The All-Inclusive Shoe & Boot Thread

Walking around Padang in Vivos
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Does the thin, flat soles of these barefoot shoes get uncomfortable? I’m so used to stacked soles, arch support and heels, I can’t imagine these being comfortable. Even my flip flops have some shape to the sole
 
Dropbear said:
Does the thin, flat soles of these barefoot shoes get uncomfortable? I’m so used to stacked soles, arch support and heels, I can’t imagine these being comfortable. Even my flip flops have some shape to the sole
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Only if you are walking very uneven/spikey surfaces (think large pointy pebbles). Otherwise it feels exactly like walking barefoot (surprise)
 
belinmad said:
Otherwise it feels exactly like walking barefoot (surprise)
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That’s what I’m afraid of. Though I suppose I won’t be doing any serious walking in these, just coffee runs and trips to the supermarket.
 
Dropbear said:
That’s what I’m afraid of. Though I suppose I won’t be doing any serious walking in these, just coffee runs and trips to the supermarket.
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It takes about 2-3 weeks to adapt to barefoot shoes. Mostly your calves stretching enough to adjust for the lack of heel support. After that, you can walk miles without even noticing. I felt it on my lower back (pain going away) as well.
 
Dropbear said:
That’s what I’m afraid of. Though I suppose I won’t be doing any serious walking in these, just coffee runs and trips to the supermarket.
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You can get thicker soles depending on what you need them for that still maintain the concept of the barefoot shoe. Close ground contact, wide contact area, and zero drop heel. There are barefoot hiking boots
 
I thought that trend of ‘barefoot’ shoes like Vibram five fingers for running had long since passed and been exposed as a dangerous fad?
 
Great White Snark said:
I thought that trend of ‘barefoot’ shoes like Vibram five fingers for running had long since passed and been exposed as a dangerous fad?
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Not aware of the expose and/or fad, at least not in UK.
You don’t see a ton of five fingers around, but definitely tons of barefoot shoes (and new brands) in gyms and amongst the climbing/hiking/running crowds.
 
belinmad said:
Not aware of the expose and/or fad, at least not in UK.
You don’t see a ton of five fingers around, but definitely tons of barefoot shoes (and new brands) in gyms and amongst the climbing/hiking/running crowds.
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I know the keen lifters like to use flatter shoes without a lot of padding which I suppose makes sense. Was it you who put a pic of climbing shoes up recently? It’s a long time since I was rock climbing but the boots we wore then looked like a tougher version of converse Chuck Taylors with a flat smooth sole for grip and some sort of rigid metal around the rim so your whole foot could be supported by a small toe hold.

I’m still not sure that walking / running with minimal padding is a good thing in the long run. I knew a fella who got really into running. He’s one of those OCD types who goes a hundred percent into everything. He started out with five fingers and was doing ultra marathons but after a while reverted to traditional running shoes and reckoned he only needed the five fingers to correct his gait / strike and swore off them after that. I used to see them a lot at the running track in the park many years ago but they’re few and far between now.
 
I don't know whether this is the thread for this but the whole barefoot/minimal shoes is here to stay and there is a lot of compelling evidence, it is ultimately better for you. Not for everyone of course and foot shapes have been distorted etc

There is a period of adjustment for sure and there are way more brands than the there used to be and those ugly vibrates five-fingers are still a thing but it is a rare occurrence
 
Great White Snark said:
I know the keen lifters like to use flatter shoes without a lot of padding which I suppose makes sense. Was it you who put a pic of climbing shoes up recently? It’s a long time since I was rock climbing but the boots we wore then looked like a tougher version of converse Chuck Taylors with a flat smooth sole for grip and some sort of rigid metal around the rim so your whole foot could be supported by a small toe hold.

I’m still not sure that walking / running with minimal padding is a good thing in the long run. I knew a fella who got really into running. He’s one of those OCD types who goes a hundred percent into everything. He started out with five fingers and was doing ultra marathons but after a while reverted to traditional running shoes and reckoned he only needed the five fingers to correct his gait / strike and swore off them after that. I used to see them a lot at the running track in the park many years ago but they’re few and far between now.
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There has been growth of barefoot shoe brands since the old five finger shoes days. Casual and athletics plus huge growth given the level of neuropathy from diabetes and other conditions in the population that a wide, stable platform closer to the ground helps.

As for the “benefits for all” of minimalist shoes such that they correct for us being messed up by conventional shoes, I don’t know. When I developed plantar fasciitis plus having bone spurs, I wore nothing but Air Max for a number of years. No doc or therapist suggested barefoot. No prescribed therapies and exercise helped. No idea why it happened or why it went away.

But over time, I’ve noticed that a wide toe box with or without a zero drop heel is a more stable platform. Then I moved to zero drop heel shoes, and that made the fit and feel that much better.

You can have a relatively thicker, supportive sole, so there is a range “comfortable”barefoot/minimalist shoes.
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In traditional shoes, certain fundamental supports have been lost. The wooden shank provides stability to the back two thirds of the foot, good arch support and sufficient space for the toes. Little by little, in the interest of economizing and following the fashions, these things are being reflected in our traditional shoes.
 
Thruth said:
There has been growth of barefoot shoe brands since the old five finger shoes days. Casual and athletics plus huge growth given the level of neuropathy from diabetes and other conditions in the population that a wide, stable platform closer to the ground helps.

As for the “benefits for all” of minimalist shoes such that they correct for us being messed up by conventional shoes, I don’t know. When I developed plantar fasciitis plus having bone spurs, I wore nothing but Air Max for a number of years. No doc or therapist suggested barefoot. No prescribed therapies and exercise helped. No idea why it happened or why it went away.

But over time, I’ve noticed that a wide toe box with or without a zero drop heel is a more stable platform. Then I moved to zero drop heel shoes, and that made the fit and feel that much better.

You can have a relatively thicker, supportive sole, so there is a range “comfortable”barefoot/minimalist shoes.
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You ever looked into Altra? They were recommended to me as a possible wide option but it wasn’t quite wide enough. They make 0-drop shoes like the Lems.
 
Grand Potentate said:
You ever looked into Altra? They were recommended to me as a possible wide option but it wasn’t quite wide enough. They make 0-drop shoes like the Lems.
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I did but there were no stockists and there was for Lems. They have some similar models but their running shoe style of zero drop is different.
 
Thruth said:
I did but there were no stockists and there was for Lems. They have some similar models but their running shoe style of zero drop is different.
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I don’t know how it is in Canada but here you just buy whatever’s on the Altra site.

For the drop is there some tangible difference you can describe?
 
A Lattanzi `BIG daddy' stitch. Look!!!.....a triple braided stitched sole. 5 stitches in all, and ALL are functional.

Stitch 1 = upper into insole
Stitch 2 = upper into slipsole
Stitch 3, 4, 5 = outsole and slipsole braided together (would be a fully functional stitch because there is no welt to cheat with). Naturally...knowing Lattanzi, he ain't gonna cheat with cheap tricks (a braided welt or rand) - the idea of this is to show he does things no man has ever done before with a skill no other man could even dream of. You wanna know why Lattanzi is the best?...because he does this type of crazy stuff. You can't fake this type of stuff, that braided stitch can only go into the slipsole and outsole.

Other makers will cheat with braided stitches into the upper and braided rands etc, but Lattanzi has no place to hide in this below. Lattanzi basically says "i'm the BIG daddy forever,and no-one will ever catch me". No-one will ever make these again because no man can charge the prices Lattanzi does for rtw. No-one else would dare do something like this.

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Stefano Branchini tries to impress with lots of stitching here: a double triple braided stitch into the upper (5 decorative stitches through the upper with one functional one going into the upper and insole), and 7th stich going through the upper to the slipsole, and the 8th stitch going through the slipsole and outsole. Still no way near as impressive as Lattanzi's effort.
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Grand Potentate said:
I don’t know how it is in Canada but here you just buy whatever’s on the Altra site.

For the drop is there some tangible difference you can describe?
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The full-on minimalist barefoot shoe has a wide foot box, flat plane sole (zero drop), and is built close to the ground). Altra has models that look like an air max but maintain a zero drop heel. I just don’t know what all that cushion below does to the stability of the platform ‘cause it ain’t close to the ground.

As for the feeling, it is like walking barefoot without the worries about walking barefoot. I have Adidas NMDs for a clinic shoe. They are wide in the toe and a flat platform but not zero drop. They are comfy but not like the LEMS.

