Barefoot Alternatives
I got the following email from a reader:
Mark,
The Vibram 5 Fingers look great for exercise but not very practical for daily use and I’m wondering if there are any decent shoes available.
The Vivo shoes are the most interesting I’ve been able to spot so far (but haven’t tried them yet).
Many thanks,
Scott
Thanks, Scott. This is actually a pretty common question I get from readers, and it’s typical of the essential problem we Primal Blueprinters face almost every day: that constant battle between doing what is right for our bodies and what is deemed socially acceptable.
Do we politely decline the dessert plate?
How do we turn down the freshly baked, homemade bread without offending our host?
Do we tone down the grunts and heavy breathing during our intense deadlift/squat/weighted-pullup circuit at the gym so as not to frighten the guy on the thigh abductor?
The waiter brought us our steak with no silverware; do we chow down with our hands?
And, finally – must we submit our precious feet to the rigid tyranny of the modern shoe simply to avoid looking weird in our Vibrams or, worse, barefeet?
Absolutely not!
Even I’ll admit that wearing the Vibrams will get you some strange looks, especially if you’re at the grocery store or on a job interview (note: don’t wear them to a job interview, unless you’re interviewing at MDA or Vibram itself). They are essentially foot gloves, and their use can be explained away when you’re at the gym or running a trail, but they aren’t all that (aesthetically) practical in everyday life. Like it or not, we are members of society and, unfortunately, the vast majority of its other members cannot seem to handle the sight of bare feet (or the detailed contours of the foot and toes) in a non-sandy, non-athletic commercial setting. Unless you simply don’t care about social mores and norms (which, I’ll admit, I usually don’t), you’ll want to find a suitable shoe that won’t compromise the health of your feet (even if it compromises your personal ethics… kidding!).
So what are our choices?
Well, when I’m not barefoot or Vibrams-clad, I’m usually wearing a pair of TOD’s tan leather Moccasins. They’re extremely thin, flexible, and comfortable, and they’re about as close to barefoot as you’re going to get while still looking “normal.” TOD’s certainly aren’t as funky as Vibrams, and they’re no good for athletics, but they make a great compromise for the fashion-conscious Groks out there. The sole isn’t hard or rigid, and your feet feel unconstrained. But be warned. They are pricey. Other moccasins may do the job just as well.
Another option is simple sandals. Flip-flops, thongs, whatever you want to call them – as long as they’re thin and pliable, they’ll promote better foot health than the most expensive casual shoes. Rickshaw drivers around the world aren’t outfitted in the latest Nike trainers; they’re either barefoot or in cheap thin sandals. Their feet are their livelihood, so you think if they were causing some problems they’d wear “real” shoes. The other good thing about sandals is that they’re actually socially acceptable – little do they know that we’re secretly wearing them to emulate going barefoot!
According to a close friend of mine, Tom’s Shoes is another good option. I don’t have a pair myself, but he swears by them (he’s also a huge Vibram FiveFingers fan, if you were wondering, so he’s into the barefoot thing). He is quick to mention, however, that if you’re looking for a barefoot approximate you’ll want to get the soft suede versions. Most of the shoes have fairly stiff soles, but the suede ones are fairly pliable, especially once you’ve broken them in. He goes hiking a lot, and once he couldn’t find the Vibrams (which he usually uses), so he went in the Tom’s and was pretty happy with it. Again, these aren’t athletic shoes, but the soft suede shoes are decent replacements for going full on barefoot. Plus, for each pair of Tom’s someone buys, the owner will throw in an extra one to a shoe-less kid in a third-world country (although I’d suggest that maybe they’re doing okay already without shoes!).
Those Vivos you linked to look pretty good, although I’d have to try them on before taking the plunge.
To sum up – Barefoot or Vibrams FiveFingers (with a healthy dose of antipathy toward social protocol) are the best, but there are other options. Try Tod’s Moccasins, soft suede Tom’s, sandals, or Vivos, in no particular order.
Anyone else know some better casual barefoot shoe options that won’t get you thrown out of a 7-11?
