I'm thinking about getting a pair of barefoot boots for the winter. I like the idea behind them - humans didn't evolve walking around with elevated heels and squished toes. But we also never evolved walking around on concrete and solid surfaces 24/7.
Are these things a marketing meme or are they legit? Would I be able to hike rough trails in them without breaking my soft domesticated feet?
I like the idea but sounds cold AF for winter
>what are socks
I hiked through knee deep snow for miles last year in merril trail gloves, its fine
The biggest difference is whether you smoke or not. Nicotine users need to put a ton of socks and boots on because they have no circulation in their toes.
Is that why my feet and fingers fricking suck but I can tolerate wearing a t shirt in winter?
Probably
they are a meme - if you want "natural" winter footwear get a pair of mukluks.
Aside from being way more expensive, why are mukluks better?
honestly they aren't really, they work really good for their very narrow intended purpose and are otherwise an expensive fashion item.
they are mega warm, breath reasonably well, have slip in liners so you can bring extras for multi day trips, are super comfy. if you are looking for something to wear for lots of walking in environments with snow and temps that never get above freezing they are probably one of the best options. don't get them wet though and the soles are super soft so any sidewalk/pavement walking wears them down super fast.
if you just want something nice for daily wear with some outdoor capabilities the op picture is probably better. the one thing to note for winter is the sole provides a lot of insulation so thin "barefoot" soles are probably going to be very cold. mukluks have a natural flat sole but still have serious thick soles/liners to insulate from the ground.
i like barefoot shoes, but never tried it with boots or with winter stuff
also, more important than being "barefoot" is having super-wide space for the toes for me
I’ve been wearing barefoot shoes for a few months now and they feel pretty based overall imo. I’ve had a bit of a look around at boots but picrel are the only things I can find that don’t have goytex in them, and are a decent enough height for slopping through wet and shitty conditions. The other thing I was going to experiment with this winter was wearing the mesh shoes I currently have, but work on keeping a super warm core with the theory that that’ll be enough to keep my feet warm even when they’re completely soaked. My advice is to buy a cheap pair of barefoot shoes off aliexpress and try them out, it definitely takes a while to get used to them.
Did you buy them? How wide is the toebox compared to barefoot shoes?
No, they’re pretty expensive so I’m still thinking about it
I think they have two last widths. Maybe that’s the narrower one?
I have a pair of those Bellevilles. I recommend against buying them. The material around your achilles tendon is rigid and never breaks in. They're also constructed in such a way that the leather on either side (outside or inside) of your foot bows out and looks funny. Overall, it's just not a comfortable boot. Which is a shame because the outsole is one of the best I've seen for a zero-ish drop boot.
I have them too, absolutely recommend them. Never had that problem with the heal, Outsole is great in all but really greasy shit. Love em and have done many big missions on them. They def get a bit sloppy like you said but it's all good. Mine were a size too big and shrunk a lot so that may have helped.
Doesn't look promising.
>Are these things a marketing meme or are they legit?
No.
Get normal boots. Make sure you get the sizing and fit right and you won't have any issues.
All the people complaining about
>muh toebox
>muh feet hurt
>muh heel elevated
are really just homosexuals with soft feet who never learned how to wear boots and how boots should fit.
Here are some pointers:
>1. if your toes are squished take a bigger size. if your toes are still squished you are trying on outdoor fashion boots at REI. These boots are not good.
>2. If the ball of your foot (midfoot) feels squished the boot is too narrow for you. Try a bigger size.
>3. If the footbed or sole presses into your plantar fascia the boot is not good and there is nothing you can do.
>4. If the boot is loose - not snug around the hindfoot and midfoot when laced up the boot has too much volume and there is nothing you can do.
>5. if your heel slips when walking the boot is too wide at the heel and there is nothing you can do.
Boots allow you to wiggle your toes left and right, up and down, the ball of your foot can wiggle left and right if loosely tied. They don't compress your arch, don't give you achilles pain or blisters. If you had any of those you are seriously unconditioned and you don't know how a good boot fits.
