Toe Shoes, Barefoot or Minimalist Shoes, and Vibram FiveFingers Reviews, News, Forums | Birthday Shoes

Inov-8 Bare-XF 260 Review

2013-06-17T15:56:00Z

While I've been getting more minimalist with each passing day, choosing mostly to run in thin huaraches, I definitely think there's a time and a place for full coverage. Most especially in cold weather and in the gym. In those cases where I need full coverage and perhaps am not in the mood for any of my toe shoes, I've typically reached for the Inov-8 Bare X 200.

But as one of the commenters on that previous review pointed out, the Bare X 200 is not specifically a CrossFit shoe. It's a point to which I would object, as there is a difference between how a shoe (or any product, really) is marketed/positioned and whether it's actually effective in a given situation. Most of the time when I have the Bare X 200s on, it's for CrossFit as opposed to running.

Yet, he has a point. If a shoe Inov-8 built and positioned carefully for running works so well for CrossFit, then what about an Inov-8 shoe that is specifically positioned as a CrossFit shoe? You'd end up with the Bare-XF 260. Let's see how closely Inov-8's vision for CrossFit matches up with the reality.

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Minimalist Shoes on Sale Here

2013-06-12T20:34:00Z

Nobody wants to maximalist prices for minimalist shoes. Thankfully, if you're here you're well on your way to hooking up a sale or two on some of the most popular minimalist shoes around. Let's dive in:

Merrell Barefoots 40% off!

EMS has various Merrell Barefoots at 40% off here.

If you're a huge fan of the original Trail Glove, you can pick up a pair for $66. Been wanting a Gore-tex "barefoot running shoe" but been unwilling to shell out the almost-$200 for a pair? Well, EMS has those 40% off, too, so they're only ... $102 (Still better than $170!). Go to EMS.com!

Leather KSO Treks are on Clearance for $31

You can pick up the kangaroo leather-clad original KSO Trek for $31 here. As of this posting most sizes are available and in both black or brown. I'm a little shocked that this deal is available. This is a whopping 75% off the original KSO Trek price!

Given KSO Treks are going the way of the do-do, if you always wanted a pair or need a back-up/replacement pair, here's your chance. Go to REI.com.

Various Vibrams, Vivo Barefoots up to 70% off!

Grab FiveFingers or Vivo Barefoots at sales ranging from 9 to 70% off.

On the Vibram front, you can grab Bikila FiveFingers for $37, KomodoSports (a.k.a. KMD Sports as they're now called) for $55, or Bikila LS for $50, among other options.

They've also got a ton of Vivo Barefoots on sale. Everything from the dressier Gobi leather boot to the Hybrid golf shoe.

Those are the sales today. Be a savvy/smart shopper and hook up discounted "barefoot"/minimalist shoes (or huaraches sandals) while ya can.

And if you hear of any great deals, let me know!

(Cross-posted with BirthdayShoes.com/Deals)

Hiking Squaw Mountain in KomodoSports

2013-06-12T19:08:00Z

A fellow Justin sent in the following photos (one from below the mountain, above) and message about his recent hike up Squaw Mountain:

Here’s a couple of shots I took today hiking up Squaw Mountain in Provo, Utah; despite being quite worn in, the KomodoSports handled the miles of rocky trails very well – that said, I would not recommend hiking mountains in minimalist footwear unless you’ve been wearing them for some time and know how to step lightly; I’ve been wearing these shoes for just over two years now and have been barefoot running for a little over three years. Parts of this hike felt like what I called “an extreme foot massage.” I’m very much looking forward to my next hike up the mountains wearing my VFF’s, and to some trail running here in them too.

- Justin

See the view from the top after the jump!

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Xero Shoes the Shark Tank Sandal?

2013-05-31T15:02:00Z

Xero Shoes—the huaraches sandals company founded by Steven Sashen and Lena Phoenix—is going to be on ABC's Shark Tank at 8:00PM tonight, May 31, 2013! (This is a rerun of the episode that aired February 1, 2013).

If you're not familiar with Shark Tank, it's a show where entrepreneurs pitch their business to five investors. The investors then have the opportunity to bid on investing in the business. The show is great entertainment as it has that live edginess provided by the investors as they ask questions, poke holes, and comment on the pitch presented.

NOTE: Since this is a re-run of the Feb. 1, 2013, episode, if you caught the original airing, you already know what happened! That said, everything below (save for a new sale!) is written as though I didn't know ... make sense? No spoilers!

With a barefoot running sandal business being the investment at foot tonight, you can be sure things are going to get interesting!

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What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run?

2013-05-30T15:45:00Z

If you've got kids, you're familiar with bedtime routines. Part of our nightly bedtime routine is reading books. My almost-four-year-old Avi gets to pick out a couple of books before it's lights out.

