is the simplest, cheapest, and lowest impact sport we can do from home, without using a car. As a result infrastructure should be put in place to make it possible to walk for 10 kilometres without having to expose ourselves to walking by dangerous road sides. The safer we make walking, the less we will have to deal with the nuisance of cars.

Recovery Day

Recovery Day

Byrichard

We are in a heatwave and despite this I have cycled for four and a half hours and walked for three hours and fourty minutes. For the bike rides I woke at 6am to avoid rush hour traffic, and to do things before the temperatures rose. Yesterday the temperature in Geneva reached 39°c. Just a few decimal places away from 40°c heat.

Despite the weak I still went for my afternoon walks, but it’s also because of the heat that I walked with 1.6 litres or more. During hot days I find that I can act normally, but I still try to keep myself hydrated. If I feel that I am overheating I pour water on my hat/helmet to cool down.

Keeping Cool

There are four ways to keep cool. The first is to stay hydrated. Drink a few sips every few minutes. The second is to wear a hat. By wearing a hat your head is not going to cook quite as fast as without. The third solution, which doesn’t require drinking water, is to drench your head/hat/hair when you come to a fountain, or when you feel that you’re reaching your limit to cope with the heat. I did so during two walks and two bike rides, since Sunday.
The final option is to become a morning person, to do things in the morning, before the sun heats the air and the ground.

Knackered

Yesterday I cycled to RomainMôtier and back. I was already fatigued from walking and cycling in the heat so when I got to Romainmôtier I felt faint, with a mild head ache. Due to the heat and slight change in hydration I thought that it could be heat stroke. I made it back to my car, had some food and I already felt slightl better, but I still felt knackered when I shopped for food so I got the bare minimum, rather than thinking about something more interesting to cook.

When I got home I had a siesta. I felt much better. I don’t know whether I became exhausted, of heat struck. Since sleep was enough to feel refreshed I think I had just exhausted myself.

Cycling With E-Bikes

The source of my exhaustion. I believe, is partly to do with the heat, of course, but it also has to do with the amount of energy that we burn when we’re cycling on normal bikes with other people on e-bikes. We pace ourselves according to the e-bikes, rather than our own speed.

An Easier Gear

I found that to avoid going too fast, on my bike, I had to change to an easier gear. I would pedal with the usual effort but cover less ground. This works very well, for pacing. I think that it does tire me more than if I was pedalling at a normal effort level and a regular speed. My motivation to use an easier gear, was, in part, to make a different effort, to get a workout, at a lower speed. It seems to have worked. It’s the 80/20 rule on a bike. Sort of.

The Ignored Temptation

When I was in RomainMôtier I was tempted to run my head under a fountain to cool myself down. I didn’t feel that I was cooking but I did feel a mild headache. Near the very end of the walk I did splash water on my head to cool down.

On warm days I am usually desperate for a coke or an electrolyte drink, and for once I ran out of drinks two nights ago, so I didn’t quench my first. I think it affected my endurance the next day.

And Finally

By going for two mid-afternoon walks during the heatwave I challenged my body. I then went for two bike rides where I got up at 0600 before cycling for three or four hours. If I was cycling alone I would have drunk one or two litres on both days. As I wasn’t I drank half a litre or less. Between sleeping a different schedule, walking in the mid-day heat, and then cycling two mornings in a row, I pushed myself to the point of exhaustion. Today I’m recovering. I will go for my afternoon walk but at least I will be well hydrated, and I was able to sleep to my natural wake up time, rather than an alarm.

Three Hundred and Sixty Kilometres in Trail Glove 7
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Three Hundred and Sixty Kilometres in Trail Glove 7

Byrichard

Since the Seventh of May 2023 I have walked more than 360 kilometres in the Merrel Trail Glove 7 and the experience has been good. For a long time I enjoyed wearing normal shoes but recently they started either to rub the front of my feet, or the heel would get worn away to bare plastic and I’d consider protecting the heel from friction damage when walking.

[caption id="attachment_9338" align="alignnone" width="300"]global wear on trail glove 7 after 60km global wear on trail glove 7 after 60km[/caption]

Not Goldie Locks

The first Merrel Barefoot shoes I tried were the Merrel vapor glove 6 but they felt too thin. I could feel too much of the road’s surface, especially on weather worn former tarmacked roads that were breaking apart to become mud paths once again. Stepping on stones would be painful so I chose to experiment with the Trail Gloves. The soles are just a little thicker but I found them very comfortable to walk in. So comfortable that they became my every day shoes. I thought that the soles would wear out because of the thin indentations that had little material, and they have.

The Wear

[caption id="attachment_9386" align="alignnone" width="225"]137 kilomètres later - worn trail glove soles 137 kilomètres later[/caption]

The wear and tear has occurred under the heels and under the front of the shoe, where the most pressure is applied when walking. The center of the shoes are still fine, with little to no sign of wear and tear. The inside and sides of the shoes are also still fine. I think that I can get them to five hundred or more kilometres, despite most of the walking being road walking.

