Xero sandals, or more durable barefoot shoes?

What the hell is a barefoot shoe?

Go here:

http://birthdayshoes.com/barefoot-shoes/#Minimalist_Shoes

Go crazy.

(Or here:

http://www.runningandrambling.com/

The blogs defunct, but he wrote some good reviews. Just use the side bar)

Quick lowdown for you:

Xero shoes are great, but you'll want something else if you're running steep hills or if there's a lot of rain. They feel like something between barefoot and a vibram/altra adam. I got around 800 miles or so out of my pair, but I did find that every 100ish miles I had to re-tie the laces.

The altra adam is vastly superior to vibrams--a bit lighter, but about the same amount of 'shoe.' If you want something a lot like the VFFs check these out

Merrell bare access is a step more 'shoe' than the altra adam. It's a good shoe, but I think that the last is a bit more 'standard' than for a minimalist runner (but I got version 1 on half off. I've heard version 2 is a bit better)

Skechers GoBionic is a bit more shoe yet. It's probably my favorite running shoe at the moment.

Next up is the Altra Instinct. It's almost a standard lightly cushioned shoe, but it's neutral and zero drop. I loved the 1.0's, but the new 1.5's seem to be made at a lower quality. I shredded a pair in 150 miles, and Altra happily replaced it. Hoping that it was just a one-off problem. These have the best last for the minimalist runner--your foot will become a lot meatier (and wider in the forefoot) than the standard shod runner.

I have the mizuno wave evo cursoris. They're a solid product. Last is a bit 'standard foot', and they're the cushiest on this list.

Xero/invisible shoes are terrible.

All they are is a sole, which is fine, and some laces that don't hold them on to your feet. They have 50 different ways to die on the laces, and none of them work. No one has ever run a good time in them in a marathon or 10k or any other event. There is only one string in front, that goes between your toes to a knot that sits under the sole, where it feels like you're running on a rock. The knot wears out due to abrasion, and you would have to retie it every 10 miles or so, a major hassle. You might be able to get it to last longer by mashing it down and covering the rocklike knot with some glue, but it still will wear out. The soles are floppy and hang down under your feet in the front, even when you lace them tight. The tighter you lace them, the more the laces will cut into your toes and the tops of your feet. They are mistakenly called huaraches but are not.

Better than these, make real huaraches. You can make them for free by cutting the sidewalls off discarded biasply tires and lacing them up yourself. The tire rubber is firm and won't hang down like the worthless invisible shoes.

if you want to run FAST everyone knows that you should wear racing flats.

Best case scenario with barefoot/huaraches is that you run at the same speed as someone with super-bulky trainers, and that's assuming that your running form is near perfect. They're a training tool, not racing footwear.

That being said, there is a pretty obnoxious learning curve on the things, and the fiddle factor is pretty high. They ARE a nice tool if you have pretty rugged pavement that sandpapers down your feet, or if the pavement gets scorching hot.

Barefoot is much faster than running in racing shoes. You must not have run barefoot in your life. Don't compare them to something that flops around on your feet.