So I was excited when author John McClung reached out to let me know about his latest children's book What Should I Put on My Feet to Go Run?. John sent me a copy of his book a few months back and Avi and I have been enjoying it every now and again ever since.

What follows is a quick review of the book! And if reading kid's book reviews isn't something you find necessary to drop $10 on some nighttime reading that supports your own views on shoes, well, do yourself a favor and head over to Amazon and support McClung's work now.

Otherwise, more after the jump!

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Earth Runners Circadian Review

2013-05-28T19:38:00Z

I love huaraches. I've raced in the bare minimum clothes and bare minimum shoes you could have without being naked. I wore them for my first marathon. Heck, huaraches have even started to take over as my default CrossFit shoe on days where any running is involved. Clearly I'm a fan.

Other people obviously are, too, as more and more huaraches makers keep popping up. This is likely due to the relative ease of producing huaraches when compared to traditional shoes. Despite the simplicity of these types of shoes, there's plenty of variation in terms of quality, style, fit, and philosophy.

One of the more unique of these -- especially in the philosophy department -- are Earth Runners. I've been curious about their offerings and was fortunate enough to get a review pair of the upcoming Circadian model to test out.

Check them out after the jump!

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Lem Primal 2 Review—A Fantastic, Casual Barefoot Shoe

2013-05-22T19:22:00Z

Lems not only recently released their "barefoot shoe boot" — a.k.a. the Lem Boulder boot (reviewed here) — they also updated their original shoe, the Primal Origins with the "Primal 2."

You can read my original review of the Primal Origins* here or check out Tim's review here! If you're wondering, "What changed?" I'll speak to that below, as well.

The TL;DR though is simple enough: the Primal 2 is a fantastic, casual barefoot shoe that you can wear for all day comfort thanks to a super-flexible sole and lightweight build married to healthy-foot design—zero drop from heel to toe with no arch support and generously sized toe box! You can get them for $95.

Full review of the Primal 2 after the jump!

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Toe Shoes in Galapagos!

2013-05-20T16:42:00Z

Got the following note from Fred who recently went on a school trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands—talk about an amazing school trip! Seems Fred and a few of his friends were all wearing toe shoes—both Vibram FiveFingers and those other toe shoes from Fila ...

Anyway, here's Fred's account of how his Bikilas fared on the journey:

While on an amazing school trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands I sported my Bikilas for many different activities.

Hiking, walking on beaches, wading through streams in the cloud forest of Ecuador, walking across lava fields, boating, sunbathing, etc. Two other members of my group wore Komodosports and KSO's (and another with Fila Skeletoes).

My Bikilas worked great for everything and kept most of the sand out. I especially liked how versatile they were for all the different surfaces we encountered in the Galapagos. They handled lava, sand, dirt, water, rocks, and everything mother nature could throw my way while both protecting the soles of my feet and also allowing me the great proprioception to really feel the ground underneath my feet. The breathable, quick drying fabric was great, too, because we had a few wet landings when disembarking for hikes on the islands.

A longtime follower and fan of BirthdayShoes,

Fred

Thanks for sharing, Fred! And let me know if you find any other photos from others on the trip!

Topo Athletic M-RR: First Look

2013-05-15T14:22:00Z

I'm a big fan of FiveFingers and minimalist shoes generally. I love that there are so many new shoe companies out there catering to this crowd, along with many better-known companies producing minimalist options. That said, I think I've about had my fill of designers trying to get too clever in an effort to tap into that same FiveFingers magic. A minimalist shoe doesn't have to have an in-your-face gimmick to be effective and successful. (On the flip side I'm also a big time lover of huaraches, but I don't think we need to have a new huaraches company start up every week. But that's another story.)

As Vibram USA president and CEO, Tony Post was in the thick of the minimalist explosion. Then last Summer he left the company, which we soon found out was because he had his eye on something new: his own shoe company. In December, Post revealed Topo Athletic. He offered us a tease of what the company had in store and a month later we finally got a clearer look.

[Drum roll please]

Oh. another split-toe shoe? Hm.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little let down. I think it was the anticipation of the reveal. But after Zem, B2R, and others having already adopted the tabi style -- what's left? Read on and see.

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LEM Boulder Boot Review

2013-05-13T16:18:00Z

Lems Shoes (the barefoot shoe company formerly known as Lemming formerly known as Stem Footwear) recently dropped their new boot for Spring 2013—the Boulder (see Meet Lems Boulder, the Barefoot Shoe Boot for the original release announcement).

Lems founder Andrew shot me over a pair to try out and review for BirthdayShoes, so I've been wearing them the last few weeks. What follows is my full review of what amounts to being one of the most minimal boot-style barefoot shoes yet (I'll note a few other contenders for that title, too). Let's dive in!

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