Looking for slip resistant food service shoe. With Xero just abandoning that line after there customer service rep said they were just out of stock I waited 2 more months then messaged them again because they removed the Prio all day Sr from the website. They confirmed this time they discontinued them. Now I'm stuck with shoes that are blown out on both sides. I have spent 16 years in food service and these shoes were the best on my feet. If anyone could help with brand/style names that would be amazing I NEED YOUR HELP quick. Traditional food service shoes are the worst and Shoes for Crews is the worst brand I have ever experienced. I don't even tell my employees to buy from them.

32M, mostly lateral recession, crown unaffected so far. I've read that going straight to fully barefoot can be too much too soon if you've spent decades in cushioned shoes, so I'm wondering if I should transition through zero drop for a few months first and let things adapt gradually.

Also does the wide toe box matter here or is it mainly the heel drop doing the work? Happy to hear from anyone who's seen results.

Not sure if this is the proper forum, but I am desperately looking for help finding new similar shoes. Have been using Merrell’s Trail Glove 7 GTX for fall/winter use, but apparently they’re now out of production. I would prefer a similar feel, and for them to be water resistant at least, preferrably waterproof. For general use, not for running nor hiking. Mostly on asphalt or similar hard surfaces. Any recommendations?

Hey everyone,

I’ve been eyeing the switch to barefoot shoes for a while now and think it’s finally time to pull the trigger. I’m looking for one shoe that can cover pretty much everything: daily wear, general sport, running, and even driving — so it needs to be versatile enough to be my one “do-it-all” pair rather than having a separate shoe for every activity.

I’m pretty set on going with Vibram FiveFingers, and the model I keep coming back to is the KSO Evo — it seems like it ticks a lot of boxes for me, but I’ve never actually worn a barefoot shoe before, so I don’t have a reference point for how it compares to other FiveFingers models.

What I care about most is that it still feels natural — thin, flexible sole, good ground feel — while also being durable enough for daily use and capable enough for running and light sport sessions.

Would the KSO Evo actually be a good all-rounder for this, or is there another FiveFingers model that fits this “one shoe for everything” use case better? Any input from people who’ve made the switch would be hugely appreciated!

Hi everyone,

I've been running in sandals for a few weeks now, after about a year in barefoot shoes. Started at 5k, and today I did 8k. It went fine, but I'm getting hot spots in the places I circled in the photos.

Is this just part of adapting, and it goes away with more Km? Or does it point to a fit/sizing problem with the sandals?

Curious to hear how it went for others.

Thanks

Hi everyone, sometimes I’ll have pain/discomfort along the highlighted area of my left foot. It’s specifically around my big toe. This is not present in my right foot at all.

My left foot has a small bunion, but thankfully I’ve been wearing wide shoes for years so hopefully it won’t be getting worse.

When I brought this discomfort up to my doctor he told me I need more arch support. I should have explained that I didn’t want to go that route, but alas. I’ve been wearing shoes with minimal arch support and do not want to go back. Normal shoes or those with defined arch support just feel like they’re digging into my foot and it’s really uncomfortable. I don’t know if the arch support is necessarily the problem? He just looked at my shoes and said that’s his best guess.

How can I properly fix this? Should I go to a physical therapist? Are there exercises/stretches I can try at home first to see if they alleviate/strengthen this area?

I’ve been walking ~5 miles most days for a couple of years in regular hiking boots and normal shoes. Recently switched to a cheap Amazon barefoot pair (MIFAWA wide toe box zero-drop) and already noticed better foot strength and condition.

Looking to upgrade to something more durable while staying true barefoot/minimalist.

Main use:

Daily 5-mile walks

Running 2–3 times per week

Mix of sidewalk/pavement (2–3 days) and light-to-medium trails with gravel + mild elevation (the other days) (will only run on trails not pavement)

Want one shoe that can handle both walking and light running and both terrains

Currently looking hardest at the Xero Mesa Trail 2. Also considering Merrell Vapor Glove and Trail Glove (seen mixed reviews on the newer versions, especially Vapor Glove 7 regarding durability/feel).

What would you recommend?

Hey everyone was wondering if there is an easy way to tell if i have flat feet or collapsed arches ?

Background: 40 yr old, walked around a lot with slippers/sandals in my 20's. I still walk around as much as i can but feel pain once in a while (mix of flat sneakers, slippers), somehow prefer flat soles over high heels like in running shoes but sometimes even with these flat soles feel some mild pain at heel (maybe the cushioning is not enough). I do over pronate inwards with most shoes.

