Questions & Answers

Hi; I try to walk 3 to 4 miles a day and I've decided to find a pair of minimalist shoes because I have such a hard time finding shoes that don't hurt in one way or another. My normal shoe size is 11 with a width of 4E. All the shoes seem to be narrow and there is no selection of widths. What do I need to know to find a good pair?

Thank you very much for launching this community.

I am out in California and very interested in the minimalist movement. It has been interesting to see a growing scientific support for minimalist footwear (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100127134241.htm), while also some significant skepticism (http://www.runningbarefootisbad.com/). From what I have seen, the supportive science seems to be growing, and the skeptics do not have much evidence behind them.

The transition to minimalism has been somewhat challenging, but the fact that I am moving in a more evidence-based direction gives me hope.

The strong, online minimalist community continues to be very helpful in my journey, so thank you all for your contributions.

I have done some reading, and I think I'm going to try the Merrell glove, either the trail or true, or both. from what I've read, they're quite comparable. The true as slightly lighter, but the trail appears that it might be slightly sturdier. I do hiking as well as public performances, so maybe both. A bit of a price tag for minimalist. Why is it that we're paying more for less? I'm still curious about the evo ii, but after my disappointment with the longevity of my vivos, maybe I'll pass for the price. Plus, there's no terra plana outlet in my neck of the woods - Los Angeles.

Great site, and very helpful.

Seems like these are popping up now, reviews otw, and some are in stock on Merrell's site.

I can't say I enjoy the styling of any of these personally, but I've never been a fan of Merrell's shoes in general, however, they seem to meet some of the important marks.

My main concern is width obviously, since they're listed "regular" although my foot is normal width, I've got very wide forefeet/toe-splay.

Thoughts? Anybody have any of these for testing already that can comment on toebox size?

Thanks!

Has anyone had any experience with the Vivobarefoot Hackney? It's an ankle-boot, & I like the look of it but would love to get some feedback about it before buying.

It's the Black PU version I'm looking at, such as here: http://www.vivobarefoot.com/uk/ladies/hackney-2375.html/

Yesterday was plus 5 c' did 18k mostly barefoot but probably ran through too many puddles resulting in more than one blister.

I have been out of traditional shoes for over a year now and look forward to the new releases of minimal shoes coming out in the spring.

Have my eye on the Altra Adams to replace my Walmart specials.

Pb

Hello from Des Moines. I've been making the sloooow transition to zero-drop for about a year now. 2011 should be a great year for minimalist footwear. I look forward to all of the reviews, recommendations and ideas. Thanks for putting the site together!

I have re severed my pair of Tara Lites that are due to come out in Feb. My size is not going to ship til Mar. Would love to hear from anyone who gets them b4 then.

I am not affiliated with ZemGear in any way. I do have some experience with their footwear and plan to be putting them through the paces with regards to running. With that said, I think it is important to keep in mind that the current offerings of ZemGear were designed as a beach shoe, not a runner. This site is not a barefoot minimalist running specific site but a minimalist shoe site in general. Different minimalist shoes have different applications or purposes, and it may be helpful to review them in that light... just saying.

I am new to these types of shoes and would like to try some. Any recommendations for me with EE wide feet?

Anybody with EE width have any luck with this shoe line?

I live in the bay area. Thankfully zombierunners is between home and work so I no longer have to get all my minimalist shoes mail order.

I started to experiment with minimalist shoes in 2003, and have been wearing them exclusively since 2005 (around town, trail running, backpacking/hiking). I have never been a barefooter... I never was able to build up my feet so they were comfortable without some sort of protection.

I like shoes with large footboxes. I mostly live in Inov-8 shoes, though I wear vivobarefoot (Aqua and Dharma) when I need to be a bit more dressed up around town. I have a pair of vibram five finger (original model) that I have used one and off over the last few years. I don't love them or hate them. I am not sure if this community counts them as minimalist, but the inov-8 flyroc 310 http://www.verber.com/mark/outdoors/gear/reviews/inov-8-310.html are my favorite shoes.

