New minimalist shoes

My new Hattori's

Well, I received my new Saucony Hattori Running Shoe's in the mail yesterday and I had to give them a try.  I went on a short 2 mile run and I have to say they felt pretty good.

 

I've run on the VIVOBAREFOOT EVO for the last 2 months and while they are a good shoe, the fit has been less than stellar.  At first, they rubbed the until of my toes to the point that I would get blisters even on a half mile run.  As my feet adjusted to that and I was able to run farther, the shoes started to give me blisters on my arches.  The constant issues I have had have lead me to try a different shoe.

Front Shot

The Saucony is a very light minimalist running shoe.  It is a zero rise shoe meaning that the thickness at the heel is the same as at the ball of the foot.  The material is much lighter than the Vivo's.  The toe box is covered with a this mesh like material that should be breathable. The adjustment of the shoe comes from two Velcro straps over the arch of the foot and at the back around the Achilles. 

The initial feel of the Hattori's was great.  The shoes fits very well around my foot.  The shoe has a wide toe box, but it runs just a tad short.  My big toe is at the front of the shoe an on my initial run it did not seem to bother me. Over the 2 miles that I ran, the shoe felt good and did not move around much.  I did not have any friction spots on the top of my toes or around my ankle that the Evo's definitely exhibited.  Towards the end of my run, the top of my foot was slightly irritated, but I'm not sure if it will be a persistent problem. 

Overall, my first impression of the Hattori Running Shoe is very positive.  I'll try to provide more feedback after I put a few more miles on them.

From the side