Working on reviews! Busy busy week

Don't worry, the rest of my reviews are coming in slowly here. Prom week has been crazy for me, and the AP Gov test is looming closer and closer each week.

Will try to keep a lot of this blog more active.

Hersey F/S invite next Tuesday, Northern Illinois Invitational next Friday, two of our BIGGEST meets of the year. Super stoked!

Belvidere/Auburn Triangular at Home

Quick update here. Not many pics, meet was really really quick .


Great weather, slight wind, sun out. Could finally get the spandex off!

4x1 and 4x2 finished first.
Triple jump finished first, and 100m was almost a PR, clocked in at second, tying my bud Kienen.

Shoe lineup was my two sets of spikes and my VFF KomodoSports.

Not too shabby, could've been a better meet.

Ran two miles in my Komodo Sports today ! Much different from my Lontras that I've been running in!

25th Annual Hononegah Relays Track Meet

Tried a Panorama shot there, and I think it worked out well! Haha!

What a beautiful day for a meet. Sunny, with a temperature of about 45 degrees! That's probably one of our best meet conditions all year! Besides the fact that the season is already almost over, we savored the sun and warmer weather.

There were a total of 6 schools present.

Apparel line-up for me was my Dry Max Performance socks, my Inov-8 Bare-x 200's, and my Adizero Prime SP's!

Of course, today was a relay meet, so there were some unorthodox events such as the 110m shuttle, combined distance field events, weightman's relay, and distance/sprint medleys.


I didn't participate in the triple jump this meet (top 3 overall per school compete).

My events today were just the 4x100m and the 4x200m

4x1

4x100m finished out at 5th place out of 5. I started the race in lane 2 with an insane start, I have to say, that is probably the fastest 100m I have ever run in my life. I felt fast, I had so much grip, and I caught even lanes 2 and 3 within the first 50 meters...on a staggered start. My hand-off to my brother was again like clockwork--claiming an unofficial "hand-off of the meet" by a load of team mates. A perfect reach and receive, right where we wanted the hand-off done.

He flew on the straight with the slight wind to his back, a few feet behind lanes 5 and six, meaning that we had a massive lead since all teams stayed in their lanes.

My brother described the hand-off from him to our 3rd runner as a clean slip-in. Our 3rd runner knew my brother was ready and they did not even need a verbal "HIT" for an indication to grab the baton.

The third runner was halfway through the curve before any of the other teams handed off to their own third runners.

And...the 3-4 exchange was not very good at all. Our 4th runner got much too excited, as we were shooting for a destroying personal record. He became impatient as they neared the end of the exchange zone, and decided to grab the baton instead of waiting, effectively knocking the baton out of our teammate's hands.

He still finished the race, but in anger none-the-less.

4x2

In the 4x200m, we pulled a first place finish by a noticeable lead. 

But here's the fun part. 

As I was in "set" position of the start of the race, I false started a few milliseconds before the gun. The gun went off midstride for me, so I got up and stopped. I waited for the second gunshot which would indicate a false start, but heard none and kept running. 

I talked to the starters after the race, and they claimed they watched me the entire time and didn't see a false start. So either they simply didn't see my twitch, or I had the PERFECT start. (Which was obviously negated by my standing)

We still won, and I had a terrible split as expected. It was just funny that I got up and stood there. 

Even my buddy holding the starting blocks had his hands up in disappointment when he saw my twitch! 

Fun stuff

 Got spiked by my buddy in some practice handoffs!

Weightman's relay wore capes........with "Team Pol" written on the back, since this year is the last for our head coach, who has coached 33 years as head coach at our school. 

Water levels rose even more! That blue ring out there? That's a park garbage can.....

Inov-8 Bare-X 200 Review (After 250+ Miles)

Finally rolled around to my review of the Inov-8 Bare-X 200's! I should note here that I have not read a single review of this shoe since the purchase. I did, however, research the Bare-X 150's, a similar shoe, prior to the purchase.

I picked these up 9 months ago in July of 2012, in need of new minimalist shoes. My Vivobarefoot Evo I's ripped out on me and cross country was beginning to roll around, so I dropped by Revolution Natural Running's website, as I had run across some information regarding a sale there. I also nabbed a pair of Newton Distancia's on sale as well (which I ended up giving away a few weeks ago).

I contemplated between the Bare-X 150's and the Bare-X 200's. The 150's were an 8mm stack height shoe, zero drop. The 200's are a 3mm stack, zero drop.

I regrettably went with the 200's; regrettably not because of the price, function, or 3mm stack height, but because they only come in white...! I mean...white running shoes?!

I still have the original box, as I use it to store some records for my small company. It's a simple box with a colorful print on the top, show above. I ordered a 41.5, which seems to run a tad large compared to other companies. 

The weight comes in at 6.5oz per shoe. Again, this is a men's size 41.5, or 8.5 US.

And here they are! Blackened after 250+ miles on concrete, trails, tracks, and grass. I use

these shoes for casual wear, workouts, and weightlifting.

