Jambu Bath-Barefoot Review

By Tina Dubois

Quick Details
Price: $99.00 USD
Width: Average to Wide
Sole Thickness: Forefoot = ~5 mm, Heel = ~7 mm
Drop: ~2 mm
Weight: 7 oz or 200 grams (plus ½ oz or 14 grams with insole)
Insole: Removable
Sizing: 6–11, available in full and half sizes, fits true to size
Category: Sandal

Overview – An attractive, comfortable, casual leather sandal
As a minimalist shoe reviewer, it is wonderful when we’re given the opportunity to review multiple products from the same manufacturer and extremely validating when the shoes improve over time. This is the case with Jambu products. The first Jambu shoe Living Barefoot reviewed was the Barefoot Vegan and I found it to be somewhat narrow in design and included a truly non-minimalist insole. The latest Jambu shoe provided for review has a much wider, more comfortable fit and the insole design has been updated and improved as well. The result is that the Jambu Bath-Barefoot is an attractive and comfortable leather casual sandal fit for any spring or summer urban adventure.

Comfort & Fit
The Jambu Bath-Barefoot has proven to be extremely comfortable for me. The forefoot is wide enough to accommodate my average to wide width feet and the elastic lock-lace allows for a personal fit. The leather is very soft against the skin and despite the strappy design, I find the edges of the straps smooth and not binding in any way. They fit true to size and are available in a wide range of sizes from 6 through 11 in full and half sizes.

The memory foam insole provides a little bit of cushion, if desired, and if not desired is easily removed as it is held in place with a bit of round Velcro at the heel. The insole itself is mostly flat, however, the Velcro attachment does add some height at the heel. If you prefer the insole attached but do not want the added height, the Velcro is attached to the insole with a single stitch and can be easily removed with a little scissor effort. I prefer the shoe without the insole at all, and the footbed is perfectly comfortable without it.

Barefoot Feel & Function
The ground feel of the Bath-Barefoot is not the greatest compared to some of the truly minimal sandals we’ve reviewed (for example, the Invisible Shoe Huaraches) because the combination rice husk and natural rubber outsole is a bit thick and stiff. There is some ground feel at the fore- and mid-foot, despite being thick, as the outsole is quite flexible in these areas. There is no ground feel at the heel, as this area of the outsole is particularly dense, but this aspect of the design will provide better durability as most people land with a heel-strike while walking.

The heel has a very small rise from the forefoot, probably of 2 mm, which won’t bother most people but I can feel the difference in forefoot and heel height as I’m particularly sensitive to it. Although I did notice the difference, it didn’t affect my gait enough to be overly distracting.

The Bath-Barefoot is a little heavier than most of the minimal shoes we’ve reviewed and while wearing, did feel a bit heavy for a summer shoe. Most of the weight is in the outsole with a little more weight in the heel area than the rest of the shoe. Again, it was noticeable, but not overly distracting.

There is more than adequate grip in the design of the outsole for any urban adventure and any dry, light trail you might want to explore this spring and summer.

Upper Qualities
The upper is made of a 3 mm thick, colored burnished leather on the outside and a much thinner, softer, 1 mm leather on the inside stitched together with a soft, inlaid thread. The footbed is a woven cotton fabric overtop of the outsole, with no added cushioning in between. The heel area has a closer-knit cotton on top for the Velcro attachment in the heel of the removable outsole to attach to. The stitching is flat throughout the inside of the shoe and the seams are not noticeable to my skin. I found that this shoe needed no break-in period and was comfortable right out of the box.

The strappy design provides plenty of breathability for hot summer excursions. If they get a little dirty, a damp cloth should easily clean them up quickly. As this is a leather product, you could protect them with a leather shoe protector for longer durability but I didn’t find the need as this will primarily be a fair weather sandal for me.

Sole Qualities
The outsole is made of a blend of rice husks and natural rubber stated by the manufacturer to be eco-friendly and sustainable. The attractive grip design is 3 mm in depth and the outsole approximately 2 mm for a total of 5 mm at the forefoot. The heel area feels a little bit thicker for an approximate thickness of 7 mm. The fore- and midfoot area is quite flexible where the heel is not. There is no arch support included in the design of the Bath-Barefoot.

Overall Quality
The quality of the materials and manufacturing appear excellent. There were no defects in the pair provided for review. I anticipate this sandal lasting a long time while maintaining its attractive appearance.

Style
The Jambu Bath-Barefoot is probably the most attractive minimalist sandal I’ve reviewed to date. The burnished leather, gladiator-style exterior is lovely and the contrast stitching adds beautiful detail. There is even a handy heel tab to help slide it on. The elastic lock-lace does not detract from the attractive design and allows for a personal fit that helps the shoe stay in place nicely without being binding. The sandal is available in three colors: black, sage, and taupe.

Uses
The Bath-Barefoot is an attractive, leather sandal perfect for any casual spring or summer urban adventure. They will nicely compliment any casual outfit from jeans, capris, shorts, or skirts. As they look a little dressier than most of the minimal sandals I’ve reviewed, they will be my summer shoes for fancier outfits this season. Probably not appropriate for formal occasions but they do look very stylish for a casual sandal.

Value
Priced at $99 on most online purchase websites, the Bath-Barefoot is priced at the top end of the leather sandal products on the market. They are more expensive than most minimal sandals as well but they are going to last a long time while maintaining their attractive appearance if treated well. There are few attractive minimal sandal options on the market for women so it depends how much you want to pay for the added style.

Summary
The Jambu Bath-Barefoot sandal is an attractive leather sandal stylish enough to compliment any casual spring or summer outfit for urban adventures. They are wide enough to accommodate an average to wide foot with a simple, elastic lock-lace for personal fit. The strappy, gladiator-style design is surprisingly comfortable with a soft leather interior. The removable memory-foam insole is flat and adds a little bit of cushiony comfort for those who want it and is easily detached for those who do not with a comfortable footbed even without. The blend of rice husk and natural rubber outsole is extremely grippy with an attractive design. There is some flexibility in the fore- and midfoot but very little in the slightly raised heel. Although the ground feel is not the greatest for a minimalist footwear product, they are quite stylish for a women’s sandal filling a niche in the sparsely populated corner of the minimalist market. Priced at $99, some may find it a little expensive. For more information about the Jambu Bath-Barefoot, you can check out the product website here and for more women’s minimalist Jambu styles you can check out their Bare Feet Designs page.

The Swiss Barefoot Company – Swiss Protection Sockette Review

By Tina Dubois

Quick Details
Price: 55 EUR ($70 USD) plus shipping from Europe
Width: Stretch in fabric would accommodate narrow to wide feet
Sole Thickness: 2 mm (at the most)
Drop: Zero
Weight: 1.25 ounces or 34 grams
Insole: Not applicable
Sizing: 38-39 and 42-43
Category: Toe sock suitable for outdoors

Overview – Kevlar Toe Socks for the Outdoors
Have you ever wanted to be as close to barefoot as you could get but still have a little bit of cut-resistance for sole of your feet? The solution to that problem is the Swiss Protection Sock or Sockette (SPS), depending on the height of the sock you prefer. The SPS is a Kevlar-knit sock with a welded polyester bobble sole, for added grip suitable for most outdoor terrains. They feel as close to barefooting as you can get, because you’re not wearing a shoe, with just a bit of protection from sharp edges. They’re pretty much perfect for people who wish they could go barefoot but are afraid of getting cut or are working on toughening their tender soles.

Comfort & Fit
The SPS is one of the most comfortable outdoor footwear options I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing yet. I do love the feeling of toe socks, so this was no surprise to me. The Kevlar knit is a little thicker than your average toe sock (ie, Injinji) but still smooth against the skin. The polyester grip on the sole is completely unobtrusive to the feel of the sock other than the added grip on surfaces. The material stretches just enough for a form-fitting, not bunching feeling all around my foot and between my toes. The articulated heel makes for a close fit around the heel area and around the ankle. As the SPS is made of stretchy material, they will fit a wide range of foot widths from narrow to wide. There is limited sizing at the moment but they stretch up to 2 cm so will still fit most small to average feet. Larger sizes are rumoured to become available in the near future.

You probably wouldn’t want to try to fit these into a shoe, but that would totally defeat the purpose of the SPS. These are, after all, toe socks for the outdoors.

Barefoot Feel & Function
There is no better barefoot feel while wearing the SPS but barefoot itself. While test wearing them, I tried one bare foot and one with the SPS and found the only difference in feeling was that the SPS-wearing foot felt less sharp edges than the bare foot. Outside, I walked on grass, 1” gravel, concrete, asphalt, wood chips, shale, and dirt and found that I was much more comfortable with the SPS-protected foot than with my tender bare foot. Inside, I walked on tile, wood, carpet, and linoleum and enjoyed the added grip the PVC laminated sole provided. My foot can function as naturally as it does bare but with just a bit of protection from sharp edges. These are particularly ideal for me as I would love to spend more time barefoot outdoors but don’t want to spend a considerably long time toughening up my tender soles during the 3-4 months of barefoot-friendly weather we have here in Canada.

Upper Qualities
The SPS is made of a combination of Kevlar (50%), polyester (32%), cotton (10%), and spandex (8%). The material breathes quite well and my feet were never hot in them, even indoors, while providing some warmth from the outdoor elements. Water did go right through the material but after stepping on wet ground, they dried very quickly. They are easily cleaned in cold water through the washing machine (I’d recommend a gentle cycle) and air dried.

Sole Qualities
The sole of the SPS is reinforced with PVC laminated to the bottom of the sock. The PVC provides a considerable amount of grip for the sock, especially compared the thread alone. The total thickness of the outsole is probably close to 2 mm. There is considerable stretch in the material allowing the foot to move and function naturally. As the SPS is a sock and not a shoe, there is obviously no arch support.

Overall Quality
There were no manufacturing defects in the review pair of socks. There was the odd long thread that was easily shortened with scissors. For a sock, this product is going to be extremely durable as the material is thick and made of a Kevlar, polyester, cotton blend. If you use the sock as intended by the manufacturer, meaning “outdoors on soft ground”, the SPS should last quite a while. If you use the SPS on surfaces not intended for their use, including tarmac, you will reduce the life of the sock and wear the PVC reinforcement of the sole area.

Style
The SPS is currently available in a short Sockette version and a long Sock version (review coming soon by a guest reviewer). Both are currently available in a yellow and black thread, which is mentioned on the manufacturer’s website as a production limitation with the use of Kevlar because it is difficult to dye. However, in the latest newsletter from The Swiss Barefoot Company (link provided here), the manufacturer mentions that they are working on an all black version as well as some new colours, as a new Kevlar dyeing process has been discovered, which may be coming soon in 2013.

While walking in my Sockettes, my neighbour immediately noticed that I was walking around in ‘stocking feet’ so your lack of shoes may get noticed, although, probably as much as if you were actually barefoot.

Uses
The SPS is the perfect product for people who want the best barefoot feel but could use the reassurance of a little bit of cut-resistance and feel a minimal shoe is too much protection. The SPS is designed for outdoor use on soft ground including grass, sand, and dirt and not for hard surfaces including tarmac or especially sharp and rocky terrain. The SPS is advertised as ‘cut-resistant’ not ‘cut-proof’. They will provide protection from feeling sharp objects and cuts on the bottom of your feet compared to shoes but they are not shoes, so it is unrealistic to expect them to behave like shoes. They are perfectly suitable for walking on sandy beaches, forest paths, gardens, and water sports. I think they would be an excellent product for those hardcore barefooters who could use a little bit of foot protection from snow, ice, and colder temperatures in the winter as well.

Value
If comparing the price of the SPS to a regular sock, they are wildly expensive at $70 USD (not including shipping). Compared to most minimal shoes, however, they are priced at the low end of most brands. The SPS is far more than a sock but not a minimal shoe. Price is definitely a limiting factor with regard to the SPS.

Summary
In the time I’ve been wear-testing the SPS, I’ve really come to appreciate their uniqueness and benefits as a minimal shoe reviewer and want-to-spend-more-time barefooter. Living in Canada, there is such a short barefoot season that the soles of my feet are quite tender. I’ve often wished there was a product that was more than a sock but less than a shoe and the SPS exactly fits that description. They are comfortable, form-fitting, breathable, easy to care for socks but offer far more protection than a regular sock with their Kevlar, cut-resistant thread and PVC laminated sole. This product will appeal to people who want to spend more time barefoot but are afraid of cutting the bottoms of their feet and for those hardcore barefooters who might want the smallest amount of protection from sharper terrains or colder/hotter surface temperatures. The SPS has far better ground feel than any minimal shoe with a true outsole because the outsole is fabric with tiny plastic nubs melded to it. The only difference I felt between barefoot and the SPS, is that sharp objects were far more comfortable to manage.

For more information about The Swiss Barefoot Company’s Swiss Protection Sockette, you can check out their website.

VIVOBAREFOOT Achilles Review

By Tina Dubois

Quick Details

Price: $55.00 USD
Width: Average to wide
Sole Thickness: 3.0 mm
Drop: Zero
Weight: 4 ½ ounces (125 grams) without strap, Strap adds ³/₈ ounces (10 grams)
Insole: None included
Sizing: S, M, L, XL for Men and Ladies; True to suggested sizes on the website
Category: Minimalist Sandal

Overview – A modern running sandal with plenty or proprioception
Last year, VIVOBAREFOOT offered the Achilles sandal for men (see Al’s review here) and this spring/summer sees this modern take on a running sandal offered for ladies as well. It’s definitely a sandal with a style all its own and, in the minimalist functioning category, it scores high marks with plenty of proprioception.

Comfort & Fit
How comfortable you find the Achilles is going to depend on a number of factors including how used you are to material between your toes, how tough the bottoms of your feet are, and the size of your toes in general. I’m not used to having shoe material between my toes as I don’t wear flip flops (ever!), I have tender feet, and I have very short, stubby toes; therefore, I don’t find the Achilles very comfortable to wear for long periods. The toe bridge rubs the skin between my toes rather uncomfortably because I’m not used to hard material being there (despite being a habitual toe sock wearer) and my toes are so short that the bridge wedges between my toes rather than the end of the sandal resting against the ends of my toes. After about half an hour of wear, the skin on the bottom of my feet can feel every edge of the hexagon pattern of the footbed. Keep in mind, I am a self-proclaimed tenderfoot and this is not going to be the case for everyone. That said, if I found them more comfortable, I am certain that I’d think they were one of the best minimalist products on the market.

Although the product comes in small, medium, large, and x-large sizing, the website has suggestions for number sizing and these appear to be accurate and true to size. You may wish to ensure that the strap is going to be long enough for your feet and instep height as this proved to be an issue for me with the review pair.

I highly recommend you try these on before you buy them. The Achilles is such a unique design that it would be a very good idea to try these on and know that they are going to work for you and your feet.

Barefoot Feel & Function
With a mere 3.0 mm between your feet and the ground and an extremely flexible outsole material, the Achilles has amazing ground feel. Few minimalist shoes have been this great in this department! They weigh less than 5 ounces, which is well below the average minimalist shoe. And despite being a sandal, they still have good grip on man-made and natural surfaces with a raised hexagon grip pattern. Functionally, these are a super minimalist footwear option.

Upper Qualities
The upper is an integrated upper/outsole 3D design made of TPU with a softer PU footbed. TPU is a common material for VIVOBAREFOOT probably because of its high abrasion resistance, good flexibility over a wide range of temperatures, and resilience to staining and solvents making a suitably durable shoe material. The softer PU footbed gives some cushioning and allows for a textured material underfoot for grip and water elimination. The Achilles design and choice of materials is kind of ingenious in the footwear market. There design maximizes air flow to your feet, is water resistant for amphibious adventures, and super easy to care for because a quick rinse will clean them right up.

The removable strap is made of a durable, thick nylon material, which should last a long time. The hook and loop system allows for a personalized fit and the padded heel rest is a nice touch for added comfort.

Sole Qualities
The TPU outsole and PU footbed have a total thickness of a scant 3.0 mm. Both materials are patterned with VIVOBAREFOOT’s trademark hexagon design, although each with a purpose-appropriate texture. The plastics used are extremely flexible, lending to excellent ground feel. There is no arch support of any kind in the design of this sandal.

Overall Quality
The choice of materials is undeniably durable in quality. The manufacturing of the integrated upper/outsole is also of high quality. The removable strap, however, included a defect in the review pair. One strap was 17 cm and the other was 16.5 cm. This may not seem like a lot but the shorter strap did not have enough length for the hook and loop closure system to stay attached. Upon notifying the company, they send a replacement pair right away which had equal length straps.

Style
The Achilles definitely has a style all their own; I haven’t seen anything like them in the minimalist or conventional footwear markets. It’s the kind of style you either love or hate. Whichever side of that fence you land on, they do come in a variety of colorways to persuade you including black, white, grey/crimson, and grey/mint. If you don’t like the look of them with the strap, it’s easily removed for a completely different look.

Uses
The Achilles is equally at home walking on a beach or running through creek crossings. They are a versatile casual walking sandal or road and light trail running sandal. The strap keeps the back end of the sandal firmly in place while running and the toe bridge adds extra hold in the front end. With the strap, they look a little more rugged than casual and without it, they look like a futuristic flip flop (that you don’t have to curl your toes to keep in place).

Value
At $55 USD, they are extremely competitively priced. Their versatility alone justifies the value. If you plan on running in them, where else are you going to find a pair of durable shoes for under $60?

Summary
There are few truly minimalist women’s sandals on the market with decent ground feel if you’re looking for more than a piece of rubber underfoot and the Achilles delivers with plenty of proprioception. Although I don’t find them that comfortable for my feet for long periods, that doesn’t mean they won’t be my go-to, slip-on sandals for short trips this spring and summer. They’re more than comfortable enough for quick trips to the store, lunch with a friend, or other places you wouldn’t want to go barefoot and want to wear a light, airy sandal. They are well worth their price in versatility and durability. If you love their unique style, which reminds me of a futuristic flip flop, they’re well worth a try. I do, however, highly recommend trying them on before you buy them so you know they work for you and your feet.

Review of the VIVOBAREFOOT Legacy

By Tina Dubois

Quick Details
Price: $140 USD
Width: Average
Sole Thickness: 5 mm
Drop: Zero
Weight: 7 oz (size EU 38)
Insole: Removable, Press EVA
Sizing: Men: 41–47, Ladies: 36–42; Full sizes; True to Size
Category: Minimalist Lifestyle

Overview – Extreme Versatility in an Attractive Leather Package for Men and Women
VIVOBAREFOOT has the largest selection of models on the minimalist market, some of which you can’t find anywhere else; the Legacy is such a model. Here is an all-leather upper lifestyle shoe with enough tread on the outsole to go just about anywhere you’d want to go with them. They work equally well in the office as they would walking around town or running on the road or light trails and are available for both men and women.

Comfort & Fit
The Legacy is a comfortable leather shoe for those with narrow or average width feet. They feel like a leather slipper and they easily adjust to your feet’s width with the waxed cotton laces. For those with extra wide feet, they may be a bit restrictive in the toe box. As I’m used to wearing some of the extra wide toe box VIVOBAREFOOT models, like the Lucy Lites, I find the Legacy a bit tight in the toes after over 30 minutes of walking around, but I do have wide feet.

The relatively thick black leather was a bit stiff when I first put them on but after a few wears, they have softened up in the toe box and side areas. The softening of the leather has made them even more flexible than when new and they bend easily with minimal toe effort. The heel seat, however, is still quite stiff as there is added construction in this area of the shoe. It can be somewhat distracting if navigating up and down hills but I don’t notice it when walking on flat ground.

The collar of the shoe is unlined so if you have sensitive skin, you may want to wear socks with these if they don’t hit your feet and ankle curves just right. I think they look better with socks than without so that is not an issue for me. All the seams on the inside of the upper lay flat so if you prefer to wear shoes without socks, there are no sharp edges or seams that may cause blister issues.

Barefoot Feel & Function
There are few brands on the minimalist market with barefoot feel as good as VIVOBAREFOOT shoes and the Legacy is no exception. The ground feel is excellent. The sole is very flexible and easily bends around ground contours. The uniform grip depth of the zero drop outsole is what I consider to be the perfect kind of outsole for a minimalist shoe. This shoe has it all: great proprioception and ground feel with plenty of grip for urban or light trail terrains.

The 7 ounces (or 198 grams) of weight is heavier than most minimalist shoes but the weight is well balanced and not overly noticeable while wearing. The removable insole, weighing in at ¼ ounce, doesn’t contribute much to the weight of the shoe nor much cushioning as it is made of press EVA instead of a less dense material.

Upper Qualities
The upper is made of a high-quality, relatively thick leather. The vamp is unlined but the quarter is lined with a soft calf leather for added comfort. Although there are few holes in the leather for breathability, my feet have never felt overly hot in these shoes. With a thin pair of socks, my feet have always felt just the right temperature in the Legacies. Although the leather is water resistant, the two holes on the side of the shoe at the foot’s arch will allow water to enter the shoe so I wouldn’t recommend them for rainy days. The leather has definitely softened with time so although I wouldn’t say there is a break-in period for these shoes, they will feel more comfortable the more you wear them. As the upper is a high-quality leather, I recommend protecting them with a leather shoe protector before going out in wet conditions.

Sole Qualities
The outsole is made of a soft, abrasion-resistant rubber with VIVOBAREFOOT’s multi-terrain grip hex pattern. It is 5 mm thick but made of a soft and flexible enough material to easily bend and shape around ground contours providing plenty of proprioception. There is no arch support designed into the sole of the shoe for a true minimalist feel.

Overall Quality
The overall quality of the materials and manufacturing of this shoe is stellar. There are no defects in the review pair. I suspect both the upper and the outsole will last a very long time.

Style
The VIVOBAREFOOT website markets the Legacy as ‘an homage to the classic style of the Roger Bannister era’. I wasn’t around in the ‘50s so I’ll have to take their word on that. They are definitely a simply designed, casual-looking lifestyle shoe but with such superb grip, can be used for just about anything. They are available in black and dark brown leather options for both men and women.

Uses
The Legacy works as well in the office as they do walking around town or running on road and light trails. This shoe can do it all! I’ve seen a blog post of someone’s positive hiking experience in them, too. If these shoes are comfortably wide for you, I’m confident recommending them as a great all-purpose minimalist shoe.

Value
At $140 USD, they are priced a little high in the minimalist category but well in the all-leather casual shoe category. This is a high-quality product that is going to last a long time, well worth their price.

Summary
The VIVOBAREFOOT Legacy is an excellent all-purpose leather shoe with fantastic minimalist qualities and great grip. They are an exceptionally high-quality product that will last a long time. For a narrow or average width foot, they are just about perfect. For an extra wide foot, they may be a bit restrictive in the toe box. The Legacy is stylish enough for office wear while comfortable enough for urban adventures and equally suited for running on the road or light trails. The high-quality leather softens with minimal wear making them even more comfortable the more you use them.

For more information about the Legacy, you can check out the VIVOBAREFOOT website.

In other news: What do you think of the new review format? We’re trying something a little different and would love to hear your feedback. Comment below to tell us what you like, or don’t like, about the new Living Barefoot Minimalist Shoe Review format.

