minimalist footwear that won't make you look like an idiot

I hate that I like vibram five fingers (VFF)...

Let me rephrase that. I hate that I like what the VFF represent, but I do think the "shoes" themselves are unnecessary, silly, and one of the most ridiculous fads since zubaz (which are apparently coming back into style). I like the idea of eliminating shoes as they are most commonly conceptualized, and have experienced only positive consequences from going to a more minimalist shoe. I was originally intrigued by the VFF's, and even tried them on a few years ago after they were mentioned on the Slowtwitch Forums when I was transitioning into a more and more minimal running shoe. I wanted so badly to like them, but for $100+ dollars, I couldn't justify having gloves on my feet that really were not that comfortable.

Now, anyone who knows me will agree that I do not mind wearing outlandish things. I've been through many "phases" and been sucked into many fads, and also worn loud and obnoxious outfits mostly as a joke and partly to stand out. So the fact that the VFF's are the goofiest footwear available did not completely deter me, I just knew there had to be a better solution that didn't require separating my toes and making me look like a complete goon. I wanted all the benefits of minimalist footwear with none of the discomfort (both physical and mental).

So what did I do? Well, at the time I already had one of the best pairs of minimalist footwear but I went online and looked for other ideas. This will not be the most comprehensive handling of this subject, so I'll direct you to a few excellent blogs and then use this post to add a few pairs of shoes that I have owned for awhile now and have confidence vouching for.
Richard at Free The Animal has a few posts on the subject here and here. Mark Sisson provides some good ideas here and if you google "barefoot shoes" I'm sure you'll come up with more information than you could have wanted. I am going to talk about two of the New Balance Minimus shoes (the Life and Trail versions), as well as the Saucony Hattori.

My minimalist lineup from left to right: NB Minimus Trail, NB Minimus Life, Saucony Hattori

New Balance Minimus Life

This was the first pair of shoes that I purchased, out of the three I'm highlighting in this post, and I bought them because the Trail version was sold out and had been every time I had gone to buy them. I had actually been anticipating this line of shoes to be released and when they finally dropped I had an itchy mouse finger and a heavy wallet, so when the Trail was unavailable I snatched up the Life and am incredibly happy that I did so.

nice simple color scheme on this sneaker, looks just like a casual athletic shoe

These shoes feel like slippers but look like athletic shoes. They are the most comfortable sneakers that I own and they are incredibly stealth. The elastic on the upper  midfoot does not provide any kind of irritation on the top of the foot and the shoe is constructed in such a way as to stay on snugly without requiring laces but also without being overly difficult to get your foot into initially. The sole is incredibly thin, but what little material is there is spongy and comfortable. They are perfect for wearing to the office, slipping on to go run some errands, or just wearing around the house if you don't want cold feet. I've worn them out on gravel trails during lunch time walks and they hold up just fine underfoot, but because of the soft material you can step on some rocks and definitely regret your footwear choice for that day.

soft underfoot, this sole is like walking on a freshly blazed trail

I thought that the sole would wear incredibly fast after the initial month of wearing these around everywhere because the material seemed to be breaking down fast; however, after the break-in period the  foam and rubber have not shown rapid wear.

No laces, no seams, no stitching on the inside. This is like a slipper or some kind of foot condom that dulls the sensation just well enough to prolong your walking pleasure.

The Pros:

• light
• extremely comfortable
• unassuming and stealth

The Cons:

• the least durable of the three
• no laces so no choice but comfort (ie, not for use in the gym)

The Bottom Line: 
These shoes are great for everything except trails and gym; they are extremely comfortable and very stylish. 

New Balance Minimus Trail

This has become my favorite shoe of the bunch. Unfortunately, I wanted these so badly that I bought them in orange because it's the only color that was available in my size at the time of purchase. Colorway aside, this pair of shoes is a job well done by New Balance. The vibram rubber sole is a very good balance of hardness, toughness, and cushion. The heel to toe drop is unnoticeable if there is any, and the last is a perfect geometric blending of a narrow-ish mid foot with a wide forefoot for maximum toe freedom. 

I use these shoes for any kind of outdoor activity, as well as in the gym. They are great for deadlifts, because it's like being barefoot and they keep your anatomy in proper form for by allowing your heel to remain on the ground for proper hamstring activation. The rubber sole extends behind the heel, which is a great feature if you are using a rowing machine and don't want a blister on the back of your heel (a feature I only came to appreciate after wearing the Hattori's). 

