As an addition I am seriously in need of some decent business casual minimalist footwear.

Welcome Jason, thanks for offering to help out with testing the site.

Have you looked at the Russell Moccasin Minimalist Hurons? A great work shoe, in my opinion (although a little pricey, but that is what you get for custom fit an high quality).

I think the Merrell Barefoot tough gloves might be a good option when they come out (see here: http://birthdayshoes.com/merrell: ) -- not REALLY dressy, but I think they'd pass as biz casual.

Vivo Oaks work pretty well on this front, too - http://birthdayshoes.com/terra-plana-vivo-barefoot-oaks

I'd love to get some Russells though I'm more interested in their non-dressy versions! Just hard to spend $300 on a pair of shoes!

Yeah, I hear you on the price. I have had some problems getting a good fit in Vivobarefoots (the Evo is painful for me) due to the shape of my left foot. Either the shoe has to have a soft stretchy upper (like VFF or Inov-8), or custom fit for me to get real satisfaction.

I think the Evo fit is very different from other Vivos (generally) but specific to the Oaks, the Evo is comparatively very small. My Oaks almost feel too big for my feet and would definitely be too big if I wore them barefooted.

That said, I'm not sure how I feel about the Evo and am testing a pair of Evo IIs out now ... I'm a bit on the fence with them.

Interesting comment on the fit. I haven't had the opportunity to try any other Vivobarefoots, so I guess I should hold back my judgment a little. I am not a huge fan of the Evo, mostly due to the TPU upper. I think that the Neo might be more up my alley though. I haven't tried the Evo II though.

The upper is about half my problem with it -- just sorta stiff/rubbery and I'm positive it adds (unnecessarily) to weight. It also bends in a way when you walk that can irritate the top of your foot.

My other complaint -- one that isn't limited to the Evo but extends to all Vivos -- is that the sole is so inflexible and heavy ("heavy" being the best word I can think of to describe it). I think part of this is due to the use of some kind of puncture resistant material. Whatever it is, I don't particularly like it. I need to try Feelmax to see what they're all about, but to some extent, I think a problem with "mono toed" shoes that are foot friendly are that your feet can feel like they "float" inside the shoe. If the sole is heavy, when you walk/run, the sole "drops" from your foot due to the heft, which increases friction and makes the shoe feel more "there" -- this is as opposed to VFFs which are really locked onto your feet in most all foot positions. That said, I like Soft Stars for the sheepskin liner which compresses when loaded so you get great barefoot feel despite the plush sheepskin fur but when you lift your foot up, the fur expands and reminds you the sole is still there.

Not sure if all that makes sense, and sorry for the tangent.

Thanks for all the food for thought. Those Oaks look really nice and roomy, and the Merrells look like they would certainly work in my context. I really appreciate the discussion and info.

I am currently looking for old tires to cut some sandals from. When/If i get my hands on them I will post some pictures.

I think that is an excellent synopsis. I think you will find that while Feelmax will have a much better ground feel than the Vivobarefoots, you will still experience the same lack of foot-hugging. Interestingly, the munson last used by Russell Moccasin hugs the sole of the foot pretty well, better than the Evos anyway.

I am in the process of testing a pair of the Altra Adams. I think these guys have really nailed the fit. I am experiencing foot hugging fit with a mono-toe design, truly unique to any other minimalist shoe I have tried. The Adam may (dare I say) push the KSO off the podium for me as my favorite hiking/backpacking shoe... sacrilege, I know ;-)

Fascinating -- I'm eager to try the Altra Adams -- hope to get my feet into a pair soon.

I've got some Merrell Barefoot Trail gloves on right now ... they do have a pretty good locked on feel -- and the NB Minimus Trails DEFINITELY have a locked on feel (more than the Merrell's).

Maybe I should just design my own ;) ha yeah right -- who has the time?

can you make it so it opens a new tab when you click on a link?

Good suggestion, I will see what I can do...

Opening links in new tabs is an excellent suggestion.

I am super eager to try the Adams. It appears as if there is a retailer in Nashville, but I had no luck actually contacting them.

I have not tried any of the Merrell's or New Balance Minimus models yet (would love to though!), so I can't compare the Adams to either of those.

Ok, external links now have a little icon beside them, and open in a new window. What do you think? Do you like the little icon, or should I disable that feature?

Ok, those little icons were annoying, so I removed them. The external links still open in a new window though.