I bought these based on recommendations. They’re cheap and I’ve already put a ton of miles on them in the past few weeks, no issues (only that I removed the padded insoles). I bought them to use for snow runs since my Merrell VGs have wore down tread.
So two answers here.
If you’re running barefoot and happy - don’t go to shoes! The rest of us are busy undoing years of mistakes by wearing any kind of shoes for running. If you’ve got good mechanics now don’t blow it by putting on shoes and letting cushioning and grip mess up your gait.
As for the shoes... Xero Prios are damn durable. You could probably get north of 1000 miles on them and they have a replacement guarantee if the sole wears out. I also have a pair of the Whitins and they’re super cheap and they’ve lasted a long long time.
My girlfriend and I absolutely love our Salomon Speedcross 3 trail runners. They are super light, durable, comfortable to wear for long periods of time, breathable, and have amazing grip (except on ice). They are $115 or less on Amazon, depending on the style. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LB4V72/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_05EmxbH4X498V
If you really want goretex and waterproof, Salomon has the XA Pro 3D GTX trail runners. They are more expensive, as any shoe that is waterproof and/or has goretex will be. About $140-160. I haven't personally tried them, but they are very well reviewed. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KWKTB1M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_AWEmxbT6C510J
I also highly recommend going to a store to try a few different shoes on. What works for me and others might not be a good fit for you. Amazon has a great return policy though, as long as you have prime.
I am from Germany. There are quite a few of these type of shoes available on Amazon. See these from WITHIN for example: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07KN4NF44. Or these from Saguaro: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B083FCDL99.
However, I'd say your shoes look way cooler. When I saw your picture my first thought was also: "Where can I get these?!". So maybe it's worth to do a little market research; maybe there is a business opportunity for you.
https://www.amazon.com/WHITIN-Minimalist-Runner-Barefoot-Inspired/dp/B07KN4V47W
I’ve work them for about a month, week 2 I noticed my foot turning in and it felt odd, a week later it felt normal and I was moving totally different, my glute and ham are working 1000x better it’s an absolute miracle
Would have thought the barefoot tempos would have been enough but something about just walking around made a massive difference
I liked it enough I dropped the cash on some that actually look good and will last a few years, because they’re so minimal they last as long as the material doesn’t fall apart so some people use them for like 4-5 years
Whitin on amazon are cheap but surprisingly well made and pretty comfy. Be warned they are zero drop with little cushion, so if you are not used to that you should transition to them slowly. A lot of the pros have been using or switching to Altra/Vivo/etc or a really low flat shoe like Vans or Nike Free runs. I'm pretty convinced that if you want to get a good proper brace you want to transition to a very low flat stable shoe. The Whitin's are a great entry point to that type of shoe.
I snagged two pairs because they were cheap to help me transition into some Merrell trail gloves I got at an REI sale, but I have been impressed with the quality of these for 40$. The sole on the trail version is quite durable and the training versions are super comfy and don't look quite as goofy.
Wow, I'd never heard of VIVO but dear god are those expensive. I bought these last year and they are definitely going to wear out by about the one year mark. That being said they are $40. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08CKFWGV1/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_search\_asin\_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
/uj These are $200 shoes and 68 miles is like a week's worth of training! I wonder what Joey would think of my ~$40 pair of shoes that I have hit ~ 300 miles on. Prolly get tarred, feathered and run out of that sub.
> Cheaper than that is probably not a decent running shoe. (Unless it’s on sale)
Probably. On the other hand, after dropping a few hundred dollars every year on Merrel's trail gloves which would wear out every two to three months, I eventually settled on these $40 shoes, I have put 400 miles on them in the last three months and they seem pretty similar to my Merrel's in terms of how they feel. I don't take them out on super challenging terrain, neither does it get wet here. They are also ugly as hell so they don't double as regular shoes, but they feel fine for me.
Disclaimer: No idea if I am fucking up my feet wearing them yet.
I bought a pair of these for my trip
https://www.amazon.com/WHITIN-Minimalist-Runner-Barefoot-Inspired/dp/B07KN4V47W
in case you're serious about the "nothing". It's like a glove for your foot so there's minimal chaffing and/or blistering
Limited-time deal: WHITIN Men's Minimalist Trail Runner | Wide Toe Box | Barefoot Inspired https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KN57G3Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_dl_QEX1F1168A0CYN64A6X9?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
These shoes will teach you to walk correctly. If you don’t they hurt like a mofo. They are really great if you have wide feet.
I’d suggest get some of these or similar and walk in them as much as you can per day. Give them a few months.
Last winter I ran in a cheap pair of Whitens and they did great. I removed the insole so you basically just have a thin layer of rubber between your feet and the ground. I run 7 days a week so I ran through all kinds of heavy snow, ice, slush, etc. I plan to use them again this winter as they held up great.
Just get a flip belt, zipster, etc type stretch running belt. It's made for exactly this. Just shove your phone in the pocket, it holds it tight against your body with no bounce, you completely forget it's there. I got the black zipster lite for only 8.99 at Amazon US (though price varies randomly with color and sizing).
