Questions & Answers

I took the Newporter soles that I used on my last huarache project and made a pair of hiking huaraches out of them instead. I like to go backpacking and while I have had success hiking in thinner huaraches, when the hiking gets really long distance and more gnarly, I want more protection:

• More cushioning for those 25+ mile days
• More sole in front of my toes to protect my toes
• Laces that are not exposed to the bottom and won't break at the wrong moment

So I redid my huaraches. These are awesome. I can't wait to try them on some bad ass rocky trails and do some hardcore backpacking in them. There's 1/4 inch of Vibram cloud EVA foam, Newporter soles, vegetable tanned leather and a suede footbed. They are thick but not too heavy and still flexible. They're my hiking boots of huaraches. I might be able to retire my Chacos now!

I use Luna Leadville laces. They are pretty long and I don't want to cut them shorter so I lace them in a way that's wrapped and weaved around my ankle. Once you're in them, you're not taking them off until you are ready. If I could do a slip-on style I would, but the Leadvilles are just too thick for that.

The toe strap is a separate piece of leather that loops through a slit in the vegetable-tanned leather layer and then through a slit in the Leadville laces. A knot keeps the toe-loop in place. The sides of the laces go through some leather tabs that go through slits in the vegetable tanned leather and under my heel. This way there is no knot on the bottom and no laces on the sides. No way to rub them against the ground, no way to break them with normal wear and tear. I can backpack in them without worry, without having to carry backup shoes.

Here's what I have been up to since I posted my first review of the new Invisible Shoes FeelTrue 6mm huaraches.

I absolutely love the soles, but the nylon cords just weren't working for me for running. I had quite a bit of heel slippage and, when I tightened the cords to prevent the slippage, they dug into my heels too much. I also noted that they felt a little "sloppy" in the front, although I never missed a landing. So, I decided to play around with my FeelTrue soles to see what I could do to make them better for me. First I tried the laces from my old Chuck Taylors. I used the tying style where strap makes a V across the top of the foot, goes through the ankle holes, around the heel, and then ties on top (like the Branca sanals). The wider laces were more comfortable, but I didn't really like the look and the floppy knot on top was bothersome while running. Then I tried 3/4 inch elastic nylon, but it was too wide and just didn't hold well. Neither did the thin bungee cord I tried after that. So, I looked at several different huarache designs on the interwebs and decided that the single nylon climbing strap/buckle method used by the Bedrock folks would be ideal. The design is also similar to the minimalist tying style posted on the Invisible Shoes site and that I was previously using. The only real difference is the use of the webbing instead of the cord and the buckle instead of a knot.

With a little research, I easily found the 1/2-inch flat climbing webbing and ladder buckles on-line. All-in-all, this modification cost about $10 (with shipping costs for 12 feet of the webbing and buckles), and I had enough materials to also re-do my original Invisible Shoe 4mm Cherry soles.

The only real change I had to make to the FeelTruesole was to cut a 1/2-inch slit at the ankle holes for the strap to go through. Once that was done, I was able to thread the toe strap through the hole in the toe (with quite a bit of difficulty) and then thread the rest of the strap through the ankle holes in the sole to complete the design. When finished, it is very similar to the Bedrock sandal in design.

To get the toe strap through the sole, I took a hint from one of Barefoot Ted's videos and cut a 1/2 inch slit in the end of the strap. That allowed me to thread a smaller piece of the strap through the hole and then pull the rest through with a pair of pliers. I then cut off the two pieces where the slit was and burned the cut edge to seal it.

For the toe strap under the sole, I glued that to the sole using Shoe Goo and then covered it with another layer of Shoe Goo for protection. It is a bit raised, but it isn't very noticeable when running. I have about 30 miles on them since the mod, and the Shoe Goo is holding up quite well. Another way to do it is to melt the nylon and flatten it into a hard little button that won't slip back through the hole. I'm going to try that later.

Adjustments with the buckle are fairly easy (but not as easy as the Bedrocks seem to be from their videos), and they actually hold really well. Better than I thought they would. I ran the first 3.5 miles of the Chicago Half Marathon in them (I ran the rest barefoot) and have added many miles since then. They have held onto my feet really well, and I have not had to make any adjustments. I also really like how this design eliminates the looseness when the sandal is off the ground that I felt with the original nylon laces. Oh, and the flat webbing is very comfortable. Tubular webbing would probably be even better.

It took a bit to get the strap just right so that the heel portion would stay in place. Since then, it hasn't slipped at all.

Overall, this modification is pretty simple and works very well. It takes some planning and effort, but is generally pretty simple. For me, it is a definite improvement over the original Invisible Shoes laces.

I would recommend this mod to any body who seeks a little more comfort and security from their FeelTrue sandals, especially for runners.

I have attached some pictures of the finished product.