>autism
I have normal boots and I don't have any problems with them. I know how to fit them etc. But I'm thinking more about longevity. It's undeniable that the human foot didn't evolve for the modern day shoe/boot, and that the modern day shoe/boot affects the way your muscles and bones are formed. Intuitively this is probably not a good thing for us, even if we can tolerate and adapt to it.
I was a bit tempted to cop those "Last Boots" from Anvil Rose the other day.
But there was no way I could drop that money on boots I can't try on first.
Been burned too many times being a moron buying shoes online or deciding they will be good when "broken-in" because everyone else likes them.
That said I did just cop some boots online and they fit pretty well.
your boots aren't foot shaped. your toes are cramped. they have a heel like a women.
wrong
Mountain boots are for a specific use and are the opposite of barefoot shoes.
The majority of commercial boots will unnaturally keep your toes together, that reduces blisters; a narrower tip also helps in progression. They also have a rigid sole and construction for support, and a rigid sole requires a heel.
Long term boot wearing isn't healthy and will cause issues such as some degree of hallux valgus. For light terrain and daily use it's best to use footwear that respects the natural state of the foot, that prevents a plethora of potential issues, immediate or later in life.
Of course, a less supportive boots will be problematic on terrain where that is needed at the risk of injury.
The only support a boot needs to provide is compatibility with crampons. The only protection they need to provide is against extreme cold. Any other issue can be prevented by strengthening your feet, ankles and calves and by proper foot placement.
On that note, does anyone know of a B2 rated boot with a foot-shaped toebox?
>Long term boot wearing isn't healthy and will cause issues such as some degree of hallux valgus.
After 15 years I can say that it doesn't. All my toes are flared out like a duck's foot.
>For light terrain and daily use it's best to use footwear that respects the natural state of the foot, that prevents a plethora of potential issues, immediate or later in life.
Always wear boots when the weather requires it. No issues whatsoever.
I see a lot more people wearing normal shoes with issues such a overpronation, or pain and discomfort they can't even describe properly, than locals, who will almost always wear boots btw, with issues.
The problem is normies don't have legs. If you would send the average normie to a sports training physiotherapist and measure the strength of their posterior tibialis they wouldn't be able to lift their feet.
All you need is basic fitness and developed lower legs and you will never have a problem wearing boots. If you haven't been hiking since childhood, use your brain, find the weakspot and make it strong. No need to spend hundreds of dollars on the latest culture shoe to compensate. Seated calf raise machine is your friend.
And horseshit. Post a picture of your foot and boots.
If I need to do special exercises to make the boots bearable to wear, doesn't that speak to what other anons are saying about how they aren't really designed for you??
I don't mean to imply barefoot shoes are simply the end-all solution for feet. But you're being just as moronic by implying everyone who isn't comfortable in boots just isn't "strong" enough. I'm sure enough anons in here are good hikers with healthy legs and still suffer boot issues.
I'm getting these.
dang nice find. give us a review when you get them.
I've got a pair and they fricking rock. They look pretty good, they're comfy, and seem really solidly made. The sole seems like it might wear quickly but it's resoleable. I'm not sure they'd be great for snow, so something like Lems might be a better option for that.
How wide is the toebox compared to normal shoes? Posting a picture of the insole side by side with a normal one of the same size would be very helpful.
saw them a little while back and i am really tempted.
but i got new paramemes and saffer boots from ivan this year.
Lems are worthless on anything slightly slippery. I have a few pairs, I love them for city walking and I will always buy more but they are shit when PrepHole.
