Questions & Answers

Yesterday i helped a friend gut his bathroom in VFF classics. They were a little concerned about me getting a nail in my foot and advised shoes, but i told them i'd be fine. My list of activities that can be done barefoot/minimalist keeps growing. thought this community would like to know-

Hello All,

I hope someone can point me in the right direction. I'm looking for the lightest, flat soled shoe possible, without leather, that has a sporty look with toe bumper/guard. I'm blind, and can't actually look at pictures of shoes, and retalers out here in SoCal all sell silly, high end running shoes. I tried the Nike Free shoes, but they had much too much lift in the heel for my liking.

I'm on my feet a lot standing, hiking, walking, climbing (not much running). I've gone barefoot or in sandals most of my life, but like a nice tennisshoe or trekking shoes when appropriate. I've actually tried doing the living barefoot thing, but society is, well, what it is. I do hike and climb barefoot sometimes, though.

Anyway, taking pity on my preference for foot comfort and my being on them all day, a friend gave me a pair of Vivo Barefoots. I wasn't crazy about the style, but I like them a lot for feel. I kind of like a toe bumper/guard, just because that's what I'm used to in a shoe, I guess. I like that sort of sporty/rugged look. However, they began falling apart only about a year wearing them, and they weren't actually worn that heavily, nor roughly, as I'm in Sandals mostly.

Just this morning while reading about Parkour and Martial arts shoes, I discovered Feiyue, and I'm surprised to find little about them on this site. I'm blind and can't see the pictures, but from what I can gather, they are something like a very light sneaker, but without the rubber toe guard, which puts me off a bit, though not necessarily a deal breaker.

I mostly don't like the merrell styles, although I do own a pair of cold weather merrell boots I really like. I can't wait to try out the merrell barefoots.

Googling around, I came upon this site, and now I'm overwhelmed and don't know where to begin. Can anyone help me cut through the chase to find some nice sporty shoes that have a very thin, flat sole? Doesn't matter I guess laces or velcro. I am Vegan, so I don't wear leather or Swade, though the shoes don't need to be exactly "Vegan Certified" or anything like that.

Sorry if I'm posting incorrectly. I am blind and use a verbal output screen reader which does not handle these busy forums well. I had intended to post to the "Sports and Recreation" topic.

Thanks for your help.

I'm leaving a message here, because it is suggested, and seems like the friendly thing to do, but I don't know who reads these.

I am blind, and run a company called World Access for the Blind: http://www.worldaccessfortheblind.org I am an expert in human perception, and am well aware of the benefits of going barefoot. Although I've worn sandals or gone barefoot most of my life, I am also partial to a nice feeling and looking (shape) shoe.

I do public speaking and travel training for a living, and spend much time on my feet standing, walking, climbing, and hiking (not much running). I am often in professional forums where going barefoot is just too "out there". I know, I've tried.

I'm very particular about my feet. I am actually new to minimalist shoes, and I joined this site to try to get a handle on it. There are just too many choices. I can do the research, but being blind, I can't view the selections on line, so I'm hoping to get some relatively quick answers. Thanks for everyone's expertise and experience. Daniel

Greetings all, nice to find a community for fellow minimalists! Been a barefooter for years, as much as I can get away with, but some how got stuck in regular old shoes when I got back into running 4 years ago. I run to stay sane, be alone for awhile, and get small breaks from homeschooling my two boys. Got my first pair of VFF's exactly a year ago, and haven't worn anything else since for my runs, or much else for that matter. They've made a huge difference in how much I enjoy running, and I've had virtually no joint issues since I switched. So much nicer, and once my gait adjusted I think I'm a bit faster and definitely healthier. No toenail loss and hardly any blisters after the NYC marathon last fall :), a big change from my experience in 2008. Looking forward to finding out more about other minimalist options.

I'm interested in learning more from others on their adventures in minimalism. I've been running in VFFs almost exclusively for 2 years. I've been wearing Vivo Barefoot Dharmas (brown) to work for almost a year. I've liked these so much that I just ordered the same style in Black (thanks to the coupon I found on this site). I'd like to learn more about business casual alternatives in minimalist forms.

I am a barefoot shoe maniac .Start modifying shoes 10 years ago , rarely successful.I have now one pair of VFF speed , one pair of VFF KSO treksport and two pairs of Vivo barefoot NEO .Spend over 400 euro and still not satisfied .Most of these shoes have serious problems ,only VFF speed it is ok .It is unbelievable that with all this technology and progress most of the people ware shoes that do more harm than good, western world has the most unhealthy foot than the undeveloped countries.Our scientist and shoe companies screw this up , even a 6 years baby knows more for shoes .I want to write more but my english is not so good . cheers

I wonder if there are such a thing as minimal dress shoes? I am now taking up to 3 tango classes a week and my dress shoes are the only shoes I own with a heel raise. My feet are starting to cramp because of this. I need the hard, slick sole for easy sliding. Also if there are faux raised heel looks that'd be perfect as I see no one else wearing flats.

