Huarache (running shoe)

For other uses, see Huarache.
Huaraches, laced up on the ground.
Man running, wearing huaraches

Huaraches are an open type of outdoor footwear, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by straps passing over the instep and around the ankle. The common understanding is that these sandals were a variant of traditional Mexican huaraches, the difference being in design and construction.

These sandals are favoured by minimalist runners for several reasons. They force the foot and the runner to run with a natural gait. They also help protect the foot from glass, gravel, and other debris.

In Christopher McDougall's book Born to Run the author describes natives of the Tarahumara Indian tribe in the Mexican Copper Canyons teaching a fellow runner how to build huaraches.

Design

The primary design difference from traditional huaraches is in the straps that cover the front of the foot. In traditional sandals the straps are woven in an intricate design. In the variant used for running the straps are much simpler and less ornate.

Construction

Huaraches were originally made from leather, and later from the tread of used automobile tires. Since then, rubber manufactured as replacement outsole for shoes, such as the Vibram Cherry, has been used. More recently commercial manufactures have created pre-cut rubber soles for the construction of huaraches. Additionally some manufacturers create soles shaped to custom outline of the wearer's feet.

The laces for huaraches are either synthetic, hemp or leather. Synthetic laces are usually made of polyester or nylon. Generally shoelaces are of narrow construction and thin cordage similar to parachute cord is used.

See also

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sandals.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, March 21, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.