VIVOBAREFOOT Aqua Lite Review

By Al Gauthier

We have very fond memories of the original VIVOBAREFOOT Aqua. Back in 2009, when we began our journey into review writing, the VIVOBAREFOOT Aqua was the first shoe we wrote a review for. We were very impressed with the shoe. Given the limited momentum of barefoot running and minimalist shoes at the time, the shoe was a very considerable achievement. Since then, VIVOBAREFOOT has developed their product line into one of the most versatile collections of any minimalist shoe manufacturer. When VIVOBAREFOOT started they were a small addition onto the much larger Terra Plana. Last year, they stepped away from under that umbrella to feature more prominently in the minimalist market. Included in their newer collection is the new Aqua Lite, the original Aqua reinvented.

The Aqua Lite is—as you might have guessed—is a lighter version of the original Aqua. With more breathable fabrics on the upper and the same 3 mm TPU outsole. With new styling and new fabrics, the improved Aqua is even better than the original, without losing it’s roots.

Comfort
The Aqua Lite is super-comfy. The breathable upper makes for a much cooler shoe, and that’s a great thing in my books. I would rather control temperature through the use of socks. Thin and breathable materials make these very comfortable. Combine this with the wide VIVOBAREFOOT last and a thin 3 mm outsole, these were born winners. Despite the considerable improvements, I still found these hotter than I would prefer for a performance product. One must keep in mind, however, that I have hot feet and live in a very warm climate.  If I were to rate these on a scale of 1 to 10, with one being a sandal, and 10 being a warm winter boot, I would rate them a 5.

Width
Like most VIVOBAREFOOT shoes, the Aqua has a wide last. There seems to be some difference in the width of VIVOBAREFOOT models and it appears that the construction of the upper, rather than last design, is the difference between the variety of widths. Thankfully, these shoes are as wide as VIVOBAREFOOT models get and my toes are happy that way.

Sole
The outsole is made with the original VIVOBAREFOOT soling material. This is made of latex rubber and TPU abrasion-resistant material. These combine to form a 3 mm thick sole. The sole is exceptionally flexible and durable. It is an excellent balance between significant ground feel and protection. This is a true zero-drop shoe with no thickness difference between the heel and toe.

Flex
The sole material allows for significant flexibility. The shoe is limited only by the structure of the upper. I did not find limitations in the flexibility of the shoe aside from a slight resistance from the fabric itself.

Weight
These are very light, especially when compared to a typical runner/trainer. You will wonder how you ever dragged around your feet in traditional shoes.

Support / Insole
There is no arch support designed into the shoe. As with all VIVOBAREFOOT products, the Aqua Lite provides an anatomically accurate last without any arch support. This is, of course, as it should be. The removable insole provides a small amount of shock absorption, but not so much that your natural gait is hindered—you still can’t heel strike in these shoes with any level of comfort. The antibacterial material will also fight odour. If you are after the pure minimalist experience, they are easily removed. The footbed is designed to be used with or without the insole and is comfortable for bare feet in both configurations.

Barefoot Feel
Ground textures are easily felt through the thin sole material. The flexibility is excellent, especially considering the more typical rigid alternative. To even the most die-hard minimalist shoe fan, these will satisfy. The use of the insole slightly reduces the ability to feel textures under foot, but they are easily removed.

Grip
Grip is reasonable in these shoes. The sole is the same design used to make most of VIVOBAREFOOT’s shoes. Grip on wet and slick surfaces is more than adequate for the average user. Your feet won’t find significant grip on icy surfaces or loose materials, but for urban adventures, these are great.

Breathability
You won’t feel the wind between your toes, but for a fully enclosed upper, these allow a decent amount of air circulation and cooling. I would like to have seen even less material in the upper, but for the average person, these are just as airy as the average training shoe.

Quality of Materials / Manufacturing
VIVOBAREFOOT products are well-made. The material used is of excellent quality. The workmanship in our sample pair was without fault. I expect these will last for many years.

Water Resistance
These are not a waterproof shoe but do provide significant water resistance. Your feet should remain dry during light rain or slightly wet conditions.

Sizing
The sample pair fit true to size in length and width. These are excellent shoes for those with standard to wide feet. Those with narrow feet may find there is more toe room than would otherwise be needed. Due to the lacing system, I would suspect that even narrow feet would find a good fit through the heel and midfoot.

Price
At $115 USD on the VIVOBAREFOOT website, these are well-priced and a good value for a high quality pair of running/training shoes. Cheaper shoes can always be found, but when quality and comfort are considered, the price is always worth it.

Style
Despite the intended use of the Aqua Lite, the style is reminiscent of a cross between a skate shoe and a sneaker. They are undeniably casual and youthful. There are three color options: all black, two shades of grey, or two shades of blue. All three flavors are served on a white VIVOBAREFOOT outsole. The white of the outsole creates a pleasant contrast between the upper and the sole, but where function is concerned, white outsoles are never the most practical choice. The fabric of the black pair I tested picked up dust and dirt easily, but was also easily cleaned off.

Break-in Period
Any shoe should fit perfectly the first time, with no adjustment time required. The VIVOBAREFOOT Aqua Lite was a great fit for me.

Shoe care
The Aqua Lites are easily cared for; the fabric can be wiped with a lint-free cloth for cleaning.

Warmth
While not airy, they are relatively cool when compared to regular running shoes or trainers. For those with warm feet, these might be just a little bit too stuffy, but for most they will be just right.

Uses
The Aqua Lites are aimed at runners but are really a perfect casual shoe for just about any activity. The wonderful thing about true minimalist shoes is that, while they might be aimed at a particular use, they are often exceptionally versatile. These make great shoes for everyday life. Whether you are walking to the pub for a pint, or off for a long run, these are flexible shoes in every way.

Summary
VIVOBAREFOOT has grown over the past two years from an innovative company producing great footwear to an innovative company producing some of the best minimalist footwear available. The Aqua has evolved into a refined, stylish, versatile, and comfortable shoe. Another winner from VIVOBAREFOOT!

For more information, take a look at the VIVOBAREFOOT website. Make sure you sign up to receive the latest email updates from VIVOBAREFOOT to take advantage of end of season promotions and new product announcements.

Vibram Fiverfingers Trek LS Review

By Al Gauthier

Quick Stats
Price: $140 USD

Width: Wide, but flexible
Drop: 0 mm
Total Sole Thickness: 4 mm
Category: True Minimalist 

Overview
Vibram Fivefingers is no stranger in the minimalist shoe world. Fivefingers have been around so long and have such a strong following, that they are in the enviable position of having the luxury of creating variations of existing popular models to fit into specific niches and to satisfy style variations. The Trek LS is such a product. It has been built on the original Trek platform, but with different leather styling and through the use of a lacing system rather than the hook and loop closure system found on the Trek.

I have to say that I love the look of these shoes, but do they perform as well as the original Trek?

Comfort, Fit, & Style
As with the original Trek, the Trek LS is wonderfully wide, yet also adaptable to a wide variety of foot widths. The Trek has a 4 mm slightly lugged sole which is the stiffest and least flexible sole out of all the Fivefingers’ lineup. It is therefore interesting that Vibram have chosen that platform for the LS. I would guess that this may be due to the previous experience of using a leather upper on the Trek, rather than a desire to have the thicker sole.

Despite the thickness of the sole, the LS is a great product. The toes have excellent flexibility and the overall feeling of the shoe is still on the minimalist side of the spectrum. I love the look of these shoes. The laces add something friendly and familiar to the platform and make them the best looking Fivefingers in my opinion.

Sadly, it’s not all great news. The original Trek used a fabric material in between the toes. The LS have changed this and have enclosed each toe in leather. In itself this wouldn’t be a problem were it not that the stitching where the toes meet the rest of the shoe, create a little bit of a strange sensation. In all other Fivefingers we tested, the sensation of having my toes inside of toe pockets was easily forgotten. With the LS, the unusual rougher texture makes it impossible to forget that there is something in between each of my toes. The result is so distracting that I can only tolerate short periods of wear.

In all other respects, these are some of my favorite shoes. The leather throughout the rest of the shoe feels wonderful, and the fit is made much better through the use of the lacing system. The shoes are even easier to put on. Sadly, the issues in between the toes limit my enjoyment to periods of less activity or shorter duration.

Technical Details

Sole Thickness: 4mm
Weight: 6.5 oz (size 430
Waterproofing: Not waterproof, but water resistant due to full leather upper
Materials Used: EVA Midsole, TC-1 Rubber outsole. Crazy Horse Leather Upper
Insole/Support: Non-removable leather insole, no support
Sizing: Men’s US sizes 40 through 47

Uses
The LS is a lifestyle product, despite the Trek origin. The heel cup is not snug enough for a performance product, and the leather between the toes would probably cause some discomfort if used for running or hiking. Having said this, there are plenty who use this shoe for less casual activity, and if you feel comfortable, the materials should hold up just fine.

Breathability is better than most shoes. It is not the first time we have experienced leather with the ability to breathe. Despite suffering from hot feet, they rarely feel too hot inside the LS. Grip is excellent and good enough for most slippery and rough surfaces as well as more mundane city activities. Overall, I find the LS snug in the forefoot while being just a little loose in the heel. This is not uncomfortable for me, but it is noticeable. Those who regularly have trouble with heel slippage may find this to be a problem.

Quality

The materials used all appear to be of the highest quality. The horse leather has a rough, almost aged look to it. This is normal. I could find no other issues with manufacturing. I expect these to last a long time.

Value
At $140 USD, the Fivefingers LS is not an inexpensive shoe. Given how much I love the look, I would buy these at that price. If you are after a casual shoe and don’t think the material in between the toes will bother you, they are worth the money, but there are cheaper options even within the Fivefingers family.

Summary
Overall the Fivefingers LS is a great looking, functional, fun, breathable, and comfortable Fivefingers option. It’s difficult to judge if the leather between the toes is an issue that is unique to our sample pair, or if the issue is more widespread. In an online search, I was unable to find anyone else who had the same complaint, but I must review the product as I experience it. As with all Fivefingers shoes, the best way to purchase them is to try them on first, or buy from a retailer who offers a good return option.

Links:  http://www.vibramfivefingers.com

New Balance Minimus Outdoor 10 Review

By Tina Dubois

Review of the New Balance Minimus Outdoor 10 Running Shoe (WT10)
I got my feet wet, so to speak, reviewing transition shoes with the New Balance (NB) 110, so the test process for reviewing the NB Minimus Outdoor 10 shouldn’t have been a difficult one as this shoe falls into that category as well, but that was not the case. The Minimus Outdoor 10 is essentially the same shoe as last year’s NB Minimus Trail but with a water resistant upper instead of mesh, which makes it much more appealing for running in wet conditions. As the Minimus Trail was NB’s first attempt at a minimalist shoe, and the Outdoor 10 is pretty much the same shoe but with different upper materials, the Outdoor 10 has the same problems the Minimus Trail had (click here for Al’s review). This is not a shoe I find comfortable to wear for walking let alone running.

Comfort
This shoe is in no way comfortable for me to wear. I don’t know if it’s because it is nowhere near wide for me in the forefoot or the midfoot and a wider version might be more comfortable but I can only review what I have. The rubber-like material across the top of the forefoot and where the laces go into doesn’t stretch so acts to bind my foot in place and I don’t like it. At all. I also find the ridge along the shoe collar uncomfortably stiff and sharp-edged. The heel cup is not the right shape for me and is also wrapped in the rubber-like binding material found across and along the forefoot. The outsole is too high in the arch and digs into my foot. The only positive thing I can say about the comfort is that the footbed material is soft against the skin, which is great if you don’t want to wear socks. However, because the edge of the shoe is so sharp along the collar, I wouldn’t go sockless for fear of blisters around my ankles.

Width
There is no part of the shoe that is wide enough for me. This is the most binding shoe I’ve had to review to date.

Sole
The outsole is the same as the Minimus Trail with a 4 mm heel rise and a stack height of 15 mm at the heel and 11 mm at the forefoot. Walking strides feel smooth through each step with no drops or bumps across the outsole. With a lack of lugs, they are suitable for light trail and road running but extreme trail terrain would be questionable in the traction department.

Flex
The circular pod design of the outsole provides more flexibility than expected. The shoe flexes easily upwards in the forefoot area and somewhat in the down direction between pods. The heel area is not flexible. As this is a trail running shoe, some degree of inflexibility is warranted to provide some protection from sharp objects. 

Weight
Each size 8 Outdoor 10 weighs 6.25 ounces or 177 grams. For a trail running shoe, this is well within the limits of acceptably lightweight.

Support / Insole
Because the outsole rises so high at the arch of my foot, it feels like it is being supported. If the shoe were wider, this probably wouldn’t be the case. Other than that, there is no arch support designed into the shoe.

There is no insole included in the Outdoor 10 so there is no added cushioning there. There is an ‘Acteva ™ ’ layer of lightweight foam in the midsole but I didn’t find it overly squishy. I would say that the level of cushioning in this shoe is appropriate for a trail running shoe, transition or minimalist alike.

Barefoot Feel
There is some but not a lot of ground feel in these shoes. As a trail running shoe, this is a welcome feature for those wanting more protection than the typical minimalist shoe.

Grip
As mentioned earlier, there aren’t any lugs on this shoe so the traction is not great for extreme trail conditions or anything wet. However, they do have adequate traction for light trail and road running in dry conditions.

Breathability
The Outdoor 10 is meant to be a water resistant shoe but there is some breathability in the uncoated upper material along the top of the forefoot and the tongue.

Quality of Materials / Manufacturing
The quality of materials and manufacturing are both great with this shoe. There are absolutely no flaws and the materials are designed for extreme durability and it shows. These shoes should last a long time even under rugged conditions.

Water Resistance
These shoes are designed to be water-resistant and they achieve that feature very well. The plastic-coated material along the toe, sides, and heel doesn’t allow any water to penetrate. Although the uncoated material on the forefoot and tongue of the shoe is breathable, it is treated with a hydrophobic substance that water beads off from. The tongue is also solidly attached up to the last inch so water should not penetrate along the sides of the tongue either.

Sizing
The Outdoor 10 fits true to size. I generally fit a women’s size 8 and this size in this model fits true to length if not in width. For those with wide feet, I do not recommend them and only those with narrow feet might find their fit comfortable.

Price
At $105 USD, these are priced well in the trail running shoe category. For a durable trail runner, this is a good price.

Style
The Outdoor 10 looks like a rugged, durable running shoe. The contrast stitching is a nice detail that adds character as well.

Break-in Period
There is no break-in period for this shoe. It’s not going to get any softer or any more flexible with use.

Shoe care
As a trail running shoe, these are going to get muddy. Rinsing with a hose or in the sink with a brush should be sufficient to get them clean again.

Uses
The Outdoor 10 is a water-resistant light trail or even road running shoe. If they are comfortable for you, they might work well as a casual or walking shoe.

Summary
Comfort is a primary feature of shoes for me; if it’s not comfortable and functional, I’m not going to wear them. The Outdoor 10 is not a shoe I consider comfortable and I don’t intend on wearing them again. If the shoe were wider from top to bottom and there wasn’t a constricting band across the top length-wise and width-wise, I think this shoe would be much more comfortable. If you have a narrow foot and you find the shoe comfortable, this might be a footwear option if you’re looking for a water-resistant transition shoe for light trail or road running. The Outdoor 10 was built on the same foundation as the Minimus Trail, and as a first foray into minimalist shoes, it could have used some improvement. Thankfully, New Balance listened to consumer feedback and made significant improvements in their Minimus Zero line of shoes. For more information about this and other models, take a look at the New Balance website.

New Balance Minimus Trail Zero Review

By Tina Dubois

Review of the NB Minimus Trail Zero – An Impressive Addition to the NB Minimus Line
I am pleasantly surprised at how much I’ve been enjoying the New Balance (NB) Minimus Trail Zero. This is the first product offered by one of the big brand shoe companies that I have reviewed that I would whole-heartedly recommend as a truly functional minimalist shoe by Living Barefoot standards (which are pretty rigorous standards, I must admit). The new Minimus Trail Zero is a true minimalist running shoe that I enjoy for road and light trail use.

Comfort
The shape of this shoe is incredibly comfortable. Although at first glance it may not look like a foot-shaped designed shoe, I find that it hugs my foot in all the right places with no uncomfortable pinching, squishing, or rubbing. The space-aged materials in the two-piece upper are designed with minimal seams in mind, the only one is where the tongue attaches to the inside of the shoe and it is in a place completely unobtrusive to the natural movement of my foot. The upper material isn’t exactly soft against the skin so I prefer to wear socks and am quite comfortable running in them this way without any blisters to this point.

Width
The toe box and forefoot area is more than wide enough to accommodate my feet. The area around the midfoot and arch is also wide enough for my feet but if your feet were wider than mine, I can see how the edge of the outsole under the arch may be a problem. The circular outsole pattern is not an issue for me as my arches are high enough and/or narrow enough in the area to not fall over the edge of the outsole. If your feet are wider than this area, the outsole edge could potentially dig into your arch.

Sole
The outsole is an impressive innovation in a minimalist shoe, or any shoe for that matter. The black circles I can only assume at this point are EVA, as the official NB website for this model is not online at the point of writing this review, and the white circles are an overlay of Vibram rubber for added durability in high-wear areas. The design is zero drop and accommodates a uniform outsole thickness across the length of the shoe. The currently available website with information on the Minimus Trail Zero (MT00) writes that this model has a 13 mm stack height, which seems high in terms of numbers, but I can assure you there is plenty of ground feel due to the extreme flexibility of the outsole.

Flex
The circular web-like design of the outsole makes for fantastic flexibility. It is less flexible where the white Vibram rubber is but not overly noticeable and rather welcome on rough, uneven terrain. Each ‘pod’ moves independently due to the web-like design between and connecting the pods. 

Weight
Each size 8 women’s Minimus Trail Zero weighs 3.5 ounces or 100 grams. This is practically unbelievable in a trail shoe and half the weight of many other minimalist shoes in this category. New Balance went above and beyond lightweight when making this model.

Support / Insole
There is no support designed in the shoe and yet the choice of materials allows the shoe to keep its shape very well. There is no insole included in the shoe but the footbed is the softest part of the whole shoe.

Barefoot Feel
Ground feel is fantastic in these shoes. The independent movement of the circular pods in the outsole allows you to feel the smallest contour changes in the ground. Rocks and roots are easily felt and the shoe bends around them naturally.

Grip
These have great grip for the road but not so great for trail. I’ve enjoyed running in these on light trails of shale and dirt but more substantial gravel, rocky, or mountainous trails are beyond the scope of these shoes. There are no lugs to speak of so mud or slick conditions are out of the question.

Breathability
The upper is made of an “unlined mesh and an ultrathin, laser cut, fully-welded overlay” which easily allows air to pass through wherever there is only mesh. There is so much air flow that it hardly feels like you’re wearing a shoe at all.

Quality of Materials / Manufacturing
The quality of the materials seems outstanding and kind of futuristic. In terms of the quality of manufacturing, there are a few places where the glue is visible at the interface between the outsole and the upper but this is simply esthetic. There are no structural flaws in the review pair.

Water Resistance
Just as air easily passes through the mesh, so does water. These are not water resistant shoes and your feet will get wet with the slightest drizzle or puddle.

Sizing
The Minimus Trail Zero fit true to size. I generally fit a size 8 women’s and the size 8 review pair fit me perfectly in length and width.

Price
At $110 USD, the WT00 is priced well for a running shoe, whether it be for road or trail. If the shoe works well for you, it is definitely a good value.

Style
These are definitely eye-catching shoes and not just due to the bright orange colour, although that is definitely a predominant feature. The design and materials used in this shoe are unlike anything currently on the market and it is these futuristic features that make this shoe stand out in the crowd. I think this shoe will appeal to those who like conventional shoe design as well as minimalist shoe fans alike.

Break-in Period
There is no break-in period required for this shoe. If it is not comfortable the moment you put them on, they are likely not the right size or shape for your feet.

Shoe care
I wouldn’t recommend throwing these in the washing machine but a scrub in the sink is probably all you need to get them clean.

Uses
The Minimus Trail Zero is an excellent addition to the Minimus line although I wouldn’t recommend them for extreme trail terrains. There is also very little in the way of foot protection offered by the lightweight material; stubbing a toe on a rock or root is really going to hurt. Light trail including grass and dirt where exceptional grip is not an issue are suitable terrains for the lack of lugs in this model. I particularly enjoy these for road running despite the fact this is not what they were designed for.

Summary
The Minimus Trail Zero is the best minimalist shoe NB has made to date and the best model so far of the big brand shoe companies’ forays into minimalist shoe design. I doubt this level of greatness could have been reached without the lessons learned from their original Minimus models released in previous seasons. The Minimus Trail Zero is beyond lightweight, exceptionally wide, fantastically flexible with great ground feel. The futuristic style and materials make for an eye-catching shoe. Although perhaps not well suited for extreme trail terrain, they work well on light trail and incredibly well on road. NB has reset the bar for minimalist running shoes and I can only hope the other big brand shoe companies take note and follow suit. Congratulations New Balance!

New Balance Minimus Road Zero Review

By Tina Dubois

Review of the NB Minimus Road Zero (WR00) – A definite improvement from the original Minimus Road
Last season’s New Balance (NB) Minimus Road, which Al reviewed, left a lot of room for improvement in the ‘minimal’ department and the company responded with a complete redesign in the new and improved Minimus Road Zero. This shoe has far less cushioning, a true zero drop, and far less weight than the original. It’s wonderful that NB listened to consumers and put in the effort to produce a shoe with much more minimalism in mind. The only down-side is it’s still not wide enough for those with wide feet.

Comfort
The inside of the shoe is designed with very few seams and a soft material so it can be worn without socks if you like to run that way. There are no rough edges to the shoe anywhere along the throat and the heel cup fits around my ankles nicely. The tongue design is particularly thoughtful in the comfort department as it is part of the upper and only open on one side, producing a sock-like feel. If only they were wide enough for my feet, I might find them quite comfortable.

Width
The review pair is definitely not wide enough for me. The toe box has barely enough room for my forefoot and not enough room for any splay. The outsole actually digs into my arch with every step as the midfoot of the shoe is nowhere near wide enough for me. If you have a narrow foot, I can see these working for you but for wide and possibly average width feet, the Minimus Road Zero is not the shoe for you.

Sole
The Vibram outsole is uniform in height the entire length of the shoe. The stack height of 12 mm is a little on the high side for a minimal shoe but there are runners who appreciate a little less proprioception for long runs and this shoe would work well for that purpose. The double density outsole was designed to maximize durability in high wear areas so this sole is probably going to last a long time.

Flex
The outsole flexes relatively easily upward, if relative is to a conventional shoe and not a minimal shoe. It does not bend well in any other direction. The over 1 cm stack height and the thickness of the Vibram outsole material are probably the reasons for the inflexibility. 

Weight
Each size 8 women’s Minimus Road Zero weighs 4.75 ounces or 135 grams. For a running shoe, this is well within the realm of lightweight and feel practically weightless while wearing.

Support / Insole
There is no support designed in the shoe, however, because the midfoot is too narrow for me, the outsole does rub against my arch making it feel like it’s supported. There is no insole included in the shoe and the footbed material is quite soft against the skin.

Barefoot Feel
Due to the inflexibility and over 1 cm stack height of the outsole, there is very little ground feel with this shoe.

Grip
The outsole material that contacts the ground is quite sticky providing good traction on dry roads. Mildly wet roads are not a problem but slightly slick conditions due to excessive wetness or mud may cause traction issues. These are not meant for trail running.

