How To Start Transitioning Into A More Minimal Shoe
Time to jump on the minimalist shoe bandwagon
Before you read on, don’t worry, I am not going to tell you to throw away all of your current shoes and buy hundreds of dollars worth of minimal shoes. That would be a disaster waiting to happen (for you and your pocket book). Transitioning into minimal shoes should be a slow transition, I have been transitioning for about 5 years and finally feel like my feet and body are getting the hang of it.
Here are my current go to shoes: Luna Mondo Sandals, Xero Z-Trek Sandals, Soft Star Solstice Sandals, Altra Lone Peaks and Vivo Fulham Boots.
These Vivo boots have a zero heel drop, wide toe box and are very bendy.
What should I consider a minimal shoe?
A shoe that doesn’t have a heel (0 heel drop)
A shoe that has a wide enough toe box for all five toes
A shoe that has a relatively thin and flexible sole
A shoe that is well attached to your foot (so you don't need to grip the shoe with your toes to hold on to them)
Why should you make the switch into a more minimal shoe?
Having a shoe with even the smallest heel changes your center of gravity, promotes your hips to shift forward and throws off the rest of the joints in your body.
Thinner and more flexible shoes allows your foot to move more naturally.
May help to alleviate any chronic aches and pains you might have
Steps to start making the switch into a more minimal shoe:
Decrease the heel height of your shoes (even men shoes have a heel drop)
Find a shoe with a wider toe box
Then pick a thinner more flexible sole
Start walking barefoot at home
If your toes are really scrunched together consider getting toe correctors to help create more space
Work on strengthening your feet by doing toe yoga, arch exercises and spend a few minutes stretching and foam rolling your calves and feet every day
Injinji toe socks and correct toes are great with helping to create more space in between your toes.
Here are some brands that I recommend:
Vivobarefoot: casual, athletic, durable yet very thing flexible sole
Soft star: casual, sandals, very cute hand made in Oregon
Altra: active, thickness of their soles vary but they have a flat heel and a wide toe box
Lems: casual and active
Wilding: casual and active
Xero: casual and active
Unshoe: casual and active
Luna Sandals: sandals
Toms: the traditional flat canvas shoe
Sanuk: casual and sandals, look for a fully connected shoe or a heel strap (no flip flops)
Minnetonka Moccasins: casual
Manitobah Mukluks: very warm boots with a very thin flexible sole
New Balance: road and trail minimus
Merrell: bare and glove
Remember this doesn’t have to be an all or nothing sort of thing. Take as long as you need to transition into more minimal shoes by slowly adding them to your wardrobe.
Go barefoot as much as you can, wear as little of a shoe that your body can handle and save your sassy heels for a very special occasion.