The tongue is not a separate piece of the shoe, but rather attached to the rest of the upper in a seamless manner. This serves two functions: 1) eliminates irritation from stitching 2) prevents the traditional tongue slippage where the tongue tends to shift to one side or the other over time.

The upper is very light and breathable, which is a nice contrast to the rugged, durable sole. The sole provides great traction and protection from gravel and other hard/sharp debris on the trail. Overall, the shoe is extremely well made and doesn't take up much room in your luggage since they fold down to basically nothing.

The Pros:

• lightweight but extremely durable
• great tread on the sole for traction
• well designed last, fits my foot like a glove

The Cons:

• get very smelly if you use them barefoot
• "vibram" logo is visible on the outside of the shoe (picking knits here, I realize that vibram makes great rubber for the sole)

The Bottom Line:

These shoes are the best alternative to VFF's that I've found. They are a complete outdoor shoe that do so much more. Pick them up in black if you don't want to be rockin' the sunburst on your feet.

Saucony Hattori

The first thing I have to say about this pair of shoes is actually a complaint, but I feel like it needs to be voiced because the shoes are otherwise awesome. I could really do without the velcro. The only thing the velcro does is prevent me from getting the shoes on as easily as I could otherwise. Once the shoe is on, it fits so snugly that the velcro becomes unnecessary as a means of keeping the shoe on.

This shoe has ZERO heel to toe drop, and a very thin sole, even more so than the NB Life. Underfoot, they feel very minimal at first, but provide a sort of spring the more you move around in them. The upper is incredibly thin, not much more substantial than pantyhose, and definitely the lightest of the three shoes being reviewed in this post. This shoe was probably designed for triathletes and runners, and it shows in the loud colorway (which I actually enjoy), but also in the lack of material behind the heel. 

Essentially, these are very similar to the NB Lifes, only designed and built more for performance than for style/comfort. They are great to wear to the gym, do some sprinting, lifting, etc; but I wouldn't necessarily put them on to go to the grocery store or do yardwork.

the inside view of the shoe. I really dig the colorway chosen here

I could really do without the velcro

sweet green sole, looks like Nickelodeon slime or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles OOZE

The Pros:

• thin but springy sole
• eye catching colorway
• upper material is almost nonexistent, in a good way

The Cons:

• the velcro is a defect, not a feature
• lacking material behind the heel

The Bottom Line:

These shoes are one step away from becoming a real threat in the minimalist shoe market, but definitely worth a look if you're in line for some new gym shoes.

I would gladly purchase both New Balance shoes again, as I pretty much wear one or the other, or both, every day. Saucony would need to remove the velcro straps from the Hattori before I would buy another pair. The addition of some extra material behind the heel would sweeten the deal but that would not increase their value to the target market (runners and triathletes) so I won't hold my breath on that change. All of these would be a fine addition to any shoe lovers arsenal, especially those who have experienced positive outcomes from going to less shoe.

Arts and Crafts Time

There has been an outburst of creative images on the web that were spurred by the unveiling of the USDA's new MyPlate, each new image inspired by this ridiculous graphic aimed at "simplifying" the nutritional guidelines. The problem is, people have transferred their nutritional dogma's onto their version of the plate, and in doing so have only created another graphic that is just as useless. I don't need a tidy circle that prescribes me ratios of certain foods that I should be eating. I don't do Weight Watchers or the Zone, so I don't need to count points, or blocks, or calories, or track macronutrient ratios. All of this, of course, is summarized in my version of the MyPlate, which I can say without a shred of ego or arrogance, is the best rendition of the graphic. But first I thought I'd share some of the other attempts I've seen, saving the best (mine) for last.

This is one of the only versions I deem to be inferior to the actual MyPlate. Hard to do, but vegetarians never cease to amaze me both at their ability to continue living, and their ability to justify an inferior diet. They weren't even clever enough to replace the URL at the bottom. This plate, on a scale of 1 to 10, is a 3. The only reason it's a 3 is because I am reserving the "2" rating for any vegan plates I come across and the "1" rating for any raw vegan/frutarian plates that may be out in the ether.

I rate this plate a 7. It would be incredibly hard to get a perfect separation line on my plate and have exactly half of my food intake be plants and the other half animals. For this reason, fitbomb's plate is OK, and the more I look at it the more I want to lower the score.

A completely bacon filled plate (and I've seen another one, the cup was water, though) is obviously created in jest, which is why I think this is one of the best graphics out there. The creator isn't trying to summarize his food categories and ratios neatly on a plate to educate you on the "right" diet. Plus, it's bacon, and bacon is awesome. Yum, indeed. A 9.5, and only because I have reserved the "10" rating for myself (without arrogance, of course).

