Author Topic: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?  (Read 14995 times)

serpentstooth

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Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« on: October 01, 2013, 09:18:42 PM »
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« Last Edit: May 17, 2016, 04:48:50 PM by serpentstooth »

Russ

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #1 on: October 01, 2013, 09:47:47 PM »
Barefoot shoes? You mean like no shoes, right? ;-)

I walk barefoot pretty much everywhere when it's warm out (which is not as much as I used to... lots more biking these days). Never tried the barefoot shoes since I'm not sure I'd get much additional benefit out of them. The soles of my feet are tough enough to not really need protection anymore, unless I'm going like 5+ miles.

If you're gonna wear them, at least make sure you're doing it right. I see all sorts of goofballs running around heels-first in their fancy new Five Fingers without half a clue what they're doing. Great way to bust up your knees.

brewer12345

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #2 on: October 01, 2013, 10:37:19 PM »
Help me out here: WTF?

Most of us wear real shoes to protect our feet.  I'd be running around in boots all the time if I could get away with it.  Why do you want to expose yourself to all the dirty, nasty, spiky things out there?

lithy

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #3 on: October 02, 2013, 06:53:18 AM »
Not exactly the same as the Vibram trend, but I have always enjoyed very minimalist leather slides for my main footwear.  Lately, I have been struggling to replace my Medium Humanist Slides.  A pair of extremely simple, but attractive leather sandals that have been with me for about 7 years.



They are now basically brown from years of wear, dirt, foot oils, etc.  Not so attractive, and I have worn through most of the 3 layers of leather, the right sandal now even sports a quarter sized hole where my heel should go. 

Regardless, I still wear them.  I have to wear boots for work and safety reasons, but any other time outside of work, it almost any other setting, you can find me with those sandals on.

I've been thinking about building myself a pair just like them and learning some leather skills at the same time, but I haven't been able to commit to it yet.

kt

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #4 on: October 02, 2013, 07:06:53 AM »
that article looks fascinating, especially the pics.
i love being barefoot but rarely go without shoes outside now. it just doesn't feel 'right' (read: adult. i did it as a teenager and student)
i ended up walking 10min barefoot to the train station to the other day and had forgotten how much i love being barefoot outside the house. i love the textures of the different surfaces, i like the way it feels. i'm quite a tactile person generally.
i have never had an issue with standing on things, you just naturally keep an eye out and avoid things and you walk slightly differently so you can remove your foot quickly before any real damage is done.
shoes make my feet smell, regardless of what i do so i keep barefoot as much as possible (work from home). even when they are dirty from wandering round the garden they don't smell like feet that have been in shoes all day.

limeandpepper

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #5 on: October 02, 2013, 07:12:20 AM »
I recently purchased Vibrams in hopes that they would help ease my bunions. So far, they've been totally worth it. I like them because they're lightweight, comfortable, easy to clean, and great for long walks. I can feel the ground beneath my feet, while still getting protection. (Sure, it's easy to avoid the clearly visible things when walking barefoot, but not so much tiny elements like a jagged bit of glass the size of a salt crystal - I once had one of those embedded in my foot - couldn't even see it at first, but when the random sharp pains didn't go away I finally had a really close look, found it and had to clip it out, along with some skin - ouch.) PLUS, very importantly, they encourage the natural separation of my toes and keeps my big toe from leaning in to the others, which I think will at least help keep my bunions in check and hopefully avoid the surgery route - I've experienced much less pain since I started wearing them. I've been wondering if I could handle a trekking holiday in my situation, and I can actually be optimistic about it now. The only downside is that they're not really something I can wear to work.

grantmeaname

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #6 on: October 02, 2013, 12:57:01 PM »
Most of us wear real shoes to protect our feet.  I'd be running around in boots all the time if I could get away with it.  Why do you want to expose yourself to all the dirty, nasty, spiky things out there?
Do you ever touch things without wearing gloves? If so, why?

Paul der Krake

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #7 on: October 02, 2013, 01:15:28 PM »
Not really barefoot but I've been wearing espadrilles since I could walk. They make excellent interior slippers and cost around 7-20 euros a pair, depending on how fancy you're feeling.

olivia

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #8 on: October 02, 2013, 02:12:53 PM »
I work out in minimalist Innov8 shoes, and got minimalist Innov8 hiking boots for a 115 km through hike I did recently.  They're not the completely barefoot ones, but both are much lower profile than typical running shoes/hiking boots.  The boots were super comfortable and lightweight on the hike, particularly if I wore a thicker pair of socks.   Additionally, my feet actually have more of an arch now.