>blown rubber
might as well get lems, which are thicker blown rubber slippers. kek. another rose anvil moron scammed like the 'bearfoot' boots.
i'd probably look at saltic, sole runner, or maybe even be lenka instead. belleville mini-mil is okay. the black leather has a polyurethane coat over so leather treatments won't really work and inevitably the finish will flake off. The finish also prevents the leather from breathing and the ballistic nylon is not water resistant. The suede version will get wet fast and dry faster than the black leather. Lacing system sucks too.
blown rubber does not work with barefoot shoes, because a barefoot shoot needs a minimal outsole that is extremely durable, which usually isn't comfortable, but can be amended with a quality wool/cork/foam insole.
but people fall for these gay meme boot trends promoted by e-celeb morons getting financial kickbacks for promoting them.
unless they changed it, jim green already has a very thick bottom boot (midsole/insole) that is unlikely to allow for a forefoot, or even a midfoot strike. Added, they use a dogshit plastic fiberboard insole that does not break into the foot or even do a good job holding the adhesive down. Only one I saw that didn't use this was the baobab.
barefoot boots/shoes work better with a cup sole than a traditional method. you will land on your heel regardless, so may as well get austrian boot or something like baobab from them because will last a lot longer. You can already see the wear in a year in one of jim greens own videos on the african ranger.
furthermore, people should know that while africa has a lot of thorns, the terrain in africa isn't particularly difficult (steep) or have extreme weather through rain/snow as you may find where you need them.
>saltic
>muh heckin sustainable shoes!
>uses a goytex membrane
I wanna skullfrick these shoe designers who keep ruining perfectly good boots with meme liners, jfc.
Anyway, it looks easy enough to remove the jim green sole when it wears out and just glue on a bit of car or bike tyre or something.
>i don't even see the goyslop points
sorry you can't cope homosexual
good luck with your 4 lb africa boots you are using in missouri
Reading it, it seems that they just call any liner on their shoes a membrane. I speculate it has nothing to do with goretex.
I doubt you will find anyone that has worn barefoot shoes longer than I have and I dunno about these barefoot boots.
You ever step on a sharp rock in barefoot shoes? It's not much fun.
And what does encasing the sides of your feet and leg in leather have to do with mimicking being barefoot?
its more just barefoot influences but lets not be autistic about it. technically barefoot shoes is a complete misnomer to begin with but its just an easy name to call them to define things with wide toebox and zero drop.
>lets not be autistic about it
Yeah the sneaky sharp root or rock in amongst some soft moss can feel like lego. But the trade off is feeling some of the different textures under your feet can be a whole new dynamic to the enjoyment of your trip. You can't really grind out after you hit the point where your feet get tired though, once it's time to stop you gotta stop.
Sounds kinda like shit to be honest. If I want to feel the ground I'll go actual barefooted. Otherwise I need my shoes to get me to where I need to be without destroying my feet.
>without destroying my feet.
They don't.
It won't keep you warm. Get a normal boot. Don't waste your money. Don't listen to homosexuals and podically challenged individuals.
I've actually got a pair of those turds you posted and firstly, they arent foot shaped, so they suck dick to wear, and secondly they are moronicLY heavy, thirdly, they are lined with goytex so are by definition disposible.
>noooo I need muh heckin overweight boots to keep muh feet warm.
Wear two pairs of wool socks you Black person. Also means you stand a chance of your boots drying out at some point this year.
what was the sizing like for you?
Those boots allow your feet to sprawl out more than any running shoe. More than my altras. You just don't know how a boot must fit and if you ever decide to leave your basement you will learn the hard way that you wasted money on the youtube advertised current thing.
>Those boots allow your feet to sprawl out more than any running shoe. More than my altras.
so now you agree that giving your toes room is a good thing? so what are you seething about barefoot boots for?
can we please have a footwear general? I swear there's always like 3 boot threads up at any given time
No
most people walk around PrepHoleside anon, maybe you'd care about what you wear on your feet if you stopped taking your mobility scooter everywhere.
k
my god are you moronic. That's like going on PrepHole and complaining about seeing tire threads
i've been using pic rel for <15km hikes and forest foraging. I'll add the waterproof socks when it rains or snows.
I have been waiting for someone to make this. I didn't know it had been done.
pretty versatile as i also use the waterproof socks for biking and the skinners as camp shoes. helped gain muscle in the foot and the knee.