I ordered 3 different unit soles from Cobbler Supplies because I wanted to see what they were like. I ordered Vibram Sierra soles, which are hard-core hiking boot soles like military boots, Vibram #127 Athletic soles and Vibram Newporter soles.

I resoled my homemade hiking moccasins with the Sierra soles.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6089/6157561958_ac13eda74b_m.jpg

These soles are really heavy and the lugs are really deep. I don't think they would work very well for a pair of huaraches, but you might be able to make it work if you used the heavy-duty Luna Leadville laces, but they would be heavy. They make the shoes feel heavy but I think I could get used to it in a few minutes and then I would never slip on any of the ball-bearing trails I hike on ever again!

I decided to make a pair of huaraches out of the Newporters. I find my Invisible shoes great for running in town, and thicker huaraches are great for running on trails and rocky stuff, but sometimes when I'm hiking, that Newflex just doesn't have enough traction. I was curious if the Newporter soles would be better than Newflex. It's heavy and fairly thick. No ground feel. But it's very flexible. Maybe not so good for running but for hiking, possibly ideal. I haven't tested them yet though.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6196/6157561620_701c3932b2_m.jpg http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6195/6157561316_00738275a0_m.jpg

When I was shopping at Tandy I found this leather spacer stuff that has holes already punched in it. I thought maybe I could make sandals from it. Tandy also sold buckles the same size. I threaded the lacing similar to Chacos. I wore these all day today. They feel great. I used the Vibram #127 sole on these.

I think if I was going to make a pair of huaraches for regular running, these Vibram #127 soles would work great. They are thin, flexible, the rubber feels durable and it has a non-aggressive sole pattern, it's not super heavy like the other two. If you were ever thinking of just ordering a unit sole to make one pair of huaraches rather than a whole huge sheet, these would work great.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6190/6157018337_6fddab4e03_m.jpg http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6191/6157561170_810c65fdba_m.jpg

(I think the 127 soling itself is about 4mm thick. I've added 1/4" of foam to these sandals in the middle, so that's why it looks pretty thick. If you aren't going to have a toe hole, your sandal can't be too floppy.)

Sorry I just have links to pictures instead of pictures. I was too lazy to upload 5 images.

I was recommended your way from my brother-in-law, John Sifferman, and hope you can share some wisdom & recommendations.

I'm looking for new footwear, both for daily living/walking and for work (I'm a teacher, so think Mary Jane style shoes), and I live in MA so I'm dealing with winter weather a good bit of the year. I'm frustrated with all the over-cushy, constricting footwear I've been told is best for my feet and am hoping to find better luck with simpler, minimalist shoes. I have a wide toe box, high instep, and narrow heel (size 10W women's). I've had plantar fasciitis issues in the past, but I haven't had a problem for the past few months (I have a 6 week old son, and my feet swelled so much during my 3rd trimester that I haven't worn much aside from flip-flops since the end of May, nor was I able to do much walking let alone anything else for the last 6 weeks or so of the pregnancy). The swelling was bad enough on one foot to cause some nerve pain, and although all the swelling went away after giving birth, I'm now discovering that anything more strenuous than a walk around the neighborhood has brought back the pain. My doctor thinks it's morton's neroma, a tissue growth around my nerves from the irritation of the swelling. Hopefully it goes away on its own, but in the meantime she advised me to find wider shoes to see if that helps. After living in little or no footwear for the summer, I'm not exactly crazy about sneakers or other overly-corrective shoes anymore. If anyone can point me in some good directions, I'd be grateful. I was already planning to go to a local store (www.evansonthecommon.com/womensfootwear.html) Saturday to see some brands in person, but I'm certainly open to other brand suggestions as well.

Thanks in advance!

I just wrote this on introductions and then saw this topic. So I am copying and pasting from there. It is my testimony about minimalist footwear. Got interested in minimalist footwear because of an old injury resulting in chronic tendinitis. I was at the point of not being able to walk without limping most of the time. Some friends on facebook were always talking about running in their Vibrams. I didn't really know why. But through a link to Adventure in Progress one of them posted I began to research it for myself. I found that it just might be the shoes I was wearing. So after reading more I went out and bought a pair of very flat, flexible water shoes. As I simply could not afford Vibrams or Merrell and the like. Went barefoot in the house most of the time. Just wore the shoes to town and such. In a very short time it began to get better. I noticed a difference in less than a week. It's been a year and I'll never go back. I walk (fast for exercise) on a daily basis and although I can still feel it when I first start out it soon stretches out and limbers up. No more constant pain. No more limping. I hike in them also. I would like to try some of the minimalist shoes out there, but they are spendy! In particular Merrell seems to offer what I'm looking for. Something for hiking as well as walking. The Trail Glove (for Tim) or the Barefoot Lithe Glove,or Pace Glove (for me). Lots of good articles on here I'm slowly checking out. I recently started a blog about our life in Appalachia. Occasionally I've written about minimalist footwear. Here's the link if anyone is interested. http://ourappalachia.blogspot.com/

