Luna Sandals on the Appalachian Trail?

If you are a hiker interested in trying Lunas, they provided Willow a 15% off discount code, go to the below link and use "WILLOW15".
https://www.lunasandals.com/?rfsn=721...

Long story short...We hike and trail run exclusively in sandals (except in snow and when below 25 deg F) and prefer Barefoot Ted's Lunas. We are wearing the sandals on a February start of the Appalachian Trail at Springer Mountain for a long Section Hike. We understand minimalist footwear is a controversial topic...we are not advocating for them! Just sharing our experiences for anyone interested. Also including some links at the bottom to resources for anyone looking to try hiking or running in sandals.

Short story a bit longer...
If you are anything like me, you do some research on YouTube. When we searched for "Luna sandals Appalachian Trail", we found only one video. (Evan's Review of Lunas on his 2018 Thru Hike:    • GEAR REVIEW: LUNA SANDALS Appalachian Trai...  ). Maybe this video will help someone's research. We also share our "shoe solution" for hiking in snow or freezing rain.

Our "Why" for sandals:
First its just the feeling of foot freedom...its just fun (for us). While we admire barefoot runners and barefoot hikers, we wanted some protection while still allowing the foot to work naturally. We've also found that our foot and ankle muscles get stronger so they can handle the terrain better. We can feel the ground better and get feedback on where we are stepping and can adjust before twisting an ankle or knee. We rarely kick rocks because that hurts and the sandal extends beyond the toes. We take shorter steps so we don't heal strike and shock our knees (no injuries in the last 6 yrs). This info is just our experience! Its not sponsored by anyone, but Luna has sent us discount codes over the years, which have helped some friends get into sandal running and hiking too. If you try this, highly recommend transitioning slowly and reading about form!!

Links to Resources:

Luna Sandals:
https://lunasandals.com/

Earthrunners Tabi Socks:
https://www.earthrunners.com/collecti...

Skinners Sock Shoes:
https://skinners.cc/de/skinners-comfort

Shoespiricy:
   • Shoespiracy  

Barefoot Ken Bob info:
   • Ken Bob Saxton - barefoot running tips  
His book:
https://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Runni...

Born to Run 2:
https://borntorun.world/

Dr. Lieberman, An Evolutionary Medical Perspective on Shoes:
   • An evolutionary medical perspective on sho...  

Dr. Irene Davis, Let's Think about what we put on our Feet:
   • Irene Sprague Davis: Let's Think About Wha...  

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#barefootrunning
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#appalachiantrail