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I have recently come to notice the Minimalist Footwear movement that is currently going on. The idea is that companies are creating shoes to make it feel like you are barefoot and so that your feet work as if you are barefoot. This is very good for your feet and it is very comfortable.

I currently wear these just about everywhere I go:


A little more info, these are the Vibram Bikilas. Each shoe has a different type of sole for traction and these specifically are built around jogging and running, but they also feel awesome to just walk around in. It usually takes about a week of wearing shoes pretty regularly for your feet and legs to adjust to the change and trust me, they will hurt a lot during that first week. Once you are used to it though, they feel great and it feels exactly like you are barefoot when you wear them.

Is anybody else interested in minimalist footwear on here?

I've tried them, and this is coming from a guy that run marathons, and I would never wear them again. Even after the proscribed 1-3 week adjustment period (which I went through).

I generally don't wear shoes if I don't have to (Even though, as a runner, athlete, and fashion buff I love them.) but these felt awful when used for their designed purpose.

So, basically, I have the polar opposite opinion. I sold my pair at a pawn shop in Normal for 5 USD.

They don't look all that 'minimalist' to me...

They look somewhat odd.

I'd say I'm more of a fan of this:


If it's not black and leather, it's not a shoe, as far as I can tell.

dogma wrote:I've tried them, and this is coming from a guy that run marathons, and I would never wear them again. Even after the proscribed 1-3 week adjustment period (which I went through).

I generally don't wear shoes if I don't have to (Even though, as a runner, athlete, and fashion buff I love them.) but these felt awful when used for their designed purpose.

So, basically, I have the polar opposite opinion. I sold my pair at a pawn shop in Normal for 5 USD.

I probably would not want them for a marathon or anything like that. Since they have very little cushioning to them, your feet would probably hurt like hell after a long run.

But from my experience, wearing them around town to do things they are really good. I think they are very comfortable at least. I plan on using them at the gym also, to see exactly how they work on a treadmill and other such things.

I have also used the ones made for climbing and hiking for their designed purposes and they are very good for climbing around on rocks. Little to no slip at all. Wet leaves are a treacherous territory however.

Albatross wrote:They don't look all that 'minimalist' to me...

I think the minimalist thing comes in because of the lack of cushioning. Kind of like wearing a pair of knock off Chucks, except you get little holes for your toes to go in to.

I just love watching marketing at work.

Here have this thing that costs less and we will charge you more. You probably won't like it and you can't have a refund.

I think we are approaching the shoe horizon.

Doctor Marten's FTW 1 pair of boots for £40 (but work provide them to me for free) that last 3 years of constant use.

Those shoes would leave my toes feeling very exposed. I can imagine toes getting caught off guard and being bent in odd and unsavoury directions.

I prefer a sturdy brogue, myself....

I hate having anything between my toes so I'll give these a miss.

This thread is not about sandals.

They look awful.

They can't possibly fit your feet correctly. Unless they have tailored them to your needs.

You have greatly increased the potential to completely annihilate your toes.

You'll look like a proper nob running around in those.

Just wear regular trainers.

I'm the lone fat guy amongst many friends that work out and run to a crazy staggering level. One of my friends runs almost ten miles a day (some in the morning, some in the evening), and he uses normal running shoes. The whole idea behind the shoes in the OP is a natural way for your feet to fall on the pavement. This might be why dogma doesn't like them. Another one of my friends ran a half marathon in them and loved it, but then again, he's been training for the past 6 months in these shoes, so his body is used to running in them (he is less of a runner than my first friend).

And my post only proves that I apparently have two friends.

Do they make anything that looks less like a shoe in coloring? These would be great for early AD reenacting if they looked closer to the color of a foot.

Oh dear God... What has the world come to.

Black leather shoes or canvas trainers. THEY are the only footwear you will ever need. To hell with flip-flops.

DeadlySquirrel wrote:Black leather shoes or canvas trainers. THEY are the only footwear you will ever need.

*looks at brown wingtips*

Crap.

I have to admit, I might have more pairs of shoes than most. But I'm not sure I could do without them.