Breathability
The upper is made of a light synthetic mesh material that easily allows air to pass through. These definitely have above average breathability.

Quality of Materials / Manufacturing
The quality of the materials and manufacturing seems excellent. There are no defects in the review pair and the materials seem durable and long-lasting.

Water Resistance
Just as air easily passes through the mesh, so does water. These are not water resistant shoes and your feet will get wet with the slightest drizzle or puddle.

Sizing
The Minimus Road Zero fit true to size in length although they are designed for a narrow foot. I generally fit a size 8 women’s and the size 8 review pair fit me perfectly in length if not in width.

Price
At $110 USD, the WR00 is priced well for a running shoe. If the shoe fits you, it would be a good value.

Style
The bright yellow color of the review pair is quite eye-catching especially considering the reflective material overlaid on the upper. People have noticed that, although they look like conventional running shoes, there’s something different about them. Whether that’s the relatively low profile compared to a conventional shoe, the neat tongue design, the thin laces, or just the flashy color, I don’t know. The styling is unique for a running shoe and I like it. In addition to the bright yellow, they also come in a more subdued blue/black and silver/pink.

Break-in Period
There is no break-in period required for this shoe. If it is not comfortable the moment you put them on, they are likely not the right size or shape for your feet.

Shoe care
I wouldn’t recommend throwing these in the washing machine and because of the absorbent mesh material of the upper, dirt is likely to get trapped in the fabric and be difficult to wash out.

Uses
The Minimus Road Zero, as the name describes, is meant as a road running shoe. They are not suitable for trail running but if you like the look of them and they fit, they could be used for a casual or walking shoe.

Summary
The Minimus Road Zero is far superior to its predecessor the Minimus Road but there is still some room for improvement in the width department. I would love to see this model offered in different widths as many New Balance models are and, if this becomes available in the future, I think this would be a very different review. If you have a narrow foot and are looking for a zero drop running shoe with a small amount of cushioning, compared to a conventional shoe, for those longer runs this may be the shoe for you. I don’t recommend them for those with wide feet. For more information on the Minimus Road Zero, check out the New Balance product page for the WR00 for women and the MR00 for men.

New Balance 110 Trail Review

By Tina Dubois

Review of the New Balance 110 Trail Running Shoe – A Transition Trail Shoe for Extreme Trail Terrain
I must admit that this is the first ‘transition’ shoe review for me. I categorize the New Balance (NB) 110 Trail as a transition shoe rather than a minimalist shoe as it has a 4 mm heel rise in addition to numerous other qualities, which will be explained during the review, closer in relation to a conventional shoe rather than a minimalist shoe. However, the purpose of this shoe, described by NB is “a minimalistic trail runner ideal for race day or a long training run… for those runners looking for a minimalistic shoe but aren’t quite ready for a fully barefoot-inspired running experience.” For competitive trail racing, sometimes it might be nice NOT to feel every rock and root in order to maximize speed and long training runs might be more comfortable with less ground feel on extreme trail terrain. There are definitely types of runners who might appreciate this purpose and resulting qualities of the 110. Therefore, this review is written with the purpose of this shoe in mind from the point of view of a minimalist shoe expert.

Comfort
The 110 interior is a synthetic, sock-like layer with few seams to encourage sockless wear. My test runs in these shoes were too long for me to go sockless but a very thin pair of socks yielded no blisters. As I am used to only wearing minimalist shoes, I find these a little confining, probably due to the lack of flexibility. Although overall I don’t find them that comfortable, if I were to run on an extremely rocky mountainous trail, I might find the lack of flexibility preferable over a minimalist footwear choice.

Width
There is just enough room for my forefoot and toes to splay in the 110 but I find the midfoot area surrounding my arch to be a little narrow. No amount of loosening the laces alleviated this narrowness.

Sole
The outsole is designed for rugged trail terrain with lugs to accommodate this purpose. It is also made of sticky rubber for slick conditions. The heel is 4 mm higher than the forefoot so not a true zero drop shoe. It has a relatively low stack height compared to most conventional trail shoes but higher than most minimalist shoes, a feature that makes it fit well in the transition shoe category.

Flex
This shoe is not flexible, but it was not designed to be. This shoe is designed for rugged trail terrain, which I define as extremely rocky, and potentially unpleasantly so if wearing a minimalist shoe with good ground feel. This shoe is designed with rigid construction elements including a ‘stability shank’ in the midfoot and ‘Rock Stop ® ’ in the forefoot to protect your feet from feeling sharp rocks and debris. 

Weight
Each size 8 WT110 weighs 6.5 ounces or 184 grams. For a trail running shoe, this is well within the limits of acceptably lightweight.

Support / Insole
The aforementioned ‘stability shank’ in the midsole absolutely supports the arch to some degree. It is slightly raised as well so if you are used to completely flat shoes, as I am, you will notice the difference. Even for a transition shoe, I don’t feel there is a need for arch support.

There is no insole included in the 110 so there is no added cushioning there. Speaking of cushioning, there is an ‘Acteva ™ ’ layer of lightweight foam in the midsole but I didn’t find it overly squishy. I would say that the level of cushioning in the 110 is appropriate for a trail running shoe, transition or minimalist alike.

Barefoot Feel
There is no ground feel in this shoe, hence the label ‘transition’ and not ‘minimalist’.

Grip
The lugs on the 110 are more than adequate for a trail running shoe in dry or wet conditions. The traction was excellent even on slippery snow, slush, and mud.

Breathability
The 110 is designed to be extremely breathable and it surpassed expectations. The synthetic interior liner is mesh and the exterior upper is made with numerous perforations for air to easily pass through. The slightest breeze can be felt through these.

Quality of Materials / Manufacturing
The quality of materials and manufacturing are both stellar with this shoe. There are absolutely no flaws and the materials are designed for extreme durability and it shows. These shoes should last a long time even under rugged conditions.

Water Resistance
There is usually a trade-off between breathability and water resistance and the 110 is no exception. The perforated upper that easily allows air to pass through also allows water to pass through just as easily. The synthetic materials used in this shoe, however, allow the water to pass through again and don’t hold that much added weight after being soaked.

Sizing
The WT110 fits true to size. I generally fit a women’s size 8 and the comparably sized 110 fits true to length and width in the forefoot. They could be wider in the midfoot but I have a wider than average foot.

Price
At $85 USD, these are priced extremely well in the trail running shoe category. For a durable trail runner, this is an excellent price.

Style
The women’s 110 (WT110) in teal and silver is a strikingly eye-catching shoe. I find it very attractive for a trail running shoe in a category usually comprising bulky and unattractive footwear choices. There are many thoughtful details included in this shoe including an ‘Approved by the Trails of Bandera, TX’ on the footbed and ‘Keep Up’ etched in the lugs of the outsole. The waved laces are an especially nice touch for non-slip knots in wet trail conditions.

The women’s also comes in a black/purple/green while the men’s (MT110) comes in a black/blue/orange and a silver/orange.

Break-in Period
There is no break-in period for this shoe. It’s not going to get any softer or any more flexible with use.

Shoe care
As a trail running shoe, these are going to get muddy. Rinsing with a hose or in the sink with a brush should be sufficient to get them clean again. As a bonus, the silver upper exterior will not hold a mud stain as it is a non-absorbent material.

Uses
These are strictly a trail running shoe. If you are a minimalist shoe enthusiast, these are strictly an extremely rough and rocky trail running shoe. If you are not quite ready for the full barefoot feel of a minimalist shoe and want to try a lightweight trail runner with a little less height, a lot less heel, but similar foot protection as a conventional shoe, the 110 might be exactly what you’re looking for.

Summary
Although not a true minimalist shoe, the NB 110 is a good transition trail running shoe, which can be used for those occasions where you might not want to feel all the rockiness of a rugged trail. They have a 4 mm heel rise for those not quite ready for a completely flat shoe. They are a little too inflexible and narrow in the midfoot for my liking but I can see how someone with a narrower foot needing a shoe for trail running might appreciate the design of the 110. They are definitely more stylish than your average running shoe and definitely built to last. 

For more information, take a look at the New Balance website.  Details specific for these shoes can be found at MT110 for the men’s and WT110 for the women’s.

Episode 44: An Interview with Asher Clark and Lee Saxby

We interview Lee Saxby and Asher Clark.
Asher Clark, the Design Director at Terra Plana and Vivobarefoot, tells us about his career path, shoe design, and gives some hints about the product we can expect in the coming months and even years.  Lee faces a challenging question about whether Vivobarefoot training clinics are a conflict of interest.  We discuss recent Harvard study results and the effects these results have on both Lee and Asher’s work. Lee and Asher give their predictions for the future.  Join us for this frank and interesting interview.

Review of the Vibram FiveFingers Bikila LS – The Evolution of Toe Shoes

By Al Gauthier

No other shoe company has developed such a loyal following or developed such an iconic brand as Vibram FiveFingers. They started with a few employees years ago and have turned into an incredible success with a large team behind a significant product range. I love that Vibram has continued to produce such excellent products and dug in their toes when it came to what must have been pressure to make more conventional looking shoes. Vibram has already refined the Fivefingers design, so now all that’s left is to make evolutionary products for smaller niches and aesthetic tastes. If you pull up your nose at a shoe with toes, you can move along now. For the rest of you, keep reading.

Comfort
The Bikila LS is a good example of a progressive product. The LS adds the lacing system to the Bikila design. The interior of the BIkila LS, however, remains mostly the same. Soft fabrics line the inside of the shoe and the footbed is the standard yellow, Dri-Lex material we’ve all come to expect. The foot finds a soft and comfortable home inside these shoes and the lacing system makes the snugness of the shoe customizable. The shoe is, therefore, more comfortable than the original Bikila and more flexible to different foot shapes and widths.

Width
The Bikila LS feels slightly wider than the original Bikila, but this could be due to the more flexible lacing system, which allows for greater flexibility for foot width and instep height. I expect these shoes should adjust well to almost all foot widths, from narrow to wide.

Outsole
The outsole is the same as the Bikila. Thirty-seven 4 mm pods make up the contact points of the outsole. These are made of Vibram TC-1 Performance rubber for abrasion resistance. The arch is made up of EVA that follows the contour of the arch. Overall, the outsole design provides good grip and flexibility.

Flex
Flex is excellent! The pod design allows for outstanding flexibility while providing good traction. These are about the most flexible shoes that Vibram Fivefingers currently produce and perform well against the competition.

Weight
These are very light. Once on the feet, the Bikila feels feather-light. The EVA arch removes weight from the shoe, as does the pod system. Thickness is not universal throughout the shoe, thus weight can be saved strategically. Size 42 men’s weigh 6 oz each.

Support / Insole
No support is present in the Bikila LS, however, the EVA arch does provide a very marginal amount of structure that could be considered a minimal amount of support. The insole is a 3 mm polyurethane insole (thickest under the ball) for additional protection while forefoot landing.

Barefoot Feel
Ground transmission is excellent. The pod design allows for better flex when compared to the traditional Fivefingers design, but increases the thickness slightly when compared to the original Fivefingers models.

Grip
Grip is good in these shoes. The rubber is grippy on most man-made surfaces. Wet and dry weather present no problems for the grip, however, muddy conditions or trails with loose material will be better served by the Trail series.

Breathability
The Bikila LS upper is constructed of Coconut Active Carbon for breathability. The breathability is decent for an enclosed shoe, but is by no means excellent. The wicking properties of the Coconut Active Carbon are good enough to help avoid excessive moisture build-up but lack the more significant ventilation that can be provided by mesh-type materials.

Quality of Materials / Manufacturing
The quality of materials and manufacturing for our review pair was excellent. We could not find any faults in the construction of materials. These are detail-rich shoes with a significant number of components, stitching, and detail. It is an impressive technical achievement to make such a complicated product.

Water Resistance
The materials used are not waterproof, but are marginally water resistant for short periods of time. A small amount of rain or a small puddle shouldn’t cause water penetration, however, significantly wet environments will find water seeping into the shoe.

Sizing
The sample pair fit true to size in length according to the Fivefingers sizing chart and in relation to previous samples tested. Men’s sizes are available from 40–46.

Price
At $100 USD on the FiveFingers website, these are below average price for a running/training shoe of this type. If the Bikila LS is the shoe for you, they are well priced.

Style
There can be no pretending that Fivefingers are stylish in a traditional sense. Performance products have a style-sense all of their own, and the success of the Fivefingers range has almost elevated these shoes to a stylish brand. If you like the style of Fivefingers, these are, in my opinion, some of the most stylish of the bunch. The lacing system somehow elevates the style and the muted qualities of the grey pair I tested felt more mainstream than most of the Fivefingers lineup. Great detail can be found in these shoes. The lacing system features a quick-lace locking mechanism to allow for quick on and off manoeuvres. Reflective panels can be found on the top, back, and sides of each shoe, making these great for running in the dark.

Break-in Period
There is no break-in period for these shoes. The construction is flexible and the fabrics will stretch. If you don’t feel immediately comfortable in these shoes, you have the wrong size, or the wrong style.

Warmth
The thin natural fabrics used in the upper make for shoes that are, while not quite airy, cooler than almost all comparable products on the market. For those with cold feet, an additional pair of toe-socks may be required in colder climates.

Uses
The Bikila LS is squarely aimed at runners. For those looking for a great shoe that promotes natural movement in a light-weight package, these are an excellent choice. These are designed for road use and should be kept to that portfolio. Wet conditions pose no threat to traction, but these shoes are not water-tight for longer runs in inclement weather. The fit is snug yet comfortable, and perhaps the best choice for on-road running out of the entire Fivefingers lineup.

Summary
These are a great product, perfect for the fair weather runner looking for a flexible minimalist shoe. We can find no fault in this product. The lacing system is an excellent addition to the lineup and provides a much more flexible and customizable fit. The fit is relaxed enough, and the style casual enough, that these could certainly be used as an every-day walking shoe.

I would easily recommend this style over the original Bikila, especially if you are ordering online. The flexibility of the lacing system allows for far greater foot compatibility. The lacing system also makes putting these shoes on much easier.

These are another winner in the Fivefingers lineup. It is a company that continues to produce excellent products, who listen to their customers, and who continue to refine and innovate their products amidst increasing competition. These are not a ground-breaking product, but represent a slow but worthy evolutionary product.

For more information, take a look at the Vibram Fivefingers website.

Episode 43: Barefoot Banter – Session 3 -

We explore: the loose use of the word “Barefoot”, whether kids should be allowed to go to school barefoot, and the settlement against Reebok for False Advertising.

Effects of Footwear and Strike Type on Running Economy concludes: “Minimally shod runners are modestly but significantly more economical than traditionally shod runners regardless of strike type, after controlling for shoe mass and stride frequency. The likely cause of this difference is more elastic energy storage and release in the lower extremity during minimal shoe running.” Foot Strike and Injury Rates in Endurance Runners: a retrospective study concludes: “…Runners who habitually rearfoot strike have significantly higher rates of repetitive stress injury than those who mostly forefoot strike… One hypothesis, which requires further research, is that the absence of a marked impact peak in the ground reaction force during a forefoot strike compared to a rearfoot strike may contribute to lower rates of injuries in habitual forefoot strikers.” Essentially, these two papers suggest that forefoot strikers have fewer injuries than heel strikers and that no matter your foot strike pattern, if you run in minimal shoes, your running is more efficient with improved running economy.

I’m taking away from these two conclusions that forefoot strikers who run in minimal shoes are more efficient and have fewer injuries compared to heel strikers who run in conventional shoes. Sounds to me like ingredients included in a recipe for maximized efficiency and minimized injury…

Speaking of running news, stay tuned for some EXCITING developments in the coaching related area. Announcements are coming soon! “

(Read the full article here: ‘Toe Girl’ Tina’s Barefoot Alternative Adventures: New Barefoot and Minimalist Running Research)

Review of the VIVOBAREFOOT Lucy Lite – A Comfortable, Casual Cross-trainer for Any Woman

By Tina Dubois

It’s not often I am blown-away impressed by a minimalist shoe but the Lucy Lite has far exceeded my expectations in comfort, versatility, barefoot feel, and styling. VIVOBAREFOOT has made some incredible models in the past but this model obviously incorporates all the accumulated knowledge this company has accrued in their shoe-making experience. This is a shoe that is as comfortable on urban adventures as it is running a road race.

The VIVOBAREFOOT Lucy was the first minimalist shoe review I wrote for Living Barefoot back in August of 2009. What a difference experience makes—not only in the improvements made in the new and improved Lucy Lite but also in my confidence in reviewing minimalist shoes.

Comfort
The Lucy Lite is the epitome of comfort. The inside of the upper is lined with a super soft nylon and polyester material and has just the right amount of padding against the skin. I cannot feel any seams on the inside of the shoe with my feet or my hands other than where the tongue meets the rest of the upper and even that is unobtrusive. They are comfortable with or without socks. I have sensitive skin so this is definitely a plus for me.

They also stay on well without any binding or slippage. The heel cup remains in place while walking or running.

Width
The extra wide last is wonderful. I’m finding it increasingly difficult to find shoes that are wide enough for me after almost three years of strictly being barefoot and wearing minimalist shoes. There is plenty of room for my toes and metatarsals to splay in these shoes. If you have average width feet, the lacing system should easily accommodate a narrower fit. If you have narrow feet, these might be a little wide but I don’t know as I can’t test it myself.

Sole
The outsole is VIVOBAREFOOT’s patented, puncture-resistant TPU 3 mm on road sole. It has a uniform grip depth along the entire length of the shoe, allowing an even transfer of body weight along the length of your stride.

Flex
This shoe is amazingly flexible! The sole flexes easily in any direction. It’s a huge improvement over the flexibility of the original Lucy, which I found a little stiff in some directions, particularly bending my toes upward. In the Lucy Lites, the shoe follows where my foot bends with next-to-no effort. There is no uncomfortable crease along my toes when they bend upward either (a problem occasionally encountered in some VIVOBAREFOOT models). 

Weight
Each size 39 Lucy Lite weighs 5 5/8 ounces or 159 grams without the insole and 6 1/8 ounces or 174 grams with the insole. These measurements are well within the range of lightweight for a minimalist shoe. While walking or running, they feel extremely light and unemcumbering.

Support/Insole
As with all VIVOBAREFOOT footwear, there is no support designed in the shoe or insole. The 3.0 mm press EVA insole is removable and provides only a modicum of cushioning.

Barefoot Feel
The barefoot feel of the Lucy Lites is simply phenomenal. They are so flexible that even the smallest rocks are felt through the outsole. The puncture-resistant sole lends a feeling of safety and some comfort while walking on rougher terrain. In addition to the great ground feel, my feet also feel free to splay as wide as they need with the new extra wide last, which I think contributes to their excellent barefoot feel.

Grip
The on road sole is for just that, on road. These are not made for off road or trail purposes. For on road or indoor surfaces, they have more than enough grip if wet or dry.

Warmth/Breathability
The Lucy Lites do not have the most breathable of upper materials. If your feet are generally cold (like mine), these shoes are great. If your feet are generally hot, you might find that these can be a little stifling in warmer temperatures. From my own experience, my feet have not felt too hot even while running indoors.

Quality of Materials/Manufacturing
The quality of materials appears to be excellent. The materials look quite durable and will likely last a long time. The quality of manufacturing could be improved as there are a few visible glue marks on the upper where the outsole and upper meet. These are very small and you need to be looking very close up to see them. All the seams and other aspects of construction appear flawless.

Water Resistance
The Lucy Lite upper is made of hydrophobic mesh and microfiber that water beads right off. There is even a hydrophobic collar within the shoe at the beginning of the tongue so if you step in water below about three quarters of the height of the shoe, your feet will still remain dry. This is a great feature for road running through puddles.

Sizing
The Lucy Lite runs short so I recommend ordering a size up from your normal size. I generally fit a U.S. women’s size 8 and the Lucy Lite size 39 fits perfectly. I had the opportunity to fit a size 38 and 40 so I know that 39 is the right size for me. If you are familiar with VIVOBAREFOOT products, they fit similarly to the original Lucy, Evo, and Neo.

Price
They are priced at $115 USD on the company website. For a durable, attractive, comfortable, versatile, casual and/or running shoe, this is well worth the price.

Style
The Lucy Lites have a bit of a retro look to them that I like quite a bit. People have noticed them and commented on how cool they look and have been amazed when I tell them the Lucy Lites are a minimalist shoe. Perhaps they don’t look like most peoples’ idea of minimalist footwear? The newly designed upper is a cleaner, simpler design that works well with any casual outfit. The toe cap is a nice touch that isn’t obtrusive and adds extra toe protection if you’re going to be running in them. White is an interesting choice for the outsole but on the review pair colourway, it seems to work. I love the blend of colours used in the Dark Grey model and they also come in Black and Crimson.

Break-in Period
There is no break-in period for these shoes. They are soft, flexible, and comfortable right out of the box.

Shoe care
I don’t think I’d put these in the washing machine to clean them. Most water beads off so if they get dirty, cleaning with a wet cloth is a breeze. I’ve worn these many times exercising and running indoors and they surprisingly do not smell bad despite their lack of breathability.

Uses
The Lucy Lites have become my go-to shoes for errands, walking, running, exercising—pretty much anything indoors or outdoors on roads when it’s dry. The only time I don’t wear them is on snow or trails. They are the perfect, casual, urban adventure shoe.

Summary
Every once in a while, the minimalist shoe bar is raised by a new product model; the Lucy Lite is one of those shoes. They excel in both fashion and function. They are one of the most comfortable minimalist shoes, with or without socks, I have ever had the pleasure of reviewing. They are wonderfully wide but with a lacing system that could easily accommodate an average width foot. Their flexibility and barefoot feel are incredible. Their casual styling works well for running errands or running a road race. Their only downside is that the upper is not that breathable so may not work well in warmer temperatures for people whose feet are generally hot. This is a plus for me, though, as my feet are generally cold. The Lucy Lites truly surpassed all my minimalist footwear expectations.

For more information, take a look at the VIVOBAREFOOT website.  Make sure you sign up to receive the latest email updates from VIVOBAREFOOT to take advantage of end-of-season promotions and new product announcements.

Episode 42: We Interview Certified Pedorthist, Adam Janke

Adam shares his view as a Pedorthist on barefoot running and the transition process from running in traditional shoes to barefoot running and running in minimalist footwear.

 

Review of the VIVOBAREFOOT Off Road Mid Men’s Boot – A Minimalist Hiking Boot

By Al Gauthier

One of the decreasing niches not yet fully covered by minimalist/barefoot shoes is the category of hiking boots. While VIVOBAREFOOT has produced some great boots in the past, this is the first purpose-designed product for hiking, and I believe the first boot made for men by VIVOBAREFOOT. Unfortunately for VIVOBAREFOOT, this boot is a slight slip from a very high pedestal. VIVOBAREFOOT has produced some of the best products we have seen in 2011 and, indeed, are the winner of our award for the best minimalist shoe of the year. The Off Road Boot is, however, not quite up to level of near-perfection that many of the VIVOBAREFOOT products have managed to reach. Read on for the details.

