I go barefoot or in flip flops pretty much constantly, but recently i’m seeing all sorts of flexible thin soled shoes about. My initial research has been filled with convoluted blog-posts, unhelpful reviews and a huge streak of hippie. I know some of you guys wear these types of footwear for running, but I’m looking for more of a hiker/ all terrain type shoe. DIFFICULTY: I have webbed second and third toes so five fingers products are out at the moment. I e-mailed them about a custom model, but I don’t expect to hear back from them.
I picked up a pair of the Merrill “Trail Glove” back in February and they are fantastic. Very light, and tolerant of the knobby, stony trails I seem to always find myself on.
Although I have a set of the Vibram “Five Fingers” I don’t like them as much - they’re good on the smooth stuff only like grass or beaches.
The main advantage with the minimalist shoe is just simple mass reduction. When walking each foot moves through a little over double the distance that you do, with inertia to overcome at each reversal. A lighter shoe makes for less mechanical work.
Yeah, I read “Born to Run” and he makes a decent case for barefoot, (or uber-minimalist footwear), but my feet seem to really prefer having a little better than nothing between me and the ground.
I have 2 pairs of the Venice H2 that I wear any time I’m not at work and need something more than my Kino’s.
I’m gonna take the Owyhee on my trip later this year tho, as I want something covering my heel.
Excellent comfort due to the big, wide last. Excellent construction: my oldest pair of Venice H2s is over 4 years old now with nearly daily wear, including kayak trips and hikes in addition to regular city walking. Keen also offers free lace replacement; just email them and they mail you a new pair, with the hardware lock pieces included.
I have a pair of Vivo Barefoots that I use for work, and I love them. My husband has Merrills and loves them as well. These are somewhat dressy work shoes, not hikers, but I’m sure that their hikers are good too. The only issue is that you can kind of feel every rock and pebble because the soles are so thin–it would take some getting used to over rougher terrain.
I have a pair of New Balance 101 trail shoes; I got them because although I prefer going barefoot/ wearing flipflops, a lot of the time it’s just not warm enough here.
I bought them more or less by accident, but the minute I put them on, I thought “These are great.” They’re very light, and although the sole doesn’t look particularly thin, they’re a heck of a lot less clunky than standard running shoes. The uppers are made from some sort of mesh, and there’s no padding to speak of.
The sole has a fairly rugged tread, and I wouldn’t hesitate to wear them for hiking or trekking. However, I’m not sure how durable the sole is designed to be.
I think they’re an excellent compromise - my feet feel as though they’re not really in shoes when I’m wearing them, because they’re roomy and light, but they also protect my feet/ keep them warm where necessary.
I went out for a barefoot run today. While my knees still don’t like running. I noticed that unlike before where i got shin pains and knee pain, my joints merely felt tight. This was a HUGE improvement! My tootsies are just fine since I go everywhere in flip flops or barefoot anyway. Color me very surprised.
I’ve done a lot of reading and I think this Guide to Minimalist Shoes is the best. Actually, runblogger’s site is a wealth of good information and great links that support his position. He balances personal experience with data from studies and analysis of barefoot running proponents and naysayers.
I wear Vibram FiveFingers Bikilas exclusively to run in, but I also wear them at work on my feet on thin carpet-covered cement and bare cement as well as daily wear in an urban environment. I also frequently wear Brooks’ Green Silence for work, casual walking around and bike riding. I no longer own typical runners with thick soles. I no longer suffer from fatigue or the tendonitis I felt previously with minimally supportive shoes.
I do still wear my Chaco Z/1 and ZX/2 sandals, but I now find they are too rigid and aggressive to be worn more than a couple of days in a row without making my feet hurt. Which is weird and opposite of my experience before adapting to minimalist footwear. It takes time to condition your muscles and tendons, but once you do, it feels very good.
Not me. I really don’t like the look of callused feet. They tend to be perpetually yellow, even when clean, from what I’ve seen, and are pretty rough looking. Not something that goes well with a cute pedicure and toe rings. I’d rather enjoy the barefoot experience with my feet covered and protected from the grime of the city.
Because I like the upper style and toe protection better than many of the sandally crap offered, and for $100 range shoes they look pretty well made.
Not to mention when you pop orthotics into standard shoes it looks like you are wearing frankenstein thick bog stomping shoes. I feel the lower profile sole when combined with orthotics will actually make normal looking shoes.
Ha! I’d thought of that myself, but i have to admit I’m very leery about spending the money on those things only to have to modify them myself or at a cobbler.
I’m a barefooter as much as possible - callouses and all; no I don’t care…I have toe rings and painted toenails and callouses and still think my feet are cute.
But since I live in snow belt (Michigan) and am on my feet/on the roof/climbing ladders on the job much of the time, I gotta do shoes. I’ve worn Tevas since the mid 1980s…reluctantly these days since they’re now made in China but dammit, they are the closest to barefoot I can get.
If I find something similar NOT made in China, I will switch. I’ve been intrigued by the five-finger Vibram shoes for a while…
I’ve deliberately conditioned my feet to go barefoot. Did it last spring/summer, in fact. It does not cause thick, yellowed deposits of dead skin (gross). I’ve only seen those on people who barely ever take their shoes off. The normal supple skin just gets thicker and tougher, like leather. I still had socially acceptable feet and wore sandals in public with painted toenails.
Asphalt can stain the hell out of your feet though.
The sandals are not generally designed to allow orthotics. However, I’d recommend the Newport style as it offers more arch support than any of the other styles.
Thanks for addressing my ignorance. I have exceptionally dry feet, although I wear open sandals, good socks, or FiveFingers. I have calluses from my sandals and from being on my feet a lot, I guess, but my feet are clean on the bottom. I always figured that if I went barefoot they would look even worse. I suppose I just need to be more vigilant about lotioning to avoid cracking.
Yep, feet are just like hands - skin toughens and thickens from physical work, but what we call ‘callouses’ (layers of thick, noticeably dead skin) isn’t a usual consequence of labor/friction.
I think I actually have less dead skin hanging out on my feet (tend to get it on the sides of my big toes) now that I am barefoot more. Sidewalks here are like a pumice.