Any leads? Because ow.

I've been a runner and cyclist for some time now and started running with Vibrams and barefoot. It's amazing how free I feel running barefoot. Look forward to learning from you guys.

Corey

Hi, I need Adams!

Hiker, Gear Maker, Big-Haired Lunatic.

Not really a runner, but obsessed with LW minimal footwear that actually lets my toes splay (yeah not you Inov8), and doesn't have any useless heel rise or arch destroyers.

Currently wearing Soft Star RunAmoc lites, but the toe box still isn't really wide enough. I'm thinking about killing a goat and making some of these to get me through the winter: http://www.womenofthefurtrade.com/wst_page11.html

Although I am a vegetarian, which makes it harder. ;\

Hi All,

I have been as close to barefoot as possible since the spring of '08. I began with wearing Vibrams and being completely barefoot as often as possible. Much to my surprise being barefoot helped with ridding me of lower back pain, foot, and knee problems. Up until this point I have done everything barefoot but run.

Running for sports and hiking long distances always left my feet and knees in pain. As I grew older I sadly accepted the fact that these activities would always be a painful experience for me. However, after experiencing all the benefits of being barefoot I now have hope that I can explore running again without the pain of wearing shoes.

I am starting very slow and adopted the "Couch to 5K" training program to get my feet and legs in shape to run a 5k by April/May.

I haven't decided if I will wear Vibrams, huaraches, or barefoot it the whole way. I will see how these choices work out during my training and go from there.

Wish me luck!

Mo

I'm happy to be joining up with this (currently small) community. I've never made a lot of time to join sites or forums, so I thought getting in on one that is taking off would be a great place to start.

I'm from South Florida and am lucky enough to be able to handle heat, so rain is my only real battle with getting out to run. I am currently in the stage of falling deeper in love with running, and I'm having a great time doing it.

I'm hoping to learn about everything; cool new products, tips for running, maybe even events.

Thanks for having me, Ben

I just wanted to say thank you to the creators of this site- it's great the way the shoe reviews are organized, as as more and more people post reviews it will become an excellent resource when trying to decide what to buy. A tiny bit about me: I started BF running last spring, had a couple of TMTS injuries that set me back, got tired of having things embedded in the bottoms of my feet, so i began running steadily in huaraches from Invisible Shoes, and hiking in VFF KSO Treks. I'm up to about 3 miles per run now, using either the Treks or my O'Neill water shoes for the winter, and loving every minute i spend on the road/trails. When i'm not running/hiking or working, i'm playing bass or composing classical music, and sleeping as much as i can :)

peace, Michael

Damien suggested I join the conversation over here. He said there were some other "moms on the board". Hello all other moms.

I also am a mom. Not a runner, not a marathoner. Just a mom who's barefoot in the kitchen. (Though in the winter I wear sheep skin slippers with warm socks, and long undies, sweaters.... it's cold in Maine.)

I'm also a blogger, homeschooler, photographer, homemaker, hiker and backpacker (those last two I thought pertained to the group of people hanging out here).

I LOVE hiking in my vibram 5 fingers and after three seasons and a few repaired seams I think I'm due for an update this spring. Though I've put in my official request (Damien handles all the shoe purchases around here) for a pair of Altras. I've been eyeing Damien's with envy.

So that's me. Would love to meet other moms who like minimalist.

Feel free to check out my blog where I talk homeschooling, creativity, homemaking, nature & the outdoors and family life in general.

http://fimby.tougas.net/

PS. that's earth and kid friendly nail polish from Sun Coat in the photo.

Last year I bought a pair of ballet slippers thinking they'd be a great minimalist shoe for work. I got the widest width the dance store had, but after wearing them for about 5 minutes, knew they would not work for me. They were way too narrow.

I've been thinking of deconstructing them and use the materials for something that might work but I've been really hesitant to rip apart a brand new pair of shoes. Last night I finally did it.

I ripped out the stitches holding the sole together, then peeled off the inner and outer leather soles, along with the thin lining between them. I was left with the cotton-lined leather upper.

I cut a much wider outsole from scrap suede. I used my huaraches as a last of sorts. I wrapped the leather upper around my huarache sole and glued the new outsoles to the upper. I cut felted wool the same size as my huaraches and glued those inside the new slippers as liners.