Comfort
For those that are used to the wide last of typical VIVOBAREFOOT products, the Off Road falls a little short of the mark. It could, however, be argued that a hiking product needs to be snug and secure against the foot. Slippage while hiking would certainly cause problems but, in a minimalist product, there is a fine line between snug and tight. Sadly these off-road boots are a little too narrow for comfort – for those with wider feet that is. The rigidity of the boot further adds to this discomfort. For those with a narrow to average foot, these would be reasonably comfortable – just not to the high standard that VIVOBAREFOOT has been known for.

Width
The last these boots are made on is narrower than other VIVOBAREFOOT products I have tested. In the world of shoes, it is not the last alone that dictates width. The way in which the upper is constructed and its interface with the outsole are significant factors in the fit of a shoe. As these boots have been designed for hiking and rough terrain, the upper has been made of stiffer stuff than the average VIVOBAREFOOT product. This rigidity and the overall design of the upper, combined with a narrower last, make for a fit that is much narrower than expected.

Sole/Flex
The sole is VIVOBAREFOOT’s off-road sole, containing some serious lugs for grip. The sole is 3 mm, and the lugs add another 5 mm.  The overall effect, combined with the stiffer upper, is the least flexible and least barefoot-like sole in the VIVOBAREFOOT line-up. This isn’t all bad news. On rough terrain and sharp surfaces the reduced flexibility and ground feel can be a very positive aspect. Despite these attributes, there is no doubt that these shoes will give the wearer far more ground perception than virtually all other hiking boots on the market.

Weight
AT 8.2 ounces for a men’s size 44, these are fantastically light hiking boots. For such a robust and well-built boot, these feather-weights are some of the lightest hiking boots you can find.

Support/Insole
Like all VIVOBAREFOOT products, there is no arch support designed into the product. There is a removable 3 mm press EVA insole. Unlike other VIVOBAREFOOT shoes, the insole is removable but the footbed isn’t designed to be used without it. This is an unusual choice for a VIVOBAREFOOT product, but given the use-case of these boots, it isn’t a deal-breaker.

Barefoot Feel
The boot is exceptionally flexible for a minimalist/barefoot hiking boot, but doesn’t provide the same ultra-sensitive ground transmission provided by the performance and lifestyle lines. For a trail shoe or hiking boot, the barefoot feeling of these boots is appropriate and considerable.

Grip
The 5 mm grip-depth provides great traction on just about any terrain. Loose material, muddy puddles, and slippery rocks all held-up well to the lugs on these boots.

Quality of Materials/Manufacturing
The quality of the materials and manufacturing are both excellent. In fact, I would rate these as some of the highest-quality VIVOBAREFOOT shoes we have seen. The construction is flawless and the materials used appropriately abrasion resistant and waterproof to boot (pun intended!).

Water Resistance
The Off Road Mid is fully waterproof. Puddles and rain do not make it through the pull-up leather or any of the other materials. These are excellent for use in wet or muddy conditions.

Sizing
The Off Road Mid fit true to length, but more narrow than the standard VIVOBAREfOOT last. Those with wide feet are advised to avoid this shoe. The fit is expected to be most appropriate for those with narrow to average feet.

Price
The Off Road retails on the VIVOBAREFOOT website for $170 USD. This is a good price for such a high quality leather boot and definitely worth the value compared to similar products in the conventional footwear market.

Style
I think these boots are handsome and fashionable. Their design is simple and classic and would look good with any casual wear. The simple two-tone design of the brown pair we tested looked great.

Break-in Period
These boots should not need break-in period. If they do not feel immediately comfortable you should look elsewhere.

Shoe care
The waterproof nature of these shoes make them very easy to care for. Simply wash off any offending dirt with a soft wet cloth.

Warmth/Ventilation
Due to the waterproof nature of the shoes, breathability is minimal. As with any shoe of this type, ventilation is minimal due to the snug fit. These are warm shoes but do not contain any additional lining for winter conditions.

Uses
These would be a great shoe for going for a hike or braving rough terrain. For those who don’t mind the less-flexible sole, these would make great casual and fashionable daily use shoes.

Summary
VIVOBAREFOOT has brought us some amazing shoes this year. Anyone looking to fill every niche with a VIVOBAREFOOT product, the Off Road Mid boots come close to being a great fit. There is, disappointingly, some room for additional improvements to make these boots great. A wider last would be first on my list of improvements, especially given the width of the typical VIVOBAREFOOT shoe. A repeat VIVOBAREFOOT customer might be surprised to find such a narrow fit. A slightly more flexible upper would allow a more natural fit and more comfortable movement.

Despite these drawbacks, these could be good boots for those with narrow to average feet. They are capable shoes for adventures in the out-of-doors. They are exceptionally light and provide fantastic ground feel for a hiking boot.

For more information, take a look at the VIVOBAREFOOT website. Make sure you sign up to receive the latest email updates from VIVOBAREFOOT to take advantage of information about sales, end-of-season promotions, and new product announcements.

The new VIVOBAREFOOT Lucy Lite has arrived and we wanted to share our first impressions with you. Here’s a shoe that looks and works great for both urban adventures and road running. The 3 mm sole transmits excellent ground feel while providing VIVOBAREFOOT’s safety inspiring puncture-resistant protection. And they feel amazingly comfortable! The extra wide last is wonderful and the inside of the upper is as soft as a slipper. VIVOBAREFOOT has raised the bar with this model, I am that impressed with it. Stay tuned for the full, in-depth Living Barefoot review coming next month.

Living Barefoot’s BEST Minimalist Shoe of 2011 – The VIVOBAREFOOT Ultra

We are lucky enough to see and test some of the best minimalist shoes on the market.  This year has seen an explosion in the minimalist market and next year should be even bigger!

While we have seen some excellent product from many companies, one stands out this year for its cutting edge design, versatility, true minimalist features, and even for price: The VIVOBAREFOOT Ultra.

Made from ultra-light materials, the Ultra feels as though it is barely there – a great feature for a true minimalist product.  The included insert, combined with the hole-filled upper, allows the wearer to use the Ultra in situations that range from the wettest river crossing to the hottest desert day.  You have complete control over the warmth and protection you need—all in one shoe.  They are wide, flat, and ultra flexible.  They even have fantastic ground feel.

So why should we mark it our best shoe of 2011?  There is no other shoe that compares.  No other product offers such flexibility in one shoe.  If you had to buy only one pair of minimalist shoes, you might as well start with the Ultra.  For seasoned barefooters who need a pair of light shoes for those moments when your toes need a little extra protection, these may be the only shoes you’ll ever need.  They are light enough to stuff in a bag without ever knowing they are there. The washable materials mean that even dirty feet will never make these shoes look old and grotty.

Hey, they even look great, with a wide selection of men’s and women’s colours to choose from.

Hands-down, they are the most innovative product from VIVOBAREFOOT this year as well as the most flexible and innovative product we’ve seen in 2011. We feel they are deserving of the Living Barefoot Shoe of The Year Award for 2011.

For more information read our full reviews for the Men’s and Women’s Ultra.

VIVOBAREFOOT Boxing Boot Review

By Tina Dubois 

Review of the VIVOBAREFOOT Boxing Boot – A Comfortable and Fashionable Boot for Any Woman
It’s always wonderful when a new product fills a previously empty gap in the minimalist footwear market. Some time ago, Living Barefoot reviewed the Dundan boot by VIVOBAREFOOT but it was sadly discontinued. They’ve introduced back to their line-up a similar model but with some improvements to make the Boxing Boot an even better product! It offers great looks, barefoot feel, and comfort in an as yet little represented minimalist boot.

Comfort
These are amazingly comfortable boots. The leather is soft and flexible and the inside of the boot has no unnecessary bulk, which I find is sometimes the case with boots. The leather itself isn’t very thick and there is a thin layer of black material between it and your feet, but the boot is still warm enough for mild winter conditions with little insulation. They are extremely easy to get on and off with the zipper along the side, which is hugely appreciated, and the laces still allow for a customizable fit to the top of the boot. The zipper also allows this fit to remain the same every time you put them on, no need to unlace and retie every time you want to wear them.

Width
There is more than enough width for even wide feet. If you have narrow feet, you can tighten them with the laces in the upper to keep your feet from moving around inside. These boots are the best of both worlds and will probably fit just about any width of foot.

Sole/Flex
The sole is VIVOBAREFOOT’s rubber hex sole and is 4.5 mm thick. It is incredibly flexible in all directions. This was unexpected in a boot because the structure required for a boot design usually limits the ability of the sole to flex but this is not the case with the Boxing Boot. It is a stellar combination of flexibility and structure.

Weight
Each size EU 38 Boxing Boot weighs 9 ounces or 255 grams. This is not considered a light weight for a minimalist shoe but it’s not a shoe, it’s a boot. There is obviously much more material involved in their design and construction. That said, because of the way the boots attach to the foot and the balance of the weight, they definitely do not feel heavy while wearing them, even while hiking in the snow.

Support/Insole
Like all VIVOBAREFOOT products, there is no arch support designed into the shape of the product. There is a removable 5 mm press EVA insole. The press EVA insole is denser than their previous versions so only adds a little cushioning underfoot. As well as providing a small amount of cushioning, if you want to wear these boots in cold temperatures, the insole is an excellent feature to protect your feet from the cold of frozen ground. If you want better ground feel and don’t have to worry about frozen ground, the insole comes out easily.

Barefoot Feel
The boot is so flexible that ground feel is great. There is about 2.5 mm of grip depth so small rocks won’t be felt if they fall within the hex shapes but ground contours are easily felt because the outsole bends around them with such ease.

Grip
The rubber outsole provides sufficient traction for indoor surfaces and the rubber hex design has more than enough grip on slippery snow. Finally there are more comfortable minimalist boot products for Canadian winter!

Quality of Materials/Manufacturing
The quality of the materials and manufacturing are both excellent. There are no defects in the review pair. The pull-up leather and triexta/polyester lining appear to be good quality materials suitable for this type of footwear. VIVOBAREFOOT always has high quality outsoles and the Boxing Boot is no exception.

Water Resistance
Walking in ankle-high snow has not been a problem in the Boxing Boot and my feet have stayed warm and dry. If you were to stand in water passed the bottom of the zipper, some water might leak in but I haven’t experienced it personally.

Sizing
The Boxing Boot fits true to size. I generally fit a size women’s U.S. 8 or EU 38 and the size 38 review pair fits me perfectly in length and width. I did have the opportunity to try the size 39 and it was too big for sure. Keep this in mind if you are familiar with VIVOBAREFOOT products (I fit a size 39 in the Evo, Neo, and Neo Trail).

Price
The Boxing Boot retails on the VIVOBAREFOOT website for $175 USD. This is a good price for such a high quality leather boot and definitely worth the value compared to similar products in the conventional footwear market.

Style
I think these boots are beautiful and fashionable. Their design is simple and classic and would look good with any casual and even some dress pants. These are a great option for work appropriate footwear if you need a boot for snowy, cold weather.

Break-in Period
These boots do not need a break-in period as they are comfortable right out of the box. However, I have noticed the leather of the upper has softened and begun to conform to the shape of my feet. This just makes them even more comfortable than when they were brand new.

Shoe care
Although not necessary, I would recommend applying a good quality leather footwear protector before venturing out into snowy, wet conditions. If you’ve invested the money to buy them, you’re probably going to want to keep them looking great and lasting a long time, which a leather protector will do for your boots.

Warmth
Due to the relatively thin leather and liner, I wouldn’t recommend them for extremely cold weather conditions (-30C or colder). They are comfortable to wear at freezing with only a thin pair of socks. If you want to wear them in temperatures considerably below freezing, I would recommend a thick pair of socks. Your level of comfort depends on how used to the cold you are and the thickness of the socks you choose to wear. Thankfully, the boots are wide enough to comfortably accommodate thick layers within.

Uses
These boots are stylish enough to be worn with just about any pant or legging. They are cool enough to wear in warmer temperatures and warm enough for colder temperatures (to a point). They are suitable for walking in dry, wet, or snowy conditions. They are comfortable enough for short or long walks and are incredibly easy to get on and off. I’m having a hard time thinking of casual uses you couldn’t wear these boots.

Summary
VIVOBAREFOOT has introduced some truly stellar minimalist products this year and the Boxing Boot is another to add to the list. They are a versatile, comfortable, stylish, all-weather boot suitable for any casual wear or adventure. They have the added quality of being great for winter conditions as well, a niche that is poorly represented at this point in the minimalist market. I’m impressed yet again at VIVOBAREFOOT’s understanding of the minimalist market and not only listen to customer’s desires but also develop products that fulfill their needs.

For more information, take a look at the VIVOBAREFOOT website.  Make sure you sign up to receive the latest email updates from VIVOBAREFOOT to take advantage of information about sales, end-of-season promotions, and new product announcements.

Great VIVOBAREFOOT Holiday Packages – Great Deal with Free Shipping!

VIVOBAREFOOT is offering a great package for anyone interested in barefoot activity.  They are offering two exclusive holiday packages, available for a limited time. One package designed for performance and one for lifestyle.

Performance Package
Includes: A choice of VIVOBAREFOOT performance shoe  Born to Run hard cover by Chris McDougall Proprioception: Making Sense of Barefoot Running book by Lee Saxby Learn the Skill DVD   Free Shipping

This package is valued at up to $200, but prices start at $102 with this offer, using the 40% holiday code VBPP.

How To Purchase:  1. Add a pair of Evo, Evo II, Neo, or Neo Trail to your shopping bag 2. Add the item Performance Holiday Package to your shopping bag 3. When both items are entered in your cart, enter promo code: VBPP in the shopping bag to receive 40% off your complete holiday package.

Lifestyle Package
Includes: A choice of VIVOBAREFOOT lifestyle shoe A pair of Stuffitts Proprioception: Making Sense of Barefoot Running book by Lee Saxby Learn the Skill DVD   Free Shipping

This package is valued at up to $210, but prices start at $102 with this offer, using the 40% holiday code VBLP.

How To Purchase: 1. Add a pair of Aqua, Kali, Mary Jane or Oak to your shopping bag 2. Add the item Lifestyle Holiday Package to your shopping bag  3. When both items are entered in your cart, enter promo code: VBLP in the shopping bag to receive 40% off your complete holiday package.

The holidays have come early at Living Barefoot! New Balance has sent a collection of shoes from their upcoming Minimus line for review and we are happy to report that the company listened to feedback provided by their customers and worked hard to make improvements to their existing Minimus models—and it paid off! Here is a sneak peek of our first impressions of the new models.

NB Minimus Trail ZERO

This unbelievably light shoes weighs in at a mere 3.6 ounces or 102 grams in the women’s size that arrived. It is one of the lightest shoes we’ve ever reviewed! The materials in the upper are nothing like we’ve ever seen in footwear before. Not to mention the sole, which is so uniquely designed that my level of impressed is hard to articulate. Their flexibility is amazing. It may look deceptively pointy but the width in the forefoot is exactly where I need it and plenty wide for more than enough room for metatarsal splay. I can’t wait to try this one out on the roads and trails.

NB Minimus Road ZERO

My first impression is that they’ve made significant improvements over the previous Minimus Road shoe and this model is much closer to a minimalist design. The stack height and weight are reduced and they have a true zero drop. There is plenty of width in the forefoot but they feel a little snug in the arch because the outsole narrows in this region. The outsole isn’t as flexible as Minimus Trail ZERO with a more conventional design but ground feel seems decent still. The coolest feature is the design of the tongue—thoroughly neat idea! This will be an interesting shoe to test for the in-depth review.

NB Minimus Outdoor 10

This is the same the original NB Minimus Trail 10 but with a leather upper instead of mesh, making it perfect for winter running. If you liked the original and needed a shoe for cooler temperatures, you’ll probably like the new model. This is the first time I’m reviewing any Minimus Trail model and my initial impressions include that I can feel the 4 mm heel rise (yes, I’m that sensitive after so many years of zero drop) and I already know I’m going to have additional difficulty with the rigid design of the upper just below my pinky toe as it rubs uncomfortably without even moving. Of course, it might just be me. On the plus side, the inside of the upper is comfortable and… that’s all I can think of at the moment. This review might be a challenge for me.

NB 110 Trail Shoe

This is more of a transition shoe than a minimalist shoe and should be thought of in that category. It has a higher stack height than a true minimalist shoe (at least by our definition) and a 4 mm heel rise. The outsole is less flexible than I’m used to but it may appeal to people who run on rough trail terrain and don’t necessarily want to feel all that sharpness. The grip is aggressive and will, no doubt, have amazing traction. Again, they feel a little narrow in the arch area for me but, that might be me. The spaced-aged silver colour in the women’s model is going to turn heads, at least until they’re covered in mud, which is where these shoes will feel the most at home. The coolest detail of these are the letters indented into the bottom of the grip across the forefoot (you’ll have to wait for the full review if you don’t already know what it says).

It’s nice to know that a company as big as New Balance is taking the time to listen to their customers and produce models that reflect what consumers are asking for. Congratulations New Balance, the Minimus ZERO models exceed my expectations and I’m impressed. I’m not saying all the shoes sent for this season’s reviews are perfect (keep in mind these are first impressions) but I was pleasantly surprised at the details. Stay tuned for the full, in-depth reviews from both Al and me coming up in the New Year.

New Invisible Shoe 4 mm Connect and 6 mm Contact – The best huarache running sandals yet?

By Tina Dubois

Here at Living Barefoot, both Al and I have reviewed the original Invisible Shoes’ do-it-yourself huarache sandal kit, made with 4 mm Cherry Vibram outsole material. We both enjoyed them quite a bit and found them fun and easy to make. When Invisible Shoes asked if we would review their new outsoles that they designed especially for barefoot running sandals, we were excited about the opportunity. The Invisible Shoes 4 mm Connect and 6 mm Contact outsoles with FeelTrue™ rubber, designed and made specifically for their use, are excellent additions to the barefoot running sandal market and, in my opinion, the most comfortable ones yet!

This review is written for both the Connect and the Contact as the pre-cut shapes are the same, the only difference is the thickness of the rubber. The sandals arrived pre-punched and pre-laced so all I had to do was lace them on my feet and head outside!

Comfort
These are the most comfortable huaraches I’ve wear tested yet. What makes them more comfortable than other huarache running sandals I’ve tried? A few details that have been overlooked in other models: First, the footbed is naked rubber and slightly textured to allow good grip of your foot to the sole material. Second, the holes for the laces on the sides of the shoes are set away from the foot so the laces don’t rub uncomfortably against the sides of your ankles. Third, the heel area is slightly cupped and the toe area has a slight upward angle, which both serve to allow the sole material to hug your foot but doesn’t impede their natural movement. These don’t flop around at all; they hold their shape very well. Although I can still somewhat feel the knot under my toes with the 4 mm Connect, I couldn’t feel it at all with the 6mm Contact.

As mentioned in my previous review, a big comfort issue with the huaraches is how to tie them properly. There are many ways to tie huaraches and the most comfortable way is undoubtedly a personal preference. I would recommend trying a few different ways to tie them and decide what works best for you.

Weight
Each approximately size 8 women’s Connect weighs 3 ounces or 85 grams and each Contact weighs 4.25 ounces or 120 grams. These measurements were taken with the whole length of the lace included. They are still some of the lightest minimalist shoes we’ve tested and feel practically weightless.

Sole / Flex
The rubber sole is essentially the shoe—with a little lace to hold it to your foot. Both the 4 mm and 6 mm rubber soling material is extremely flexible and bends in every direction imaginable. The 6 mm requires slightly more pressure to bend compared to the 4 mm but it is hardly noticeable.

Support / Insole
As there is no rigid structure to this sandal, there is absolutely no support. There is also no insole included with either the Connect or Contact and the texturized rubber footbed is extremely comfortable and grippy.

Barefoot Feel
The barefoot feel of these huaraches is simply phenomenal. Because there is just a lace holding the sole material to your foot, your foot is absolutely free to act in the same way it would if you were completely barefoot; toes and bones splay naturally and foot muscles function normally. The sole is thin enough that you can also feel every ground contour that you step on. Only the sharpest edges are muted more in the 6 mm Contact compared to the 4 mm Connect.

Grip
The dual chevron-shaped tread pattern of the new outsole material is fantastically grippy on every man-made surface I tested them on and more than adequate on dry natural surfaces. Anything you’d do barefoot, you could do with these Invisible Shoes and have adequate traction.

Breathability
As there is no fabric upper to this sandal, breathability is not an issue as your foot is open to the air all the time.

Quality of Materials / Manufacturing
This is where the new Invisible Shoes outsole material excels! The attention to detail with these simple sandals is phenomenal. The rubber is clearly high quality and durable, and the lace is the perfect diameter and material for their purpose, not only soft against the skin and easy to tie, but they will not stretch or change shape when wet. The holes for the laces in the sides of the outsole are reinforced and elevated from ground level to improve the longevity of the holes and the lace. The brand logos and motto etched into the outsole make the product the most professional looking huarache sandal I’ve seen yet. It is clear that extensive thought went into the details of creating this unique outsole material.

Water Resistance
As there is no upper to the Invisible Shoes, they are obviously not water resistant. However, water will run off the shoes as easily as it runs onto them.

Sizing
Sizing is very simple with the new pre-cut Connect and Contact outsoles: measure your foot and choose a corresponding foot length when you order. If they are not quite the right shape for you, you can trim the top as needed. There are no worries about ordering the right size, it doesn’t get more simple!

Price
The Connect is priced at $25 USD and the Contact at $30 USD on the Invisible Shoes website. These are some of the least expensive minimalist shoes on the market. At these prices, they are a phenomenal value.

Style
The Invisible Shoe style is as simple as it gets for sandals. There are nine colors of laces to choose from on the website. In addition, the way you lace your own huaraches can be as stylish as you want to make it.

Break-in Period
Once the sandals are made, the laces will not stretch and the sole will not change shape so there is no break-in period. You may need some time to get used to the feeling of the lace between your toes but that’s more of an individual tolerance issue.

Shoe care
There is no need to treat the lace or the sole with any type of pre-wear care. To clean them, scrub them in the sink and then let them air dry. There is no cause for worry about getting the laces wet because they do not stretch either wet or dry.

Warmth
The only downside to these running sandals would be their warmth. They are as suitable to cold temperatures as bare feet but would provide minimal protection from cold ground. On the upside, you can wear toe socks with them for a little added warmth.

With/Without Socks
Invisible Shoes can be worn with or without socks, as long as they are toe socks. The laces may need to be loosened to accommodate for the extra material surrounding your foot but I found that the slip-on style of lacing that I use did not require to be relaced for additional room. I found that the lace between my toes was less of a problem, in the beginning, when I wore toe socks with the huaraches.

Summary
There is no other shoe in the minimalist footwear industry as truly minimalist as the huarache. It just doesn’t get simpler than a piece of sole material cut to the size of your foot and a lace to tie it on. The Invisible Shoe huarache running sandals were great when all there was was a do-it-yourself kit. The new 4 mm Connect and 6 mm Contact blow all other huarache running sandals out of the water. Their attention to detail, comfort, durability, and especially price, are second to none. They are as close to being barefoot as you can possibly get with a shoe with only the slightest width of rubber protection on the soles of your feet. The choice between 4 mm and 6 mm allows you to customize your ground feel as well. Your feet are free to move in the most natural way with no fabric upper to impede or constrict foot movement in any way. Invisible Shoes has clearly done their homework in the development of these two new fantastic products and it shows!

To purchase these shoes, visit the Invisible Shoe website at http://www.invisible.com. The site is full of information on the modern take on huaraches including detailed written and video instructions on how to make your own running sandals.