M.V. Jantzen Flickr Photo (CC)
Further Reading:
Toe Socks Met Combat Boots and Had a Baby
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Posted By: Mark Sisson
I recently picked up a pair of patagonia advocates to wear to work. Now I wear them for everything, including sprinting and heavy weight lifting. They’re lighter and more flexible than either the vibrams or the softstars, and they’re quite a bit cheaper. They’re kind of a thin-soled synthetic moccasin. They’re pitched as “travel” shoes and made to be crushable for ease of packing.
Could always tie your feet up in plastic bags before entering the 711.
For something more “socially acceptable,” buy a pair of hemp Clark’s desert boots and remove the heel. Plenty of feeling through the soles.
It’s Birkenstocks for me!! Can’t walk without them.
They are super!
I would also encourage everyone to go totally nude. It’s healthy to spend a day or a weekend at a naturist (nudist) resort or nature hiking trails with friends and family. It’s healthy for your body to breathe, enjoy some sun exposure and also bond with nature.
“It’s healthy to spend a day or a weekend at a naturist (nudist) resort or nature hiking trails with friends and family. It’s healthy for your body to breathe, enjoy some sun exposure and also bond with nature.” What a load of bull! There’s nothing advantageous about walking/hiking nude versus doing the same with some clothes on. You’ll still get exposure to sun, your body will continue to breath, and you might actually not get bitten by some insects. Plus, you don’t need your penis hanging to bond with nature. Trust me.
I’m one of them. Foot and knee pain for 25 years. Walk/run mainly in VFF, also light kayak shoes. No more running shoes or any shoes with structure. Torture of foot pain and looking at knee surgury now happily distant memory. It took about 3 months for my feet to get strong when I started but I kept with it!
I love the whole barefoot thing. I’m barefoot from early spring to late fall (or in sandals/ skate shoes) but living in a big city like Montreal, which is a very clean city by the standards, is still a risk for even my very calloused feet. So I’ll stay with sandals/ skate shoes while walking in the city and socks and shoes in winter but otherwise, my feet always hurt more from wearing atheltic shoes or dress shoes or even boots.
Lucky for me I live in Hawaii so it is not odd to see people bare foot just about any where. I usually only wear flip flops unless Im going to work. I went on a nice barefoot hike a few weeks ago. It feels good to let the mud get in between your toes.
What is the take on Converse Chuck Taylor’s? I started wearing them because they were cheap and cute. At first my feet hurt when I wore them, then they weren’t so bad. Recently I bought a pair of “real” shoes but have found that they hurt my feet and my back. So I put my Chucks on and I feel better. My question is would Chucks be considered a possible option? i loved to know other opinions on this.
HaHaHaHaHaHaHa….$395 for a pair of moccasins? Oh, please…get real!
I’m just purchased some Merrell Trail Gloves, they are fantastic and look very conventional. They are designed for trails so ground feedback is slightly lacking when compared with my Terra Plana Evos. The arch was a concern as it seems to jab into the side of your foot but this seemed to be due to my overeagerness with the lacing and also requiring some level of breaking in.
I’m a junior/senior high school English teacher in Northren Alberta and where my Vibram 5 Fingers as indoor shoes at work. It took staff and kids a week or so to get used to them but they love them. They are also my I door shoes at the gym, plus I wear them out and about–I love that they wash easily so outdoor use doesn’t mean I can’t wear them as indoor shoes also.
Lol. Spellcheck on my phone: wear not where, not good for an English teacher.
I just ordered a pair of runamocs and I’m really looking forward to trying them out! I think I may be able to get away with them in an office setting too.
Slippers made for Ballet Dancers are my choice, as I find that they’re enough to keep my feet covered and a basic level of protection on the sole without restricting me at all.
These are what I currently have:
http://www.donovanslippers.com/
They’re awesome because they look like regular flats from on top. They work well for women pretty much anywhere. They do come with foam insoles, but I’ve found that those don’t bother me or can be pulled out if/when they do.
I’m eyeing these up for when my current pair go:
http://www.bodywrappers.com/details.php?id=953
I love that there’s only leather sole patches where the foot would contact the ground and otherwise there’s just the fabric. Again, a good choice for covering just enough to get beyond the “no shoes, no service” requirement. They’re not as nice looking, so might not be office-worthy.
That all being said, I still have my great big galumphing winter boots for winter. Up here in Canada, you can’t go out in anything with a thin sole if you want your feet to stay warm. I just exchange those for my ballet slippers whenever I get inside work.
I’ve been thinking about buying a new pair cross trainer/running shoes and low and behold Mark’s Newsletter to the rescue.
I just ordered a pair of the Vivo’s.
The challenge for me is going barefoot in public places. The lack of cleanliness kind of bothers me a little.
Anyway,
I can greatly appreciate going barefoot as much as possible for our rubber shoed soles have disconnected us as a race from the healing energy’s of the Earth.
A great book on the topic is titled
“Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever?”
For those interested in learning more here is the description of the book from Amazon:
The solution for chronic inflammation, regarded as the cause of most common modern diseases, has been identified! And it is not blueberries. It is something right beneath our feet-the Earth itself!
Throughout most of evolution humans walked barefoot and slept on the ground, largely oblivious that the surface of the Earth contains limitless healing energy. Science has discovered this energy as free-flowing electrons constantly replenished by solar radiation and lightning. Few people know it, but the ground provides a subtle electric signal that maintains health and governs the intricate mechanisms that make our bodies work-just like plugging a lamp into a power socket makes it light up. Modern lifestyle, including the widespread use of insulative rubber or plastic-soled shoes, has disconnected us from this energy and, of course, we no longer sleep on the ground as we did in times past.
Earthing introduces the planet’s powerful, amazing, and overlooked natural healing energy and how people anywhere can readily connect to it. This eye-opening book describes how the physical disconnect with the Earth creates abnormal physiology and contributes to inflammation, pain, fatigue, stress, and poor sleep. By reconnecting to the Earth, symptoms are rapidly relieved and even eliminated and recovery from surgery, injury, and athletic overexertion is accelerated.
This never-before-told story-filled with fascinating research and real-life testimonials- chronicles a discovery with the potential to create a global health revolution.
Hi Mark,
I’m 50, overweight and I have begin to embrace the Primal way! Made my first Meatza the other day! I have a question about barefoot walking. I love being barefoot, always have. However, I have flat feet, arthritic knees, hips and a herniated disk that flares from time to time. Wow! What a challenge! I wear orthotics in my sneakers, and I’ve been told that barefoot for me, means overpronation and wear and tear on my joints. Can you give me some advice? I do love being barefoot.
You timed this well, I’ve just been reading this page…
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/flat-feet-treatment/
I recently bought a pair of Feivue wushu shoes, and they’ve been great. They’re light, minimalist, and only cost about $15.
What about problems with parasites and worms..
Any opinions on how easy it is to get them in the soles of your feet.
Tom’s shoes article talked about this Worldwide problem so they are actually trying to get shoes on all kids in the World especially in developing World
It can be fairly easy to get parasites through your feet in the right part of the world. I lived in the Dominican Republic (shares an island with Haiti) as a child, and I got hookworm once. Hookworm will go right through the soles of your feet, and you won’t even notice it.
Hookworm and Schistosomiasis are pretty common in subtropical regions. Outside of the tropics you’re pretty safe.
Don’t go barefoot, and don’t drink water that’s not a) filtered, or b) boiled for 20 minutes, and you should be fine.
I’m surprised that I haven’t seen anybody recommend Invisible Shoes or Huaraches. Probably the closest thing to bare feet while still meeting code… http://www.invisibleshoe.com/go/huarache
Good blog.It is very useful and woderful.Thanks for sharing.Thanks for your time post.
I live in the Arizona desert, where if you manage to not step on anything with thorns or sharp edges (good luck with that!), the rocks are super heated by the Sun and burn your feet. I could care less about socially acceptable behavior. However I do care about injuring myself. I’m happy there are barefoot alternatives.
Its like you read my mind! You appear to know so much about this,like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do with some pictures to drive the message home a little bit,but other than that,this is great blog.A great read.I will certainly be back.
I love my Vibram’s I wear them as soon as I get home, they are great for boot camp and short runs. And yes I get alot of people looking at my feet and then the questions follow
Mark, I have found these to be far superior to Five Fingers as a barefoot alternative (or, shoe condom, as Mick refers to them)
http://www.merrell.com/US/en/Barefoot_Collection
BTW, I have to hide these when I’m around Mick, because he will take them and throw them into the forest, LOL!
Dr. Kwame M. Brown, I’m wearing the Merrell Trail gloves at the moment. Whilst I am a fan, I have noticed they lack ground feel, do seem to have an unnatural toe spring and the arch is certainly present. They do seem to improve with use (100 mile point)as the very rigid (perhaps too rigid) sole softens.
For the women out there, I’d recommend ballet flats.
I have a black pair and a white pair. Most people don’t notice that they’re not real shoes. The leather bottom is flexible and moves. (note, I said the flats, not pointe shoes).
Merrell makes a nice barefoot shoe. Kigo is an eco-brand that I like too. I get the most comments from the Merrells – neither is a 5-finger style, both have regular toe boxes. I bought my Merrells online – search “barefoot shoe” on any shoe site, and voila. I bought mine from Shoebuy.com. I bought my Kigo from a deal on Pure Citizen.com.
Wore a pair of Vibram KSOs to a job interview. Got the job.
Life as a CS has its perks.
If anyone is looking for a less expensive alternative to most of the minimalist shoes out there, I recently found that Dr. Scholl’s is making some now. I got a pair for about $50 and they seem to meet all the qualifications for good minimalist footwear. I haven’t seen any reviews about them anywhere yet, and have barely had a chance to wear them myself yet (been stuck at home with a cold) but they feel pretty amazing. I’ve never tried any other minimal shoes to compare them with (I’ve been dying for VFFs but haven’t had the money). However, I can say that compared to wearing regular shoes (my usual have been New Balance whatevers- REGULAR SHOES, AKA strapon boards) they feel sooo much better. I won’t be wearing those NB shoes anymore. I’ve been utterly barefoot in my home for over a year, quite comfortably. I try to exercise the full range of motion of my feet. I’ve been out in the Scholl’s once so far. Found out that walking ‘out there’ where I have unlimited space feels very different. Trying for the light step/midfoot strike. Not sure if I’m accomplishing that or not. My toes seemed slightly tired after this adventure. But overall an interesting experience. A few foot cramps that night, but MUCH less than when I walk around in the NB boards. I seem to have a kind of ‘rolling gait’ when I walk in these. Short circuitous steps. Don’t know if that’s good form or not. Everything about form seems directed at runners, which I’ll never be. Anyway. just wanted to let everyone here know about them. I know some of us are trying to live Primally on a tight budget and thought this might help. Any comments about my gait or re-learning to walk (ha!) are appreciated.
I tried these shoes on at an Outlet mall and they were selling them for only $36. I usually wear a 7 or 7 1/2 and I found that the 8 felt the best. They did not have the color combo I wanted in an 8 so I did not get to buy them. Amazon sells them too for a decent price so I may just buy some off of there.
I usually wear sanuk sidewalk surfers or a pair of worn out airwalk tennis shoes from Payless Shoes.
I do own a pair of the NB minimalist running shoes but those cost me $100 and you have to take some time lacing them up so I wear them more for working out or going for long walks.
I wanted something that I can easily slip on and off in my working from home also mom of 3 with a pet dog “on the go” lifestyle. Sanuks look a little too much like slippers for some outfits so I thought these were a good upgrade. Sanuks cost close to $50 so the price range is similar.
Please let me know how it goes as you wear them more often! I would love to hear how they are working out for others.
FYI before I became primal/paleo I had severe arch pain that my doctor had me wearing custom arch support insoles for. Since I work from home I decided to bite the bullet a few summers ago and just go barefoot even though it hurt like hell. I actually posted about it on this post and got support in the comments from others to do this. It was really bad for the first 3 weeks but it started to get better after that.
After one summer of bare feet in the house and only cheap plastic jelly slip-ons outside I was cured! No arch pain anymore at all! Well, unless I wear some of my old crappy stiff as a board shoes which I only do on rare getting dressed up occasions.
Thanks for sharing!