I did a walk in the VFFs this time with no socks, to test how the sole is doing. Still a bit tender but better for most of the 2.8 miles. It was 45 degrees, and I wore pants and a medium winter jacket. The feet were a little chilly but not bad.
Soft Fall - At one point I was walking along the sidewalk, absentmindedly looking at the sky, when I walked right across a sheet of pure ice, and ended up on the ground before I knew it. Slight impact on my palm, but that was it. Since I was walking very softly at the time, there was no pent-up forward force in my step to release on the slippery ice, and my legs did not fly out from under me as can happen. Instead, I just kind of folded onto the ground, or like doing a baseball slide onto carpet.
Tried the New Balance M730 at Sports Authority on the way home from work. It's actually a pretty nice minimal shoe with loose fit like the MT10, and probably the thinnest sole I've seen on a shoe at a major sports retailer. Maybe a 4mm heel drop? Not much. Super low to the ground. Strangely, I couldn't even find this shoe on the Sports Authority or New Balance web sites, even though it was not at Sports Authority two weeks ago. Still a bit cramped on the outsides for me in the size that fits best around the ankle and big toe.