I put these on my Christmas list, I hope I'm not being memed
Do you think I could make this by plasti dipping a pair of socks
I speculate it would make the socks unusable unless you stretched them to your size during application, I think it would wear relatively fast too.
If you try let us know how it went.
My plan was actually to wear the socks and dip my feet in a tray with plasti dip, then take a nap with my feet sticking off the end of a couch so they could dry. Then when I wake up I'd have custom molded shoe socks.
Put plastic wrap around your feet so you don't come into contact with the stuff.
why bother when the chinks have done all the hard work?
Nothing says natural like walking around on plastic all day
Those don't stay on your feet. You need laces.
Do you speak from experience? I have never experienced socks not staying on my feet
Yes. When you try to climb stuff they just slide right off because there's more friction outside them than inside against your foot. I tried many types of textured water socks like this and they all suck. You need laced footwear.
no, go for the chinkshit
if budget constraint
I've been wearing the Lems Boulder boot daily for about 6 months and really like them
I've been thinking about buying a pair for around-town use in the NorthEast. Not worried about long treks just something to keep feet dry as I walk to the bar or grocery store. Does the waterproofing hold up? Also, are yours the leather kind and if so, is it any good? I like this picture of these fricked up ones, seems to bode well for wear. I'm sure they're nothing compared to true leather boots but gotta take what I can get.
uses cotton lining on some models.
never rely on goretex or any other liners more than like one season. notoriously unreliable and most brands will fall apart due to poor construction or water/dirt getting trapped between leather/fabric and goretex and tearing it up or rotting.
if you want more reliable, water repellant on leather and bring goretex socks that are more disposable or literally bread bags but will last a few hours before you are wet inside like your mom was with your black ghost dad
also uses blown rubber so won't last as long as you hope unless you are an office dad with dreams of a second life outside zelda and warcraft. benefit is blown rubber is more comfortable than harder compounds which will last much longer
These are by far the best winter shoes I've ever had. Warmer and lighter than any regular boot I've had, but they definitely need an extra insole / thick socks unless you have a very tall arch. I have the leather version and the waterproofing is excellent a year into wearing them. Literally godsent.
I feel much more safe on tricky terrain wearing a boot with good groundfeel.
I have some barefoot winter boots from belenka and they definitely feel way better to wear on the feet than regular boots. I have some other moccasin-type boots for fall/winter too that are pretty good, but the toe box is nowhere near as wide. It feels much better with the toes freed up.
those look gay as shit
i'd use them for motorcycle riding
definitely not a meme. went from regular shoes to barefoot shoes and my back pain went away.
https://www.lemsshoes.com/collections/mens-boulder-boots-all
LEMS makes good bearfoot boots. my buddy has a pair and I've heard nothing but good things.
https://bearfoot.store/products/bruin
I'm thinking about getting these or the LEMS.
I got a bare of Xero boots a while back. Wide toe-box, no elevated heel, little cushioning.
Honestly no adjustment period, they were fine from day one. Not convinced about the construction quality, but they've done ok so far. Most trails I walk are either hard path/track or soft bog.
On the flip side, I've noticed no particular benefit to wearing them.
I like the idea of them too though.
I've gone through 2 pairs of the daylite hikers from Xero and I can give you a rough idea of what to expect.
I have flat as frick feet FYI
Around town, work shoe, etc... they're super comfortable. Easy to slip on, they stay put. No blisters ever. Walking 2-8 miles over the course of a day I feel good about them.
Full on hiking gets a little different. My arches are completely flat, to the point where I have callous where my arch contacts the ground. Should probably get surgery.
After about 8 miles my feet get pretty dang sore at the arch area. I've been doing 40 miles a week on a big hiking project and there's been the need for painkillers towards the end of days past 10 miles.
I think this is due mostly to my fricked up feet in conjunction with just how thin the sole is. Pounding on rocks really does add up at the end of the day, barefoot or no. I had a pair of Altra trail runners and they have half an inch of cushion, provided relief from the trail itself even if they aren't as comfortable as the xeros.
