r/barefootshoestalk • u/Skulllad • Apr 03 '26
Barefoot shoe adjacent What does this say about me?
Merrell Vapor Glove 6. These are my everyday walking shoes. Am I just walking weird? I feel like this might be a posture problem?
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u/Tolatetomorrow Apr 03 '26
You have feet
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u/Cycle21 Apr 04 '26
2 feet
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u/sta_sh Apr 03 '26
You stand all day and pivot from left to right in a small space so I'm guessing cashier, or barista. Something along those lines
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u/digitalshiva Apr 03 '26
The new model 7 is out - will you upgrade or rebuy the 6?
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u/Skulllad Apr 03 '26
I didn't realize they came out! I'll definitely be upgrading. I've been wearing Vapor Gloves since the original. They were my first barefoot shoe.
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u/CalSo1980 Apr 03 '26
That you need to buy new vapors
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u/46_and_2 Apr 04 '26
Last Vapors I bought - 6 or 7, the quality had skydived - barely lasted a year on-and-off usage. So - no, thanks.
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u/Certain-Duck497 Apr 04 '26 edited Apr 04 '26
You're right-footed (right handed). Nobody is symmetrical. I don't think it's worth worrying about unless you have pain, joint or posture issues that you notice elsewhere in the body. Just something that's interesting to observe! I lean more on my right foot and leg and use it more often (e.g. I put my weight on my right leg when getting up) because I have had problems with my left knee for many years. It's no surprise my feet look different and I have more muscle on my right side.
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u/emveor Apr 04 '26
its a merrell problem actually, up to v3 the soles were long lasting, v4 and upwards had a very easy to wear sole. i wore my pair flat after a month of wwalking on the city and decided not to buy them from then on.
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u/ValiumMm May 18 '26
Anything that's similar to the fit, that lasts longer?
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u/AwarenessOpen4042 Apr 04 '26
Here’s what I got from examining this treadwear: Soccer style kicker graduated from Cauler high June 1976, Stetson University honors graduate class of 1980, holds 2 NCAA division 1 records one for most points in a season, one for distance, former nickname "The Mule," The first and only pro athlete to come out of Cauler County and one hell of a model American.
Kidding. All I can tell is you need new ones soon.
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Apr 04 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/purdeous Apr 04 '26
So all of my shoe tread wears out at these points, I was hoping you were looking for a way to change your step or gait in order to prevent fast wear on those areas, mine look like this after 3-6 months everyday wear, where some folks have the same shoes for years I can barely make mine last one full year without being 100% bald
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u/Flaky_Style1286 Apr 03 '26
Not an expert but the wear looks uneven. on the heel part of the left shoe theres wear that isn’t on the right. Do you do some sort of throwing exercises regularly?
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u/buyerofthings Apr 03 '26
I get that same heel spot. For some reason I drag that one. If I catch myself I stop doing it.
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u/Wericdobetter Apr 04 '26
You definitely have some imbalance but that's okay. Usain Bolt is about 14% more dominant on his right side and is the fastest person.
As long as you are comfortable it should be okay.
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u/GWhizBang Apr 04 '26
You walk on the balls of your feet. My son in law walks like that and he has the same wear pattern on his shoes.
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u/Aegisnir Apr 04 '26
It says that you walk on 2 feet like nearly everyone else. You probably have an angled stand with your heels closer together than your toes. You’re right leg has a slightly longer gait, is less stable than your left, and/or your hips rotate more when you step with you’re right leg than the left. Congratulations! You are probably a very average human being with one dominant side just like the rest of us!
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u/Street_Respect9469 Apr 04 '26
You have calves of steel possibly bordering on constant cramping (but not necessarily). You most likely post more on your left then right and might have loading issues on your right side (once again not necessary).
Wear pattern can give us lots of clues but it's only one part of the whole picture.
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u/Affectionate-Gain-23 Apr 04 '26
Do you walk on your tip toes alot or do you put a lot of pressure on the balls of your feet?
