About

Hi, I'm Damien Tougas, founder and editor-in-chief of Toe Salad. It is no word of a lie to say that minimalist footwear changed my life and it was for this reason that I started this site. I am a web programmer and applications developer, a research and technology geek. I live an active and outdoors lifestyle as a runner, hiker, backpacker and telemark skier; pursuing these activities with my wife and three school-aged kids.

I am joined here at Toe Salad by a team of editors from North America and Europe who are passionate about the importance of minimalist footwear in supporting physical fitness and well being.

Toe Salad regularly features shoe reports and reviews, written from a variety of perspectives. Shoes for running, hiking, backpacking, professional and casual use, shoes for adults and children, we cover it all.

Toe Salad is more than a comprehensive minimalist shoe review site; it is a resource to support health and wellness for a variety of activities and ages.

As for the name, the term toe salad was coined by my then 11 year old daughter. Anyone who owns a pair of Vibram FiveFingers is probably familiar with what happens when you walk through tall vegetation. You inevitably get all kinds of greenery stuck between your toes. And so Toe Salad, the term, was conceived.

Meet our Editors

Raul Escutia - Running Editor

Raul is a runner and Chicagoan, who has been living in the California Bay Area for over 10 years. He is an engineer for a living but gets out almost every day to let his inner wolf run free.

Raul can appreciate and respect the virtues of barefoot running but prefers wearing light, thin and flexible minimalist footwear; including his awesome pair of hand-made huaraches.

Charity Johnson - Children's Editor

Charity is a spontaneous, adventurous mama who loves exploring the Maine outdoors with her wonderful husband and four delightful children. Her family keeps active by running, biking, and taking day hikes. Some of their favorite hobbies are traveling, gardening, reading, and making goofy, creative videos together.

Charity transitioned to minimalist footwear to alleviate numbness in her toes. Her first minimalist shoes were a pair of Vivobarefoots, and her feet finally felt healthy and strong again. Charity's family is barefoot as much as possible and wear minimalist shoes when they can't be barefoot.

Renee Tougas - Contributing Editor

Renee is a hiker and homemaker; a mother and wife; a blogger, ebook author, and homeschool coach and mentor. She's married to Damien Tougas, Toe Salad's editor-in-chief, and she homeschools their three creative children.

Renee has been hiking, backpacking, and now recently running, in minimalist shoes since 2007. Renee is no fashionista but she's sure happy there are more styles of minimalist shoes to choose from these days.

Huib van der Wal - Contributing Editor

Huib is a runner, kayaker and hiker from Amersfoort, The Netherlands. Two years ago he switched to minimalist shoes for running. Now, he also experiments with minimalist shoes for (ultralight) hiking.

Huib's favorite shoes are the Feelmax Panka, VFF Speed, TP Evo's, TP Aqueous, and Golite Timberlite. He also loves barefooting, especially in nature.

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