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #9 on: October 02, 2013, 04:52:48 PM »
I just got back from an eight mile run in vivobarefoot shoes. I write about them here -- http://joshuaspodek.com/more-benefits-of-burpees -- and here -- http://joshuaspodek.com/2013-new-york-city-marathon. These are my fourth pair. The third pair I ran in until there was a hole in the sole, which came around two hundred miles. The first two pairs were for walking and I wore until they fell apart, which was a long time. Oh yeah, the pair I ran in today I got online for $37, which I considered a great price.

So I'm happy with the brand.

My mom ran her first marathon in a pair by the same brand. She had never run more than three miles before starting training at age 66. Here's here story -- http://joshuaspodek.com/redefining_possibility.

Incidentally, a few people on this forum have been tracking our running the past couple months so you can see my running history here -- https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ag4s7HPcOY9hdHlTblpWWGFHT1pScWV0ZnpYQ1RGcnc#gid=0.

I don't consider them fashionable so I don't wear barefoot shoes outside of running. As far as running goes, I'll never wear the type of shoes most people call running shoes again. Those things cause pain to my back and shoulders. After running in minimal shoes I'm tired, but not in pain, and it takes little time to recover. For regular walking I find no problem with regular shoes, though. I wear flip-flops when I can get away with it and never wear shoes at home.

Fletch

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #10 on: October 02, 2013, 05:25:23 PM »
I'm a fan of the new balance minimus trail running shoes. They look normal, but they have a big toe box for the separation thing. I also run on a lot of gravel, and the vibrams were too thin for that so these were my "just right" shoe. I'll never go back to real running shoes, minimal ones are the only way I don't get shin splints.

DoubleDown

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #11 on: October 03, 2013, 08:33:48 AM »
I run completely barefoot. It has dramatically improved my running experience and made my knee injury/pains go away. My shoe size went from size 10 to 9 (US) from gaining stronger foot muscles and a raised arch. The worst "injury" I've had in 5 years of barefoot running is a splinter that I removed with tweezers.

When it's too cold to run completely barefoot, I wear a pair of $10 "aqua socks" with regular socks. So far my aqua socks have lasted 5 years and still going strong since I don't use them often. I could never envision wanting the "foot gloves" like Vibrams, I see no benefit in those.

I wear regular shoes to work since it's a professional environment, don't have any advice to offer on "minimalist" footwear.

jpo

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #12 on: October 03, 2013, 09:24:02 AM »
I have a pair of Merrell Barefoots (Tough Glove) that I wear to the office. Reasonably fashionable.

Disclaimer: I own some WWW stock.

GradMinus

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #13 on: October 03, 2013, 09:24:37 AM »
Hi serpents tooth,

I've been "barefoot" for several months now, even at work. I've found some shoes that work in a business casual environment, and they are fantastic.

http://www.merrell.com/US/en-US/Product.mvc.aspx/28982M/69199/Mens/Barefoot-Life-Reach-Glove?dimensions=0

The Merrell barefoot series is pretty great.

You mentioned Vivobarefoot. I have have a pair of "Jays" that I bought from Zappos. They sort of look like slippers, but are reasonably professional. Hope this helps!

brewer12345

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #14 on: October 03, 2013, 11:25:26 AM »
Most of us wear real shoes to protect our feet.  I'd be running around in boots all the time if I could get away with it.  Why do you want to expose yourself to all the dirty, nasty, spiky things out there?
Do you ever touch things without wearing gloves? If so, why?

If I am out in the field and it is cool enough, I have gloves on.

EK

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #15 on: October 03, 2013, 12:27:44 PM »
I have a pair of vibrams for running when I'm running on a path or track that's not super spiky.  The crazy thing is how my feet changed from wearing them.  My arches became visibly higher and my toes are more spread.  Just from wearing them every few days running.

The (sort of) bad part is that the changes in my feet make some of my fancy shoes feel very uncomfortable.

oldtoyota

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #16 on: October 10, 2013, 01:28:34 PM »
Most of us wear real shoes to protect our feet.  I'd be running around in boots all the time if I could get away with it.  Why do you want to expose yourself to all the dirty, nasty, spiky things out there?
Do you ever touch things without wearing gloves? If so, why?

