This is where I spent a good part of last Saturday. And where I’ll be spending the next several Saturdays (and Sundays for as long as I can get away with it, until the wife decides there’s better things I should be doing). See, it’s deer season here in Oklahoma. Yes, I hunt. I like to catch my own food when I can. Please keep your politics to yourself. I butcher my own beef on this property as well. But that’s another story. But this is the first year I’ve decided to wear my FiveFingers. This used to be a boots-only affair. One, because good ol’ boys don’t quite get the minimalist shoe lifestyle, and two, because this little slice of rural Oklahoma is rife with home-grown landmines just waiting to demolish a decent pair of FiveFingers.

Sand Burrs

These little boogers are the pits. They will stick to EVERYTHING. I’ve found them all the way up to my thighs, even though I was walking through grass no higher than my knees. Figure that one out. I’m pretty sure they grow little legs and climb. Trying to pick them off just compounds the problem. You can’t pick ‘em off because they’ll stick into your fingers sometimes drawing blood, or even better, the thorns break off in your skin, causing anything from mild discomfort to nasty infections if you can’t dig them out.

I’ve gotten into these in my Classics before, and it was an ordeal. I had to pick ten or twelve out of my shoes, with several working their way in far enough that I could feel them poking my toes. But in my hacked-up KSO’s, I only picked up a couple and could never actually feel them.

Cockle Burrs

Depending on the species, these guys range from annoying to downright painful. We have a few different species of these. Some just stick to everything (they were, after all, the inspiration for Velcro). Others are downright nasty, and I’m pretty sure will puncture a [thinner] FiveFingers sole with no problem. Avoid at all costs. Luckily, they’re fairly easy to spot and avoid. Trust me, they just plain hurt.

And last, but not least…

Cow Pies

Sorry for the poo picture (no I’m not), but it illustrates my point. They’re not pokey and they don’t hurt when you step on them, but it’s not fun when you step on them (in them?). These are most definitely not the easiest thing to dodge at 5AM with no moon and no lights. I will tell you one thing, I’d much rather step in poop of just about any kind in FiveFingers or even barefoot. And I’ve stepped in a few. Don’t ask. I’d rather not tell. It’s SO much easier to wash off than regular shoes. Although, you do get the added bonus of the befuddled look on someone’s face when they come across a fresh steamer with a big ol’ footprint right in the middle of it.

What about you? Find any “landmines” while out and about in your FiveFingers?