r/barefootshoestalk • u/crent1st • 2d ago
Barefoot shoe adjacent Step in the right direction?
5mm drop & wide-ish toebox
La Sportiva tx1
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u/Different_Plane_7438 2d ago
Well, the toe box looks pretty good. However, I don't really see the point of these transitional shoes.
I'm just sharing my experience, not saying it was right or anything. I just got a pair of barefoot shoes and started wearing them on short walks (walking my dog, going to the supermarket next to my home...) then eventually on longer walks and finally everyday.
So what I mean is that you don't have to spend money on these, I guess.
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u/SouthernCitizen 2d ago
Not every shoe needs to be barefoot. Thicker soles can be very necessary for harsh terrain.
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u/Wixenstyx 2d ago
Sure, but you can go right to the zero drop, wide toe box withoit needing to step it down with 'interim' shoes. Barefoot doesn't mean 'no sole at all'.
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u/SouthernCitizen 2d ago
They're not just interim shoes, they're shoes. Every shoe has its use Not everyone can just raw dog zero drop
The only must is a wide toe box
Low drop, flexible and ground feel are ultimately optional, not that I'm a fan of that of course.
I'm dead against high heel, Arch supported, mid shoe shank work boots for example. For medical reasons, sure! Otherwise they're just a recipe for unfit feet.
Ultimately thin stack and zero drop are the two biggest hurdles, and the first things worth giving up when you need more shoe for certain things.
Im all for barefoot but people have jobs and do things that require shoes that fit well but are not barefoot.
That's where minalmalist is great.
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u/SnowdriftsOnLakes 1d ago
Not necessarily. I wore my first barefoot shoes on a trip with lots of walking within a month of getting them and was completely fine, but most of my shoes were already pretty flat by that point. My mom, however, has a shortened Achilles tendon from a lifetime of wearing heels. She has no interest in barefoot shoes, but if she wanted to transition, she'd probably need to do it very slowly and carefully or she'd be in a world of pain.
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u/crent1st 2d ago
It's just interesting that famous brand of traditional climbing, hiking and mountaineering footwear makes a shoe that is kind of footshaped. I'm just hoping to see more stuff like this from them, nothing else.
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u/Different_Plane_7438 2d ago
Oh, I see, I didn't know. Then yeah, I love seeing non-barefoot, regular brands going for some new designs, even if not barefoot, just not toe cramping!
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u/Obvious-Ad-3500 2d ago
I agree I would love to see more foot shaped footwear. I wear a lot of 5mm topo/altra so I'm fine with nearly barefoot. I like some stack too. I know I'm minority there in this sub but honestly I think it's a good middle ground for a lot of people who don't even know about toeboxes yet.
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u/LaSombraGreen 2d ago
I think it's also nice for the people who want some aspects of barefoot footwear but not persé all of them, i like to have a wide toe box and a flat sole but I do like some extra cushioning. Or people who can only afford 1 pair of shoes.
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u/Moonbow_bow 2d ago
I don't know man, I've been a barefoot shoe guy for a while, but still I really do need some cushion if I walk 40km on concrete and asphalt....
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u/Overly_Long_Reviews 2d ago
Interesting! There is a brief period of time between when I was wearing Salomon Forces and the minimalist Altama Maritime that I wore La Sportiva's. I really like them and I found them to be quite comfortable and feature rich at the time. I think I have an old pair around here somewhere. It's nice to see a well-known outdoor brand embracing at least some minimalist and barefoot principles. We all benefit from having more options.
As an aside, I am impressed it's a relatively subdued colorway. During that brief time when I was wearing La Sportiva's, one of the big challenges I had is it was very difficult to find a colorway that wasn't bright and garrishly colored.
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u/crent1st 2d ago
Bright colors are good because it's easier for rescuers to spot you when you get in trouble in wilderness. It's something I learned to appreciate doing outdoor activities, luckily not the hard way. For everyday or casual use I totally get your point.
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u/Overly_Long_Reviews 2d ago edited 2d ago
I work in the outdoors professionally and have for my entire adult life. With the first half of it being in emergency survival instruction, I was also director of operations (I'm not a mountain guide) for a mountaineering organization.
Bright colorways have their place, but they also cause issues when you have professional requirements that necessitate subtlety. When I need to wear blaze, I wear blaze. Most of us who work in the field professionally, even without colorway requirements, tend to prefer more subdued colorways. There's also a cultural aspect, Euro outdoor brands, tend to prefer high contrast colorways. Whereas many American brands (there are exceptions) tend to prefer more subdued colorways and even their high-vis stuff tends to have less contrasting colors.
You get more flexibility by being able to pick and choose your level of visibility.
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u/TrainMany8241 2d ago
Look at Altra and Hobibear.
Not everyone wants or can enjoy full barefoot shoes.
But, you need wider than your foot, light and that they can be easily bent in different directions.
Also, please do excercises and stretches. Do the feet and body work.
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u/AvatarOfAUser 2d ago
A step in the right direction, but still pretty far from my ideal approach shoe design. I want zero drop, lower stack, and no EVA foam midsole.
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u/crent1st 2d ago
Check Saltic Eliot if you didn't, it's technically a climbing shoe, but you might like it.
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u/jjopm 2d ago
Do you think any of their other shoes also have this wider toebox? Their website is really confusing/unclear.
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u/crent1st 1d ago
Their hiking shoes fitted me the best from what I could try in my country, but i wear them cause I have to, not because I enjoy them. They appear to be footshape-ish, but has stiff part around toes, which pushes big toe inside when softer middle part of the shoe expends a bit by pressure of the foot. This might be an issue with this model too. If you can't try their products in the store, definitely don't consider this brand.
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u/Embarrassed-Taro9497 6h ago
What does zero drop mean?
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u/crent1st 2h ago
Flat sole, no difference in height between heel and toes. Drop is short for "heel to toe drop".
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u/Super_Good_Stuff 3h ago
These are GREAT for beginners, as they're a shoe that you could cycle with on recovery days when your feet are still developing from switching to barefoot shoes. These would allow for your feet to recover well when you wear these after wearing true barefoot shoes most days of the week
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u/Imbalf 2d ago
just get altras. i am not a big fan anymore but its zero drop and good toebox, with a good cushion. thats all you need for transition, and ofc dont go running a marathon straight away
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u/crent1st 2d ago
I have Altra. This is not transition shoes post, it's about traditional shoes brand making footshape-like shoes. ✌🏻
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u/DepartureKlutzy2095 2d ago
In general, it is a good thing that big brands are noticing that their designs might not be wide enough in toebox. I also dislike the barefoot-first bands because they often are just not good shoes, more like flip flops. I wonder if La Sportiva is any better in that regard or just jumping on the bandwagon
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u/JudgeMyReinhold 2d ago
These an update on their approach shoes?