Are you interested in barefoot running, or at least curious about the crazy shoes and which shoe is the best? Here are a few questions you should ask yourself, do I overpronate, underpronate or have a neutral landing? Do I heel strike, toe strike or am I a midfoot runner?

There is a lot to consider; here are three minimalist running shoes that I have tested:

Vibram KSO

The original minimalist shoe, toes and all had the best true barefoot feel, lightweight with a lot of stability The KSO weighs 5.7 ounces and has a 2mm insole so as you run, you need to find a gait that gives you the best feel for your foot strike. I am a toe runner so my natural stride fit perfectly.

Heel strikers would find these shoes painful at best to run in. Also note that you do feel rocks and debris while running.

I absolutely love these shoes for short runs, three miles or less, kayaking and cross training. I do not recommend them for heel strike runners, people that need pronation control, biking or trail running.

New Balance Minimus Trail

By far my favorite all-around shoe of the three covered here. The Minimus weighs in at 7.1 ounces with a 4 mm heel to toe drop. Running the local trails in these shoes is a joy.

Being lightweight, you feel the trail but without feeling every little stone or pebble. The shoe is super flexible and durable so by the end of a tough trail run, your feet feel great and the shoes hold up very well. The foot bed in these shoes have an anti-bacterial treatment, which is also a very nice feature.

I love these shoes for all day trail runs or if you are so inclined, short under 2 miles or less street running. The Minimus is also great for cross training and daily lifestyle wear. Very comfortable for a day on the trails, at the park or walking downtown.

Saucony Kinvara 2

Coser to a traditional running shoes with a minimalist cross over to it. Kinvara 2 is another stable low drop 4mm lightweight 7.7 ounces shoe with a carbon rubber outsole material that offers great traction and durability.

Since I am a toe runner, I find I like something between the true minimalist and standard running shoe for the street and the Kinvara 2 fits the bill with a thick midsole cushioning that you feel right away.

Over longer distance, my feet held up better and my calves had quicker recovery when running with the Kinvara 2. I do not recommend them for heel strike runners or people that need pronation control.

These are by far the best middle of the road running shoe between minimalist and traditional I have had the pleasure to run in.

Judd Jones is the regional production director for Hagadone Newspapers.