Review of the Deep See Beachwalker – Aqua Shoe Minimalist Footwear for CHEAP!

By Tina Dubois

Have you ever wondered if there were a cheaper alternative to paying $80 or more for a pair of minimalist footwear for occasions when barefoot is just not an option, especially in the cold? Enter the aqua shoe solution! I’ve read that a lot of barefooters have tried aqua shoes for winter adventures but I had not yet come across a pair that I thought would work out for a cold, Alberta winter climate. This past summer, I was shopping at Atmosphere and I came across the aqua shoe section. They had a large selection of aqua shoes and I found the Deep See Beachwalkers, a short, flexible, non-slip rubber soled pull-on aqua shoe, that I thought just might do the trick for minimalist footwear for colder temperatures as well as snow and wet conditions. And they were $20! So I bought them and have been patiently waiting for colder weather ever since. Well, it’s cold now and I’ve tested them. They’ve turned out to be a pretty good option for short barefoot alternative excursions in cold weather with an extremely affordable price tag.

Comfort
These shoes are designed to be worn without socks on the beach in or near warm water. The upper is a 2 mm neoprene-like material that is very soft against the skin. The footbed is made of the same material and is seamless across the bottom. The only seams on the inside of the upper is where the neoprene meets the mesh gusset on the top of the foot and the upper meets the footbed but they are both completely flat and can’t be felt against the skin. There are no sharp edges or pointy bits anywhere on the inside of the shoe. They are also super easy to get on because the throat of the upper is incredibly stretchy and has added finger pull loops for easy gripping.

Width
This would be their only downside; they are a bit narrow for my foot. If I had bought one size bigger, this probably wouldn’t be much of an issue for me. As it currently fits, despite the neoprene having some stretch to it, I find my forefoot feels a little cramped after about 20 minutes of continuous walking. If you have narrow to average width feet, they’d probably fit just fine. If you bought a size big enough in width that didn’t fit too sloppily in length, I have no doubt that your feet would be more than comfortable.

Sole/Flex
The sole is a non-slip rubber approximately 5 mm in thickness. It is extremely flexible. It is completely zero drop with a uniform grip depth across the entire length. It has a criss-cross grip design for traction but feels completely flat under foot. It is an ideal sole for flexibility and fluid transfer of body weight throughout each stride. It is just the right thickness to protect the feet from mildly cold ground temperatures (not much below 0C).

Weight
Each men’s size 7 Deep See Beachwalker weighs 5 ¾ ounces or 163 grams. This is definitely lightweight enough for a minimalist shoe and, while walking, feel practically weightless.

Support / Insole
There is no support included in the shoe, which is just how it’s supposed to be. There is also no insole and the footbed is the same soft neoprene material as most of the upper.

Barefoot Feel
These Beachwalkers have phenomenal barefoot feel! The sole is so flexible that it easily transmits even the smallest changes in ground contour including the smallest of rocks. There is no cushioning included in the shoe either, just the 5 mm of rubber and 2 mm of neoprene separating your foot from the ground. A total of 7 mm might seem like a lot but the rubber is very soft and flexible that it more than makes up for the semblance in thickness.

Grip
The rubber alone provides sufficient traction on all man-made surfaces tested and the criss-cross pattern in the sole is grippy enough for all dry natural surfaces including concrete, asphalt, grass, dirt, gravel, and snow. They don’t have enough traction for smooth ice, but short of spikes, not much footwear does. I wouldn’t recommend them on slippery mud either but that’s not what they were designed for.

Breathability
The neoprene part of the upper does not breathe but the mesh gusset does so some air escapes the shoe but not much and it depends how tight the shoe is on you. If you have hot feet, you will likely sweat in them if the outside temperature is too warm.

Quality of Materials / Manufacturing
The rubber, neoprene, and mesh look to be of excellent quality. The stitching is impeccable but there are a few visible glue marks at the edge between the rubber outsole and the neoprene upper that can only be seen close up. The rubber sole is thick and dense enough that I think it will last quite a while even on hard, rough surfaces like asphalt and concrete.

Water Resistance
The neoprene upper is water resistant as well as the seam between the rubber outsole and the upper. Unless you’re standing/walking/running in water above where the level of the mesh gusset, your feet will stay dry.

Sizing
I don’t have much insight to offer with regards to sizing because I bought a men’s size 7 for my women’s size 8 feet. I didn’t have the opportunity to try on the women’s shoe because the store didn’t have any. I would recommend trying on the shoe before buying it to make sure the sizing is right for you particularly in the width.

Price
What more can you ask for in a shoe that costs $20? It is probably the cheapest shoe we’ve ever reviewed and more than worth it if they fit well for you.

Style
They aren’t the most stylish of shoes but they are a simply designed, casual shoe, black and grey neutral shoe that isn’t flashy, loud, or likely to be a conversation piece—unless you want to talk about how great a minimalist shoe they are for $20!

Shoe care
As these are designed to be water shoes, I have no doubt you could put them in the washing machine on a gentle cycle in cold water and air dry them if they got particularly dirty or smelly.

Warmth
The neoprene and a thin pair of socks is plenty warm enough for 0C. For colder temperatures, I would recommend buying a shoe that accommodates, in terms of volume, a thick pair of socks and you’d probably be good to -10C or even lower.

Uses
These are an excellent casual minimalist pair of shoes. They’re great for walking around town or on trails in mildly cold weather (anywhere near 0C). In fact, if you find the shoe is wide enough for you, I have no doubt that they would also make an excellent winter running shoe. With a thicker pair of socks, you could probably run in these in even -20C.

Summary
Sometimes, a good deal is just too good to pass up. The Deep See Beachwalker is one of those deals if you’re looking for a cheap yet comfortable, flexible, warm, water resistant, lightweight minimalist shoe with no heel rise and excellent ground feel. Again, what more could you ask for in a shoe that costs $20? They are more than durable enough to outlast some of their competition that costs 4–5 times as much. And I have no doubt that the company did not intend these shoes to be used as minimalist footwear, they just happen to fit the bill, and quite nicely at that. Deep See has a number of aqua shoes to choose from as well, which you can see from their catalogue. You can find the Beachwalker at Atmosphere, online, or probably at any diving shop near you.

 

Review of the Jambu Bare Feet Designs Birmingham – A stylish, ankle-high, leather shoe for colder temperatures 

By Tina Dubois

We recently reviewed a Jambu Bare Feet Design shoe for summer, the Barefoot Vegan, with very positive attributes. This season, Jambu has added to their Bare Feet Designs with some fall/winter options. The Birmingham Barefoot is their ankle-high, leather shoe version for colder temperatures in mind. Does it succeed as well as the first of their shoes we reviewed? Read on…

Comfort
These boots are, sadly, not comfortable in any way. Once you remove the non-minimalistically designed insole, the inside of the boot isn’t that rough but it’s the fit that seems to cause all the problems. Although I’m fairly certain I have the best size for length, the forefoot is too narrow, the toe box is too short, and the heel cup doesn’t cup my heel at all causing my foot to slide to the very top of the shoe with even the slightest of uneven terrain or descent in addition to moving up and down. My toes felt squished against the top edge of the shoe with almost every step. Although the genuine fur lining is soft against the skin, the shoe moves around so much at the ankle that it’s the hard zipper at the back of the heel, which opens the throat of the shoe to get it on quite easily, that I felt the most against the back of my leg.

I think the fit would be much improved if a) there was some kind of customizable attachment around the ankle so the foot stayed in place and b) the forefoot was much wider. My friend with a narrower foot than me tried on the Birmingham and her first observation was that her heel slipped up and down in the shoe. But she also found that the forefoot was not uncomfortably narrow for her. Therefore, I think most consumers will find that either the forefoot is too narrow or the heel cup is too big–or both for that matter. Some sort of strap or laces to lock your foot in place might help with the heel slipping issue.

Width
Although I found that the Jambu Barefoot Vegan was not uncomfortably narrow, mostly due to the stretchiness of the upper, the Birmingham is too narrow in the forefoot. The leather upper does not stretch and therefore does not allow the narrow outsole to widen. Conversely, the heel seat is plenty wide, which causes the heel to slip up and down within the shoe with every step.

Sole / Flex
The outsole is made of double rice rubber. It wraps around the toes and heel a bit to provide added protection from collisions. It is somewhat flexible under the toes and midfoot but not at all flexible under the heel. The sole pattern is the same as with the Barefoot Vegan, but because the upper doesn’t stretch in the Birmingham, it feels far less flexible. In addition, although I have no way of measuring it, it feels like there is a bit of a heel rise; I’d guess it’s between 1.5 to 3 mm, which is not enough to cause a problem for me but nevertheless, worth mentioning.

Weight
Each size women’s 8 shoe weighs 9 ½ ounces or 269 grams. This is one of the heavier minimalist shoes we’ve tested but it is a fall/winter boot. Most of the weight is in the outsole and I did find that I could feel the weight of the shoes while walking.

Support / Insole
The outsole doesn’t provide any support to the arch but does hug the arch, providing extra structure to the shoe.

The insole is thankfully removable as it is in no way a minimalist design. There is a big padded area in the heel area, which is extremely noticeable and raises the heel even further off the ground. It is attached to the footbed with Velcro, which attaches to an extra piece of fabric sewn into the footbed, and was easily discarded. The Birmingham Barefoot is far more suitable as a minimalist shoe without the insole and the footbed is comfortable enough to not need any additional material. As a test, I tried to add a thin insole to the shoe (scavenged from another pair of footwear) but there was not enough volume left in the shoe for my foot to be comfortable—not that it was overly comfortable to start with.

Barefoot Feel
The ground feel in the Birmingham is not great. The outsole material itself is flexible in the forefoot area but the design of the upper prevents a lot of flexibility while wearing the shoe. The heel area of the outsole is not flexible at all. Practically nothing, but the most obtrusive rocks, can be felt while walking outdoors.

Grip
The Jambu “All Terra Traction” pattern is a neat and feminine design feature and provides very good grip on man-made and natural surfaces without feeling noticeable underfoot. I find this is a fine line for shoes with grip and the Jambu succeeded well at this challenging aspect of minimalist footwear design. There is more than enough grip on snow- and ice-covered sidewalks and paths. 

Breathability
The upper is made of tumble leather and brushed suede, and is completely enclosed. This shoe does not breathe well. However, it is a fall/winter shoe designed for cooler temperatures so most people wouldn’t want warm air surrounding their feet to escape.

Quality of Materials / Manufacturing
This shoe is extremely well-made. There are no flaws in any of the stitching or glueing of this product. The materials appear to be of high quality, also with no defects. This shoe will probably be extremely durable.

The packaging is advertised as being 100% recycled. The shoes are wrapped inside the box in biodegradable corn bags, which can apparently be compostable in addition to be reused for other purposes.

Sizing
The Jambu shoes fit true to size in length. They should fit only the narrowest of feet well in the forefoot but may be too snug on average to wide feet in the midfoot area. The heel seat is made large so unless you have a narrow forefoot and a wide/large heel, this shoe will be difficult to fit properly.

Price
Online pricing for the Jambu Birmingham Barefoot is around $130 USD. This is comparable in price to many fall/winter boot options but due to the lack of comfort and problematic fit issues, I would not buy this product unless you knew it was going to fit your feet well. Therefore, online purchasing may be a risky venture.

Style
Despite the fit and lack of comfort issues, I do like the style of the Birmingham. I find it unique and full of detailed extras to improve their stylishness, including contrast stitching in the upper and its unique and feminine outsole pattern.

Break-in Period
I don’t think any amount of wear will make these fit comfortably. The leather is not likely to stretch much in the forefoot area to accommodate a wider foot.

Shoe care
As this is a leather and suede product, before heading out into snow and wet weather, a good leather protecting product application should be in order.

Uses
If you find these fit you comfortably, they would make a great-looking fall/winter boot with almost any pair of casual pants.

Summary
Jambu is one of those shoe companies with great ideas, and even the occasional great execution, but the Birmingham Barefoot is not one of them. This shoe is not comfortable, not wide enough in the forefoot and too wide in the heel seat to accommodate most feet, doesn’t hold your foot in place, doesn’t have good ground feel, and has a slight heel rise in the outsole. They look great but, sadly, don’t feel as great as one would hope compared to their looks. I would recommend trying them on in a store before buying them and determining if the fit is one that you can live with. Jambu has several types of shoes in the Bare Feet Designs line, and although I liked the Barefoot Vegan, I do not like the Birmingham Barefoot. I still think that if you’re interested in Jambu products, they’re worth trying on and seeing if they work for you.

 

Review of the VFF Jaya – FiveFingers’ Foray into Fashion?

By Tina Dubois

There used to be only four FiveFingers designs, but with their increasing popularity, with every new season, the company is introducing new and ever diverse models. They recently launched the Jaya, a women’s specific fitness design with a stretch synthetic upper and mostly EVA sole with TC1 rubber pads, presumably to fill a minimalist niche for indoor and outdoor fitness activities. But one could argue, looking at the style of the Jaya, maybe FiveFingers is looking at improving their unique esthetics and delving into the fashion arena. If so, the Jaya is definitely a step in the right direction.

Comfort
Like all FiveFingers products, I find the five-toed design extremely comfortable. The nylon upper of the Jaya is very stretchy and hugs my foot comfortably. The padded heel cup is soft and a great feature of the shoe, distributing pressure around my heel and Achilles and making them feel like they are cushioned by a pillow in that spot. Although there are seams in the upper wherever opposing materials meet, I can’t feel them with or without socks. Although there is no customizable fit adjustment, the stretchy material holds the shoe to my foot very well and doesn’t bind anywhere.

Weight
Each size W 39 Jaya weighs 3 ¹/₈ ounces or 89 grams according to my scale. Even for a minimalist shoe, this is incredibly light.

Flex / Sole
The Jaya features a new 5.5 mm EVA sole with strategically placed TC1 rubber pads under the toes, forefoot, and heel for added traction and durability. Compared to the original 3.5 mm TC1 sole, in the Classic or KSO models, the 5.5 mm EVA feels considerably thicker and less flexible. The TC1 rubber pads are particularly inflexible. My toes cannot bend upward as far in the Jaya as they can in the KSO. While walking, I can feel the difference in density under my feet between the sole with just EVA and the parts with the rubber pads. I must admit, it’s a little distracting. In addition, there is a ridge design in the EVA right under the lateral edge of my arch that I can also feel while walking. If the EVA under the arch were flat there, this would probably not be a problem but I suspect the ridge is there for a reason, probably to evenly distribute weight along the lateral edge of the foot, but it too, is distracting.

Support / Insole
Like all other VFF models, the Jaya has no arch support designed into its last. There is no removable insole included and the footbed is made of antimicrobial microfiber.

Barefoot Feel
The new sole materials definitely sacrifice some barefoot feel compared to the original models. If you have tender feet or are just starting out in minimalist shoes, this may be a good thing. If you’re used to the exceptional barefoot feel you get in the original VFF models, you might be disappointed in the reduction in ground feel in the Jaya.

Grip
The grip of the Jaya is provided by the TC1 rubber pads. The holey design of the rubber is great for traction. On dry man-made and natural surfaces, there is more than enough grip. In addition, there is significantly more traction than in the sole of the original models, like the KSO. 

Breathability
The stretch nylon polyamide upper is incredibly breathable. Air easily passes through the thin material despite their not being any holes for ventilation.

Quality of Materials / Manufacturing
Like all FiveFingers products I’ve tested, the quality of materials and manufacturing are impeccable. There are no defects in this pair.

Water Resistance
The Jayas are not water resistant. However, the nylon material of the upper is treated with some kind of hydrophobic compound such that water beads off it. Unless you are standing in water, your feet will likely not get very wet at all.

Sizing
The Jayas fit the same as the original Classic or KSO. I fit a regular US size 8 and the W 39 fits me perfectly.

Price
The Jaya is priced on the Vibram website at $85 USD. They are comparably priced to many of the minimalist shoes on the market. With Vibram quality and durability, this is an excellent price and a good value.

Style
The style of the Jaya is its redeeming and most noticeable quality. If you like the five-toed design but haven’t liked the esthetics of the other VFF offerings, the Jayas are beautiful by comparison. They are designed with many small details that add to their esthetics including accenting colours in their materials and dots painted on the toes and along the sides as well as the shiny material accentuating the heel (although its purpose is probably also structural). Vibram has tried hard to make this model esthetically pleasing and I find that I do like it quite a bit.

They are currently available in an extensive array of colours including grey/green, red/white/blue, white/grey/purple, black/grey, and yellow/white.

Break-in Period
As with all the VFF products, there is no break-in period for the Jaya. If they don’t fit well when they are brand new, they likely will not fit well in the future.

Shoe care
These shoes can be machine washed and air dried; which is an excellent feature for shoes that are so comfortable and, probably designed to be, worn without socks.

Warmth
The Jaya upper is a thin nylon material and doesn’t provide a lot of warmth or insulation. These are great indoor shoes or can be worn outdoors in warmer temperatures. Toe socks are easily accommodated, though, if you need a little extra insulation.

Uses
This shoe is designed for indoor and outdoor fitness activities and performs beautifully for this. They are a great all-purpose, casual shoe on man-made surfaces and have fantastic grip. They also stay put on the foot well with their stretchy upper. They have less barefoot feel than other VFF models but what you sacrifice in ground feel, you gain in esthetics as they are one of the most attractive of the FiveFingers models, at least in my opinion.

Summary
The Jaya is another excellent product by Vibram FiveFingers. Although this particular model doesn’t have the outstanding ground feel of some of the original VFF models, they are considerably more stylish than some with well-thought out details in colours and accents. They are incredibly lightweight and comfortable against the skin. They have some distracting qualities in the design of the sole, which are probably sacrificed due to increased durability and grip with the use of the TC1 rubber pads. If you like the toe pocket design of VFFs, you’ll probably like the improved esthetics and casual look of the Jaya.

To purchase these shoes, visit the Vibram FiveFingers website for a list of retailers in your area or to buy online.

Review of the Merrell Women’s Barefoot Lithe Glove – Uncomfortably Narrow with Poor Ground Feel

By Tina Dubois

Merrell launched their barefoot line of shoes this past summer, and we reviewed the women’s Pace Glove at that time. They asked us to review one of their fall products and we agreed to see if they improved on any of the issues we wrote about in the Pace Glove review. Sadly, the Lithe Glove appears to be made from the same narrow last with the same outsole so none of the problems in the Pace Glove were resolved in this fall product. For those reasons, this review will be similar to the Lithe Glove review with changes appropriate for the different upper material used for the Lithe Glove.

Comfort
The feel of the inside of the shoe against the skin is quite comfortable but that’s where the comfort ends. The upper inside edge of the heel is woefully uncomfortable and digs painfully into my Achilles. The material used for the heel seat edge is stiff and even thicker than the rest of the material used in the quarter. I got a blister from a mere 20 minutes of walking and I had socks on.

In addition, functionally the shoe is not comfortable due specifically to the width and sole pattern of the shoe. Each of these issues I will explain in greater detail below.

Width
Although there is plenty of room in the toe box for my toes themselves to wiggle and splay, the width of the shoe at the metatarsals and at the arch is quite restrictive. While walking, I can feel quite a bit of pressure on either side of my foot at the arch. With every step, I can feel the middle of my foot being constricted. While running, the area of the shoe where my metatarsals join my toe joints is so constrictive that my feet experienced a lot of cramping. When I run, my metatarsals spread out with a forefoot landing, because there is not enough room in the Lithe Glove for my bones to do this properly, it caused quite a bit of pain while running. No amount of lace loosening alleviated this constriction.

If the last were built wider at the arch and where the metatarsals lead to the toe box, I think this would not be a problem. Considering the current design, the Lithe Gloves are too narrow for me to either comfortably walk or run. I consider my feet to be average width, if you have narrow feet, the constrictive width of the Lithe Glove might not be an issue for you.

Sole
The sole of the Lithe Glove is a Vibram Trail Glove sole made of rubber compound TC-1. Although it is probably a durable material and will last a long time, the pattern of the sole is not comfortable to either walk or run on. The Trail Glove sole is not designed with a uniform grip depth across its length or width. This makes walking on it feel rather bumpy. Despite the zero drop differential between the heel and the forefoot, it feels like I’m landing on a small hard plate on the heel and a small hard plate at the forefoot. While continuing my stride, because there is a shallow grip depth between the forefoot and the toes, it feels like there’s a rocker as part of the shoe. In addition, because the sole of the heel is cupped, there is very little stability on the edges of the heel. This is also the case with the forefoot area.

If the sole pattern and grip depth were uniform across the bottom of the entire sole, with no cupping at the edges, this would greatly improve the functional comfort of walking in this shoe.

Flex
There is very little flexibility in the outsole of the Lithe Glove. I don’t know whether it’s the change in the upper or something else but the Lithe Glove is far less flexible than the Pace Glove.  It takes considerable effort to even make it fold in half let alone anywhere else along the length of the shoe. 

Weight
Each size 8 Lithe Glove weighs 6 ¼ ounces or 177 grams. Although a whole ounce heavier than the Pace Glove, it doesn’t feel heavy on the foot.

Support / Insole
There is no arch support designed into the shoe, however, there is an upward angled sole area directly under the arch to protect the arch from stone bruising. I don’t feel like this area of the sole support my arch at all but I do have high arches after so many years of going barefoot and wearing minimalist footwear. If you have flatter arches, this sole area may feel somewhat supportive, although it probably is not the intent of this sole feature.

There is no insole included in the shoe. There is 4 mm of compression molded EVA in the midsole for cushioning.

Barefoot Feel
Due to the uneven sole pattern and grip depth, and the inflexibility of the sole, there is very little ground feel in the Lithe Gloves. In addition, because the edges of the sole are cupped upwards, they do not feel nearly as stable on landing as bare feet do.

Grip
The Lithe Gloves have great grip. The TC-1 rubber is sticky enough for both natural and man-made surfaces. The toe grips provide added traction at the end of a walking or running stride. 

Breathability
The fabric upper of the Lithe Glove is far less breathable than the mesh upper of the Pace Glove. This adds considerable warmth to the shoe, however. And considering it is a fall product, not unwarranted nor unwelcome as the temperatures descend.

Quality of Materials / Manufacturing
Merrell is known for their high performance footwear. The quality of materials and manufacturing of the Lithe Gloves is impeccable. I have no doubt that these shoes will last a long time.

Water Resistance
The upper appears to be made of a hydrophobic fabric. Water easily rolls off the bright blue material and should keep your feet dry in mild to moderately wet conditions.

Sizing
The Lithe Gloves fit true to size—at least in length. I generally fit a U.S. size 8 and that is the size that fit the best for this shoe. The Lithe Gloves are currently available in full and half sizes from 5 to 11.

Price
The Lithe Gloves are listed on the Merrell website at $125 USD. Considering the quality of the materials and manufacturing, and their predicted durability, this is a reasonable price for the product. If you’re expecting ground feel out of a shoe marketed as ‘barefoot’, you might want to consider a more flexible—not to mention wider and more comfortable—product.

Style
I think the Lithe Glove is both flashy and sporty in design. Most of the new Lithe Glove colourways are pretty loud so if you like brightly coloured shoes, you might like this model. They are currently available in blue/green, purple, pink, and grey/green on the Merrell website.

