I am looking for some advice on running in VFF in mud, especially on hilly trails. After a couple of tries on in VFF I had to take 'real' shoes for my longer trail run. I wasn't slipping much but I did not like the feel and the weight. There are no Treks for women yet.
I run with VFF's on the trails quite a bit, although it's been awhile since I've seen mud and not snow.
With the mud, I can't imagine doing it without something that covers the top of your foot. I have gotten mud in places that rub in the VFF and still have scars to show for it.
Instead of KSO's do they have flow's in the smaller size? A bit heavier duty but it would be something.
There are also a lot of minimalist covered options that aren't VFF.
Creator of RunForth | @robraux | shodless.com
Would flow's be less slippery? That is my biggest concern.
Of course by the time they have women's Treks rains will have ended in CA which maybe is all for the better since those shoes seem to be quite expensive.
As for the mud getting into my shoes, I haven't had much problem with that (I run in KSO) but I can't think of any shoe that would protect against that.
Professional Antagonist
In conditions with less-than-ideal footing, I found barefoot to be ideal. As soon as you lose the tactile and proprioceptive feedback, you cannot easily determine when your foot is slipping until you actually begin to slip. When barefoot, you can tell the instant your foot touches the ground, which causes you to distribute your weight to minimize slipping. It's one of the HUGE advantages to barefoot trail running.
If barefoot is not an option, Ivleph's side-stepping solution works well. If the trail allows it, I will leave the muddy rut and run along side the trail.
Barefoot Running University- Jason's barefoot running site
Imminent Catastrophe
I believe KSOs and flows have the same tread (very little). Treks are much more grippy.
"Able to function despite imminent catastrophe"
"To obtain the air that angels breathe you must come to Tahoe"--Mark Twain
"The most common question from potential entrants is 'I do not know if I can do this' to which I usually answer, 'that's the whole point'.--Paul Charteris, Tarawera Ultramarathon RD.
√ Javelina Jundred Jalloween 2015
Cruel Jewel 50 mile May 2016
Western States 100 June 2016
With that said, I can run through the slop and on ice with the flows. They are warm, but there's 8 inches of snow on the ground around here, so for me, that's the point.
I always feel a little weary running through the slop barefoot. Although it feels amazing, I have had a couple of close calls with sticks jammed down in like spikes. It freaked me out a bit. After all, you can't really see where you're running.