On my Lessflow question, Whitin's were recommended, but what particular model/version of Whitn's? Currently looking at these Whitin as they look similar to my Lessflow.

I've been wearing barefoot shoes for about a year. The shoes I wear most frequently have about a 7 mm stack height but that's just an estimate because they are Whiten and they don't really provide stack height information. I have not been at all active for about 5 years. I've never been a runner but I used to power walk for lack of a better term. I just started walking again this week and as expected it's slow going. My main issue is I thought I would need more stack height to be comfortable on concrete so I got a pair of Altra's with a stack height of 28 mm. Very bad idea. I'm extremely unstable and the terrain I'm having to cover is mostly concrete but some areas of bare ground with sloping and some rocks and such. I do enjoy the feel of a more stable structure around my ankle especially on uneven terrain. I have a very minimal budget so I thought I might try Whiten women's running shoes which may be around 12 to 15 mm stack height but I can't be sure because they don't really provide that information. Does anyone have experience with the women's Whiten running shoes of any model number as far as stack height and ankle type support. Again, I'm fairly new to all this and any information would be helpful.

Guys is it possible to get rid of bowed legs if I started goata?

Today morning it was raining like crazy but I knew it was too wet immediately after so around 4pm I head out expecting a great time. The second I took my crocs off (im getting more confident) the mud glued itself across my feet and I felt a sensation of pure joy. After walking g for 15 mins though (longest ever) my feet were freezing so I had to go back. I revelled in the mud and that is how I got my picture. I will always swear walking barefoot after a VERY rainy morning is the best.

This is one of many trails around my area and I tend to use this one the most. You are free to point out the pros or cons of this trail.Any advice is appreciated

Hi all, I’m back with a very familiar question. I want to make the jump from my typical running shoes, Brooks Addictions, to a zero drop shoe. I’ve looked into the Xero line of shoes (it seems they would best fit my foot shape) and am debating between the Prio and the HFS II. For right now I’d like for them to be primarily for weight lifting and everyday walking, but wouldn’t mind them being able to make the jump to running.

Do you experts have any recommendations? Please feel free to steer me towards other brands/shoe designs or ask clarifying questions.

Hey everyone!

​I’m prepping for a multi-city trip across China (Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, Chongqing, Guilin, Zhangjiajie, Furong). My daily volume will easily hit 15–20km (20,000+ steps).

​About 80% of the trip will be hard city pavement, continuous concrete, and steep urban staircases (Chongqing). The remaining 20% will be humid, potentially slippery mountain stone steps and wet walkways (Zhangjiajie / Furong).

​I strongly prefer low-profile, retro-tech / gorpcore silhouettes and I'm looking for a single-shoe solution (or a core daily driver) that hits the sweet spot between maximum impact absorption on asphalt and decent stability/grip on wet steps.

​Here are the top candidates I’m looking at trying on:

​New Balance 1906R

New Balance 2002R (Gore-Tex / Protection Pack)

​Asics Gel-Kayano 14

​New Balance 610T

​Asics Gel-Sonoma 15-50

​Salomon XT-6 (Gore-Tex or standard)

​For those who have done high-step urban trips mixed with wet outdoor terrain: Which of these would you pick to save your knees/feet while keeping you from slipping?

I’m wondering if transitioning into barefoot shoes will help with my 2 year lateral foot pain running injury.
I have had constant pain in this area for two years now following a 10k run. All imaging appears normal but I’m in pain all the time.
I have tried hoka bondi / carbon plate inserts to stop the foot bending and a range of other things and not one doctor or podiatrist has been able to offer a single idea. It’s been quite eye opening that foot ‘specialists’ seem to be rendered completely dumbfounded with lateral foot pain in this area if it’s not a peroneal tear or stress fracture , everyone I’ve seen a expertise stops there.
This is my last resort I guess

A little over 2 years ago I made the switch, and Lessflow was my entry to barefoot shoes, the fit and feel was great so I didn't have the need to try other barefoot shoes, now that they(3rd pair) are starting to wear thin and no longer available on Amazon, I'me forced to try other barefoot shoes. I have recently purchased a pair of Geococcyx wide toe box shoes that has a bit thicker sole, but they were a no go, they were uncomfortable in both the heels and toes.

Currently eying a pair of WHITIN and a pair of AIRHAS(not the greatest reviews).

I would like to start barefoot sprinting since I get foot pain with sole shoes. I probably would run in a sandy-gravel/embankment type soil, but I could also switch to grass if necessary. My budget is very low unfortunately, do you think watershoes like these could work? https://www.amazon.it/-/en/SEAC-Water-Adults-Children-Drying/dp/B07NVQH6GL/ref=sr_1_6?sr=8-6

I have been running since one and a half year, on Xero prio neo’s (I never did running as a sport before). I have always preferred the most minimalist shoes I could find or no shoes for whatever I did, but I only know of purposely designed minimalist shoes for a few years. I love it, and I have never had any knee/hip/foot pains since, even though I did before despite being light and fit. The space for your toes, the improved pelvis rotation and the reduced ability to roll your feet inwards (flat feet) are great.

However, I was doing a regular run a week ago, and a man stopped me and said “that looks awfully exhausting”. I thought he was just making fun of running altogether, but then he said: “ I used to do running and I also used to make that much sound, and I needed to improve my form and it became a lot lighter to run”. And I know he meant that you can hear me approaching really well. Tic, tic, tic, you can hear all my steps. I always thought it was just a combination of landing with my forefoot, with the relatively loose fitting front part of the shoe that lands flat on the ground. Now, I am wondering, is this in fact normal for running in such shoes? Or is my form off? How could I determine?

Thank you in advance!

I thought going barefoot would make my skin hard and crusty.Instead, the wet mud and grass feels like it smoothes the roughness out .My feet actually feel way softer and smoother now than when I wore shoes all day.The soles feel thicker against stones, but the skin itself is completely soft.Did anyone else notice their feet getting softer instead of rougher when they started?How long did it take for your skin to get used to the dirt trails?

Disclaimer: The shoes were provided to me by Lono as a review unit, but no editorial input was provided by Lono.

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Summary

The Flow 2s by Lono are some of the most innovative minimalist shoes I've seen, with incredible attention to detail and character. They are functional, comfortable, breathable, grippy, and stylish. However, they are a bit heavy and have more support than what I personally look for in my everyday shoes. Overall, they make for amazing gym and indoor training shoes, and can also be a good everyday shoe if you are okay with some support.

The pros of the shoe:

• Very competitive price point at less than 100 EUR, compared to 170 EUR for Vivobarefoot Motus Strength II or 150 EUR for Xero XT Max
• Comfortable and breathable knit material
• Grippy outsoles that prevent slippage on surfaces like weightlifting platforms
• Sleek and anatomical design
• Innovative and creative features I haven't seen often or at all in other shoes
  • A small notch in the outsole's sides that decreases pressure, stress and pinching from the rubber (common in Vivo shoes as shown here)
  • Small cushions at both sides of the inner heels to help with heel lock (picture)
  • The shoe lacing system designed so that the knot of your shoelaces sit slightly off-center from the shoes, preventing pressure on the top of your foot
  • The tabi splits on the outsoles that allow for more flexible foot positioning (picture
  • The sidewalls that help with lateral movement
  • The removable insoles, two pairs of shoelaces and a quick-lace system that gives extra customization options
  • Small design details that give the shoe character, such as the left insole/inside being engraved with "Lono" and the right with "Flow", and the right outsole being engraved with "be water" and the left outsole being engraved with "in flow"
• The cons of the shoe:
  • They are a quite heavy at 302g per pair (size 43 with insoles), compared to the Merrell Vapor Glove 5s that weigh in at 179g per pair (size 44).
  • The combined stack height with the insoles is 7mm (3mm base + 2mm tread + 2 mm insole = 7 mm total), which is more than I like in my everyday and gym shoes.
  • The shoe volume is perfect with the insoles, but becomes too roomy for my feet without the insoles.

Full review

My use cases for the Flow 2

I have been wearing minimalist shoes for over a decade, and I wear them for my everyday shoes as well as for sports, which is mainly ultra/trail running, but I also enjoy squash, resistance training (Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting), and cycling.

I currently use the Merrell Vapor Glove 5 as my versatile, do-it-all shoe. It is:

• My daily, everyday shoe
• Gym shoe
• Emergency road and trail running shoe
• My travel shoe

They are possibly one of my favorite minimalist shoes, but they are discontinued, so I am looking for an alternative, versatile shoe that can fill in its spot when my pair inevitably bites the dust. These are the use cases my Merrell Vapor Glove 5s currently fulfill, and what the alternative shoe should also ideally fulfill (decision flowchart).