Hi there. I'm pretty new to this minimalist stuff. I've always been intrigued by the minimalist idea, but never really considered moving in that direction. Mostly because I had always thought I needed a lot of cushion. Last year, a friend of mine gave me his Saucony Kinvaras that were too small for him. I know they are not as minimal as a lot of stuff out there, but I have fallen in love with them. I'm looking forward to learning more about minimalism. :-)

Hi

I'm a woman with extra wide feet. I have and love my Bikilas, which are the men's size 40. I was thinking of picking up another pair of VFF for the gym and possibily just regular shoes if I dare! My Bikilas are skin tight, and so I was thinking to maybe try the women's 41 size, but am worried they might be too narrow. Does anyone know how the men's and women's models differ? It is just length, or are the women's shoes narrower?

Thanks!

Niki

I ran ~50 miles in these over the summer, mostly for 5k races. They're very lightweight and minimal, and offer a fair amount of ground feel. No insole, no arch support, no cusioning. You can roll the shoe into a ball easily. These are the Puma successor to the H-Street and K-Street, both of which were praised for their minimal characteristics when they were available.

Downsides: -Very little traction, so I would only use these for roads and very, very well manicured trails. -Narrow, and may run a 1/2 size small depending on your feet. -Wore out rather quickly on rough sidewalks.

Upsides: -Relatively inexpensive, especially if there's a sale. -Minimal, and the flexibility encourages a forefoot strike. -Breathable upper. -Heel to toe drop is very, very, low. Didn't have calipers, but AT MOST it's 4mm, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's zero drop entirely. -Shoes ride very low to the ground. -Stylish enough to wear as an everyday minimal shoe as well.

Zappos links: Men's: http://www.zappos.com/puma-street-kosmos-snorkel-blue-new-navy-white Women's: http://www.zappos.com/puma-street-kosmos-nm-wns-white-puma-silver-aquarius

Hi, I'm Jon and I live in north Jersey. I've been running barefoot/minimalist for about a year now. I own a pair of VFF Sprints and Trek Sports, and a pair of Luna Sandals that I won while participating in the 1st Annual NYC Barefoot Run this past October. I just received a pair of O'Neill Reef Boots after they were suggested for winter running in a post over at BirthdayShoes.com. Can't wait to try them out and perhaps will post a review of them here if anyone's interested. Look forward to referring to this site for the latest in all things minimalist shoes!

Ola,I'm very interested in minimalist shoes

Here are free videos and PDF instructions for making your own huaraches running sandals, plus a bunch of videos about different ways to tie huaraches

Enjoy!

I'm just curious: What would you say is the percentage that you wear (or don't wear) various things on your feet? What emphasis do you put on wearing minimalist footwear or going barefoot over wearing "regular" shoes?

My percentages (approximate):

.5% regular shoes 30% minimalist footwear 69.5% barefoot.

(It should be noted that I only wear regular shoes on rare occasions. These include heavy snow and formal events. For example, before wearing boots during the recent snow, the last time I wore regular shoes was to a funeral in August 2010.)

Hi everyone,

I'm really looking forward to being here on Toe Salad. I first heard about minimalist footwear last spring through Damien's posts on AdventureinProgress, and it made so much sense to me - I was sold.

I am not a runner, and have had little need for athletic-style shoes, which is one of the main reasons I am so pleased to see this community develop that doesn't have all the running "stuff" mixed in with the shoe information. (Although I am starting some circuit training this winter, so I will have to get something for that - hopefully the reviews here will help!)

What I look for now in footwear is a nice roomy toe box and a completely flat sole (zero heel elevation, arch support, etc.). A sole that is thinner and more flexible than "normal" is nice too, but I don't really care about "ground feel" and having paper-thin soles.

I now wear VivoBarefoot Kalis every day at work, and can highly recommend them. However, I continue to search (as others here do) for the ideal winter footwear. I tried Soft Star Phoenix boots, and I wanted so much to love them, but they have not lived up to my expectations. I will post a few comments in the product section.

I am also interested in minimalist footwear for small children. I like the VivoBarefoot options, but, as my daughter is only 2, she won't be able to fit into their sizing for some time.

Cheers,

MJP