In case you don't know what Skeletoes are, they are Fila's version of Vibram's Five Fingers. They are minimalist shoes, which doe their best of simulating healthy barefoot walking while protecting your feet from the elements. The major difference between Fila and Vibram are Skeletoe's have four toes, either to make them easier to slip into or to escape patent infringement. Either way, they are the same concept, just a little different.
The hike was a six mile hike from the upper falls before Old Man's Cave to Cedar Falls. Honestly, it was probably too long of a hike considering the unknown of wearing these shoes. Overall, I enjoyed wearing them while walking the trails. With that said, there is always going to be some things that you need to note.
About mile four, my feet did get a little sore. As well, they don't grip mud, especially among narrow passes that are angled, very well. I may have hurt my knee when I started to slide. To be safe, I didn't carry on at this part of the trail and detoured on the ridge, which gave me an idea of what climbing is like.
I feared it would put more stress on my ankles, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much more your ankles adapt to the angles of the climb. I just wish they offered more tracking, but there's not much you can do in that department without killing the overall concept of the shoe.
When I first started the hike, the trail was very wet from heavy rains the day before. I quickly felt water in them, and I feared my hike would be cut short. Luckily, it wasn't as cold as it had been, even though high forties still demand caution when you are getting wet. My feet never really got cold other than the brief chill of the water. I would probably not risk that again.
Overall, hiking is fun in the Skeletoes, and the gather the attention of other hikers who always have questions. I don't know if I would permanently replace my New Balance Ranier hiking boots, but I think they will be a nice change from the clumsier boots. They will definitely make a nice, lightweight shoe to place in my backpack while camping.
Here are some videos and pictures from the hike:
