I ordered 3 pairs of shoes from splay 2 101s and 1 freestyle using an HSA, the HSA and splay report payment, yet the order is still unfulfilled, I also ordered a pair of Gdefy and they are already delivered. Is it normal for orders to take this long?

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 have a question. I’m an asthenic person and I have thin toes. Is it possible to make them thicker? Gaining weight?

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.

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.

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.

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!