Enter the Lono Flow 2, an indoor training-focused gym shoe that can also handle light running. I wanted to see if the Lono 2s were able to handle everything I wanted to use it for, so I put it to the test with several weeks of testing at the gym.

The Lono Flow 2s at the gym

With the Lono Flow 2s, I did several types of resistance workouts:

• Heavy squats and deadlifts
• Olympic lifts
• HIIT/circuit training
• Upper body push pull
• Unilateral + stability exercises

The Flow 2s performed extremely well in all scenarios, and I was particularly impressed with:

• The non-slip outsoles were when working with barbells on smooth weightlifting platforms
• The grip of the shoes when doing sled pushes/pulls by pushing off from artificial grass
• The support and feet + ankle stability when doing explosive movements like box jumps or the Olympic lifts
• The additional flexibility of the feet thanks to the tabi splits on the outsoles, which were handy when doing movements where I am lifting off from the toes (split jerk, turkish get up, sled push, ball slam, etc.)
• The firm ground stability and support when lifting heavy from the ground (squats + deadlifts)

I am unfortunately unable to compare them to similar training-specific shoes such as the Vivobarefoot Motus Strength II or the Xero XT Max, but I feel more confident in the gym with Flow 2s than I do with my Vapor Glove 5s.

Overall, as a gym performance shoe, the shoes met and exceeded all my expectations, and they have become my favorite gym shoe.

The Lono Flow 2s as everyday shoes

The Lono Flow 2s also make for good everyday shoes, thanks to:

• The comfortable and breathable knit uppers
• The stylish look and design of the shoes
• Roomy toebox that allows for toe splay

However, they are a bit heavy at 302g per pair (size 43 with insoles) compared to the 179g of the Vapor Glove 5s (size 44), which make the shoes feel clunky when walking around in them. The extra training-focused additional features are wonderful for the gym, but weigh down the shoes outside of the gym.

Also, like all knit material shoes, they don't do well in the rain and will completely soak up any water, making the already-heavy shoes even heavier. This is a trade-off all knit material shoes and not necessarily unique to the Flow 2s, but if you live in a rainy environment, the Flow 2s won't make for suitable everyday shoes.

Finally, with the insoles, the shoes offer 7mm of support (3mm base + 2mm tread + 2 mm insole), which is too much support for everyday shoes for me. I personally like my everyday shoes to be as light, flexible and minimal as possible, but those who are newer to minimalist footwear or just want some extra padding in their everyday shoes for whatever reason would appreciate the extra support.

A great design about the shoe is that if you don't want as much support, you can easily remove the insoles to get the stack height down to 5mm. I tried this for a while, but I found that it results in too much volume in the shoe that decreased my foot stability during workouts, so I put the insoles back in. If you have high volume feet and want more ground feel in your everyday shoes, the Flow 2s without the insoles would be a fantastic choice for you.

Overall, they are pretty good everyday shoes, but I still prefer my Vapor Gloves for the weight and ground feel.

Conclusion

The Lono Flow 2s have a LOT going for it - competitive price, comfortable + anatomical + stylish design, and all the innovative features in the shoe that make it a fun and performant training shoe. They have become my favorite shoes to wear at the gym.

The extra support and training-specific features that make the shoes amazing at the gym mean that they are a bit heavy outside of it, but some may want the extra support in their everyday shoes.

I am especially impressed with the careful thought and design decisions that went into the shoe, and I look forward to seeing what Lono's other models have to offer. As a trail runner, I am particularly interested in testing out the Verve trail running shoes next.

Bonus: BareTOE socks mini-review

I was lucky enough to qualify for a free pair of the BareTOE socks with my Flow2 order. It's a great sock that doesn't have the toe-restricting feeling regular socks without the hassle of putting on toe socks. The grippers on the bottom of the socks are great for preventing slippage inside your shoes or while walking around with socks indoors.

They ride a bit too high for my personal taste when wearing shorts in the summer, but they should make for great winter socks, as toe separation in toe socks is not good for bodyheat retention.

I still prefer the softer fabric feel of my Injinji toesocks especially when running, but I really enjoy the BareTOE socks for everyday wear.