Note: the zipster one has a couple zipper pockets and a couple "fold-over," envelope types. The fold-over is more than secure enough for a phone. The zipper ones will hold smaller phones, but honestly it's not worth the extra pain to use them for no real benefit. If you're paranoid about your phone, just wear the belt with the opening against your body.
>https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KMVLMFZ/ref=cm\_sw\_r\_apan\_glt\_fabc\_DD0GQGMA2JJTFTCQ0TBJ
I have the Whitins (in black and gum) and they are 100% the best value I've ever gotten out of a show. I've put close to a hundred miles trail running so far, on rocky/ sandy trails, and they are still in amazing shape. The glue at the pinch point (the inside base of my big toes) has loosened very slightly, but really they're holding up so much better than I thought they would. I'm coming from an Atra zero drop that my feet slip all over in, and also run in Saucony Kinvara, but I love love my Whitins. So far.
These are the ones I have, they are totally flat on the bottom. They come with a thin insole, but once you take it out they are good to go. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KMVLMFZ/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_DD0GQGMA2JJTFTCQ0TBJ
I loved the NB Minimus shoes! I really miss them. I’m wearing FiveFingers most of the time now, but I have also heard good things about WHITINWHITIN shoes on Amazon. I’ve not tried them but reviews are good.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HQ6VN9Z/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glc_fabc_5JMZVS2HQY0EHS50XCYZ
Not as nice as trail gloves, but even more minimal. For the price I was willing to take a chance. They continue to break in and conform to my feet better. If they last me 6 months, I'll be happy. My TG4s lasted about a year before the tread started getting smoothed out.
I should note that I wore size 7.5 in TG4 and part of the reason I didn't get new TGs is cause the Merrell website is the only place to get the equivalent, size 7 (according to them they run half a size large)
WHITIN Men's Minimalist Trail Runner | Wide Toe Whitin on Amazon. Super affordable and so far no complaints.
Box | Barefoot Inspired https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KN57G3Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_CJM6C0E784HA862PEVJX?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Look for the term zero-drop. It refers to the heel height compared to the toe box being at or close to zero.
This is a great shoe to force yourself to run on your forefoot. It's got almost no cushion at all so if you land on your heel, you're going to really feel it. They wear out super fast though.
Here's a link to the shoes I bought: https://www.amazon.com/WHITIN-Minimalist-Runner-Barefoot-Inspired/dp/B07KN4V47W
It's kind of a shitty Amazon listing, but I just recently purchased the 4th shoes (black w/ gray laces) for everyday use, and I've had the 10th shoe (black with tan bottom, toe front shape) since the start of last summer. IMO they're more like a sock with a sole for grip, my foot doesn't slide around, and I've honestly been able to amp up my hiking and running since I made the change. I mean, but that's just me, the stretching has been good for my plantar fasciitis as well, I'd say my plantar fasciitis is basically gone at at this point.
Also, they advertise a wide toe box, the shoe with the toe shape is definitely a wide, and I'd say the casual shoe is as well, but not like a wide Nike or Adidas, but definitely more space than Pumas.
I have been running in these barefoot shoes since last January and they are still holding up great (on the road and on trails). Went through C25k with them and then a bunch of episodes of Zombies Run, so at least a hundred miles on them at this point. I used to get bad knee pain in my left knee and that has completely disappeared since using these shoes. I don't think I'll ever run in anything else.
My roommate bought the cheapest, highest rated not-actually-separated-toes toe shoes on Amazon and he loves them. Lots of running and sprints and workouts and zero complaints from him. They're literally like $30-40 on Amazon.
I state in the middle there somewhere that they are Whitin, and that I got them on Amazon. I thought of it more as a brand review than the specific shoe, however I'm pretty sure they only have 1 model of Whitin shoes on Amazon and its the minimalist trail shoe as mentioned in the title so... here ya go
I bought a pair of these minimalist shoes from Amazon last week. I've now done a couple of runs in them, and they have been just fine. My other running shoes are Vibrams, and they're also really good - but these cost just £30?! Crazy!
https://www.amazon.com/WHITIN-Minimalist-Barefoot-Sneakers-Treadmill/dp/B07KN4NF44?ref_=ast_sto_dp
I've been using these shoes for the past year and a half and I recently went back to p90x and insanity and they work perfectly with those programs too!
There are some cheap knock-off brands on amazon. Most of them are downright ugly, but the TSLA bk32 model looks bearable and is in the $30-$40 range.
Most minimalist shoes are in the $100+ plus range. Occasionally companies have sales though.
This was asked on this sub before, and as per recommendations then, I bought Salomon Speedcross 3's. They are amazing! They are lightweight, I love the lace system, and the tread is awesome. The downfall is that the 3's are now replaced by the 4's. You can still find a couple of the 3's on amazon. The 3 and the 4 are the same shoe from what I gathered, but they have changed the fit to be more narrow. I have a wide foot so that isn't good for me.
I don't understand how people think that you have better traction playing barefoot than with shoes like these. The sole is rubber, so these aren't "cleats", should be good for any tournaments.