Photographer, filmmaker and author, Dudley Edmondson, found that barefoot running in the chilly winters of Northern Minnesota can be a real challenge. Then he discovered O’Neill Reactor Reef Boots provide a near barefoot feel while being warm and inexpensive. Here is his review:
by Dudley Edmondson — Guest Writer
Justin here at BirthdayShoes.com asked me to share my thoughts about a minimalist shoe alternative for winter running conditions. If you’re like me and live in a colder climate you’ve discovered the Vibram Five shoe we all love is not exactly the best in cold weather. The Vibram Five Fingers Flow is supposed to be the shoe of choice in cold weather but here in northern Minnesota where the daytime temps can hover in the double digits below zero for a week or more, you really need more protection from the cold than a five toed shoe can offer.
Read the rest of Dudley’s review and see his How-to video after the jump!
By late November my feet were just not feelin’ the five finger love they had during the warmer months so I began to cobble together a multi-layered system that might seem kinda kooky so bare with me as I explain.
I start with a traditional running sock, perhaps a smart wool ankle high. From there it gets kind of weird. Over the wool sock I throw a Speedo neoprene aqua fin sock. That’s right a neoprene bootie that I usually wear with flippers in the pool for swimming. I am a triathlete and swim about 6000 yards a week so the bootie was something I already had lying around the house. The last layer is the piece I had to search for. I slip on something called an O’Neill Reactor Beef boot. The O’Neill reef boot is the brainchild of Jack O’Neill a coastal California surfin’ Kat who started his company back in 1952 and is credited with inventing the modern day wetsuit. The neoprene boot is designed to protect surfer’s bare feet from sharp, rocky coral. Jack was determined to beat Mother Nature at her game by designing gear that would allow surfers to ride the waves in the bone chilling cold waters off the coast of San Francisco.
The boot design really works well as a minimalist winter running shoe. It slips on like an old man’s galoshes over just about anything you put on your feet first. The reef boot sole is actually thinner that the Vibram Five Fingers sole, which I did not expect. Its greatest attribute is its super sticky sole complete with an aggressive tread pattern that does amazingly well over ice and snow.
The thin sole flexes so well that from my experience it seems to allow me even greater control. I’ve run many winters in traditional rigid sole running shoe and on snow its like dropping a rock into a pale of water, because it displaces everything under foot, causing a great deal of instability. The Five-finger and the reef boot flexibility allow you to tip toe, even creep up snow and ice greatly reducing the likelihood of slippage.
My new layering system with its multiple neoprene layers creates a nearly waterproof barrier between my feet and the cold snow. This amounts to two separate temperature zones, which is something you’ll appreciate on extremely cold days. The only down side is my toasty warm feet have no place to send their moisture so guess what, I come home with warm sweaty feet — nothing a little soap and water can’t fix. All in all it is the best solution I have found for running in extreme cold. Did I mention the shoes are less than $25.00 at many online retailers like SwimOutlet.com? The Speedo aqua fin socks cost about $12.00 and are also available online. Your requirements may vary depending on your climate and you may find that the reef boot and a pair of socks is all you need. With winter weather conditions gripping nearly every corner of the U.S in this La Niña year, the O’Neill Reactor Reef Boot might be the winter solution to your minimalist footwear running needs.
Finally, below is a how-to video of layering up with the O’Neill Reactor Reef Boots! Give it a try!
O’Neill Reactor Reef Boots How-to Video — winterizing wet shoes
Dudley, we appreciate the review!
Are there any other great solutions for running barefoot in Winter? Let us know in the comments!
29 replies on “Winter Running with O’Neill Reactor Reef Boots”
Thank you for your post. What size did Reef Boot did you end up buying and if you don’t wear the wool and aqua sock underneath the reef boot is the boot to big? Would you consider wearing the boot in summer in place of your VFF treks?
That is a truly genius idea. I always thought of using my scuba booties, just didn’t know how well it would work. Keep running no matter what nature throws at you.
This looks like a fantastic idea that I’m going to have to try. Did you have to size up on the Oneill Reactor Reef Boot at all? Or does it stretch enough to accommodate for the extra layers?
Great idea for snow running when it’s cold. Curious, any advice on sizing for the reef shoes (or the socks)? I wear US13 for most of my shoes. Also, are the shoes tight in the forefoot?