Fair question. At the same time, I am not likely to press my hand into unseen glass on the sidewalk with the full force of my body. If you live in a rural or clean suburb, this could work. I would not walk through NYC or where I live without shoes...unless it was just on my street.


kt

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #17 on: October 10, 2013, 01:32:15 PM »
Most of us wear real shoes to protect our feet.  I'd be running around in boots all the time if I could get away with it.  Why do you want to expose yourself to all the dirty, nasty, spiky things out there?
Do you ever touch things without wearing gloves? If so, why?

Fair question. At the same time, I am not likely to press my hand into unseen glass on the sidewalk with the full force of my body. If you live in a rural or clean suburb, this could work. I would not walk through NYC or where I live without shoes...unless it was just on my street.
once you've adapted to walking barefoot you generally realise if you've stepped on something sharp before you've put your whole weight on that foot. in which case i just lift my foot and brush whatever it is off.
at least that's my experience and even that is rare.

Monkey stache

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #18 on: October 10, 2013, 03:27:24 PM »
I love minimalist shoes but had a hard time finding a pair for work. I found a cute pair of flats that are minimalist but they are usually too expensive ($70 each!). I waited for them to go on sale and used a coupon. They're actually on sale for $15 each right now. http://kigofootwear.com/collections/kigo-curv

lithy

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #19 on: October 15, 2013, 06:55:36 AM »
Not exactly the same as the Vibram trend, but I have always enjoyed very minimalist leather slides for my main footwear.  Lately, I have been struggling to replace my Medium Humanist Slides.  A pair of extremely simple, but attractive leather sandals that have been with me for about 7 years.



They are now basically brown from years of wear, dirt, foot oils, etc.  Not so attractive, and I have worn through most of the 3 layers of leather, the right sandal now even sports a quarter sized hole where my heel should go. 

Regardless, I still wear them.  I have to wear boots for work and safety reasons, but any other time outside of work, it almost any other setting, you can find me with those sandals on.

I've been thinking about building myself a pair just like them and learning some leather skills at the same time, but I haven't been able to commit to it yet.

The hunt for leather slides continues.  I found a suitable replacement, but their cost is anything but minimalist at $188. 

Maybe they'll clearance them out over the winter...


jba302

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #20 on: October 18, 2013, 12:52:52 PM »
I wear wrestling shoes. Same deal as vibrams except there isn't plastic between your toes and a good pair will run you $50 instead of vibram pricing. Get a single sole instead of split-sole as well, split-soles will get torn apart quickly walking outdoors.

badamsa

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #21 on: October 27, 2013, 01:10:45 AM »
I'm a fan of the new balance minimus trail running shoes. They look normal, but they have a big toe box for the separation thing. I also run on a lot of gravel, and the vibrams were too thin for that so these were my "just right" shoe. I'll never go back to real running shoes, minimal ones are the only way I don't get shin splints.

Shoes don't cause shin splints, form does. Particularly heel striking. Wearing minimalist shoes makes it so you have to run with better from to avoid pain.

I run and work in Vivo's and love it. I also took all of the inserts out of my non-minimalist shoes because I realized I didn't actually need them.

I used to run barefoot but since I've moved to TX finding an adequate place to run barefoot is rather challenging. Still trying to find a good spot.

olivia

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #22 on: October 27, 2013, 01:37:56 PM »
Not exactly the same as the Vibram trend, but I have always enjoyed very minimalist leather slides for my main footwear.  Lately, I have been struggling to replace my Medium Humanist Slides.  A pair of extremely simple, but attractive leather sandals that have been with me for about 7 years.



They are now basically brown from years of wear, dirt, foot oils, etc.  Not so attractive, and I have worn through most of the 3 layers of leather, the right sandal now even sports a quarter sized hole where my heel should go. 

Regardless, I still wear them.  I have to wear boots for work and safety reasons, but any other time outside of work, it almost any other setting, you can find me with those sandals on.

I've been thinking about building myself a pair just like them and learning some leather skills at the same time, but I haven't been able to commit to it yet.

The hunt for leather slides continues.  I found a suitable replacement, but their cost is anything but minimalist at $188. 

Maybe they'll clearance them out over the winter...