[caption id="attachment_10581" align="alignnone" width="225"]Three hundred and sixty kilometres later Three hundred and sixty kilometres later[/caption]

Experimenting with Trail Glove 6 and Meindl Pure Vision

Trail Glove 6

Because I was so happy with the Trail Glove 7 I decided to try the Trail Glove six shoes and Meindl Pure Vision shoes. With the Trail Glove 6 I found that they are very tight around the part of the foot that gater straps would hook under. I was worried that they would give me cramps as a result. So far this hasn’t been the case. They felt okay on ten kilometre walks, although they’re annoying to put on.

I also get the impression that with these shoes I tend to hit the ground too hard, with my heel strikes, so the heel begins to hurt very slightly near the end of walks.

Meindl Pure Vision

The Meindl Pure Vision shoes use a system similar to Boa for lacing. You tighten and loosen the shoes by sliding something on thin cables. These are marketed as secondary shoes for hiking, cycling and more. I believe that they are meant to be used as an alternative to wearing hiking boots during hiking breaks, for example to catch trains, buses or go shopping and to restaurants. I don’t think that they’re intended for long distance walking.

We often read about people taking crocs on long hikes for camps or town days. I believe that barefoot shoes are both lighter, and more versatile, so more interesting to carry as spares. The pure vision shoes come folded in a bag that you can attach to your bag with a carabiner, for when you are tired of wearing hiking boots.

One Hundred Days Later

Yesterday I checked my feet and they seem better than they were when I started the experiment. The damage that other shoes seemed to have started to do to my feet is gone and they now feel good. These shoes are extremely comfortable to wear, light, and compatible with the style of walking that I am used to. I do feel that the way I put my feet down has changed a little. Rather than heel strike I now tend to put the side of my feet down first, before rolling the entire foot to the ground. Near the ends of walks my legs do get tired and I sometimes heel strike.

I don’t know whether the slight pain I feel in my heels is because the Trail Glove 7s have worn so much that the base no longer provides the heel with adequate protection or if it’s because I played with the Trail Glove six shoes. The Trail Glove six feel less forgiving of my walking style, as do the pure vision. That’s why I wear those two shoes when I walk with people, rather than alone. People walk slower than me, so I can afford to wear less forgiving shoes as my strides are shorter.

I recently read First Steps while walking with various shoes and it’s interesting to learn about how the human body has had to evolve to enable walking upright/bipedally. Since beginning this experiment with “barefoot” shoes I have worn normal shoes for walking just once. I have tried one run, and felt fine.

More Tiring

I alluded to it before but I want to make it clear. I think that these shoes make walking more tiring because they require a different technique. I like to walk fast, and fast walking requires striding., but striding, with barefoot shoes results in violent heel strikes. If I am not careful I will damage my heel bone. That’s why I think that three pairs of barefoot shoes are fine when I’m walking with others, and the last is better suited to me walking alone.

And Finally

I tried barefoot shoes out of curiousity. I didn’t want to get back to basics, and I didn’t want to resolve any theoretical problems. I was inquisitve and spontaneously decided to try such shoes. I consider the experiment as a success. I like the Trail Glove 7 best. They forgive me for my walking style.

Slowed by the Wind

Slowed by the Wind

Byrichard

Yesterday I walked into the wind for two to three kilometres. The wind was so strong that the Apple watch gave me “high noise level” warnings more than once. The wind was around 30-40km/h. It was so strong that I stopped listening to an Audiobook because I couldn’t hear it. I then heard the summary for the last kilometre and was told that I was walking at 11 minutes per kilometre, compared to my 10 minutes 40 per kilometre.

I didn’t ride the bike because I saw how windy it was, but for the wind to be strong enough to affect my walking speed is new. I’ve walked in very high winds in the past, but that was at the sea side, not Switzerland. Walking in a strong wind is unpleasant because it’s noisy, So noisy that you can’t listen to anything but the wind.

Wind on a Bike

We are all familiar with the wind when cycling. We are used to that feeling of fighting an uphill battle despite being on flat ground. A few days ago I cycled to Geneva and back and I was fighting the wind. When you cycle into the wind you’re making a certain amount of effort but your progress is sluggish. You question whether you are less fit than usual, and you feel more tired. The wind makes you work hard. That’s why riding with the wind pushing is more fun. That’s when you feel much faster than usual.

Surprised

I was really surprised that the wind actually slowed me down but that’s normal. I was walking into the wind, and there were no trees or other obstacles to break up the wind. I was walking headlong into the wind, with no trees or anything else to slow it down. I tried walking in the lee of a power pole but that didn’t help. I just walked into the wind.

Warm Day

I checked the temperature before going on my walk. I saw that the temperature was 27°c, so walking in that temperature, with that wind, is not unpleasant. I wasn’t cold. I was simply impatient to get next to some trees and buildings, as well as to change direction, to stop facing straight into the wind.

