chollie

Darn, wish I'd stumbled on this thread sooner. The original Techamphibians apparently are gone and the replacement model got very poor reviews. I'm a big fan of Salomon footwear and these would have been great as an all-around shoe.

crp5

Casual runner here so I don't profess to be as active as many of you. I trade back and forth between my Nike free 5.0 and vibram KSO's when traveling.

The KSO's just flat disappear in your bag and are great cross training shoes. Mine pack down with a couple heavy rubber bands around them to ~1/2 inch thick. These are great if you follow a naturalist or POSE method of running. Takes a little getting use to as you have to develop of new running style to land on the balls of your feet rather than a heel strike. POSE teaches this as a controlled fall rather than a traditional running style with heavy heel / toe stride.

The Nike Free get pretty slim as well but not to the same extent ~ 1.5 inches thick with the rubber bands. Still pretty respectable! I have tried wearing the Nike's while in transit, but the design doesn't make it very friendly for quick on/off. They have an elastic boot for lack of a better word that snugs your feet in, there isn't a traditional tongue to open the shoe up. As a runnig shoe they suit me just fine. Minimal support, but considerably more that the vibrams.

fanger

I am told that the Nike Free line take some getting used to. You may need to cut back on your mileage as your feet strengthen/get used to supporting themselves more. They probably will not last as long due to the limited amounts of the heavy durable rubber on the sole.

I saw a model called the Nike Zoom that looked like it might provide a little more support albeit less cushion than the Free models.

The Free and Zoom have soft heels that collapse readily. That said, more conventional shoes have varying levels of packability, mostly depending on the heaviness (or lack thereof) of the material used in the uppers. Models with lightweight synthetics at the toe, lacing points and around the ankle tend to collapse reasonably well all the way up to the heel box. You could pack those better than a more conventionally designed high-support running shoe.

gnp001

I love my Nike Free shoes! They are great to work out and run a couple miles on a treadmill or workout in the hotel gym. I wouldn't recommend running a marathon in them though! They are very comfortable to wear for everyday too!

dchristiva

I'm a big proponent of the Five Fingers model, too. A must for folks who want to keep up with their running while on the road.

chx1975

What about the Vivo Barefoot?

aviationx

Can you really run with this?
Any more input on this subject? Could we all vote for the top three light running shoes for frequent flyers?

brokeboy

i have VFF and minimus http://www.newbalance.com/nb-minimus/

the minimus trail is way less ugly and the heel collapses, so I usually use it as a half slipper. however, i run in the VFF and I would never take those out on a trip unless its all hotels.

fanger

I guess this is the trail version of the Minimus line. There is very little structure in the uppers, and the heel can squish flat. I've done a few runs in them and I don't feel like it's taking any getting used to. It's just fine. Although possibly my shoulders and core are working a bit harder.

This particular model is not heavily cushioned, so is quite lightweight and take up hardly any space compressed. If you feel you need more cushion, go with one of the minimus models or Nike free.

I have found my travel running shoe.

lostarkansan

vibram five fingers are absolutely fantastic. they take getting used to, and, like a kid with a glove, the first few times are hard to get into. also, sizing is a bit weird, so recommend buying them in person, not online.

awp91

For those looking for regular shoes for the gym as well as running, I bring along Nike Frees. Same "barefoot" concept but doesn't have the individual toe sections. They are great for carryon -- lightweight and can compact down essentially to the sole, even fitting easily in a computer bag if necessary.

freecia

Stateside, Nordstrom has some Nike Free shoes on sale right now during their Anniversary Sale link

firequall

Another one for the barefoot style of running: http://www.invisibleshoe.com/



Quite literally a thin piece of rubber and some rope, custom made. They're a little finicky to tie but once you get it right you shouldn't have to retie them. Like the FiveFingers, they take a bit of getting used to but I absolutely love mine.

kmfdm91

I never saw this thread before, but as someone who always must pack a pair of running shoes on personal and business trips, I go with whatever is in my current rotation, but as others mention, some of my favourites are the Nike Free series.

I'm currently only a Nike runner and have a pair of v3.0s and two pair of v5.0s in my rotation now.

The 3.0s are great for packing because they weigh around 9 ounces and are completely flexible. The 5.0s weigh around 10 ounces and are less flexible, but much more so than typical running shoes.

For personal trips, I'll typically wear the 5.0s, since they fit good and are more comfortable to wear than most of my other running shoes, and i'll get some runs out of them when I get to my destination/waypoint.

And as others have mentioned, yes, it takes a bit of time to get used to running in the Frees. On my first run, I took them on a 12 mile run and by the time I got back home, I had big blisters on my heel. From that point forward, I realised that I was a 'typical' heel striker and wearing the shoes more often on smaller runs naturally changed my running type to more of an efficient runner with a midfoot (on the sides) strike and no more blisters. The Free v3.0s feel even better and the ride on them have been great - I've only run a half marathon on the Frees, but after you get used to them, I'd definitely recommend them even for long runs!

-jeremy

geepmaley

I do the same thing when I travel regardless of the extra shoes I have (dress, running, etc.) Saves some space and doesn't require crushing the shows. I usually stuff socks and boxers in the shoes as filler as they tend to fold up small, but you can use anything that fits