So now, without further adieu, here are my TWO renditions of the MyPlate. No doctrines, no ratios, and no Photoshop skills.

 I made this in about 7 minutes at work with paint. I dare you to find a flaw in my plate!

 I call this one "what they're really giving you" and it is a cynical evaluation of the current guidelines. I had just gotten an iPad and used Adobe Ideas (decent app, but Sketchbook is cheaper and better) to construct this little picture. I can't decide which one of mine is better...both 10's, no doubt, but obviously one must win. You decide, post your thoughts to the comments.


Additionally, please send me any versions you have created. I definitely like seeing what's out there. If you also like seeing what's out there, check out the "guidelines" from around the world.

Fear Does Not Fit

I've been working on a post related to coffee for a few days and it's not going so well. I will try to get it done this weekend, when I have some time away from the job to get down and sort out all the research articles I've been skimming. In the meantime, I wanted to spew a few thoughts out regarding health, society, business, and psyche.
More to the point, and circling back to the title of the post, I want to tell people (everybody, somebody, anybody) that your health is YOUR responsibility. DO NOT be afraid to demand quality, and do not be afraid to supply it (to yourself and others). A few recent trips to my favorite baristas really spurred me into thinking about this concept of completely taking the reigns and controlling my environment.
Since one of my favorite spots to caffeinate is a small cafe attached to a local natural grocery store, I usually go buy my raw milk and then head to the cafe and grab some espresso or, occasionally, a latte. I have never been a huge milk fan but once I tried raw milk from Clarevale Farms and Organic Pastures, the taste and quality were so superior it hardly seemed related to the stuff I had been exposed to previously. However, I had been reticent to request that the establishment make me a latte with raw milk that I would supply. I didn't want to be "that guy", the social pariah with strange food requests who inconveniences others with his demands. I've never been one to demand things, not wanting to create any disturbance in the social web of interactions. Something inside me, though, had been building, and I could not stand by and be passive about my health any longer. I walked up to the counter and requested that my latte be made with the milk that I placed on the counter.
And you know what? It was not a problem at all. And why should it be? They supply me with espresso and a steamer, and charge me for the services; I supply the milk and receive a superior product. Both parties win in this situation and no one glares at me as I enjoy my morning fog lift.

Raw Milk Latte

As silly as this simple anecdote may appear, it was a step that I consciously took to ensure quality in my nutrition. It was an uncomfortable task in my first attempt, but I realized that I cannot be ashamed or embarrassed by my decisions that positively affect my health. If I know that raw dairy is the only form that I consider to be real food, and the status quo is ultra-pasteurized, nutrient deficient milk then I would be doing myself a disservice if I knowingly consumed the inferior product.
And so, fear does not fit in a healthy life. Do not be afraid of the Neolithic Agents of Disease, just seek to eliminate them. Don't be a pussy: rub some people the wrong way, ruffle some feathers, shake the status quo.
If you line up like a lemming, or march in a circle of death like an ant (look it up), then you will keep propagating the same systems that are destroying the health of our nation. Support the highest quality establishments you can find and vote with your wallet. Businesses will shift to accommodate the desires of the consumer, so long as there is a choice to be made and your desires can be expressed with your purchasing decisions. No inferior products can survive in a truly free market (which our food system is not), and it become more apparent everyday that the superior products are better for every linked system. Grass fed beef, pastured poultry and pork, and locally produced foods are superior not only for health, but are better for the environment, the community, and the economy.
We absolutely know that industrial vegetable and seed oils with their unnatural amounts of n-6 fatty acids will wreak havoc on our metabolism and create an internal environment conducive to disease. We know that vast fields of monocultures (read: wheat, corn, and soy) are destroying the topsoil and scarring the skin of the earth. Further, no one will rationally argue for the existence of CAFO's because we know that beyond animal cruelty, the nutrition produced by this system is not optimal and the environmental impacts of such practices are appalling.
We are all aware of the effects of highly processed "food" that is available because of the use of these extremely (monetarily) cheap ingredients. We see it everyday: in the large abdominal fat deposits of half the people you encounter, in the news headlines about obesity and diabetes rates reaching new highs every day, as well as the gross amount of money to be had in the pharmaceutical industry.
So what is to be done to remedy these ills? I think Jimmy Moore put it in the best perspective during his recent interview with Dr. Jack Kruse. If you are genuinely interested in solving these issues, use whatever skills you have, in whatever capacity you can afford to dedicate, to progress this paleo/primal/real food/low carb/archevorian movement.