They're perfect now! So comfortable and warm. Just what I needed to head outside on these cold winter days.

(Note, the new leather outsole is still very narrow, but the upper and inner sole provide the width. I started out with a full-width sole and the shoes looked pretty ridiculous. It might have looked better with a dark sole, but all I had available was the light colored leather.)

First pic is what the original ballet slippers look like from a mfg photo. You can see how narrow the soles are! 2nd pic is my new sole. Much wider than the original, but a bit narrower than the upper to keep the ballet slipper look. 3rd pic is the comfy soft wool inner. Last pic is me wearing my new comfy wide slipper.

Hi everyone! So excited about this new site - I"m looking for a good pair of walking shoes for college, and this is exactly what I needed - all the info in one place!

I am so excited about this website. Thank you Damien and family for starting this up! I have not been in minimalist shoes for very long...maybe 4-5months, but love them and will not go back to standard footwear. I switched due to problems with my toes and feet. Actually I was never one to go barefoot, but after too many feet issues, I started to go barefoot as often as possible. I ordered the VivoBarefoot Compton Wellie and LOVE them. I just ordered a second pair of VivoBarefoots (the candy); I cannot wait to get them in the mail! I am a wife and mother of 4 wonderful (young) children, and we love to run together (usually with two in the baby jogger and two running beside us). My husband and I have always been runners, but we have not yet run barefoot (looking forward to it this summer, though). We are attempting to switch the entire household over to minimalist footwear (one pair of shoes at a time).

Hi,

I'm Josh in Albany, CA (next to Berkeley). I've been a regular (though mostly lurking lately) on BFT's google group for a few years now. I transitioned slowly out of regular running shoes, going to NB MR790s for a while, then racing flats, and finally adding in KSOs. Started a while ago, and I've been running in VFFs exclusively now for a couple years, and I've never felt better. I was fortunate enough to not have any major issues prior to my transition. Just retired my shredded KSOs a couple months ago and switched to Bikilas, which I'm still on the fence about overall. I've enjoyed VFFs a lot, but I'm looking forward to some of the stuff coming out in spring.

Non running-wise, I usually switch between a pair of NB MT101s, Sanuk Sidewalk Surfers, and barefoot around the house.

Thanks!

Josh

Hello all,

I'm new to the forum and to being barefoot. I've looked over quite a few reviews and I'm very excited about eventually getting myself a pair. In the past I've tried to pick up jogging but always stop due to shins and my knee joints hurting. Hopefully going down a new path, barefoot, will change my views of jogging/running daily.

What I would like to know is what your favorite minimalist footwear is for walking around casually and for running. Looking forward to hearing from you!! Thanks.

Hiya barefooters & almost barefooters,

I've really enjoyed reading other peoples' intros, so here we go:

I have over-loose ankles and hips (and other joints), and dodgy ligaments in ankles, knees and hips, which make walking in shoes very difficult not to mention painful (I have Ehlers Danlos syndrome).

I met Tim Brennan (who I already knew from online); we got chatting about this and that & it turned out that he's a designer (amongst other things). I asked him what he designs, and he produced his Vivo Barefoot shoes (he created the Vivo Barefoot concept and was the first Vivo Barefoot designer) and I leapt upon them. I'd been looking for shoes that are like not-shoes for years!

A gripe I have about them is that the sizing varies with the style; so I have to go and try out every style in about 3 sizes in the shop before I can find a style & size that is ideal for me. It doesn't help that I'm a very narrow ankle & instep and wide at the toes, partly a result of my condition and partly because I was a dancer. Another gripe - the ones I bought do let in water (I can't tell you the name of the style because there's no style printed on them anywhere!)

I used to be a runner/jogger too, when I was younger, and haven't been able to run for donkeys' years. Waawaawaa!

And dang, I also have poor circulation, I think also a side-effect of the condition, and I find winter a bit - how can I put this - cold. In my apartment during winter I wear 3 pairs of socks at once.

How exciting having so many people sign up to this new forum at once, makes me all warm inside... oh, except for the feet... 0_O

Ciao for now

Isha

Wonderful to read Renee's FIMBY post about this!

Me, I am a mom, a birthworker, and an artist, children's storyteller (yes, indeed under the name "The Barefoot Storyteller"), a part time purveyor of childrens books that are also "Barefoot"...

Barefoot, is sort of a way of life and living for me... barefoot we are truly in touch with the aerth, the textures and tempeture...cool green grass, soft mud, sand at the beach, gentle treding across autumn leaves. Barefoot is carefree. Barefoot is my son's bare feet softly set upon mine under the quilt as we read to each other, and leaving footprints in paint across the kitchen floor when we didn't mean to.