Big Swed posted this message on the forum called Chinese Fivefingels. He mistook ankle for wrist but his observations on minimal shoes on rough terrain are interesting. For me the fear of uncomfortable wet feet is a big factor. Maybe I should just get over it...
Hello, I had a nice walk on rocky beaches today. Maybe 20 km, with a daypack. I don't subscribe to the theory that you need wrist support for heavy loads. I carried insane heavy stuff in the army and we had ordinary leather boots and where instructed to wear them loosely tied above the wrist. There is soooo much debate on wether you need any wrist support, since I dropped my meindls (very supportive) in favour of Lundhags, which have little support, I have had zero problems. Just have normal good strong wrists instead of thinking an alpine boot will solve your problems. Sherpas use flip flops (up to a certain height but with the same load). One kilo on the foot is like five kilos in the backpack, this has been tested in numerous US army medical tests and in other clinical tests. Instead of worrying of support, lighten the load and lighten the shoes and be a happier camper.
They fivefingels worked very good. No problem with wet slippery rocks, much better grip than trainers or stiff hiking boots. The amount of rubber on the rock is a lot higher than with boots since these are flexible and allow the toes to be part of the grip in another way than ordinary shoes. I liked it a lot. They are sweatier than my trainers though. And the soak up really quick. It's just a matter of adjusting your perspective, it's no danger being wet. The same as if you switch to trail running shoes from boots.
On sizing, well, I usually have 45-46 in shoes, on hiking boots I use 47 (for spare socks). I went with 46 on the fivefingels, feels real good sizewise. You should probably go one above if you need socks, I think.