-Chris
What a genius idea! But could you just wear your vffs as layer number 2? Injinji socks, vff, then the bootie? For a 25$ investment, I may try it and let you know how it works.
Being up in Erie, PA, the sixth snowiest city in the US, I may have to give this a try. What an innovative and creative idea! Thanks Dudley!
to answer folks question sizing is the same as your typical shoe size. I bought a size 9 US. The shoe appears to come in whole sizes so by the size closet to your foot size. I normally wear a 9-1/2. the reef boot stretches very well and will fit over several layers. don’t know about wearing them over vibrams. you’d really have to size up quite a bit
The Reef boot fits over my naked foot just fine and under warmer conditions I could run in them that way. I plan to run triathlons in them for a quicker transition from biking to running
Great Idea, after reading this I hopped on ordered a pair. I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure out a way to avoid the water that and snow that keeps me from being on the trails this time of year. My package showed up this afternoon, and I’ve got to say, spot on. I was even aiming for puddles in the melt 😛 Feet are as dry as a bone, and I still feel like I do in VFFs. One side note, the toe box on these seems a little tight. I ordered a 1/2 size up (I’m an 8.5 US, so I went to a 9 for layers) and I don’t feel like I’m getting a great deal of room for toe splay, it’s certainly not the “wide” feeling i get from my treks.
Regardless, it’s all better that giant thick boots 🙂
I live in the Colorado Rockies and now run exclusively in sandals. My run this morning was -32˚F with windchill and only one sock. Here’s how:
http://www.mindyourheadcoop.org/blog/?p=848
To clarify, that should read minus 32˚F. The dash managed to hide on the line above.
I just got back from a little run in my KSOs and Injinjis. It’s about 26˚ here in Western NY. Little chilly on the toes. I have some watershoes/booties that I wanted to try for the winter. Great layering idea.
So far I have survived down to -5 (celsius) with Bikila’s and Wool Injinji’s up here in Toronto. But if February becomes as slushy as it can get here I may have to look into this. Thankfully city running gives you clear sidewalks.
I’ve been finding the flows just cut off my circulation and make my foot colder, anyone else have this problem?
thank you so much for sharing – I’m really excited about trying this myself. I was becoming desperate after sliding around in my Bikilas yesterday (lots of ice and packed snow here), but regular running shoes just don’t work for me anymore. this sounds like such a great solution!!
Just got mine in the mail this monday morning and all i can say is wow. These things are so comfy from the second you put them on. There is no seams rubbing my feet like in my Northern Michigan and running on snowmobile trails in the winter with my flows is a joke, feet are soaked and aching before the first mile. These 20$ aqua socks are a dream to wear no matter the weather. I sized down 1/2 size for swimming in the summer. Triathlons wont be so stressful now when it comes time to switching shoes, as these are my new go to Ninjas.
I’ve been using Terra Plana Evos and a pair of neoprene socks in NH. My feet get cold easily but I have had no problems with this combo. Haven’t tried it yet, but I think Yak Trax would be feasible as a last layer in very slippery conditions.
I also cannot use VFF Flows. Too tight on the toes.
My winter shoe of choice right now is the Feelmax Niesa with different thicknesses of insole and sock depending on the weather. Flexible and breathable.
Do you think these would stretch ok for wide feet? I go between 10 and 11 based on width. I guess I’m wondering if a 10 would stretch snug, but not uncomfortable.
@ Matt: In my experience, any shoe that constricts the forefoot at all is too tight. THere actually should be as much room sideways and in front of the toes, to allow for proper forefoot splay. ANything less and you’re practicing modern Western foot binding. That’s actually why I only wear huaraches sandals or go barefoot now.
I’ve had a great time running this winter. I wasn’t sure what would work best, so I bought the VFF Flow and Trek models. I found that the Flows actually made my feet too warm, even in below freezing temperatures. For below freezing temps, I’ve found Treks plus a pair of wool Injinji socks to work well for me. Would be nice to try the Flow/Trek hybrid, not available in the U.S., for sub-zero snowy conditions…
Live in Sweden and I’ve used the Hiko Surf shoe with three pair of socks during winter. Slightly thinner sole compared to the O’neil.
