How long does the sole of your minimalist shoes last?

I won't go up by the trees.

Literally, until you see the foot appear underneath the sole.

I searched the memory cabinet for some Vivobarefoot Ultra I've had for a long time. I wanted to take a picture of it. So you could see what I'm talking about.

I used them a lot, a lot, a lot. As a day-to-day shoe, for shopping, going to the pool, etc... as well as for training and racing.

Here's a picture at the starting line of a half-marathon. The third one starting from your right.

Running with the Vivobarefoot Ultra

With them I felt fast, light and cool. Even though it was a joke on friends. The typical jokes before the start, which in this case had a clear opinion about my shoes.

- What are you going to run with the flip-flops on the beach?

Well, I liked them so much that I wore them until I made a hole in the sole, right where the big toe starts. It wasn't very big, but it was big enough not to wear them.

You know "in a blacksmith's house, a wooden spoon".

How right he is, because I didn't throw them away, and I kept using them for some time more.

As I was saying before, I looked for them, but I didn't find them. Of course, they were useless, although I don't remember throwing them away. I don't like to get rid of my things, even if they're old, even if I can't use them.

Yes, I have a little bit of Diogenes syndrome, but when I lost my things usually end up in the recycling bin.

So...

how long does the sole of your minimalist shoes last?

It depends.

And what does it depend on?

(I don't know if you get what I get, but every time I hear this sequence of words I remember Jarabe de Palo and Pau Donés).

Well, it depends on the use you make of it. You know you can use it until the sole is completely worn out. It's difficult if you use the minimalist shoes to work, walk or do natural training, crossfit or calisthenics.

It's different if you use them for running.

In that case, other factors play a role. For me, the main ones are:

• Cadence or number of steps per minute. If your cadence is over 170 steps/minute you will wear more the sole than if you run at 180 steps/minute.

• Running technique. Do you drag your feet?, do you step forward or do you push from behind? all this influences the wear of the sole.

• Terrain. It's not the same running on soft cement, on deteriorated asphalt, or running on the sand at the beach, as doing the 'goat' across a stone field.

• Type of runner. I don't think that the weight is a limiting thing in the running technique (I speak of something normal), but the more weight of the runner, the greater impact against the ground. About 3 times your weight, so the sole of the minimalist shoes is also subjected to that impact.

• Ambient temperature. At the extremes, this factor must also be considered. A 50º asphalt or a -1º road are situations that cause a greater deterioration of the rubber of your shoes.

I always talk about the sole of my shoes

The top is another song and it gives for another post. Although I anticipate that in this matter, brands have a lot to do with the type of material they use in their manufacture.