Break-in Period
There is no break-in period required for the Lithe Glove. The only foreseeable change to these shoes with wear is that the 4 mm EVA midsole with compress over time, which will make them feel less cushiony on hard surfaces.

Shoe care
The Merrell website doesn’t have cleaning instructions for the Lithe Glove (as it does for the Pace Glove) so I suspect they are not recommended for machine washing. A wet cloth or hand wash in the sink followed by air drying should clean most debris.

Warmth
The Lithe Glove upper holds in a lot of warmth so are best suited for colder temperatures. If you like the Pace Glove for summer, you will probably also like the Lithe Glove for fall and even mild winter temperatures.

Uses
If you find the Lithe Gloves are comfortable for you, they could be an excellent all-purpose casual, walking, running, or hiking shoe. If you’re looking for a minimalist shoe with good ground feel, this is probably not the shoe for you.

Summary
Merrell’s Pace Glove shortcomings were not improved in the release of the Lithe Glove. As a minimalist shoe, the Lithe Gloves are too narrow to allow the foot to function naturally and the sole has a myriad of issues that make them uncomfortable to walk or run in. The upper isn’t even comfortable as the heel seat digs painfully in the back of my heel. The only things going for this shoe are its added warmth for cooler temperatures and excellent grip.

To purchase these shoes, visit the Barefoot section of the Merrell website to purchase the Lithe Gloves online or find your nearest Merrell retailer and inquire whether they sell the Barefoot line.

Barefoot Banter on The Living Barefoot Show

• What are our responsibilities as barefooters?  Do we have a responsibility as “ambassadors”?
• How to respond to comments and questions made by the public
• Strike patterns - how do they differ between barefooters and minimalist shoe wearers
• Defining the work “minimalist”.  What are the benefits and difficulties of creating a standard definition.  Is the loose use of the word “barefoot” causing problems?

Review of the Stem Footwear Survival Origins – A Comfortable, Casual Lace up for Any Woman

By Tina Dubois

We had the opportunity of getting a sneak peek at Stem footwear during their pre-production development. Now that their development is complete and the first pairs of production shoes are rolling out, we’ve been given the opportunity to review the first line-up of Stem footwear’s Women’s Primal Origins shoes. These are shoes that were worth the wait! They are an incredibly comfortable, casual lace-up shoe with great ground feel.

Comfort
Stem footwear is amazingly comfortable. All the materials on the inside of the shoe are incredibly soft. The inside seams are flat and unobtrusive. The biggest seam attaches the tongue to the inside of the upper but it is placed in a position where you can hardly feel it against your feet because it’s in the crease created when you move your toes upward. They can easily and comfortably be worn with or without socks.

Width
These shoes are wonderfully wide. They have plenty of wiggle room in the toe box for toes to move and lots of room for the natural movement of your metatarsal bones to splay. They are a bit narrower in the midfoot but it keeps the shoe in place. The laces allow for a custom fit for narrow, average, to wide feet.

Sole/Flex
The sole is a 7.5 mm air-injected rubber that is phenomenally flexible. Although thicker than some minimalist shoe outsoles, the material used and the design in the rubber easily allows it to contour around even small rocks. I can feel that the stack height on these is somewhat higher than I’m used to, but only for the first 5 minutes or so of wear. They feel a little unstable for the first few minutes but I do get used to it shortly. 

Weight
Each women’s size 9 shoe weighs 6 ¼ ounces or 177 grams. These aren’t the lightest minimalist footwear we’ve tested but are well within the range of acceptable for lightweight. Even though most of the weight is in the outsole, I don’t feel the weight of them while walking because of the extended length design of the laces.

Support/Insole
There is no support included in Stem footwear. This company understands foot shape and foot movement. There is no insole included in Stem footwear either, so there is no added height in the shoe from the inside.

Barefoot Feel
The barefoot feel of these is awesome. Despite the thickness of the outsole, I can still feel even small rocks. Ground contours are easily transmitted through the material of the outsole.

12►

Grip
For casual and urban use, there is more than enough grip. Even for dry light trails, these would provide adequate traction.

Breathability
Much of the upper of Stem footwear is made of an air-mesh that is incredibly breathable. Where there is suede material covering the upper, air does not pass through, but along the sides and the top of the upper where the air-mesh is, plenty of air passes through, including light breezes.

Quality of Materials / Manufacturing
The quality of the micro-suede, air-mesh, and air-injected rubber outsole appears to be of high quality. There was a problem with one of my review shoes with regards to manufacturing such that the piece of material that makes a loop for the laces to attach to the tongue came off the first time I put the shoes on. The stitches just gave way. The company has told me that this has occurred in very few pairs and they are working to resolve the issue for future production. The rest of the stitching appears flawless.

Water Resistance
You can either have breathability or water resistance in shoes and in these, there is plenty of breathability. Water easily passes through the air-mesh upper so expect wet feet if you’re caught out in the rain.

Sizing
I found that Stem footwear ran short for me. I usually fit a women’s size 8 but fit a size 9 in the Stems. The size 8 did not have enough length for me (although plenty of width). You might want to order a size up from your regular size.

A note from Stem about sizing, “Andrew Rademacher from Stem Footwear recommends that you go by their US size, not the EU size, because they are sized with US increments.  Women’s sizes run different than Men’s.  Women will need to go up 1/2 to a FULL size.  Men will need to either not go up or go up 1/2 size.  After you get your shoes you will see that they are designed for your toes to fit close to the end of the shoe (less than a thumbs width).  If you are buying on the Stem Footwear Company website and can’t decide between two sizes, they recommend you buy both and return the one that doesn’t fit.  You do have to pay for the return shipping, but you will be refunded fairly quickly and Allie and Andrew handle all the customer service so they are happy to help however they can.”

Price
At $89.99 USD on the Stem footwear website, these shoes are comparably priced to many casual minimalist shoes currently on the market. For a durable, high-quality material shoe, this is a good value.

Style
If you like natural colours, you’ll probably like the style of the Stems. There is great attention to detail in the production of these casual shoes and the rooty design on the outside of the upper is a beautiful example of that. For women, they currently come in all brown or a grey/pink upper with a brown outsole colourway.

Break-in Period
There is no break-in period required for these shoes. I don’t suspect the upper is going to stretch so be sure they are a comfortable size as soon as you put them on.

Shoe care
Stems are machine washable on a gentle cycle and easily air dried. This is fantastic for a shoe that is so comfortable to wear without socks.

Warmth
These shoes are easily worn with or without socks. On cooler days, I would recommend socks as air easily passes through the air-mesh upper.

Uses
These are excellent casual shoes for any urban or light trail adventure. They go well with pants or shorts in any natural shade.

Summary
I’ve been anxiously anticipating these shoes for some time now and they did not disappoint. They are incredibly comfortable with great ground feel. It’s exciting to me when the first offering of a new minimalist shoe company get all the important points right and Stem Footwear certainly did. If you’ve been waiting for a comfortable, wide, zero drop, flexible, casual lace-up shoe to hit the market for under $100, Stem footwear definitely fulfill those requirements. For more information, take a look at the Stem Footwear website.

Oetzi Troop Leather Review

By Tina Dubois

Review of the Oetzi3300 Troop Leather – A Warm, Comfortable, Minimalist Boot for Cooler Weather

Every so often, I am amazed at how much I love a product that I get the pleasure of reviewing; the Oetzi Troop Leather boot is definitely one of those products. I love the comfort, the style, and the attention to detail of these boots. Now that there are some cooler temperatures, I’m looking forward to wearing these a lot this season!

The Troop Leather comes with an anti-microbial cork footbed that reduces boot volume and has a considerable heel rise. Once you take the cork out, the boot feels like it has a zero drop and is easily one of the most comfortable minimalist pairs of footwear I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing.

Comfort
These boots are amazingly comfortable. They come with an internal stretch sock membrane made of lycra that is soft and provides just the right amount of cushioning for my liking. There is no other material between the liner and the TPU outsole. There are very few seams in the lycra, the most noticeable one running along the bottom of the boot, which you can barely feel with a thin sock on. The lacing system allows for a customizable fit around your feet and ankles. Although they do take a little extra time to get on, it’s well worth the added time for the customizable fit.

Width
These boots are wonderfully wide. The last is foot-shaped and there’s plenty of room in the boot for natural movement of the bones of the foot. There’s also plenty of height in the toe box for toes to wiggle around. These boots should fit average to wide feet very well and can be tightened with the laces to fit narrow feet as well.

Sole/Flex
The outsole is made of injected TPU that is not only durable but incredibly flexible for its thickness. I would guess that it’s about 1.5 cm thick but I can’t say for sure as the upper is stitched directly to it, which reduces the amount of glue used to make the boots. It feels like it has no heel rise but I’m not positive again because of the stitched on upper. I know that I am incredibly sensitive to heel rise (indicated by back pain when I walk) and I can’t feel any in these. Despite the outsole thickness, it is still quite flexible which lends to excellent ground feel. 

Weight
These are not the lightest of minimalist footwear but they are boots and not running shoes. Each size 38 Troop boot weighs 13 ¼ ounces or 376 grams. Because the boots lace up the ankle, the weight is far less noticeable than if it were all localized to the outsole. I don’t notice the weight of them while walking.

Support / Insole
There is no support built into the shoe. There was a cork footbed insole included with the boot, but because it was quite thick and had a considerable heel rise, it was not minimalist at all. I removed it and modified the boots to be extremely comfortable and roomy minimalist footwear.

Barefoot Feel
The barefoot feel in these is great for a sole so thick. The TPU is incredibly flexible so even small rocks can be felt through the outsole. Because of the tread design, there is more ground feel in the top half compared to the back half. It’s not that much of a difference but worth mentioning for those who expect uniform ground feel along the length of the sole. I don’t notice a perceptible difference while walking.

Grip
There is sufficient grip for all tested man-made and natural surfaces while dry. I wouldn’t expect them to be overly grippy in mud or slippery snow because of the shallow tread design but for dry conditions, I have had no traction issues. 

Breathability
The lycra liner is breathable but the leather upper materials are not. The lycra will wick moisture from your feet but it has nowhere to go from there to escape the boot. Considering these are boots for cooler temperatures, they’ll keep the warmth inside the boot instead of allowing it to escape.

Quality of Materials / Manufacturing
The leather materials used are 1.8 mm oiled leather and suede and appear thick and durable for a footwear product. The lycra is also thick and provides a small amount of cushioning and a great deal of comfort. The TPU outsole appears durable and I predict will last a long time. The construction is hand-made and all the stitches appear of good quality.

When the boots first arrived, there was a slight problem with one of the lycra liner socks not laying down completely. After I informed the company of the issue, they immediately sent out a new boot to replace the one with the flaw. These boots are designed to be worn with the cork footbed so a not flat liner may escape quality control. However, the company was expedient and efficient in fixing the problem for me.

Water Resistance
The Troop Leather is lined with a Hydroguard™ bootie to keep your feet dry. Walking through puddles and shallow snow in these will keep your feet both warm and dry.

Sizing
These boots fit true to size. I generally fit a U.S. size 8 or European size 38 and the size 38 Troop Leather fits me perfectly. Because of the lacing system, they should fit narrow, average, and wide feet adequately.

Price
These boots are priced at $215 USD on the Oetzi website. Although it seems a little expensive, for a high-quality, hand-made leather boot, it is comparably priced to similar products. In this case, you get what you pay for.

Style
I love everything about the style of these boots, although they probably won’t appeal to everyone as much as they do to me. They are a little more grundgy looking than they are feminine but I love them. There are few minimalist boots on the market right now and these are both stylish and comfortable. They currently come in three shades: black, mocha, and granata/dark gray (kind of a dark reddish-brown leather).

Break-in Period
There is no break-in period required for these boots. The leather is soft enough to easily contour your feet and ankles.

Shoe care
As these are leather footwear, you may want to treat them with a good quality leather protector before heading out into snow and other adverse weather conditions. They are made of oiled leather, but for long lasting good looks, you might want to give them some extra leather care.

Warmth
These boots are definitely warm. The liner and leather easily keep warmth inside. The TPU outsole is also thick enough that very little cold from the ground should seep through to cool off your feet, which has been a problem for me in other minimalist products. I’m looking forward to this year’s cooler temperatures and seeing how low I can go.

Uses
These boots are perfect for any cooler temperature urban adventure or mild trail. They’ll protect your feet from rain, snow, and puddles, too. They work well with any casual pants and come in three colours to match any outfit.

Summary
There’s a fine line between minimalism and adequate cold protection when it comes to footwear. Often you sacrifice great ground feel for sufficient insulation from the cold ground, not to mention style. In the Oetzi Troop Leather, you get the best of all these features in a comfortable, warm, water resistant, and stylish package. I love these boots and look forward to many winter walks with warm feet. For more information, check out the Oetzi3300 website.

An Interview with Gina Lucrezi, representative from Inov-8 

Tina interviews Gina about the Inov-8 lineup of minimalist shoes.  Learn the Inov-8 phillosophy behind minimalist products as well as more about what is currently on offer and what is coming up!  Learn a little about about Inov-8 products from the Inov-8 team.

Download audio file (The_Living_Barefoot_Show_-_Episode_40.mp3)
0 Hour, 21 Minutes, 57 Seconds

While I commend Eddie for his enthusiasm, I want to be sure that I clearly communicate my perspective on this type of barefoot running.

Let’s step back.  Eddie has decided that he is going to run barefoot through Africa, a distance of 1,100 miles!  From the sounds of the article he hasn’t prepared for this, has never run in Africa, and has not run significant distances barefoot. He is running his race to fund raise, and is going to Africa to run barefoot “because no one has ever done it before”.  Really!

To make matters worse, on his last fund raising adventure, he only trained for 5 weeks before setting out on his run.

So why have I been compelled to write this commentary?  I’m getting really frustrated with people who decide to run barefoot, without training, and while making a statement, or while fun raising.

People like Eddie are giving barefoot runners a bad reputation.  Barefoot running and running in minimalist shoes needs to be taken seriously.  It should not be done simply because it’s novel, or because it grabs attention.  It should be done while understanding the risks, and with a slow, careful, considered approach.  Running barefoot, when done incorrectly, can cause injuries, so be careful!

Aside from Eddie’s unplanned and otherwise poorly considered approach, there is a reason no one has run through Africa barefoot.  It is very hot!  Eddie is setting himself up for some serious problems.

If there is anyone out there who is thinking of run raising through barefoot adventures, please contact us so that we can connect you with some people who can help you do it safely!!

This is to announce that Terra Plana and VIVOBAREFOOT are going their separate ways. For the foreseeable future terraplana.com will be re-directed to vivobarefoot.com.

Terra Plana created VIVOBAREFOOT in 2003, and over the years many iterations of the barefoot shoe revolution have been developed. Today the VIVOBAREFOOT patented, ultra-thin, puncture-resistant sole exists on the most complete barefoot collection in the world with a full range of Performance, Lifestyle and Kids shoes.

VIVOBAREFOOT has established itself along with Lee Saxby as the authority on healthy barefoot movement. The first VIVOBAREFOOT Experience store opened in Covent Garden, London this year, and more are set to open all over the world.

VIVOBAREFOOT and Terra Plana will forever be connected, and there are some exciting new developments afoot as to what direction Terra Plana will be heading.

But for now, please visit VIVOBAREFOOT.com for all your barefoot shoe needs and vivobarefoot.trainingclinic.com for information and educational materials on the joy of injury-free barefoot movement.

Long Live Barefoot!

Barefoot Banter – Episode 1

Episode 39
Originally released November 2nd 2011

Join us in this exciting new show format – our very first Barefoot Banter episode!  A new and exciting addition to The Living Barefoot Show, Barefoot Banter is a casual sharing of ideas and important topics between Tina, Al, and Caity.  Listen in and tell us what you think of this new format!  Keep your ears peeled for more Barefoot Banter episodes soon!  Send us your suggestions for topics!

Today’s Topics:  Natural Running Certification, “Your Walk Wrong” Article, The adidas Adipure Trainer – FiveFingers Copy?  Should the 5-toed shoe be patentable?

Download audio file (The_Living_Barefoot_Show_-_Episode_39final.mp3)
0 Hour, 50 Minutes, 45 Seconds

Grippy Paperfeet Review

By Tina Dubois

Review of the Grippy Paperfeet – Minimalist Footwear that’s more ART than Footwear

The first time I tried on a pair of Paperfeet, I decided not to review them on the grounds that my safety was more important than a properly wear-tested review; they were so slippery on every surface I tried them on, I was fearful of falling. Thankfully, Al reviewed a pair of the original Paperfeet (found here), and my somewhat guilty conscious was assuaged because I felt that our readers deserved a review of the product. Paperfeet has since come out with a ‘Grippy’ version with recycled rubber on the wear points for added grip. I now feel like they are safe enough for me to wear. But do I want to? Read on…

Comfort
These ‘shoes’ are not comfortable. Although the recycled billboard vinyl is not rough, the edges are sharp against the skin. Every time they flex, I can feel the edges dig into my feet. Although they are quite minimal for footwear, they are not ‘shoes’ so much as art for your feet, and function about as well.

Width
Paperfeet are as wide as you want to make them. They have Velcro strips along the top, ankle, and heel tabs for easy adjusting.

Sole
In addition to the billboard material, there are sole pods made of recycled rubber for added grip. These pods add much needed traction to the vinyl.  They are close to 1 mm in thickness.

Flex
This footwear is as flexible as any durable vinyl. They are, of course, extremely portable. They can be folded up and put in a pocket. The soling rubber pods aren’t as flexible as the vinyl but do flex considerably, providing great ground feel. 

Weight
Paperfeet are incredibly light weighing in at 1 ¼ ounces or just over 34 grams. Their weight is practically imperceptible on the feet—if only the edges were as well.

Support / Insole
There is no support or insole included with your one-of-kind Paperfeet.

Barefoot Feel
If you’re looking for phenomenal ground feel, Paperfeet will undoubtedly deliver. The vinyl and rubber soling pods are incredibly thin and flexible allowing your feet to feel everything you step on, without the worry of cutting yourself on anything sharp.

Grip
This is where Grippy Paperfeet surpass the Original Paperfeet in function: the grip on these is more than adequate for man-made or natural surfaces. I wouldn’t want to run downhill in them, but walking on flat ground has more than enough traction. 

Breathability
Although the vinyl obviously doesn’t breathe, there is plenty of air access through the sandal design. Your feet will not be wanting for breathability in these art pieces.

Quality of Materials / Manufacturing
The soling rubber pieces add durability to the vinyl at the heel and forefoot. The vinyl is previously used billboard material so is recycling a material that has fulfilled its primary function. As to quality of the materials, I’m sure they’re both good. As to qualifying as footwear material, that’s up to how much art you like in your footwear. The construction is of the hand-made variety and the unfinished look reflects this.

Water Resistance
The billboard material is waterproof. If you need a pair of footwear for unexpected downpours while barefooting and then want to put them back in a pocket, they just need a little shake and all the water will roll right off.

Sizing
There is sizing information on the Paperfeet website to help you with ordering the correct size. The footwear is somewhat adjustable with the Velcro straps so the website suggests finding “your closest fit” which is as easy as measuring the length of your feet and picking the appropriate size.

Price
I could not find a price for the Grippy Paperfeet on the company’s website so I don’t know how much they cost. But I can say that it wouldn’t matter what they cost, I wouldn’t buy them. There are plenty of comfortable, minimal, stylish, portable options for minimalist footwear on the market now and I would sooner buy a pair of functional footwear than artistic footwear that hurt my feet.

Style
Despite every pair of Paperfeet being one-of-a-kind, these are art for your feet and not functional footwear, and I don’t like the style. I do not find them attractive in any way and it wouldn’t matter what colours the billboard material came in.

Shoe care
If they got dirty, Paperfeet can be easily wiped with a wet cloth for cleaning.

Warmth
Like any open-air sandal, this footwear is not warm. The temperature of the ground is also easily transmitted through the material. These are for warm temperatures only.

Uses
I can’t think of an activity that I would want to do in these sandals. If you are usually barefoot and need a footwear option for sanitary or social reasons that was easily portable, waterproof, and still gave good ground feel, you might want a pair of Paperfeet. If you wanted comfort out of said pair of shoes, you might want to try another minimalist option.

Summary
Grippy Paperfeet are one of those footwear inventions that are more art than shoes. They are not comfortable and definitely not attractive (to me, at least). However, they are waterproof, easily packable, grippy, and one-of-a-kind. Personally, I prefer comfort and function over fashion and individuality in my footwear. For more information, take a look at the Paperfeet website.

Episode 38: We Interview Michael Browne of adidas to find out more about the new Adipure Trainer

We interview Michael Brown, Business Unit Director for Training Footwear at adidas America, and find out about the purpose of the new five-toed adidas training shoe.  Aimed at professional athletes, the Adipure Trainer is the first adidas product that enteres the minimalist market, in our definition.  Learn about the origin of this new shoe, it’s uses, and the future of the Adipure lineup.

Download audio file (The_Living_Barefoot_Show_-_Episode_39.mp3)
0 Hour, 27 Minutes, 59 Seconds

New Balance Road Review

By Al Gauthier

How Minimal is the Minimus?

As minimalist footwear has become more and more popular, we have seen almost all of the large athletic footwear companies join in. Not wanting to be left out of this exciting new market segment, New Balance has jumped in with both feet and are now offering the Minimus line of performance footwear.

As the large manufacturers join in and subscribe to the ever-growing minimalist shoe category, we are starting to see a diversion of the type of minimalist shoe that we have come to expect with a more marketed as well as more careful and gradual approach to minimalist footwear.

What side of this debate you fall on depends on whether you feel that there is merit in a gradual approach to a more natural running and movement style, or whether you feel that the only way to transition properly is by being barefoot. That debate is a little bit too meaty for this review, but we recommend you research the subject for yourself on our site. Before you part with your hard-earned cash, you should decide what your philosophy is going to be or you could find yourself buying shoes that don’t fit well into your plans.

Comfort
The New Balance Road has a soft inner lining on the inside of the upper. The insole has a soft surface. Walking in the Road feels stiff and the heel rise is noticeable if you are used to zero-rise shoes. They are not particularly uncomfortable but they are very inflexible for a shoe calling itself “minimus”.

Width
The New Balance Road is a medium-width shoe with a more traditional toe box shape. It is lacking in the roomy design that I had expected to see in a shoe marketed towards those looking for a more natural shape. Even for a narrow or medium-footed foot, these are too narrow for proper comfort and natural movement.

Outsole
The outsole has minimal tread (made up of quarter-sized interconnected circles) and is the thickest outsole we have reviewed to date. Clearly, despite the marketing, this is not a truly minimalist product. This is what I would define as a transition shoe. The idea behind a transition shoe is that it fits somewhere in between the traditional heavily cushioned runner and a real minimalist/barefoot shoe. The outsole/midsole combination are more flexible than a traditional runner and the rise, although present, is considerably less steep at only 4 mm compared to traditional designs.

FlexIt’s stiff. Really stiff!  Compared to traditional offerings there is considerable flexibility, however, compared to minimalist products these are very inflexible. Again, these are not minimalist shoes, they are a transition product meant to fill the gap between a conventional product and a true minimalist product. With a 16 mm outsole, they are meant for an audience that wants the latest and greatest in technology but who are not willing or ready to really embrace a shoe that moves with your feet.

Weight
These are very light, especially when considering the weight of the added soling materials required. While not as light as a pair of VIVOBAREFOOT shoes, for example, they are light enough even for the minimalist category.

Support / Insole 
The insole is not removable. The shoes do provide mild arch support. The shape of the insole overall takes on the contours of the foot—at least it tries—and thus does give some support. This is not the arch-cradling support found in other traditional runners but does defeat the purpose of a natural movement shoe. Having said this, I didn’t find the gentle curves unpleasant and if I were looking for a shoe of this type I would find the support offered pleasant and comfortable.

Barefoot Feel
Ground textures can not be felt in any way. The thick and relatively inflexible sole absorbs all of the grounds’ textures and undulations.

Grip
Grip is reasonable in these shoes but not outstanding. For dry surfaces, they are more than adequate. For more slippery or wet surfaces, however, you may find the need for some additional traction.

Breathability
Mesh is provided as an upper material but air sadly does not make a significant appearance within the shoe. While some air exchange undoubtedly takes place, it is not significant enough to constitute a breeze and was nowhere near enough to keep my feet from feeling hot and bothered.

Quality of Materials / Manufacturing
New Balance is known for quality products and the Minimus Road does not disappoint in the quality department. These are very well made shoes that I would expect to last a long time. I could find no faults in the manufacturing.

Water Resistance
The lack of air circulation fortunately means that your toes will stay reasonably dry. The New Balance Minimus Road is not amphibious by any means, but the thick outsole and tightly woven fabric upper will resist all but the wettest of conditions.

Sizing

The sample pair fit true to size in length. The width would only be suggested to those with narrow to normal-width feet. Wide feet will not find a happy home in these shoes.

Price
At $99 USD on the New Balance website, these are below average price for a running/training shoe of this type. If the New Balance Minimus Road is the shoe for you, they are well priced.

Style
Looking very much like any other running shoe in everything but colour choices, the Minimus Road will blend in well with your shoe collection. Strong colours are available but more neutral colours are also easy to find.

Break-in Period
There is no break-in period for these shoes. Those of you with normal to wide feet should test these out in the store or indoors first. The synthetic materials used will not stretch over time thus a perfect fit is essential.

Warmth
The tightly woven materials and synthetic fabrics make these very warm shoes. Those of you with warm feet may find the lack of air circulation a problem with these shoes.

Uses
The use of the Minimus Road will vary with your philosophy towards minimalist running and the niche that these shoes may fill in your closet. These could be an everyday shoe or a temporary stepping stone towards even more minimal footwear. You may even use them to gain some minimal additional strength in your feet—although the effectiveness of this type of shoe for that purpose is debatable.

Summary
It is very difficult to know where to place any shoe that falls into the transitional category. The New Balance Minimus is a high quality shoe that is on the right path towards a minimalist product but with key features missing all together. There is significant debate among manufacturers, researchers, and bloggers about the need or usefulness of a transitional product. Some feel they are an important step and may help to avoid injury; others believe they are a pointless product designed to pull more money out of the pockets of trend followers.

Before buying these shoes, we would highly recommend that our readers take the time to read the various opinions on either side of this argument. These are either a well-needed product that functions well as a transitional shoe to aid those looking for a more natural form of movement or they are pointless as a minimalist product and should be avoided all together in favour of a truly minimalist product.

There is no doubt that the New Balance Minimus is significantly better than many traditional shoes in terms of flexibility, weight, and form, but they fall far short of the mark for a true minimalist product. Fortunately for all concerned New Balance, is going to be offering a real zero-drop shoe: the Minimus Zero. We will bring you the review of that product as soon as they become available.

For more information, take a look at the New Balance website.

Review of the GoLite Tara Lites

By Al Gauthier

The GoLites Tara Lite is a shoe we have been asked to review by a number of our readers and so, while this is not a minimalist product to our definition, we are reviewing it specifically for our readers. The Tara Lites is a fascinating product whose purpose is one that we don’t understand. It is a performance product with some unique features, one in particular that has never been seen in an enclosed shoe to our knowledge. The shoe’s concept is that of a sandal with a “second skin stretch upper”. In other words, the shoe is based around a thong sandal, one that has an upper and a protective toe guard. A strapping system provides more refined fit. Is this a viable design?  Read on…

Comfort
The Tara Lites are lined with a soft and comfortable lining that feels good against the skin. The insole is comfortable against the bottom of the foot. The surprise with these shoes is that you either need to be wearing toe socks, the special socks that are supplied with the shoes, or just your bare feet. Why is that you ask?  Because you’ll need to allow for the “Internal ‘sandal’ thong post” that fits in between your big toe and the first toe. Why you ask again?  We have no idea!  Is it comfortable?  Not for me.

Width
There is ample room for the toes to move naturally and the foot does not feel constrained. The entire foot feels comfortable inside the GoLites.

Outsole
The sole has a dual density EVA midsole. From heel to outsole measures 24 mm with a zero drop from heel to toe. The outsole is made of “Sticky Gecko” for added traction. The outsole’s lugs are a configuration of randomly sized circular posts roughly curved to reflect the three arches of the foot.

Flex
The combined insole, midsole, and outsole provides virtually no flex under regular movement. With considerable effort, the shoe can yield to a minimum of flex from toe to heel. While wear-testing the Tara Lites, very little flex was evident.

Weight
For a shoe with a full-thickness outsole/midsole combination, these are incredibly light. They are not quite as light as most of the minimalist shoes we review, but considering the considerable extra soling material, I’m impressed with these featherweights.

Support / Insole
The last and insole both provide minimal arch support. There is also a ridge designed to align under the curve of the toes in front of the pads of the foot. These are in the shape of a gentle arch.

Barefoot Feel
Ground textures cannot be felt through the sole. The outsole is not flexible enough to conform to the textures under foot. These shoes do not have a barefoot feel due to the thickness of the shoe.

Grip
Grip is excellent with the GoLites. The thickness of the outsole, combined with the Sticky Gecko material used, provide excellent traction.

Breathability
The second skin provides a comfortable cover that effectively guards against the elements. This same protection negates all breathability in these shoes. For those with generally warm feet or in warm climates,these may be a little bit too warm. For colder climates or those with cold feet, these may be a cozy place to hide your toes.

Quality of Materials / Manufacturing
The Tara Lites are very well made. I can find no defects in manufacturing.

Water Resistance
The Tara Lites have excellent water resistant properties. Even the heaviest rain did not reach the inside of the shoe.

Sizing
The sample pair fit true to size. They are suitable for average to wide feet. Narrow feet may find these a little bit too wide but the thong design and strapping system may allow for even those with narrow feet to feel comfortable in these shoes.

Price
At $120 USD, these are below the average price for a technical trail shoe. If these well-constructed shoes fit your needs, they would be of good value.

Style
Despite the sandal origins and unique strapping system, these are reasonably conventional looking shoes.

Break-in Period
There is no break-in period for these shoes. As with any shoes they should fit immediately or they are not the right size.

Shoe care
These are exceptionally easy shoes to clean. The simple construction allows for an easy wipe down with a wet cloth for cleaning.

Warmth
As mentioned previously, these are warm shoes due to the enclosed nature of the shoe and the use of non-breathable materials. These are best used in cooler climates or for those with cooler feet.

Uses
Marketed as a trail running shoe, the GoLite Tara Lites should function well in situations where a beefy non-stick sole is required. Trail running, hiking, and other off-road adventures would all be well suited for these shoes.

Summary
The GoLite Tara Lite is a unique shoe. Despite having a thick inflexible sole compared to the shoes we typically review on our site, these shoes are incredibly light. The thong-style post inside the show is a mystery to me. I could find no stability improvement and no improvement to fit due to the addition of the post. The post would be more comfortable for those used to wearing thong-style shoes for extended periods, but even for that group, the post’s function is in question. These shoes do not feel like sandals but simply as comfortable shoes with a post between the toes. The strapping system is better than most shoes at providing a secure fit. Despite all this, the addition of the post is a detraction to the function of the shoe in my opinion. As I like to wear shoes without socks, the abrasive nature of a post like this for serious activities would be a detraction no matter what the benefits would be. I admire companies for pushing the envelope in shoe design but not all designs are winners.

For more information, take a look at the GoLite website.

New Balance Minimus Trail Review

By Al Gauthier

New Balance is a very well-respected brand in the performance shoe market. As my review of the New Balance Minimus Road underlined, not all shoes marketed as minimalist or barefoot shoes fall into the minimalist category as we (Living Barefoot) define it. Despite the lack of widely accepted definitions of what it means to be a true minimalist shoe, the New Balance Minimus Trail deserves the Minimus label.

Comfort
The New Balance Minimus Trail provides a snug fit appropriate as a trail running shoe. While the materials are soft and flexible, the supportive structure boarders on mildly restrictive. The heel fits snugly into its pocket and the toes have more room to move than most closed-toes shoes I’ve tested. Despite those excellent qualities, I found the Trail a little bit too snug in the midfoot. Those with narrow to mid-width feet will likely find these an excellent fit, however, so I cannot fault them for not fitting my feet perfectly.

Width
The Minimus Trail adopts the narrow last typical of what we have seen from the New Balance Minimus line so far. Despite an overall narrow fit, the Trail allows for more toe room than we’ve seen in most closed shoes. This is in part due to the virtual lack of structure in the toe box allowing for toes to move freely. While the design needs some adjustment to allow for a better fit for wider feet, the idea is excellent. I would like to see it adopted more widely.

Outsole
The outsole provides for better than average grip on both smooth and rough terrain, however, the outsole does not provide the grippy, lugged surface so popular in many trail-specific shoes. For this reason, the Trail is more than adequate for light trail use but doesn’t hit the mark for those looking for the ultimate off-road trail shoe. For a minimalist product, this is always a trade-off. Adding the bulk of a more significantly lugged outsole would remove some of the sensitivity of the shoe. This design choice is likely the result of wanting to appeal to a wider audience.

Flex
The flex in the Minimus Trail is good. When compared to other minimalist shoes, the Trail lacks some of the bendability found in ultra-flexible products now available. Considering the intended use of this product, however, I feel the flexibility is more than adequate. Too much pliability results in less protection. In most circumstances, this would be of benefit but with a trail shoe some protection is warranted.

Weight
The Trail is very light, especially for a trail shoe. The use of ultra light materials has kept the weight of the shoe to a minimum.

Support / Insole
The insole provides no support to any of the foot’s 3 arches. The insole is stitched into the structure of the shoe and thus is not removable. The insole has no shock absorption but has a pleasant feel under food. No seams can be felt under foot.

Barefoot Feel
Ground textures transmit well through the flexible sole of the Trail. While these are not the most sensitive soles we’ve tested, they are a good balance between the protection needed while trail running and the sensitivity needed for feedback.

Grip
Grip is reasonable in these shoes but not outstanding. For dry, solid surfaces they are more than adequate.  More substantial lugs are lacking, however, to grip more substantial muddy areas or loose rock.

Breathability
The Trail is a breath of fresh air for your feet. Your feet will find the upper is full of ventilation thanks to the use of a three-layered mesh system. The mesh is used throughout the upper where the more substantial structural components are not found. The result is a light and airy feeling shoe wonderful for a hot day.

Quality of Materials / Manufacturing
New Balance is known for quality products and the Minimus Trail does not disappoint in the quality department. These are very well made shoes that I would expect to last a long time. I could find no faults in the manufacturing.

Water Resistance
The significant air circulation allows for water to freely flow in and out of these shoes. These are in no  way waterproof but I suspect that they will dry reasonably quickly once wet. This was not a situation I tested.

Sizing
The sample pair fit true to size in length. The width would only be suggested to those with narrow to normal-width feet. Wide feet will find the shoe is too tight in the midfoot. Ample toe room and a comfortable heel cup welcome feet of any size.

Price
At $99 USD on the New Balance website, these are below average price for a trail running shoe of this type. This is an excellent value for a well-made shoe.

Style
The Trail has a modern outdoorsy look that will fit right in with other technical gear. They are neither stunningly beautiful nor are they particularly ugly.

Break-in Period
There is no break-in period for these shoes. Those of you with normal to wide feet should test these out in the store or indoors first. The synthetic materials used will not stretch over time thus a perfect fit is essential.

Warmth
The well-ventilated nature of these shoes does not provide significant warmth. Although socks can be worn, you may find a different pair of shoes more suitable for colder temperatures. Note that socks will increase the overall width of your foot and will make the narrow last more apparent.

Uses
Marketed as a trail shoe, the New Balance Minimus Trail is a good shoe for a casual hike or a trail run. The lack of beefy lugs may prevent you from running on more technical terrain but, for most groomed trails, these shoes will feel at home. While the outsole is more substantial than other minimalist shoes, the Trail would be suitable for going grocery shopping or relaxing in the park. Especially for those with warm feet, the Trail is a good balance of utilitarian protection and minimalist qualities.

Summary
The Minimus Trail is a good all-round shoe designed for light trail activity and everyday use. Designed for narrow to mid-width feet, the fit is snug yet the toes have ample room for natural movement. The strapping system desperately needs adjustment points for versatility, but so long as your foot feels snug and comfortable inside the Trail, these seem to be a good choice.

For more information, take a look at the New Balance website.

VIVOBAREFOOT Ra Review

By Al Gauthier

Review of the VIVOBAREFOOT Ra – A Comfortable Oxford for Every Man (and the BEST Minimalist Dress Shoe We’ve Seen!!)
The minimalist shoe category has historically been one that has made many compromises.  With an emphasis on function over from, style has often been completely overridden by barefoot-like form.  Vibram Fivefingers are the perfect example of a shoe born out of this new priority.  While I happen to like the aesthetics of Fivefingers, they are not to everyone’s taste, and certainly they are not appropriate for many formal environments, despite the significant efforts of many to buck the trend and wear a pair of black FiveFingers to corporate functions.

VIVOBAREFOOT has been attempting to balance function and style for a couple of years now and, considering the difficulty of the task, we have always been happy with the outcome.  With the recent Spring/Summer 2011 Collection that is now being released, however, I am more excited than ever about any minimalist product that has come before.  VIVOBAREFOOT has finally achieved a level of quality, style, and minimalist function that is up to the standards of not just the minimalist market, but the more style-conscious general public.  VIVOBAREFOOT has also managed to fill a couple of very important gaps: we finally have some top quality business appropriate minimalist footwear and some excellent minimalist sandals.  We are very excited to bring you a series of reviews of VIVOBAREFOOT’s latest models, but for the moment let me focus on the Ra.

The Ra is not just an attempt at a business appropriate oxford, it IS a proper oxford.  These are shoes that look absolutely appropriate and stylish in the business world with all the right minimalist features. Shockingly, these are the first truly minimalist business style shoes on the market.  Happily, they fill this niche very well.

Comfort
The Ra is wonderfully comfortable.  The standard VIVOBAREFOOT last is foot-shaped unlike almost all men’s dress shoes of today.  The leather is comfortable and flexible, and the included removable insole provides a small degree of shock absorption that is the right balance between ground feedback and the added comfort for those who might be on their feet all day.  These are the most comfortable dress shoes that I have ever had on my feet.

Width
Like most VIVOBAREFOOT shoes, the Ra is wider than average.  There is ample room for the toes to move naturally and the foot does not feel constrained.  The lacing system is well designed and should accommodate most foot widths.  These are appropriate for average and wide feet, and I expect would also suit those with more narrow feet provided you are not bothered by a little extra toe room.

Sole
The outsole is made with the original VIVOBAREFOOT sole made of latex rubber and TPU abrasion resistant material with a 3 mm thickness.  The sole is exceptionally flexible and durable.  It is an excellent balance between significant ground feel and protection.  This is a true zero-drop shoe with no thickness difference between the heel and toe.

Flex
The sole material allows for significant flexibility.  The shoe is limited only by the structure of the leather upper.  I did not find any limitations in the flexibility of the shoe.

Weight
These are very light, especially when compared to a typical business appropriate footwear.  You will wonder how you ever dragged around your feet at work after wearing these shoes.

Support / Insole
There is no arch support designed into the shoe.  As with all VIVOBAREFOOT products, the Ra provides an anatomically accurate last without any arch support.  This is, of course, as it should be.  The removable insole provides a small amount of shock absorption, but not so much that your natural gait is hindered—you still can’t heel strike in these shoes with any level of comfort.  If you are on your feet all day, you will appreciate the extra cushion. The antibacterial material will also fight odour. If you are after the pure minimalist experience, they are easily removed.  The footbed is designed to be used with or without the insole and is comfortable for bare foot in both configurations.

Barefoot Feel
Ground textures are easily felt through the thin sole material.  The flexibility is excellent, especially considering the business alternative.  To even the most die hard minimalist shoe fan, these will satisfy.  The use of the insole slightly reduces the ability to feel textures under foot but they are easily removed.

Grip
Grip is reasonable in these shoes.  The sole is the same design used to make most of VIVOBAREFOOT’s shoes.  Grip in wet and slick surfaces is more than adequate for the average user.   So long as you aren’t commuting to work on snow or ice, you shouldn’t find a need for better grip.

Breathability
I wish we lived in a world where a more casual sandal would be considered business attire.  Sadly most work environments require a closed shoe for style and safety.  The Ra is no more breathable than any oxford that you might wear.  There isn’t any unnecessary materials used that would hinder ventilation, but there is no provision for added ventilation. This is sadly how it needs to be if you are after this style of shoe.  Breathability is poor, but certainly no more restrictive than any alternative.

Quality of Materials / Manufacturing
VIVOBAREFOOT products are well-made.  The pull up leather used is of excellent quality.   The workmanship in our sample pair was without fault.  I expect these will last for many years.

Water Resistance
These are not a water-proof shoe but do provide significant water resistance.  The leather construction doesn’t readily accept water into the shoe.  In all but the wettest of conditions, your feet should remain dry.

Sizing
The sample pair fit true to size in length and width.  These are excellent shoes for those with standard to wide feet.  Those with narrow feet may find there is more toe room than would otherwise be needed.  Due to the lacing system, I would suspect that even narrow feet would find a good fit through the heel and midfoot.

Price
At $150 USD on the VIVOBAREFOOT website, these are well-priced and good value for a high quality pair of dress shoes.  Cheaper shoes can always be found but when quality and comfort are considered the price is always worth it.

Style
While these are very much an oxford that is suitable in all but the most trendy business environments (pointy-toed alligator hide anyone?) the style of these shoes is modern and very flexible.  While no one would find them inappropriate for work, these shoes would just as easily enjoy a night out on the town or a casual afternoon with a pair of jeans.  The black upper and black sole combination is without a doubt the most business appropriate.  For those looking for a slightly more casual look, a brown upper and natural rubber sole or the light coloured suede are both nicely styled alternatives.

Break-in Period
For the first time we have seen a warning on the VIVOBAREFOOT website about a break-in period.  The following is written on the website: Note: Back part of shoe has a high cut, needs breaking in first to prevent any blister issues that might occur. Please wear socks first to prevent any issues.  This Message has now been removed from the VIVOBAREFOOT website.

At no point did I have any discomfort wearing the Ra.  I did, however, predominantly wear these shoes with socks.  Your own experience may vary but these have been some of the most comfortable shoes I’ve had the pleasure of wearing – and that’s a significant statement. I feel strongly that shoes should not require a break-in period, however, at times the materials used and the style of even the most comfortable shoe may require a little time for the skin to adjust to the new contact. I don’t expect anyone will find the Ra uncomfortable.  If you do, please leave your comments.

Shoe care
The pull up leather used on the black and brown models of the Ra require very little maintenance.  One of the unique benefits of this type of leather is that small scratches and marks on the leather surface can be “erased” with only a finger and a little pressure.  This should make these shoes very easy to care for.

Warmth
While the upper is all leather, the leather is not significantly thick.  With socks these shoes would be more than warm enough in most weather conditions.  For those who live in colder climates during the winter, these may not provide a significant amount of warmth.

Uses
These versatile shoes are at home in an office, at the café, or going for a long walk.  The outsole is suitable for any city-dwelling activity.  These are a lifestyle shoe and lack some of the qualities found  in more active models like the Neo, Evo, and Ultra.  These are, however, an excellent every day shoe.

Summary
VIVOBAREFOOT has grown over the past two years from an innovative company producing great footwear to an innovative company producing some of the best minimalist footwear available.  The quality, style, and comfort of these shoes is top-notch and indicative of the exciting things to come from VIVOBAREFOOT. These stylish business appropriate shoes not only tick all the boxes but do so with the refined quality of a company who really knows what they are doing and where they are going.  If you suffer at work, don’t waste any time and get your feet into a pair of these great shoes!  They are, after all, the only truly minimalist business appropriate men’s oxford.  Finally someone has filled this niche, and filled it well.

For more information, take a look at the VIVOBAREFOOT website.  Make sure you sign up to receive the latest email updates from VIVOBAREFOOT to take advantage of end of season promotions and new product announcements.

For all this I appreciate what he has done. He has made my geeky technical life more enjoyable. I wish his family the very best.

Barefoot or Minimalist Running: Not as Simple as Ditching your Cushioned Shoes

by Tina Dubois

Barefoot and minimalist shoe running is gaining increasing attention from the media and runners alike but is it as simple as ditching your shoes completely or switching to a minimalist shoe with no cushioning? The short answer to that question is definitely no.

There are many reasons to try barefoot or minimalist running: it feels terrific, there is a greater connection with the ground, it is more natural, it increases strength in the feet and lower legs, it improves balance and agility, and the list goes on. But what happens when you’ve been running in cushioned shoes for a long time and suddenly you ditch your shoes? You generally carry over the running technique you’ve been using in your cushioned shoes to your new non-cushioned way of running and might be expecting to be able to carry over your mileage, too. This is a recipe for potential injuries.

The typical running form in cushioned shoes can be described as a heel striking overstride, which means that you land on your heel ahead of your centre of gravity. Because conventional running shoes are padded in the heel area, this form is easy to maintain when wearing shoes. Take the padding away and try running this way and all the impact that the padding absorbs goes straight into your heel and travels up your leg through your shins, knees, hips, and lower back, which can easily cause impact-related injuries to these joints and tissues.

What typically happens when you ditch your shoes and try barefoot or minimalist running, is your brain automatically reacts to the increase in impact and switches your gait to more of a forefoot landing rather than landing on your heel. But what about the overstriding? Taking off your shoes does not change the muscle memory you’ve developed over the (potentially) years you’ve been overstriding in your cushioned shoes. So what ends up happening is now you’re landing on your forefoot but still landing ahead of your centre of gravity.

Why is landing ahead of your centre of gravity such a big deal? Because it adds unnecessary stress to the areas of the body involved in landing, potentially causing a different set of impact-related injuries depending on where you are landing on your foot. If you land on your heel ahead of your centre of gravity, whether you’re wearing shoes or not, as mentioned above, that impact can cause shin splints, knee pain, IT-band strain as well as hip and low back pain. If you do not have the added protection of a padded heel shoe, that impact is exacerbated. If you land on your forefoot ahead of your centre of gravity, the foot rotates inward due to the biological design of our legs and feet, causing you to land on the outside edge of your foot. This is called a lateral forefoot landing, usually between the 4^th and 5^th metatarsal bones of the foot. These bones are relatively thin and not dense compared to the width and density of the 1^st metatarsal bone. Therefore, a lateral forefoot landing can cause stress fractures of the 4^th and 5^th metatarsal bones.