A brief list:
deck shoes (general purpose, easy on/easy off)
slippers (for being lazy)
old tennis shoes (trainers) (mowing the lawn, working outside)
newer tennis shoes (going to the store, etc)
Rockport doe-skins (going out to dinner)
oxblood lace-up (business casual)
oxblood wingtips (formal business)
black lace-up (business casual)
black wingtips (formal business)
black patent leather (really formal)
work boots (for workin')
insulated work boots (for workin' when it's cold/going out during winter)
steel toed work boots (for workin' with heavy stuff)

Some of these are over 10 years old and I still get use out of them.

BEWARE THE SHOE HORIZON!

1. Tennis shoes, of the same cheap ass style I have worn since high school (really), same as my Dad wore. Even convinced my wife to start wearing the women's version.

2. Black wingtip banker specials.

3. Oxblood loafers, casual but good enough for impromptu client meeting.

4. Sandals for August in Austin and water park visits.

I've got a pair of black wingtips for formal dress, a pair of merrell slip-ons for casual dress and everyday wear, and a pair of dunham shoes that act as winter casual wear....

I had a pair of tennis shoes, but they're so nasty and ratty that you wear them on a dry day, and they pick up water...

I'm a huge metro girly-man, and have everything from winkle-pickers to riggers.

Albatross wrote:They don't look all that 'minimalist' to me...

My thoughts exactly, I thought minimalist footwear would be cheap brand shoes that are reliable.

These are certainly a fad and will be made fun of when people look back in future years...


Personally currently I have a pair of Doc Marten boots and shoes, and both are ultra-comfortable and have lasted years.

And yes I am aware that Docs became very trendy (at least in the US), but they are still the most durable and comfortable footwear I have ever owned...

Dreadwinter wrote:
But from my experience, wearing them around town to do things they are really good.

I'll admit that I have little use for them, as they are an expensive substitute for the old running shoes I generally wear (I buy a new pair every 3 months, so the rotation is frequent).

Dreadwinter wrote:
I plan on using them at the gym also, to see exactly how they work on a treadmill and other such things.

Just so you're aware, many gyms ban them for safety reasons (most of which are imagined).

Docs became very trendy? Damn my High School in Maine rocked em(about 40% of the students) in 96

fire4effekt wrote:Docs became very trendy? Damn my High School in Maine rocked em(about 40% of the students) in 96

That would make them trendy.


I grew up in Maine as well, though I graduated HS in 90. I got my first pair in '86. had to mail order them from England because no place in maine stocked them. Got harrassed/threatened by jock/redneck types for wearing them. Flash forward to early 2000's and everyone and their mother has a pair on on their way to starbucks...

I do a bit of work at my local climbing gym. Despite minimalist footwear (lets your feet function without restriction) being the polar opposite of climbing shoes (constricts and focuses your foots power) every other week someone asks me about these. My answer is always the same,

"unless you like to climb barefoot these are not the shoes for you"

Most folks have tried barefoot climbing at some point and most have decided it's not for them.

I used to run with a guy from Togo. That bastard could go 15 miles without shoes of any kind. I tried it once, and lasted 3.

The human foot, man, it varies.

dogma wrote:

Dreadwinter wrote:
I plan on using them at the gym also, to see exactly how they work on a treadmill and other such things.

Just so you're aware, many gyms ban them for safety reasons (most of which are imagined).

Not sure I understand why, I really don't see what a pair of tennis shoes are going to do for you over a pair of these. If you drop a 40 pound weight on your foot or something like that, your shoe isn't going to do much more, if any more, than these would for you.

I was told that the Military has banned them from their morning exercises.

Have you read this?

http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Superathletes-Greatest-Vintage/dp/0307279189/ref=cm_lmf_tit_10

Minimalist footwear to me would be the whole barefoot craze, not
the expensive specialty footwear craze.

Dreadwinter wrote:
Not sure I understand why, I really don't see what a pair of tennis shoes are going to do for you over a pair of these. If you drop a 40 pound weight on your foot or something like that, your shoe isn't going to do much more, if any more, than these would for you.

Its mostly just people seeing these and thinking "People wearing them have unprotected feet."

The reality is that my running shoes of choice are actually considerably flimsier on their upper surface, and weigh about as much.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

malfred wrote:Have you read this?

http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Superathletes-Greatest-Vintage/dp/0307279189/ref=cm_lmf_tit_10

I heard about that book, and have been meaning to buy it. That kind of endurance is unbelievable. Even in peak condition, I get stuck around a 4 hour marathon time and probably couldn't push past that distance at a slower pace.

Granted, I'm short and fairly stocky with a bad knee, but still.