Just wanted to introduce ourselves. Actually I (Beth) do the writing but I write about both of us. We've been together over 25 years so it's hard to separate the two of us. Got interested in minimalist footwear because of an old injury resulting in chronic tendinitis. I was at the point of not being able to walk without limping most of the time. Some friends on facebook were always talking about running in their Vibrams. I didn't really know why. But through a link to Adventure in Progress one of them posted I began to research it for myself. I found that it just might be the shoes I was wearing. So after reading more I went out and bought a pair of very flat, flexible water shoes. As I simply could not afford Vibrams or Merrell and the like. Went barefoot in the house most of the time. Just wore the shoes to town and such. In a very short time it began to get better. I noticed a difference in less than a week. It's been a year and I'll never go back. I walk (fast for exercise) on a daily basis and although I can still feel it when I first start out it soon stretches out and limbers up. No more constant pain. No more limping. I hike in them also. I would like to try some of the minimalist shoes out there, but they are spendy! In particular Merrell seems to offer what I'm looking for. Something for hiking as well as walking. The Trail Glove (for Tim) or the Barefoot Lithe Glove,or Pace Glove (for me). Lots of good articles on here I'm slowly checking out. I recently started a blog about our life in Appalachia. Occasionally I've written about minimalist footwear. Here's the link if anyone is interested. http://ourappalachia.blogspot.com/

Received a call from a client wanting a custom orthotic made for his VFF. I told him they are designed for barefoot and there is no room. He says "I heard there is a new style that has a removable insole" I tell him there's no structure as a base for the orthotic and still not enough space. He then says "is there anything you can do?" Suggested other barefoot options and told him that if you want correction I can make modifications to sole but it could ruin them, it's up to you if you want to a chance that it may not work. His final remark "I think I want to try, I'll call back for an appointment.

Just becoming a member of an exciting and interesting thought -- barefoot running!! I have just today made my first pair of huaraches, and am transitioning to barefoot running. I live in Northern BC so was quite intriqued to find the "sockwa" websight to go with my homemade sandals. I was searching for a way to keep my feet warm in winter, though I am thrilled to do without runners because I do struggle with feet that are often hot. I did a Relay in Northern BC and had a tough time cooling down, so I hope THIS IS THE SOLUTION!! I designed these sandals after reading and trying many designs. MY design is based with a supple,machine stitched double layer of leather. 7 holes made with a drill by drilling into a wooden block. Check the photo to see where to place the holes. And lastly threaded with lacing as seen in the photo. step 1.Lacing about 4' long--I started by threading 2 pieces of tubing (1 inch long clear tubing each) just long enough for my foot to keep the heel lace nice and high.(no more twisted lace or unsightly and unnecessary knots, no more collapsed sandals when you take them off!!)(clear tubing--large straw size)Next pair will be with beads --I had none :( Step 2: Thread through the heel hole,from the inside of the sole, than up and through one piece of tubing a second time.(make sure you have half the length of lacing) The second piece of tubing is for the other side of the heel -- thread second side of lace through the inside of the sole, than back up and through the 2nd piece of tubing and voila a no nonsense solution to the proper fitting heel. Make sure that the heel lacing is just the right snuggness for you, not loose, not tight. Step 3. Left lace crisscrossing to the right TOP hole--down, and UP again through lower right hole( from under the sole) and lastly DOWN through the hole between the big toe. The right lace crisscrosses to the left TOP hole, down to the left lower hole and then UP through that hole and lastly DOWN the hole between the big toe. Tie the two together and melt with match to flatten and glue. Voila, perfect fitting and super easy to get on and off. Probably none of this will make ANY sense to you, unless you have made huaraches before. In less than 5 minutes the threading is complete!! ENJOY!! :))

Some of you who were already running in minimal shoes in the early times of barefoot style running (and now I don't mean caveman running on bare feet) have probably worn Feelmax shoes or read about them. For some unknown reason Feelmax has stopped production some time ago. Feelmax shoes were very light and had very thin and very flexible flat soles. The German distributor of Feelmax decided to start making his own minimal shoes under the name of Sole Runner. The shoes are based on the Feelmax concept. At the moment there are two models: the ankle high T1 Allrounder that reminds a lot to the Feelmax Panka and the FX Trainer which is more flat. The FX Trainer will be available in September. For more information see: http://www.sole-runner.com/produkte.html The soles are a littlebit thicker (1,5mm/0,06in) than the Feelmax soles. The soles are glued instead of sewn as with the Feelmax shoes so they are more waterproof. The uppers are made of 3D mesh. The shoes have a non-removable insole. I don't know the thickness of this. I haven't seen them in real yet. The shoes weight 300-330 grams/10,6-11,6 oz a pair. At the moment they are only being sold in Europe: In Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia and the Netherlands. Sole Runner plans to entry the US market soon. The price of the shoes will be about 80-86 Euro in Europe.

