i know that this kind of negates the premise of this forum section, asking about shoes which are as close to being barefoot as is possible but still shoes, but i've been really interested in them recently. i'm training a lot in historical fencing at the moment, and could really do with some light weight, thin-soled shoes to train in (i can't spar in actual bare feet) up till now i've been using boots, since these are the only shoes i own, really, but the more complicated footwork would be a lot easier to achieve if my feet weren't completely deadened to the sensation of the ground. does anyone have any experience of minimalist running shoes? i'm thinking particularly of the vibrams five fingers range. what are the pros and cons would you say? are there better ranges out there? as for training in barefeet (which i suspect a lot of people might reccomend) its all very well to train barefoot, but i have to put shoes on to spar, best to train in the manner you intend to spar in rather than put on unfamiliar equipment only for the latter. Minimalist shoes seem like a good compromise to me, what are your thoughts? (also, i intend to jog in them, and fuck barefeet for that in this weather.)
Sure, try http://suekenney.ca/barefoot-2/earthies-barebottom-shoes Tidy footwear for bare feet Or if you're dead set on training/walking etc with something covering the soles just buy or make a pair of Huaraches. Madesh
Vibram FF are good to spread the toes, most of the time squashed by regular pointy shoes like popular chucks. The regular FF won't give you the barefoot feeling as they seem. The other issue is if you have Celtic foot, that is when your index toe is larger, or you have long toes. Socks has shorter toes than the shoes so can also restrain your toes bad. Make sure to try them out before purchasing. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
thanks for the advice, tbh this is what i'm worried about, these shoes aren't cheap to come by compared to what i could get a standard running or wrestling shoe for which would do me just as well. I worry that, since i understand that these shoes will feel odd when i first try them on, I won't be able to predict whether or not i will have a problem with them in the future. I don't have any problems with my toes particularly, my index toes are a little crooked on both sides, and problem with that should be easy to feel very early on though.
I have those Five Fingers shoes, look cool but I didn't find they made me feel barefoot, actually there was more around my feet then some shoes. I like sandals that have a very thin bottom and little on top. Anyone remember those sandals that were all leather, dark brown with a very thin leather layer under and a simple thong type strap that came between the toes on top?
How about these? A little pricey, but are well made, very plain so they look great for both men and women. I own a pair. http://www.etsy.com/listing/53470193/activator-sandal-leather-flip-flop?ref=pr_shop
Those are cute. Look light weight too which I like. The fivefinger shoes are nice for a rock climber who wants his toes to wrap around the rocks and such but I bought them thinking I could feel like I was walking in bare feet. They are rubber and feel like you are wrapped in rubber. Getting the toes in is a job but once in are ok. I paid 85 bucks for them and have only worn then about three or four times in the years I have had them. I got them when they first came out so might be quite different now. I love Keen shoes and sandals. They have a natural feeling bottom side and are light weight and easy on the tops of the feet. Another I love is sketchers, the rocker bottom shoes. The runners are not too heavy and they exersize your calves while you walk. Expensive tho. I have three pair of their runners, different colors and a black pair that look more like a dressy shoe. I am lucky so far, I have nice legs (my grandma grew old with nice legs and I hope to as well) and these should help keep them that way. But before you buy them make sure you investigate, some have had problems with them, mostly IMO, because they think they are a good shoe for a long days work or they go on long walks with them before getting used to them. Some claimed hip damage and tried to cause a class action suit so I bought several pairs in case the idea gets killed and I couldn't get anymore, they make my walks feel like a work out.
These are my minimal shoes of choice for work, the Primal 2 specifically. I got mine 2 years ago when they were called Stem Primal Origins and they have held up amazingly well. Helps that I only wear them strictly at my office desk job I guess. Immediately before and after work I'm barefoot (or cycling shoes if I ride to work). http://www.lemsshoes.com/ I also have some VFF's but for that barefoot feeling, the Stem/Lems are WAYYY better.
my minimalist shoes are, in fact, african artisanal flip flops. theyre so odd and battered (i sewed and repaired them a lot of times over the years) that they attract as many looks as being squarely barefoot , during the cold months. seriously, i can recall the glances of contempt from many folks... this kind of destroys the concept of "being shod to avoid unwanted attention", that's why they see very little use.
Are people shy about being barefoot in the US? Or is it not allowed? My young worker always went everywhere barefoot and sometime I did too when we went for long walks. We did have a pair of shoes in a back pack that he carried in case we went into a store but often we walked in and no one said anything. He was a strange one tho, he could go barefoot even when the cement was cold and I couldn't and even while he went out on his long board. I needed to have shoes anyway in case we ended up where there was a rougher grounds we had to walk on where there were no sidewalks, we used to walk at least 3 miles a day. Barefoot does not seem to be oddly looked at here and it's a good thing, he was six and a half foot tall with huge feet, haha.
I have a pair of xero shoes which are basically huarache sandals that are thin enough to feel the ground under your feet. It's the only footwear I wear anymore but it's a bit of a pain going to places like the mall because in this area people don't just stare they make comments right to your face. I'm not really sure what the big deal is because I'm not even barefoot. Like I mentioned they are basically very thin soled sandals so I'm always surprised and irritated by the rudeness of people walking by telling me to go buy some real shoes or similar remarks. I guess they may not look great with a pair of jeans but still...I can't grasp harassing someone about something that trivial. I'm not gonna stop wearing them but it does get on my nerves when I get 3 or more remarks like that in a 1 hour visit to the mall.
huaraches are awesome. I'm sorry but I'm the kind of person that would counter those kinds of rude remarks with a hardy "go fuck yourself" or something similar. The nerve of some people...
I'm very careful about that because all of them have been women and I'm a large bald bearded and tattooed man. If it becomes a scene the police are not likely to believe that it went down the way I say it did so I have to shrug it off just to avoid getting in the system over some materialistic strangers. I feel ya though, I wanted to say something badly but I have to take the hit in this kind of situation.