Next time take your shoes to the cobbler before you wear holes in them!  (They still might be salvageable, so you should still take them to the cobbler/shoe repair place and ask.)  Resoling shoes is a lot less expensive than buying a brand new pair.  I have a favorite pair of shoes I've owned for 6 or 7 years and I've probably had them resoled 5 times.   

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #23 on: November 05, 2013, 06:10:18 PM »
Not only do I like "barefoot" shoes, I also have an unfortunate skin problem with the glues/dyes that are used in a lot of large manufacturer's shoes.  This led me to Vivobarefoot.  I have pretty much only bought Vivobarefoot shoes for the last 5 years.  I have 4 pairs.

They're damn near indestructible.  Well, at least the soles are.  I've had a pair of office shoes from them for 4 of those years, and they still look brand new (something about the sole being "puncture proof" and a cousin of kevlar, makes them pretty sturdy)

I almost always wait for one of their online coupons (join their mailing list) to get a pair.  I actually JUST received a pair of their winter boots yesterday.  Hoping they'll be just as good as the other shoes I have from them.

Highly recommended.


grantmeaname

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #24 on: November 05, 2013, 09:02:25 PM »
Do non-fivefingers minimalist shoes smell like ass all the time like fivefingers? Or is that a unique problem of the brand?

mm31

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #25 on: November 05, 2013, 11:19:51 PM »
I like walking barefoot but don't like the barefoot shoes I've tried. I find them to be actually worse than walking barefoot. I find those vibram fingers awful because they fix your toes, almost as bad as those conventional shoes barefoot people keep complaining about.

limeandpepper

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #26 on: November 05, 2013, 11:28:16 PM »
I wear Five Fingers and prior to purchasing them I've read reviews that mention they smell... but I've been wearing mine several hours a week for a few months now and have had no issues with smells for either the shoes or my feet. Yes I've actually sniffed them up close just to make sure. :p  Maybe it's because I've been so far only wearing them in winter and spring, so it's cooler? Maybe it's because I just treat them as walking shoes (and only do an occasional short sprint in them)? I'll also note that I am not prone to smelliness.

Also, I like my Vibrams precisely because my toes need fixing / spreading out. Wearing them and proceeding with life as normal, is easier than lying in bed with toe separators which I have to make sure stays in place.

YMMV, etc.

martynthewolf

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #27 on: November 06, 2013, 06:22:20 AM »
I joined the VFF club last week. I enjoy running but in traditional running shoes I could never get my form right so I'd always heels strike. I suffered from shin splints regularly and knee pain. I'm already noticing a reduction in knee pain and the one run I have completed in my VFF forced the correct running form, didn't have any pain anywhere when I got back. The next day however and my calves felt tight and sore. Just easing myself into them.

Also noticeable is the way my toes are less compacted. Also I've never been more comfortable in footwear. I considered going barefoot running but to find somewhere suitable I'd have to jump in the clown car to get there. 

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #28 on: November 06, 2013, 09:03:08 AM »
Do non-fivefingers minimalist shoes smell like ass all the time like fivefingers? Or is that a unique problem of the brand?

I think it's a function of the brand/material/design.  My vivobarefoot shoes all stink as much as any other shoe.

grantmeaname

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #29 on: November 06, 2013, 09:42:07 AM »
Okay. I've had two pairs of fivefingers that reek uncontrollably even though my feet and all my other shoes (even the leather ones) smell fine. Maybe I'll give a pair of vivobarefoots a shot.

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #30 on: November 06, 2013, 10:05:48 AM »
I just had to check my URL to ensure I hadn't stumbled into "www.spendalotontrendyshoes.com"

I buy my tennis shoes at Costco for 15 bucks a pair.  I buy my work shoes at the thrift store for 5 bucks a pair.  I go barefoot a lot for 0 bucks a pair.

Perhaps I'll scribe a "Vivo" on my bare feet with a sharpie!

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #31 on: November 06, 2013, 10:57:05 AM »
I buy my tennis shoes at Costco for 15 bucks a pair.  I buy my work shoes at the thrift store for 5 bucks a pair.  I go barefoot a lot for 0 bucks a pair.
In dozens of visits to every thrift store in my 2.5-million-resident thrift store, I've never found a single pair of shoes suitable for professional wear in or near my size. And while barefooting works well for some situations (cities without glass, in the summer, if you're not going somewhere with people who give a shit), it doesn't work well for many others and these shoes are a viable alternative. Finally, spending less is often a good idea, but sticker price isn't the whole answer - my FiveFingers were $38, and they'll probably last as long as two $19 pairs of Costco shoes, giving me the same cost over their life as you.