Has anybody heard of, seen or tried Snipe shoes? Just saw them on planetshoes.com website:

"This Snipe mary jane also has you walking the natural way, almost like walking barefoot."

Made in Portugal.

Well folks what to do. These shoes are tight across my mid foot. I have let the laces out enough that so that to tie them I had to take them out of the top 2 holes. I may try getting them wet and wearing till dry.

I've been playing with Luna/invisible sandal design for a while. My problem has been the lacing between the toes, just can't get used to that. Thought it might be the use of shoe laces so I tried 1/2 leather strapping, that didn't help.

Next was look into different lacing options. After looking at various sandals on the market and experimentation I came up with something I like. I've always liked Teva strapping position and figured out how to with one piece of material. The prototype was done with shoe laces, then I moved onto leather but it was too stiff around the 5th toe. Looking for an option I found Luna sells supplies, so I ordered the elastic strapping. It worked like a charm and has the benefit of not having to be untied to get it on and off.

This configuration works great! Have done some light running and foot stays put, no sliding forward due to the strap at the front of the ankle. I was worried the front edge may catch the ground at toe off but that has not been a problem

I'm new to this minimalist shoe arena. It would be great if I could find a pair or two that fit. So far I've tried some KEEN Sandals with no luck. I also tried a pair of Vibrams KSO, and that was also a bust.

I need to find something that will fit me. Men's 13 Wide width.

Specifications for the sandals:

Men's 13W Closed-toe design (I don't want my toes dangling out) Strap closure preferred, but I would consider minimal laced design.

**I tried the Keen Men's Newport Sandal with no luck. The design was good, it just wasn't the right size.

Uses would be for walking, light trekking, fishing.

Specifications for the Minimalist Shoes:

Men's 13W Very thin or thin rubber soul. Strap closure preferred, but I would consider minimal laced design.

**I tried Vibrams KSO size 44. But I couldn't even get it on. I already confirmed that a larger size wouldn't work any better. The extra material would only add more length, not width.

Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to put all the information out there. I would appreciate all help possible. There has to be shoes/sandals out there that will fit me. I know I'm not the only guy with big feet. :)

If I can only afford the Saucony Hattori or the Atra Adam which would you get? I am torn....

Hello All

I just purchased a DIY kit the 6mm Vibram Trail nubby, copper suede top and the half inch equus laces.

No problems making the sandals just a suggestion or two and a question from a total novice maker and wearer of these type of sandals.

Firstly the suggestions. I was slightly concerned that from being a long time commercial sandal wearer (Birkenstocks) to a barefoot type that I would need the thicker sole so I went for the 6mm. I wish that I had gone for the 4mm to get a more barefoot feel. The 6mm feels quite thick. not much more different to the Birkenstocks.

Another suggestion is that there should be more detailed instructions on where to place and punch the toe hole on the sites instruction section. The hole in my opinion needs to be right at the base where your toes join, not like I placed it about 1/4 inch up from the base. This may seem straight forward for someone who's made these before but it wasn't for me and consequently my feet slip forward in them right to the front edge of the sole. Not a massive problem but I'd rather have got them right first time and not feel the edge of the sole under my toes.

The question - I've never worn thong type sandals before - how long does it take to get used to having something as big as the 1/2 inch Equus laces betwen your toes. I've had them on for the best part of three days and they still feel uncomforatable, getting better, but not comfortable.

I do love the product and hope the company goes from strength to strength, hope to hear from some other uses soon.

Cheers

John

Has anyone heard of these guys, worn their shoes/sandals ? The ad popped up on my Facebook page https://sidewalksurfers.3dcartstores.com/ seems to be the Canadian site so here is the main one http://www.sanuk.com/

might be worth a heading in our brands section

Has anyone tried Toms shoes? The seem to be gaining popularity with certain groups I see at the local university campus. They look semi-minimal but I wondered if they have arch support and raised heels. Just wondering.

Can anyone enlighten me in regards to some retailers of minimalist footwear in Vancouver. Mountain Equipment has a couple (Vibram, which I am not interested in, and Merrel) but that is all. I am looking for a shoe style for sure, not a sandal or a toe shoe. Thanks everyone! -Sam

Hi

Has anyone tried the Crocs ABF (almost barefoot tongs). They look nice and I LOVE crocs because of the very square toebox, the big toe can go straight. So has anyone tired these? Any ideas about the H2T drop?

Niki

I came across this company on the Pose Running homepage and wanted to see if anyone had experience with this company. JingaShoes.com. It looks to be pretty minimalist but it would be great to hear anyones experience.

Thanks,

Patton