I have Adidas Y3s as an alternative clinic shoe. Wide toe box but spongy heel and they feel weird and tippy after wearing zero drop shoes
 
O didn’t realise the 15% web sign-up deal expired in 24hrs, so I’m going to wait for another promo and get these:

splayshoes.com

STREETSTYLE Slip-On Coal

This classic color literally defines the style. The STREETSTYLE Slip-On Coal is the original classic look you've been looking for. Coal is casual and cool and has never gone out of style. We are redefining the category with a modern barefoot slip-on that is wide, flexible, and extremely...
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I’m skeptical about this zero drop, barefoot thing, but they look wide enough for me.
 
The Shooman said:
A Lattanzi `BIG daddy' stitch. Look!!!.....a triple braided stitched sole. 5 stitches in all, and ALL are functional.

Stitch 1 = upper into insole
Stitch 2 = upper into slipsole
Stitch 3, 4, 5 = outsole and slipsole braided together (would be a fully functional stitch because there is no welt to cheat with). Naturally...knowing Lattanzi, he ain't gonna cheat with cheap tricks (a braided welt or rand) - the idea of this is to show he does things no man has ever done before with a skill no other man could even dream of. You wanna know why Lattanzi is the best?...because he does this type of crazy stuff. You can't fake this type of stuff, that braided stitch can only go into the slipsole and outsole.

Other makers will cheat with braided stitches into the upper and braided rands etc, but Lattanzi has no place to hide in this below. Lattanzi basically says "i'm the BIG daddy forever,and no-one will ever catch me". No-one will ever make these again because no man can charge the prices Lattanzi does for rtw. No-one else would dare do something like this.

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A superb shoe . They ooze style and comfort and longevity.
 
güero said:
Pretty sure you have walked barefoot before? You'll be fine.
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And I’m much more comfortable doing so with a nice ergonomic cushion, arch support and a raised heel. Anyway, I want to try them for the toe room and it’s not like I’ll be doing any serious hiking in them so I’ll give them a chance.
 
Dropbear said:
And I’m much more comfortable doing so with a nice ergonomic cushion, arch support and a raised heel. Anyway, I want to try them for the toe room and it’s not like I’ll be doing any serious hiking in them so I’ll give them a chance.
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Bedroom, Lounge room, toe room !!!!!!
 
I have now looked at some of the barefoot shoes and brands mentioned here and while I appreciate that on average they have gotten less hideous over the years, mostly it seems by relaxing the definition of barefoot, they are still ugly/-ier. Which is a shame, I love walking barefoot. Espadrilles seem to be the next best wearable thing.
 
I like espadrilles, and they are fairly zero drop, but too narrow for me, I end up destroying them on the sides of the upper. Same for those weird Venetian slippers
 
If anyone else wants to try these mutant fat feet no-shoe shoes with me 😁

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Someone should manufacture esparilles with a bit more duck feet toe shape and maybe put some elastic in the canvas at least where the toes are. I think the traditional ones are zero drop anyway. Maybe the jute sole could be made a bit thinner still by adding plastic. I've been told Espadrilles work well for hallux, but they will surely beat weak/strange toes into submission.
 
belinmad said:
I like espadrilles, and they are fairly zero drop, but too narrow for me, I end up destroying them on the sides of the upper. Same for those weird Venetian slippers
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Same here. I still have an old one I bring out and wear for a couple of hours max

Whilst I agree a lot of barefoot shoes are not aesthetically pleasing. It is like comparing apples to chalk in this thread.

There a lot of barefoot shoes out there and there some that are as pleasing to the eye as other casual/athletic shoes.

Again, not comparing to your business dress shoes like oxfords et al
 
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Sammy Ambrose said:
Super. Details please. And a pic or two with you wearing them.
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I think l should do a separate thread comparing the difference between these and the Florsheim. Lots of things are different. The way the uppers are created is very different too. Will try to do photos tonight or during the week and comment. Actually, maybe i'll go all out and compare the 1950's Florsheim to 1960's/90's pairs to this pair etc. I'll talk about everything. Lets do this.
 
Thruth said:
Very nice. I’d wear them indoors.
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Maybe l should get new carpets and only wear these shoos indoors as slippers. Actually, it's probably a good idea.

These shoos are not the typical style of the house who made and designed them, they are much more of a florsheim style. I see my mistake; wearing fancy Florsheim look-a-likes is not the way l want to roll. l will only get shoos in the house style in future.

I've got a really big idea in my head when it comes to my next shoo. I'll avoid exotics because it will be a customs nightmare, but l might do something highly unusual and very special. It is something l have wanted to do for many years, and l think it is now time to take the plunge and get this unique one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Stay tuned.
 
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