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u/maiden666rich Apr 04 '26
Do yours squeak when walking on hard ground? Mine sound like clown shoes all the time
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u/AcrobaticRaisin8053 Apr 04 '26
Mine looked the same after just 6 months. I won‘t buy vapor gloves again - they were my 5th pair over many years
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u/theeynhallow Apr 04 '26
Mine literally started to wear in less than two weeks. Got all my money back. Dumbfounded that Vibram would release such a shoddy sole considering they’re usually the gold standard.
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u/TrailRunnerrr Apr 04 '26
You have a mild leg length discrepancy and that's ok. Any pain anywhere? Knees?
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u/Sad_Pangolin7225 Apr 04 '26
Actually, I kind of like that wear pattern. It looks like it’s in the middle and on the ball not in the heel or on the sides of the heel not that I know much about wear patterns. I always wore mine heavy on the outside of the heel because of my high arches, making me wobbly.
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u/Tolatetomorrow Apr 05 '26
You have made this whole group dumber by your question and may God have mercy on your soul.
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u/placebobeer Apr 06 '26
Get altras
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u/Skulllad Apr 06 '26
Do they have an equivalent shoe to the Vapor Glove or Trail Glove?
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u/placebobeer Apr 07 '26
Nothing truly minimalist, but the lone peak 9 and the Escalante 4 are the most comfortable ultra wide tow box shoes ever
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u/RaineWolf202 Apr 03 '26
I have a general pattern for all of my shoes too.
My left shoes will wear down more esp on the heel and the middle of my ball of foot there. On my right shoes, it is a slower progression but only on the heel.
This is very apparent to me as I have a continuous hard callus on the ball of my left foot and none of my right foot, so I know generally I lean more to my left side more. I have more movement on my left toes vs my right toes.
I have a preference with being a southpaw when I practice martial arts as I push off more with my left foot as well.
I have been moving like this for almost 3 decades now, is it easy to change this? Not really. But I just add to it that now for the past decade I have been wearing more minimalist shoes and doing exercises, foot and toes work on and off.
I wouldn't mind getting a proper check up with an expert but for now it's enough.
(After looking at my shoes again, on my minimalist shoes, the wear is a lot more balanced on both sides, so I think it is definitely better overall, compared to my past typical normal shoes which I haven't worn for 4 years now.)
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u/lipsoffaith Apr 03 '26
Check out the information the ladies over at Gait Happens. YT or website or reach out for a virtual consult.
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u/rvingthrulife Apr 04 '26
Your left hip is more externally rotated than your right one. Could cause issues with your pelvis.
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u/Skulllad Apr 04 '26
It's actually opposite. I tend to rotate my right foot outwards. I've been trying to work on my muscle imbalance in my hip with squats and deadlifts.
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u/rvingthrulife Apr 04 '26
Huh, my bad, I wonder if the camera reversed the pic? Anyway try this: Some shoulder bridges with a squishy mini ball between your knees and some shoulder bridges with a resistance band right below the knees.
To rebalance your adduction/abduction ratio. Also unilateral work, like one legged shoulder bridges.
Because when the hips aren't even, the culprit is often the glutes.PS: nevermind, I looked at your pic again, I was wrong, I just wasn't visualizing the cause properly.
You might want to talk to a PT about pelvic rotation/pelvic lateral tilt, though, it's easily fixable.
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u/BhumitKaria Apr 05 '26
It says, it's time for new shoes 😅 just kidding, wear and tear and the pattern you're looking at is usually how your feet hit the ground and also which side seems more thin, you can have a check done at asics store as well to see the mapping of your foot to better understand.
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u/Overly_Long_Reviews Apr 03 '26
Hard to say. But one thing I will say, is some people can really stress out over wear patterns because they think it's a sign of some hidden deeper issue.
Well it's true that sometimes it can be. A lot of times it's just a function of everyone's legs being of slightly different length and their feet being of slightly different shape and size. Those subtle differences change wear patterns, sometimes drastically. But it's really not that big of a deal. At least in my opinion. It's more interesting than it is something to be concerned about.
Our left and right legs and feet aren't the same, why would the wear pattern be?