Dry, warm and comfy.
Really the way to go.
I purchased both the reef shoes and the neoprene fin socks. They are a little tight in the toes when worn with socks. I did purchase an extra pair of the fin socks in a size 11. I tried them over my vffs and they fit. (I wear a womens size 40 in treksports) I ran 2.5 miles in them on a snowy trail and my feet were toasty warm and dry. They’re not great for running on concrete or rocks but they should get me through my next trail race without frostbite.
i had been looking and looking for a winter-time solution and this seemed just perfect for iowa winters. i purchased the oneill boots and speedo socks and they arrived the day before we got about 3 inches of fresh snow. i headed out the next day and they were perfect. toasty warm feet! thsnks for sharing the idea!
Dudley you rock! I had been wearing WuShu shoes, aka Kung Fu shoes, until I tried these. Since WuShu are canvas, they would get wet and soggy. If I stopped for too long in those my feet would get so cold that they hurt. I’ve been wearing your combo of SmartWool + aqua booties + reef boots for a week and my feet have been toasty warm! My first outing was in 4″ of snow and they were great. I can feel the bits of rock salts under my feet, too.
Thanks so much for this suggestion!
I just bought a pair of the reef boots from amazon and I love them. I have been an avid VFF fan for over a year but after a couple of runs in the snow with painfully numb toes it was clear I needed something warmer than treks + injinjis. The reef boots are really well-made and comfortable and actually provide better flexibility and groundfeel than my KSOs. I generally wear a size 10 (size 42 in KSOs and treks) and size 10 reef boots fit well.
Cool idea, thanks. I had been pretty much a straight barefoot walker/runner for more than four years, but for certain reasons I dropped a load of money on Vibram KSOs and was pretty disappointed – they really jammed my pinky toe on one foot (that was AFTER getting a first pair shipped overseas and paying to send them back because they were too small).
So the O’Neill Reactor Reef boots look like an cheaper and even more flexible alternative to the Vibrams I had, which is nice.
I lived in a fairly warm place in the States, but I’ve passed 3 winters running in St. Petersburg, Russia and Choibalsan, Mongolia (pretty cold places), and I honestly just layer up in a couple pairs of ordinary thick socks and run in those. The outer pair can usually take 1-2 weeks of daily running before getting a hole (then I toss them). I do run pretty short distances (3-6km) and generally stick to debris-free areas in the winter, so if you run further, yours would probably wear out faster. By the way, I have no problem with reeking sweat smell doing this.
In any case, I find that with just two pairs of thick socks, my feet stay warm enough after I get running, even with -30*+C and wind chill. When it’s that cold, they don’t get wet from the snow – it’s just too dry. (That’s more of a springtime problem…)
That’s a very clever combination! I would’ve thought that something by Teva would’ve qualified for the outer layer since that’s for wet conditions (and their new Zilch is as close to 5-fingers minimalism as they’ll get). My O’Neill “super freak” split toe booties are similar to 5-fingers with a fake toe pattern on the top 🙂 But despite the flexible fabric center instead of a solid sole, the sole pattern is nowhere as grippy as your Reactor Reefs. Still, I appreciate a wetsuit bootie that comes up higher since we have really REALLY wet slushy conditions around here in NY/NJ.
Just got a pair of reef boots as another barefoot convert from Erie, as another person said, we get TONS of snow. Wore them on a short walk with one pair of socks and the boots. Warm enough but will layer wool socks next time. Dry and flexible solution to the winter running issue. Thank you!
I came across this post back in 2011 or 2012 and tried this layering system out. It is now 2018 and I have gone through about 2 pairs of these reef boots every winter season since! (the rubber is very grippy, but wears fairly quickly on bare pavement. I do about 30/70 trail/road) If you stick to the trails they should last an entire winter. I’ve experimented with other surf boots and shoes but this is the BEST option for minimalist/barefoot style running in the snow. I usually don’t need the neoprene sock unless I know I’m going to be out for a few hours (over 20 miles). I typically layer a thin pair of running socks, then a thick wool/blend ankle high sock (sometimes two pairs) over that and my feet stay plenty warm. Highly recommend anyone reading this to try this out for themselves!! I may be late in saying it, but thank you Britt!!