T-Rocket Yeti Sandals

For my birthday in December I was lucky to score a pair of T-Rocket Yeti Sandals.

Now having run over 500km in them it's time to look at them and share a couple of thoughts:

Where does one start? Well I can start by saying I don't wear flip-flops! I don't like them! Never felt comfortable with something between my toes! That said I didn't mind 5 fingers so, lets put these on and see what happens...

Ok, putting them on the first time took a bit of time:
• I set the back strap
• I set the tension around the ankle
• I set the tension of the thong through the toe.
All set... and like a mad athlete with a new toy, I just had to head out for a run!!! Only 1.6km around the block but it was enough to test if I had the straps right, if I was ready to do some real running.

I did tinker with the straps a bit, but it's easy.

Most of you would wear flip-flops, these are not flip-flops, these are sandals, so they 'stick' to your foot! So if you shake your foot around it doesn't come off!

Let's run:

No wait, let me tell you this first, I have been running in 5-fingers, Vivobarefoot shoes, and NB minius for years now so what I'm about to tell you about my runs not everyone can do!

• Run 1 (2 Dec), 1.6km around the block
• Run 2 (5 Dec), 4km pushed for time, but had been wearing them in the house.
• Run 3 (8 Dec), was wearing them as I drove to the track... ran in to enter a couple of track races!!! It felt comfortable! Kept them on for a 3000m track race, a 1000m race and the Mile.
• Run 4 (12 Dec), 14km on the road.
• Run 5 (15 Dec), 21.1km not a race, just a run 88:47
• Run 7 (22 Dec), 30km 2h25 half road, half easy trail over 500m climb
• Run ? (23 Feb), 14.3km 2h06 real trail, single track on Vlakenberg 700m climb.
Wow, I've run a bit of everything in them... from the runs above you can see I've run road, gravel road trail, rocky single track trail and track! yes tartan!

Only pic left of me on the track, with me 40 years ago!

Now what do they run like?
I'm having a ball in them!
Really?
Yes!
But it's just a hard piece of rubber under your foot!

Truth be told, it's not that hard, it bends and wraps around anything and has enough give! Have you ever been on a tartan track? Well next time take you shoes off and go for a run! That was what it feels like! Don't ever get near a track? How about the carpet at home? Jog down the passage!

When running I feel someone has rolled out thin rubber mat in front of me, yes I feel the rocks and stones but you want to feel the ground so all is good. The rubber is thick enough so sharp rock aren't a problem.

What I can say: that 3rd run, the track races, my toes felt a bit of a burn, the type of burn you might feel running on the beach... so start easy for a couple of runs, till you get use to running in sandals.
Blisters? No problems, No NOT even between the toes, the foot doesn't move! I can say, the little plastic that connects the straps was uncomfortable for a bit, but I sanded the ruff edge off and I don't feel it anymore.

Another thing I've noticed is that in the wet, while the soles might still grip to every rock and road, my foot wanted to slide a bit... this just meant taking turns a little slower. No problem on the road, but on a twisty trail... if you are a racing snake you will be loosing a bit of time!
I also felt, due to the fact you don't have big lugs, some loose rocky down hills slow you down... ok they slowed me down. That said I'm old and take them slowly in any case!

Some real single track heading to Blackburn

In the mean time I have a 2nd pair, The Streetlite, They are a little softer, thinner and lighter. (and the foot slips more in the wet, but this will improve as the sandal molds to your foot. The sole mean while grips to anything!)

Raced 30km in them on the weekend

Who should own/run in a pair of sandal?

Well, I would say everyone, yes you, you, and even you... but that said not everyone will be racing track races and running 30+ km long runs in them...
Most of you will just put them on for a jog round the block, to walk to the beach, to go shopping in! A sandal is not a flip-flop it allows your foot to relax and move freely strengthening it. Strong feet, good for running.

So your feet get dirty

New Balance Minimus Trail Zero

Last year a friend of mine arrived at the club with a pair of New Balance Minimus MT10 and after seeing them I wanted a pair...

Now unlike the rest of the world who might just go out and buy a pair I wanted to win a pair. Yes I'm cheap, but I also knew that New Balance sponsor a number of races and there are always shoes to be won!!!


So I ran a half marathon sponsored by them, with 5 pairs up for grabs I had a chance... but no luck (there were about 2000 runner.) Next up I headed to one of the New Balance Trail Races, now having run myself into the ground at the half on the weekend I had no speed at the Wednesday race (don't know if it would have help) so no win for me.

I was thinking I would have to wait a month for the next trail race and be ready for it this time... but with the end of the year came the club party! And yes our club is sponsored by, along with ACSIS, New Balance!!! So what does this mean? Give aways, yes, 3 prizes for the evening. So with everybody sitting down they told us to look under our chair, and can you handle it I found a ticket, and the prize, you guessed it; I pair of New Balance shoes!!!

That happened on a Friday Night, well that Saturday I was at the shop... AAAAAAH no stock, nothing, come back in January...

Guess what? It's January...

So What Do You Think?

OK I don't normally do this, but since this shoe is so light I just had to get out Dawn's kitchen scale and start weighing...

Top Left Montrail Streak 320g
Top Right Salomon Wings 300g
Nike Zoom racer (1997) 205g
KSO 5 Fingers 190g

So what was the New, New Balance shoe!!! 120g

OK so what is the New Balance Minimus Trail Zero, well there are all this new words going around, words like: Barefoot, Minimal, Zero Drop, while all along they are just racing flats. Yes a light weight, zero drop, minimal, barefoot, trail racing flat...

I put them on last night and took them for a 'spin', a 5km warm up and 12 x fast slow 200's. Wanted to get the feel of them before I take them on the trail. I read a lot of write ups on the shoe and to be honest I don't really like the way these so-called barefoot junkies talk. The way it's all or nothing, if a shoe can't role into a ball and doesn't have a zero drop it's no good... well let me tell you the truth:

It's good to get out and run barefoot sometimes, it's also good to run hills and intervals. So what about shoes: If a shoe works, keep using it, if it looks nice buy it, if it works for you it's the right shoe!!! Everyone is different... Now the shoe in question, The New Balance Minimus MT00, well I had no problems, I like the way a "zero drop" shoe runs, and on the warm up (tar pavement) it has a similar feeling to my 5 fingers (maybe like 5 fingers on grass). On the track, an old grass track they were great the grip was amazing, and with them being so light it was almost like running in spikes.

I can't tell you any more about the shoe, but when I take them up the mountain and run in them like a real trail shoe I'll let you know if they are any good as a trail shoe, or will they only work as a cross country shoe? I can tell they'll make a great CC.

Now because I run in 5 fingers and wear flat shoes to work I have no problems running in these shoes, just be warned, if you aren't use to flats this shoe could 'kill' your calves!!!!

Saturday I run the Red Hill 36.2km classic and it should be a fun long training run.