Durability pretty much sucks dick. They are wearable for a year but like most plastic shoes they just start to fall apart. The warranty is very good though, so if you're ok replacing them buy them from REI today with that 20% coupon.
I do not like running in these, very ouchie.
I am going to keep a pair around, but I think for true hiking the sole is just too thin for me.
Post those insane feet of yours, anon.
OP here. After some research and very carefully considering the opinion of everyone in this thread, I decided that barefoot shoes would be unwearable for me in the winter (I live in a cold climate), and are also not very durable. I bought myself a pair of Redwing Blacksmiths instead.
good choice looks hella comfy.
>he thinks the big toe goes to the end of the boot
They are comfy. Have you really never worn a service boot before?
You make your own choices, but those boots are only comfortable if your foot's shape has been conditioned to them for years.
Captcha: NAHXD
Nah, it's my first pair and they fit like a glove after a few days of breaking in. These aren't pointy toe dress shoes. They have a lot of toe space.
You didn't understand. You can wear them because you've always worn constrictive shoes, that's just not how a human foot would otherwise be shapen.
Kek at that artwork.
> You can wear them because you've always worn constrictive shoes, that's just not how a human foot would otherwise be shapen.
No. I have native hunter gatherer feet because I was NEET and barefoot when I was young and still wear boot with plenty of toe space leftover. You just don't know how a boot must fit.
Why do cretins come to troll this board? Imagine being so useless you have the time to troll here of all places.
So your point is that the boot will be comfortable for me but only because my foot is used to wearing similar boots? So what? Is that supposed to be a bad thing? The same thing could be said for barefoot boots. Anyone who goes from wearing a regular boot to a barefoot boot is going to end up in a lot of pain at the beginning. I know this from personal experience (except I walked 5 miles in bare feet rather than in a boot).
As someone who's lead a fairly athletic life and never suffered from chronic knee or foot pain or any serious knee or foot injuries, I'm just not really buying the gimmick.
Changing the shape of the foot affects your whole posture, gait and bodily development. You had pain because your feet where weakened by prolonged reliance on supportive designs.
Unless there ever comes a time where I can't find any shoes to wear and have to go barefoot, why does it matter?
>inb4 anecdotes about chronic pain that I already stated I've never had.
I just explained that to you.
I think a rugged built pair of mocassins or mukluks work very well. Go with Laurentian Chief mocassins, same as Hunt Primitive (youtube channel) uses. Poorly made mocassins will fall apart on you.
Hunt Primitive's review, I use this pair
Also know a guy whose dad hunted the north woods of michigan for weeks at a time in winter with his handmade mukluks. He said despite it all that they were the best footwear, never used boots
People who require all modern tech for the outdoors are weak
>modern tech for the outdoors are weak
Mass produced stuff is cheap, quality equipment is expensive.
If you're in europe, definetly check out 'Waldviertler'.
They have a flat sole and a big toe box, so the toes can spread out.
Mine got stolen unfortunately, but i'll buy a new pair this year.
How rigid is the sole? How rigid is the upper? What welt has been used? Are they waterproof?
The sole is a vibram, a softer one though.
After almost 3 years of use, and 1,5 years of those as a part time delivery driver of beaverages (very heavy lifting, lot of stairs), the sole has completely lost its profile. I'd say after 2 years, and especially after i put them through work.
A friend of mine has it 1 year longer then me and besides the heel, he still has profile.
The upper is tough put them trough a lot during work, but not as resistant to cuts i'd say.
Wouldn't go through a river in those, haven't tested them under this condition, but for rain and snow they're good enough, but a little bit of water would come through, i think because of the leather sole inbetween, but not that it bothered me, my socks weren't soaked.
As for the welt, they call it flex-welt, dunno what they mean by this, but it's definetly resolable.
I think if i treated them better the would've been more waterresistant.
In those 3 years i've only treated them 2 or 3 times.
How wide is the toebox compared to shoes marketed as barefoot such as Belenka?