The Sole

The sole of the shoe is a very thin, flexible Bare-X sole. Inov-8 describes the compound as blended synthetic Lite Rubber and EVA foam. Whatever it's made out of, it's amazing. It's endured more than enough gravel, concrete, and harsh trails without any major signs of failure. What's also noticeable is the texture--not only is there a wicked portrayal of the bones of a human foot, but there are also horizontal serrations that allow for better flexes and bends. There are no signs of punctures, rips, or tears in the sole. At first, it was a very rubbery, grippy sole! After 9 months of hard wear and use, it is now much like high grit sandpaper: slightly rough, but slippery feeling. The sole is intrinsically durable, while maintaining flexibility.  

The Meta-Flex system is extremely effective in allowing natural flexibility in the forefoot. Here you can also see the sole looks almost "scratched" or bruised. 

By simply holding it upright by the heel assist loop, the weight of the shoe pushes down at the point of the Meta-Flex and creates the bend shown above. 

Here's the heel. As I mentioned, I do use these in casual situations. You can also see some vertical serrations that allow for the right and left of the shoe to bend with ease.

The Upper

The upper consists of a "Met-Cradel" lacing system (the pale/clear/yellow plastic part) that is very, very handy. The laces pull the cradle into place, which continues around the shoe and until the sole. This allows for a glove-like fit. 

Other than the Met-Cradel system, the upper is a strong, lightweight mesh. Inov-8 is shown in gray lettering underneath the lacing system, which is frankly difficult to read. 

The front has some small lettering, declaring "Bare-X 200". I do love the small accents along the front toe, that seem to point at the logo. The are a distinctly different texture and never seem to stain. 

The toe bumper proudly displays the Inov-8 logo! Here you may also notice the amount of height that the toe sits when the shoe is flat! 

The insole is a perforated, firm foam.

This is what's under the insole when you pull it out. Just a perspective for those wishing to run without the insole. 

The shoes seem very narrow; I have had friends (non-minimalist/affiliated with running) comment that my shoes simply look like a wrestling shoe, or tight fitting. I have not found the fit to be restraining or uncomfortable! The mesh is soft, and very well ventilated. Any wind breezes poke at my toes and feet inside.  They also are probably my worst smelling shoes, regardless of how may times I wash them. My feet heat up,  but moisture is well taken care of. The laces are very thin, but I have not experienced any fraying. The laces are also really, really long. 

Showcasing the flexibility of it! 

The left shoe heel loop assist ripped out on the the first day! I simply cut off the other side. Bad luck I suppose...

Performance 

So I'm sure that you stumbled by this review for the performance, and durability after 250+ miles! 

I must say that the shoe is very lightweight, durable, and flexible. The shoe fared well on concrete, trails, grass, tracks, and roads. I didn't experience any pain associated with the shoe. (I came from a 4mm Evo I, so not much different there.) 

I found them to be like my Evo I's, but thinner. It was definitely more flexible for me. However, I liked the clean white color in the end for casual purposes, often matching skinny khakis and a boisterous colored top. Additionally, they look like regular shoes!  besides the "narrowness" that they may portray, I get the wonderful feeling of walking between classes in a minimalist shoe, with a stylish look. 

They get cold. And wet. 

Here in Illinois, weather is so unpredictable. The wind penetrates the upper and freezes my toes in the colder months. In the wet months, even the smallest puddles find their way into the shoe, due to a low side skirt, unlike my Evo II's shown here: 

You can see that the toe area allows water even just a few millimeters high to burst through the mesh and onto my feet! 

Speaking of which, when it gets particularly icy on the roads or sidewalks, I often find myself sliding about! On my 600m walk to school from a remote parking lot, I've fallen a total of 3 times in these shoes this winter! The sole is simply not grippy enough for slightly wet or icy surfaces. I don't know if that is to do with a 250+ mile toll on the shoe, or not, as I purchased the shoe and ran most of its miles before winter. 

This slipping often occurred on grass as well--wet or not. This is what left me as this shoe as a training shoe, and not race shoe for cross country (which often takes place on grass routes).

I did also notice much traction loss on the indoor track that my school has. This also led to my VFF Komodo Sports to being my racing shoe indoors, and the Bare-X 200's as training shoes.

I suppose you sacrifice grip for lightweight durability, flexibility, and thinness. 

Conclusion

The Inov-8 Bare-X 200's are one of Inov-8's less popular models, but is a perfect "regular" looking minimalist shoe with the ground feel similar to Vivobarefoot Evo I's, VFF Komodo Sport's, and Zemgear 360. They are a lightweight, flexible, and durable shoe that has endured miles upon miles of training across a wide variety of surfaces. The upper is strong, with no apparent or likely damage, rips, or tears, and the sole continues to survive. I can see another 200 miles in these suckers. They fit like a glove on your foot, and manage moisture well--but not heat. They are perfect for your typical warm sunny day, but are terrifying in wet, cold, or icy conditions. The sole simply does not grip the surfaces and allows slippage and traction loss. They suit well for both casual and athletic sessions of wear and are inov-8-ive (haha) in their design and styling. They remain as a wonderful day-to-day shoe, but also a hard training session shoe for me. And after washing several times, there still is no apparent damage. They are a fantastic shoe with dual application in athletics and style, that are practical. Think Hyundai Genesis--classy, but no-name. Fast, but boring. Now imagine that without AWD because these shoes love to slip and slide! 