What about the elastic structures of your feet, the plantar fascia and the Achilles tendon, when you land ahead of your centre of gravity while running? Because the foot is on the ground for a long time between landing ahead of your body, moving your body above your feet, and then lifting your foot behind you, the elastic structures of your feet are carrying all the load of running for a long time. This isn’t a problem if you’re walking because the load forces involved in walking are half what they are while running. Therefore, if you land ahead of your centre of gravity while running, you are adding extra stress to these elastic structures, which can manifest as injuries to these structures, also known as plantar fasciitis and/or Achilles tendonitis.

Therefore, in order to prevent these types of stress injuries to the lateral bones of the feet and the elastic structures of our feet and lower legs, it is imperative that we change our running form. Two important aspects of barefoot or minimalist running form, or a more natural running form, are foot posture and cadence. Natural running foot posture is one where you land more on the inside of your foot than the outside, or on the medial side between your 1^st and 2^nd metatarsal bone heads. You still want to land on the forefoot but between the big and second toes as opposed to the 4^th and 5^th smaller toes. And you want to land under your centre of gravity and not ahead of it. This aspect of natural running is a lot easier when you increase your cadence to about 180 steps per minute when counting both feet. With a cadence this fast, it’s difficult to have enough time to land ahead of your centre of gravity and it reduces the stress on your foot and lower leg elastic structures because they are stretched for a minimal amount of time. A faster cadence than this starts to reduce running efficiency so 180 steps per minute optimizes efficiency while encouraging a shorter stride, under your centre of gravity, and minimizing loading stresses on your plantar fascia and Achilles tendons.

Getting back to the original question: Is barefoot or minimalist running as simple as ditching your shoes? No. It is imperative that your barefoot or minimalist running form adopts the changes necessary to prevent impact- and stress-related injuries because you no longer have any cushioning protection under your feet. It’s important to educate yourself as to what changes you need to make to your running form to prevent these injuries.

It is also important to give your body a chance to adapt to these new changes. If you have significant changes to make to your form, you will probably not be able to continue running at the same mileage that you enjoyed while in your cushioned shoes. You are going to be using different muscles that are not accustomed to being used in this new way. You may also be requiring your elastic structures to stretch further than they have been used to stretching. Give your body time to make these adjustments; reduce your mileage and/or frequency of running until your muscles become stronger and your elastic structures become more flexible.

There are a number of barefoot and minimalist resources both printed and online to help you learn what natural running form is as well as outlining generic transition schedules. If you are wary of trying to figure it all out on your own, hire an experienced natural running coach. This type of coach should be familiar with natural running form, have experience running barefoot or in minimalist shoes, and understand the challenges in transitioning from a shod to a barefoot/minimalist runner. A natural running coach should analyze your particular running form, teach you the skills of running that are important for the changes you need, and provide you with personalized drills to improve your form.

Merrell Sonic Glove Shoe Review

By Al Gauthier

  ★★½☆☆ 

Interestingly, this shoe is almost identical to the Trail Glove except for a switch of the upper material and some small adjustments to the last.  With a side-by-side comparison, and thorough testing, we could find few difference in the performance of the Sonic other than the waterproof nature of the Sonic’s upper and a mild widening of the last.  This review is an appropriately altered version of the Trail Glove Review to fit the changes made to the Sonic.

While the Sonic Glove is a great attempt and a serious step forward for a minimalist shoe design for Merrell, it falls a little short of the mark. Shoe companies like Merrell should have the resources to put out great product and do all the testing and prototyping necessary to refine a design before releasing a final product. We have left behind the days where minimalist shoes were new and unknown . In my view, these shoes are not yet ready for the public and, because Merrell is such a big company, I find myself far less tolerant of that fact.  Now let’s get into the details.

Comfort
The shoe is soft and well-made on the inside.  The heel cup is thin, soft, and slightly padded.  The throat is low and slim and, together, they make for a beautiful low-profile fit for the heel.  The upper is waterproof but not well ventilated. The lacing system is nicely designed.  The inside of the shoe is a soft place without any ridges for a bare foot to live.  On this front, they have done a great job.

The Merrell last seems to be based on the Vibram FiveFingers KSO Trek last, but with modifications—significant modifications. The toes have been pulled together and the shape of the toe box is round rather than foot-shaped.  The narrow outsole section between the heel and forefoot is very similar to the KSO Trek, but the materials used to form the arch of the outsole have changed the way the shoe feels on the foot.  Overall, the effect is one that is too narrow.  While the length is certainly correct, a FiveFingers shoe would have more room for the toes to spread and would have no issues with width at all.  To be fair, there is a reasonable amount of toe room here for those with average feet.  The midfoot above the arch and going forward around the metatarsals is too narrow.  Walking and running, which cause the foot to widen with impact, make these shoes uncomfortable.  The fault seems to lie not in the outsole itself, but in how it interfaces with the upper.  Despite the lacing system, the shoe doesn’t have the ability to adapt to different widths.  I suspect only narrow feet would fit comfortably into these shoes.

Width
If different materials had been used, and some slight modifications made, I would suspect this shoe could be comfortable for those with wider feet. I would expect the next version to be a very different shoe.  There is a reasonable—but not generous—amount of room in the toe box for the average foot.  Those with wide feet will not feel constricted toes but will likely be wanting for more room in the midfoot. A shoe must fit along the entire length of the foot.  Anything less, is simply not good enough.

For a minimalist product marketed towards those that already may run barefoot, or in other minimalist shoes, this is a curious design choice.  It must be said, however, that shoes should exist for all foot types. Those with narrow feet should not be excluded from this market segment.  If that has been Merrell’s intention and these shoes are indeed a good fit for narrow-footed minimalists, than I take what I’ve said back.

Sole
The sole of the Sonic Glove is made of rubber compound TC-1. It is grippy and lightly lugged. It is very similar to the FiveFingers KSO Trek in its design, but the outsole is far less flexible in its length and width when compared to the FiveFingers KSO Trek.  The area containing the toes and the area directly behind the toes is the most flexible. It is similar to the flexibility found in most minimalist shoes.  Overall, the decreased flexibility decreases the ground transmission more than necessary.

While walking, there is a noticeable transition as the weight of the foot moves from the heel through to the toes and to push off.  As the weight is transferred from the back of the foot over the ball of the foot, there is the perception of rocking over an object.  It’s a difficult sensation to describe and one that we have not noticed in any other shoe.   This may be the result of feeling the transition from relatively inflexible to flexible sole materials.  Whatever the cause, it does not seem to have a purpose, and is for me, an unwelcome feeling.  Perhaps even more to the point, it is not at all like being barefoot.

Flex
At the forefoot, the sole has quite a bit of flexibility in the upwards direction. There is no flexibility in the heel, and very little in the longitudinal or downwards directions. Therefore, although your foot is freely able to bend in the plantar direction, there is little ground feel around surface contours.  It is certainly significantly more flexible than the average consumer shoe but, for a true minimalist product, it is a little bit too stiff my for preference—even in a trail running shoe.

Weight
These are not heavy shoes and in this way, at least, they fall well within the minimalist category.

Support / Insole
There is no arch support designed into the insole.  The inside of the shoe is reasonably flat. There is an upward-angled sole area, directly under the arch, to protect the arch from stone bruising.  This same sole area is where I feel the design of the shoe has gone wrong.  Vibram FiveFingers did this well—it’s interesting indeed to see that this Vibram sole didn’t do such a great job.

There is no insole included in the shoe. There is 4 mm of compression-molded EVA in the midsole for cushioning, which feels quite minimal while walking on hard surfaces.

Barefoot Feel
Because of the grip depth and reasonably poor flexibility overall, there is very little barefoot feel in this product.  It is understandably difficult to design a minimalist product used for trail running that also incorporates a feeling of “barefoot”.  Others have, however, been able to achieve this, and while difficult, it is possible.

Grip
The Trail Gloves have great grip. The TC-1 rubber is sticky enough for both natural and man-made surfaces. The toe grips provide added traction at the end of a walking or running stride.

Breathability
The Sonic is not as cool as Trail Glove, but breathability is better than average.

Quality of Materials / Manufacturing
Merrell’s experience in shoe making shines with the quality of construction.  We could find no fault or defects. No glue is visible and there were no perceptible ridges on the inside of the shoe.  When a shoe is designed to be worn without socks, this is always of paramount importance, and Merrell has done a beautiful job here.

Style
Despite all my complaining, I find these shoes some of the most attractive minimalist shoes on the market.  In particular, men’s shoes are so often needlessly bulky and ugly.  In stark contrast, these are sleek shoes with great lines.  For shoes in this category, they are very stylish.

Water Resistance
The upper of the Sonic is made with a waterproof membrane.  Water does not enter easily through this membrane and, overall, these shoes are an excellent choice for running in wet or muddy conditions.

Sizing
The Sonic Glove appears to run true to size for length, but will likely only be suitable for those with narrow feet.

Price
The Sonic Gloves are listed on the Merrell website at $125 USD. Considering the quality of the materials and manufacturing, and their predicted durability, this is a reasonable price for the product—if the mentioned issues we have found are not a problem for you.

Break-in Period
There is no break-in period required for the Sonic Glove. The interior of the upper is comfortable right out of the box.  The materials used will not stretch over time. This shoe should be immediately comfortable.

Shoe care
The Merrell website says that the Sonic Gloves can be washed as needed, in cold water, on a gentle cycle, and air dried. This is a great feature for a shoe that is so comfortable to wear without socks and that may end up getting a bit muddy.

Warmth
I find the Sonic Glove warm in all but the coolest weather, but my feet are often hot. For most they will likely feel a little less insulated than the average shoe. They can be worn with socks in cooler temperatures for added warmth but this will decrease the room available for your feet. If you find these shoes a snug fit socks may not be an option.

Uses
If you find the Sonic Gloves are comfortable for you, they could be an excellent all-purpose, casual, walking, running, trail running, or hiking shoe. If you’re looking for a minimalist shoe with a significant amount of ground feel, there are better options.

Summary
Merrell is awarded points for effort, but loses points overall in execution.  For a shoe marketed as the “Barefoot” line of shoes, and for a shoe marketed as a minimalist product, it falls short on several key points.  Flexibility is key in a minimalist shoe.  While protection is needed there is a fine line between too flexible and too rigid.  These are a little too inflexible in my view.  While the construction quality and aesthetic aspects of the Sonic Glove satisfy, the issues with width, especially when considering the target market, let the Sonic Glove down.  All but those with narrow feel may find these uncomfortable.  Perhaps even more importantly, those with narrow feet who continue to engage in minimalist activities, may find their feet literally grow out of these shoes. Many runners report, that when given a chance to run unrestricted, feet will widen over time.

Why so harsh?  Because Merrell is a big company who I feel should have produced a product that fit a much wider audience.  Testing on a wide variety of foot types should have been part of the process, but I suspect it wasn’t.  In the end, once the third round of shoes is released from Merrell, I hope subtle changes will make really significant improvements. Having said this, a company making a more narrow shoe is a plus for those with narrow feet.

To purchase these shoes, visit the Barefoot section of the Merrell website to purchase the Sonic Gloves online or find your nearest Merrell retailer and inquire whether they sell the new Barefoot line.

“Consumers expected to get a workout, not to get worked over,” David Vladeck, director of the agency’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in announcing thesettlement Wednesday.

Reebok is one of several companies that have created special fitness shoes that claim to have balance and toning benefits as well as the sensation of being barefoot. As with my review of the MBT Fumba Sandal I have not been particularly quite when it come to my opinions about this type of shoe.  From my perspective these companies have taken advantage of the public trust in shoe companies.  It is also an interesting example of of how easily people buy-in to marketing.

What’s the take-home message from this?  Understand why you buy the things you buy before you buy them.  Take the time to read and research anything that changes your physical gait.  This of course includes minimalist and barefoot shoes.  Taking a little extra time may help you keep some extra money in your pocket and even keep you from injuring yourself.

The 6 Key Features of a Minimalist / Barefoot Shoe 

How To Tell When You Are Getting The Real Thing

By Al Gauthier

Many brands now claim to make a shoe that is just like being barefoot, but not all shoes are equal, and not all brands are telling the truth. Keep in mind, there is nothing that is just like being barefoot except actually being barefoot. The closest, next-best thing, is a shoe that provides protection from the ground while sacrificing as little of the natural movements and sensations that the foot feels while barefoot. In other words, you want as little shoe as possible while still maintaining the level of protection you need for the intended activity.
All of the following must be present in order for the shoe to be truly minimalist:

1 – Thin Flexible Sole:  A minimalist / barefoot shoe should have a sole that is anywhere from 2 mm to 8 mm in thickness—nothing more. It should be flexible enough that it can be folded in half, bent along its length, or almost rolled up.

2 – Zero Rise: The rise of the shoe is the measurement of the difference between the height of the heel to the height of the toes. A true minimalist / barefoot shoe should have no difference between these two points, thus a zero rise. Even a very small rise is in our eyes not a minimalist shoe.

3 – Anatomical Shape: The shoe should allow your foot to rest within it without being constricted in any way. In other words, it should be shaped like your foot. If your toes are being squished, or you feel pressure along your foot at any point, it’s not an anatomical shoe, or it’s just not the right shoe for you. The shoe should also be wide enough for your toes to splay naturally as you walk. The shoe should feel securely attached but not constrictive in any way. Look at the bottom of the shoe to see the overall shape of the last. Place your foot along the outside of the bottom of the shoe and compare it to your foot. It will be immediately clear if the shoe is shaped like your foot.

4 – No Support: No minimalist or barefoot shoe should have support. The insole, if there is one, should be absolutely flat and offer no additional support to the arches (you have three) of your feet. The insole should also be removable. A removable insole will allow you to control whether you want a little bit of impact resistance or a more pure transmission of the ground textures.

5 – No Shock Absorption: A minimalist shoe should allow your feet to feel the contours of the ground as much as possible, and they should also allow your feet to feel the true impact of each stride. This promotes correct form by providing important feedback to your feet. A very small amount of cushioned insole may be appropriate to provide a little additional comfort, but the insole should not prevent you from feeling the ground under foot or the impact of your movements.

6 – Light Weight:  Rather than use an actual weight range for this category I prefer to go by feel. There are some minimalist shoes that are much lighter than others. The rule of thumb should really be how heavy they feel on your feet. If you feel, in any way, that the shoes weigh down your feet than they are far too heavy. Shoes should be extensions of your feet, not weights. They should feel a little more like socks.

Choosing the right shoe for you will take some research and some trial and error, but understanding what constitutes a real minimalist / barefoot shoe is important to achieving results. Great minimalist shoes come in different shapes and designs just like our feet do. If you keep these 6 principles in mind you should be able to find the perfect shoe.

If you are ever in doubt, don’t hesitate to contact us. We review just about all minimalist products over time so chances are that if we haven’t reviewed them or if we aren’t going to review them, they are not a minimalist product.

RUNNERS WANTED FOR RESEARCH STUDY

THE EFFECT OF HABITUAL BAREFOOT RUNNING ON THREE DIMENSIONAL BIOMECHANICS AND OTHER PREDICTORS OF CHRONIC INJURY IN ENDURANCE RUNNING.

We are looking for barefoot runners who are/have:
1) running barefoot or in a modified barefoot shoe at least 20km per week
2) free of orthopedic injury for at least 1 year
3) not experienced a foot-related injury requiring surgery in the past year
4) aged 18-55
5) In the Calgary, Alberta, Canada area.

The study will involve an hour of the participants’ time. They will come to the Running Injury Clinic and run on the treadmill for a few minutes so we can measure the forces and angles of their joints. Then I will do a few measurements of their flexibility. The only way people from outside Calgary could participate is if they were willing to travel here for the testing.

If you are interested, please contact Dr. Jordan Raugust Email: jordan.raugust@albertahealthservices.ca 

Kigo Drive Review
By Al Gauthier

Review of the Kigo Drive – Comfy, Casual Minimalist Goodness

Designing and manufacturing a new shoe is a difficult task. Doing so for the particular minimalist shoe crowd is even more difficult. Our initial reviews for Kigo shoes were good but not perfect. Not only did Kigo take this feedback onboard, they launched a campaign to find out what minimalist footwear fans really wanted in a shoe and went to work producing a much better product.

Gone are the loud colours and the traditional shoe last. Kigo has truly understood and embraced the minimalist ideals and now offers a truly anatomical last that is appropriately wide for the human foot and has a zero drop sole.

So did Kigo make a good product great?  You bet they did!  On the outside, the changes appear minimal but in reality the changes are significant and very well thought out. This is an evolved product worth another look.

Comfort
The Kigo Drive is wonderfully comfortable. They are perfectly wide, have a comfortable lining, have good flex and ground feel, and have a removable insole so that you can choose to have more direct ground feedback.

Width
The width has increased significantly from the previous version (the Edge). Toe room has gone from very snug to perfectly roomy for my wide feet. These shoes are so roomy, in fact, that those of you who have narrow feet may find them a little too loose for active wear. Nonetheless, these are perfectly in-line with what we would hope for from a minimalist shoe. Toe room is important to allow for natural foot movement and to allow for a comfortable, natural fit. The last has been radically improved and is now truly representative of the shape of the human foot.

Sole
The outsole has retained the fingerprint-like pattern introduced in the original version. This pattern is a trademark of the company and is not only appropriate given the target customer but also fun and effective. There is ample grip for daily activities. The outsole is only 2 mm thick. The fingerprint pattern does pick up debris more than the average sole. While this was visually apparent, I did not pick up anything that made walking uncomfortable. If you tend to wear shoes indoors on carpet (and why would you!) this could mean that those small items you picked up on your way into the house may deposit themselves on the carpet.

Flex
With only 2 mm underfoot, the Drive has good flex. It doesn’t quite provide the ultra-flexible sole of some other minimalist shoe designs but it comes very close. The malleability of the sole is uniform throughout. 

Weight
At 4 oz (average weight per shoe), the Kigo Drive is a very light shoe, but not the lightest we have reviewed. To me, the perception of weight is more important than the actual weight of a shoe. The Drive feels great and although they are not the lightest shoes we have tested, they do not feel heavy.

Support / Insole
The shoe provides no support of any kind—just the way we like it. The insole is removable and, although the bare shoe is perfectly usable without the insole, does not look as though it was designed to be used without the insole present. With the insole removed, the stitching used to hold the footbed in place can be felt against the bare foot. For a minimalist shoe product, I would prefer to see a footbed that had better usability. Overall, I did not find this to be a big issue but it is a small imperfection in an otherwise excellent product and one that many true minimalist shoe enthusiasts might look for.

Barefoot Feel
Ground textures can be felt through the sole material.  While insole textures are not as vivid as with some other minimalist products, the Kigo Drive still fits comfortably within the minimalist shoe spectrum. In the case of the Drive, it is not the thinness of the soling material that makes it slightly more stiff, but the material used to make the sole itself.

Grip
The grip is reasonable in these shoes. Grip in wet and slick surfaces is more than adequate for the average user.  So long as you aren’t commuting to work on snow or ice, you shouldn’t find a need for better grip. 

Breathability
The Drive is made of a canvas-like material. The breathability is average for a closed shoe with a fabric upper. I found the fit was a little loose on the foot, but comfortably so. This looseness allowed for added air circulation. When compared to the average tight-fitting canvas shoe, the Drive has better ventilation than average and slightly better than I expected.

Quality of Materials / Manufacturing
The quality of materials is excellent. I could see no no defects in the manufacturing process. Previous models have had some issues with visible glue lines. Since these lines of glue were black in color and these samples are also black it is impossible to determine if the issues have been resolved.

Water Resistance
These are not water-proof shoes but do provide significant water resistance. The fabric upper does not easily allow for water to penetrate. In all but the wettest of conditions, your feet should remain dry.

Sizing
The sample pair fit true to size in length and width. These are excellent shoes for those with standard and wide feet. Those with narrow feet may find these shoes wider than ideal. I found the fit to be generally quite loose overall. For me, this was a pleasant attribute but it may not be to everyone’s liking.

Price
At $91 USD on the Kigo website, these are reasonably priced and a good value for a high quality pair of casual shoes. Cheaper shoes of similar style can always be found but, when quality and comfort are considered, the price is always worth it.

Style
The Kigo Drive doesn’t fit neatly into most market segments, but really this is a bonus. With all the possible varieties of shape and stlyes that shoes can be made into, it’s nice to see some variance. While they are not unlike a typical casual canvas shoe, they have a little more class and style. They are not really dressy or sporty but sophisticatedly casual, especially for a men’s shoe. The contrast stitching adds some depth and detail. Because they are not a copy-cat product, they have versatility that other products may lack. They would fit in well in a casual work environment and are perfect as an everyday shoe. It’s worth noting that Kigo has decided to make the Drive a unisex shoe. This is an interesting choice and, given the often stark differences between the male and female versions of shoes, they have done this well. I would class these as equally suitable as a men’s or women’s shoe.

Break-in Period
No shoe should need breaking-in and the Kigo Drive is comfortable right out of the box. I wear shoes without socks most often and had no issues with hot spots or pinching. If these shoes don’t fit right out of the box, they are not the right pair for you.

Shoe care
The upper is easily wiped with a soft damp cloth and should hold up to years of use.

Warmth
The canvas does not provide significant insulation and the loose fit allows for better than average air flow around the foot. They are not shoes for really hot weather but should provide excellent comfort for cool to moderate temperatures.

Uses
The loose fit and casual style make these excellent shoes for causal wear. These are lifestyle shoes better for drinking a latte and going about the business of everyday life than going for a hike or a run. For casual activities, they are exceptionally comfortable. For more athletic endeavours, I found the fit slightly more loose than I would prefer out of a performance product. The grip is more than adequate for street use and light hiking or trail walking but probably not significant enough for anything more technical.

Summary
Kigo has done a magnificent job of listening to customers and reinventing an already good product into an excellent product. These are excellent every day shoes with a wide last and a loose fit. They are well made and look great too. They provide good grip while providing good ground feel and natural movement with a thin and flexible sole. Rather than providing another technical performance product, Kigo has managed to make a shoe that is perfect for the everyday. Put on a pair of stylish Kigos.

For more information, take a look at the Kigo Footwear website.

If you listen to The Living Barefoot Show, or read our site, we want to hear from you.  Call our Toll Free Line (Us and Canada)

+1 877 888 3518

and record a quick message.   We want to hear:

- What you think about our show
- What show you liked best
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- A little bit about yourself
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- A Fun or Creative Message (must be barefoot / or minimalist shoe related)
- Anything else we could use on our show!

We are looking to compile some short sound clips for our show.  We may use all of your message or only parts of it.  The best voices, most interesting messages, and best creativity will get the most air time!

You have nothing to loose.  Our feedback line is free to call – so call us today.  Do it with your friends!  Have fun.   Share this message with everyone you know!

Episode 37: We Interview Damien Tougas, Barefoot Advocate, Blogger, Founder of ToeSalad

Damien was our first guest on The Living Barefoot Show in 2009!  We welcome Damien back to see what he’s been up to – and he has been busy.  Damien has started a review site called ToeSalad.com and continues to share his experiences on his personal blog.  Damien loves the outdoors and joins us today to give us his perspective on proper barefoot technique while Hiking.

Download audio file (The_Living_Barefoot_Show_-_Episode_37b.mp3)
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