These boots look pretty nice ngl
Cannot compare them to Belenka as i haven't wear them and actually that's the first real leather boot i bought, so take what i say with a grain of salt.
During my work, even though i would carry almost 40 kg of crates every way in both hands and with walking stairs sometimes to the 4th floor. And every customer would order 4 to 6 crates, and there where aprox 14 customers per shift.
Never had i problems with my toes, the only thing i'd say that with that much weight 3 days a week the cork upper sole was flatened and kinda hard, so my heels would hurt sometimes. But really i put them to the extreme and with another inner sole, not just a standart leather one, or even a newer one i would've been fine i guess.
They sell them in two widths though.
F is the narrow one and G is the wide one.
Meant for
I think having the heel higher than the tip and a toe spring help mimicking a more natural movement when wearing footwear with stiff soles.
Of course, using that for prolonged times takes a toll.
>muh ankle support
Myth for newbies and fat fricks.
>muh waterproof
Not after you wade through streams and wet grass, your feet will sweat anyway if you are actually working hard. Meanwhile shit is heavy, weight on your feet is the worst kind and shit is not as easy to walk over complex terrain compared to trail runners. There is a reason that nearly everyone doing big hikes has trail runners. The only place for boots is heavy snow mountaineering where you actually need a solid base to hook crampons onto and then you use actual alpine boots, not this shitty leather larp.
I like leather for when youre slopping around in the mud so when you get home you can clean them off with a damp sponge.
>The only place for boots is heavy snow mountaineering
Epic reddit post fellow PrepHole bro
I forgot. PrepHole isn't the place for nuanced discussion with situational and geographical considerations. It's for pointing and laughing at whoever doesn't PrepHole exactly the same way as you, and telling people to "go back" when the average Redditor is far more experienced than the average jerkwad on this board. My bad.
>t. own multiple pairs of boots and trail runners and may use either depending on the season and circumstances
>average redditor is far more experience
people are sick of seeing the same 20 consume threads without a geargay general
PrepHole is mostly comprised of poorgays who can only afford one of anything, so they have to convince themselves that the one thing they own is the best in all circumstances.
You have to go back
many will use crampons for ice. Problem you will have is a harder natural/synthetic rubber will be more durable but have less grip. Something like the vibram mega grip is a good example of this. Soft Star Shoes has the switch back using mega grip. Finding a barefoot boot that will deal well with super cold is going to be extremely difficult though.
One of the warmest boots you can find is also zero drop. The kamuk extreme or whatever from steger mukluk in Minnesota. It uses real rubber so be careful with oil/urine as it will make the rubber gummy. Will last forever. Other than having a wide foot, don't think it would do real well with ice traction though if you are wanting something that sticks like glue.
this is actually pretty common problem with all all year shoes overall
softer rubber is great during summer because it has an awesome grip on every possible surface but will wear out really fast and it will freeze solid come the winter and you might as well walk with 2 blocks of ice under your feet
harder outsoles on the other hand dont have the grip during summer and some people dont like the feeling of walking with 2 planks on their feet but they dont change no matter the temperature
Minimalist boots might not be a meme, but anything that has both laces and a zipper is.
I have a cheap pair of boots with both, and I have to admit it's pretty convenient. You tie them to however tight you want, then just use the zipper to get them on and off your foot. Only issue is that once the zipper breaks the boot is toast.
>for the winter.
With soles like that they're not going to offer much utility in snow. With no central channel to force the snow out when you press your foot down, you're going to swim, resulting in diminished traction.
I don't know about non-snowy winters, never experienced those, but for anything snow-related, those will be a liability.
I bought a pair at the beginning of the season, got vivo tracker FR 2's.
They're decent, i wouldnt take then in snow or frozen ground, but their good for kicking around.
I also just ordered a pair of Whites handsown stitchdown boots, and im sure the morons will ree, but im really looking forward to getting them and breaking them in.
>vivo tracker FR 2's
>all plastic
>$370 CAD
Why in the flying frick would you pay so much for a piece of thin moulded plastic that you can't even wear in average winter weather? The White's are nice though.