Pros

-Durable, lightweight, and flexible sole

-Strong upper, shows no fraying or signs of tearing

-Stylish and can be used in "regular shoe" situations

-No abrasions or discomfort

-Snug lacing system that allows for a glove-like fit

-Offer phenomenal ground feet and a true barefoot experience

-Manage moisture efficiently

-Rather cheap, starting around $70 USD in some retailers

Cons

-Difficult to use in wet, cold, or icy conditions

-Sole is simply too slippery and does not grip these surfaces

-Do not ventilate heat well (although, I do have hyperhidrosis and that plays a large role in this con)

-May have a narrow fit on some

-Let water in a bit easily

-Run a bit large length wise, contrary to the narrow fit. 

-Allows water in easily

-Only offered in the color white, which obviously gets dirty quickly 

 Here they are after a fresh cycle in the washing machine! Pearly white!

 And the inside, paired with my Dry Max Performance socks.

Here you can see the "narrowness" of the shoe , along with the super long laces (even after I double knotted). 

The sole after a wash cycle. 

And to close out the review, a pic from a few months ago that I found where I used the shoe to match my over-sized, overly puffy coat on my trip to Chicago! 

These Lontras...!

THEY WORK. 

I walk to school from a remote parking lot, about 600 meters! 

The past week has been hard rain; it has induced flash flood weather warnings and river flooding.

The concrete path is a foot lower than the road right next to it, so any rain water drains into the path. However, the path is curved down so that it has some stretches of 2-3 inch deep water! 

These mini "lakes" are unavoidable. I usually carry an extra pair of shoes to school to change into. 

I carefully tread into the first mini lake, about 12 feet long and 3 inches deep. I thought for sure that my feet would get that freezing sensation of cold water moistening my feet. As I continued walking, (effectively soaking the bottom of my pant legs) my feet did not get wet at all. No cold water, no moisture. The water was at the level of where the mesh begins on the shoes, and it effectively held out water! 

I happily, confidently, stepped through the next two mini lakes and smiled to myself! They work fantastically! 

On another note, I would usually wear my Inov-8 Bare-x 200's for the trek to school, which would instantly let any 1-inch-deep water stream through the mesh! The Lontras felt so much nicer! 

This is supposed to be a baseball diamond. The basket ball hoops are also under a foot of water! 

New Vivobarefoot Models Out!

I'm a huge fan of Vivobarefoot. The Evo I was my FIRST barefoot shoe after transitioning ! That's where I started my 2 year fall into a minimalist footwear addiction!

Unfortunately, my Evo I's ended up ripping in several areas, on both shoes. My Evo II's are currently clocked in at 280 miles, and the upper is still holding up. The sole is perfect; needless to say, I've harvested an addiction to the Vivobarefoot brand, including experience with Neo's, Ultra-Pures, and Achilles (is it weird if friends share shoes for quick runs?)

I really would love to see how the new "The One" and "Evo Lite Breathable" are improved over earlier models.

In my opinion, Evo III's were largely an unsuccessful product; I don't see many reviews or as many prevalent  wearers at track meets (Vivobarefoot seems to be LARGELY popular among sprinters in the track community!!!). The new styles and colors are breathtakingly attractive and much different from the traditional hexagonal styling. Wise choice on distinguishing models!

 Here are the Evo Lite Breathables! The hexagonal pattern is still prevalent! I truly love the new colorways. Seems to use the same typical Evo 3mm outsole, which has proven dependent for me!

 And here, the new model, "The One". The sole is what Vivobarefoot claims to be an ultimate on road/in-gym performance model. I love the styling, as well as both colorways! What REALLY makes me happy is the resemblance to my Adidas Prime SP track spike. (Which I absolutely love).

Similar, no?

And of course, a new colorway followed in the Breatho trail model! The red is reminiscent of the Lite Breathables and the neon yellow/green is following the trend of the newest 2012 Olympics trend (which has transferred over to track, soccer, football): Nike's Volt series!


Definitely excited about these new products. I can't decide between the Evo Breathables or The One as my favorite as of now!!

Incoming Reviews!

Stay tuned for some performance reviews on some of the most well known minimalist shoes! I have run 250+ miles in most of these shoes (...darn cross-country) and am able to give a competent durability/performance review on these shoes in a long term matter! Hopefully I can get a few done this weekend after the Hononegah Relays Track meet!

 Saucony Hattori

 VFF KMD Sport Lace

 Zemgear 360

 Inov-8 Bare-x 200

 Vivobarefoot Evo II

Adidas Prime SP sprint spike