Guys and thongs have a love-hate relationship. Wearing thong underwear – no way for most dudes. Buying your Valentine a pair for an intimate gift – oh yeah. Wearing thong sandals lounging on the beach or walking the boardwalk – yeah for sure.

GoLite Footwear gives men another reason to like it - trail running. The idea is simple for the new Tara Lite running shoe. Take a trail running shoe without a heel lift and include an internal sandal thong post.

The GoLite Footwear Tara Lite doesn’t have a heel drop. The front of your foot is on the same level as the heel. The concept is the same as minimalist running shoes.

The GoLite Footwear trail runners have a thicker outsole compared to barefoot running shoes. A soft outsole absorbs the uneven trail terrain giving greater stability while a hard midsole protects your foot from pesky rocks, tree roots and other trail nastiness.

The internal thong post makes the GoLite Footwear Tara Lite different. You will love it or hate it. It doesn’t leave room for so-so feelings. GoLite Footwear advertises the thong post will stabilize and reduce the movement of your foot.

The thong post does what GoLite advertises in the Tara Lite. It causes little movement of your foot. An important question is how the thong affects the shoe’s comfort. It takes a short time to acclimate to the feel of the thong while running. After a few training runs, it goes unnoticed. A synthetic layer around the thong post prevents rubbing against the webbing inbetween the big and index toe.

Wearing the Tara Lite without socks will quickly be your favorite way to sport your new GoLite trail runners. The Tara Lite isn’t waterproof, and a wet noncotton sock will add weight if you clumsily misstep clearing a shallow creek.

The color is construction cone orange. You are noticed even running errands wearing the Tara Lite, and they will bring a comment at the checkout line of the grocery store. The orange color is useful running at dusk if any part of your run is by an often-traveled roadway. Instead of a traditional lacing system, the shoe has two Velcro adjustment straps.

images/GoLite FootwearThe biggest knock against the GoLite Footwear tara Lite trail running shoes is the foot beds. Each has two layers at the front of the foot fastened by a half-dime shaped piece of Velcro. A slot in the front of the foot bed allows it to fit around the thong post. Keeping both layers fastened and working it around the thong post takes a few tries. The bottom layer of the footbed folds under itself at times causing an added inconvenience. (MSRP: $115)

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