Thanks for playing.

JoshuaSpodek

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #32 on: November 06, 2013, 11:01:41 AM »
I just had to check my URL to ensure I hadn't stumbled into "www.spendalotontrendyshoes.com"

I buy my tennis shoes at Costco for 15 bucks a pair.  I buy my work shoes at the thrift store for 5 bucks a pair.  I go barefoot a lot for 0 bucks a pair.

Perhaps I'll scribe a "Vivo" on my bare feet with a sharpie!

I paid $37 for the vivobarefoot shoes I have now and I've run a few over-half-marathon distances in them. $15 is less than $37, but $37 doesn't seem that high for shoes to run marathons in.

I don't consider them trendy. I don't wear them outside of running because I don't think they look great. They're functional. I'm apprehensive about running fifteen miles in shoes not designed for running.

AccidentalMiser

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #33 on: November 06, 2013, 11:31:02 AM »
None of the ones I saw were 37 bucks.  If you can run a marathon in them, that's probably a good deal.

I'm just giving you guys a little ribbing, I can't help being snarky!  It's like my drug.

grantmeaname

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #34 on: November 06, 2013, 11:37:58 AM »
If snark is a drug I'm an addict.

limeandpepper

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #35 on: November 06, 2013, 06:26:54 PM »
LOL, trendy? Have you seen how ugly VFFs are? P.S. It's still cheaper than bunion surgery.

deltaecho

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #36 on: November 06, 2013, 06:40:22 PM »
I love the merrells most of the time, but when it's hot running sandals are great for running or walking.  they're not too expensive, and have a 5,000 mile warranty on them: http://xeroshoes.com/shop/product-category/diy-kits/  I have the do it yourself ones that weren't hard to put together.

deltaecho

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #37 on: November 06, 2013, 07:10:28 PM »
it's a great idea!  I think the thinnest soles available had the most barefoot like feeling.  they are also very light to carry if you want to do most of a run barefoot but just need a sole for some parts.

stripey

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #38 on: December 20, 2013, 11:54:13 PM »
I love the merrells most of the time, but when it's hot running sandals are great for running or walking.  they're not too expensive, and have a 5,000 mile warranty on them: http://xeroshoes.com/shop/product-category/diy-kits/  I have the do it yourself ones that weren't hard to put together.

I plan on making a pair of these next summer!

I made a pair of what's called the 'classic' design a little while ago, using some sole material off eBay and these instructions:

http://xeroshoes.com/how-to-make-huaraches/

...which I don't think they promote anymore-- they have become more fancy :)

I love them. Can't wear them to work (I need sturdy, closed-toe stuff) but use them for a lot of the time elsewhere. I can run 10k in them, but will only do that in town (I am cautious about snakes)

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #39 on: January 09, 2014, 09:20:33 AM »
I've exclusively worn "barefoot" or zero-drop shoes for 3-4 years now for one reason or another.  I've been having some signs of Piriformis Syndrome (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piriformis_syndrome) which may or may not have anything to do with the shoes (probably more from sitting on my ass at the office 10hrs a day).

One of the corrective things for this problem is having a well-padded shoe. Since my Vivobarefoot office shoes needed to be replaced finally, I bought some "normal" shoes from Patagonia.  Holy hell, it feel like I'm wearing high heels... but they're certainly comfy.

We'll see if it helps this literal pain in my butt.

Russ

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #40 on: January 09, 2014, 10:11:25 AM »
^try a standing desk? then maybe you wouldn't have to use squishy debilitating foot-casts

lauren_knows

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Re: Barefoot/Minimalist Footwear Mustachians?
« Reply #41 on: January 09, 2014, 10:18:57 AM »
^try a standing desk? then maybe you wouldn't have to use squishy debilitating foot-casts

I've psuedo tried this at work. Problem is, I'd have to provide everything myself.  I work at a government site as a contractor.  When I had them raise my desk, I put in a request for a proper height seat so that I could rest sometimes.  It never got approved.

I'd also have to jury-rig the monitor myself. The most they're willing to do is raise the desk (which has adjustable feet), but even at a short 5'8", the highest position of the desk isn't high enough for the monitor (I have to look down).

I may try to do this again and bring in my own bar stool.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!