According to the Beaufort scale, walking into the wind becomes difficult at around 32-38 kph (50-61 mph). This is the equivalent of a moderate gale. At this wind speed, the wind can start to push you back, making it difficult to maintain your balance and forward momentum. If the wind is blowing from the side, it can also make it difficult to walk in a straight line.

At wind speeds of 40 kph or more, walking into the wind can become dangerous. The wind can be strong enough to knock you over, and it can also make it difficult to breathe. If you are planning on walking in windy conditions, it is important to dress appropriately and to be aware of the risks involved.

According to Google Bard I was right at the limit of what can be walked in, comfortably. Just a little stronger and I would have been fighting with the wind, rather than inconvenienced.

And Finally

Overall this summer has been calmer than usual. We have had wind, rain and moderate heat. We have not had days in a row that reached 37°c or more. This summer has been more comfortable, less extreme.

Twenty Seven Thousand Steps in BareFoot Shoes

Byrichard

A few days ago I took twenty seven thousand steps in barefoot shoes. My feet did not suffer at all from walking that far in such shoes. I did some of that walking in the vapor gloves and the rest in the Trail Gloves. The beauty of barefoot walking is that you acclimate to such shoes quite fast. Within a matter of a week or two they become comfortable and feel normal. 


The problem with normal shoes is that they are made of solid parts. They might pinch around the top of the foot near the toes, and the material that protects the back of the heel wears away and begins to cause blisters sometimes. 


For a while I found that most conventional shoes became uncomfortable for one reason or another. I also found that they were uncomfortable twice. The first time is when you just bought them, because your feet needs to get used to the new shoe shape. The second time is when the rear of the shoe gets worn through and the heel rubs against the unprotected plastic. Both of these situations require either blister protection, or just accepting the slight discomfort. 


That I can walk 27,000 steps in a single day, with barefoot shoes says a lot about these shoes. Although they offer very little padding they feel natural within days, rather than weeks. 


They even felt comfortable with running today. I ran a few minutes at a time. I felt no pain or warnings. 


Ideally I would be walking in vapor glove shoes, rather than trail gloves. I don’t. Most of my walking is on tarmac or concrete. Both of these are hard surfaces and an unprotected heel will hit the ground with a lot of force. This causes pain, especially over thousands of steps. With the trail gloves I can walk as if I had not transitioned from one shoe type to the other. I don’t want to change my daily walk, to accommodate shoes. I want to do the opposite. So far I have succeeded. 

Walking “Barefoot” with The Vapor Glove 6

Walking “Barefoot” with The Vapor Glove 6

Byrichard

Most shoes are designed to protect the heel with a cushion of air or material that absorbs heel strikes, before they are transmitted to the rest of the skeletal system. With barefoot shoes, especially the Vapor Glove 6 those heel strikes are not absorbed. You feel the force with which your heel is hitting the ground. 


Winding Up


I tried three walks with the Vapor Gloves. I decided to try purchase and try the Trail Glove 7 as a result of my Vapor Glove experience. I like the Vapor Glove shoes but I was worried that if I used them too often, too quickly, I would end up with a fracture or pain. The Trail Gloves are great because I get the “barefoot shoe” experience, without the unforgiving heel strikes. 


The Long Walk


Yesterday I went for an 11km walk with the Vapor Gloves and I felt fine for almost the entire walk. I felt fine until the last kilometre when I felt that the base of my foot was getting tired. Feet do not get any assistance with the Vapor Glove 6. After walking with them I can feel my leg muscles, my heels and I could feel the plantar fascia getting tired. Today I will rest my feet by wearing either normal shoes, or the trail glove shoes, for my daily walk. 


Feeling Textures


Walking with barefoot shoes is interesting because you feel textures. When you walk on the painted lines you can feel the contour. You can feel the change in texture from tarmac to smooth paint. You can feel the edge. 


When I was walking with the Trail Gloves two days ago I could feel a much softer than usual feel under my feet. The rubber felt really smooth compared to normal shoes. It felt like the bike tyres after they have had time to warm up. It was that same quality of smootheness. It’s enjoyable. 


Trail Glove Wear


I have logged around 60km with the trail gloves and they are showing signs of wear. The tread is gone from the left heel as well as from the left toes. I have the same wear pattern on normal shoes. It will be interesting to see if I get a similar wear pattern on the Vapor Gloves. 


global wear on trail glove 7 after 60km
global wear on trail glove 7 after 60km

Heel wear on trail glove 7
Heel wear on trail glove 7

toe wear on Trail Glove 7
toe wear on Trail Glove 7


In Summary


I was reading a book where I read that normal shoes are like casts. Our shoes are encased and move minimally. As a result of this immobility our feet become weak. Our weak feet affect our knees, our hips and the rest of our body. By wearing shoes with a raised heel we are walking uphill even when we are walking downhill. With barefoot shoes we are dumping all of the assistance provided by normal shoes, and we are re-learning to walk as if we were barefoot. That’s why it’s meant to be done incrementally, to avoid injury. So far I have enjoyed the experience.