My Minimalist Running Shoes

Minimalist footwear for running has been the talk of the industry since it was first introduced in the market. However, only a little is known about minimalist dress shoes. Yes, we do need it, or at least those who want to enjoy the benefits of the minimalist concept even beyond engaging in active workouts.  Most of us has to work and only spends some limited time in working out and in running. Hence, getting a minimalist dress shoes to complement our office get up would be something that is very beneficial to our health as well as to our pockets.

Why opt for minimalist dress shoes?

Much has been said about the benefits of minimalist footwear in the field of walking, running, trail hiking and other active sports. However, except for the walking, people only usually engage in these activities for some part of their time.  Except for full-time athletes who do these activities routinely, most of us who has to work full time just have to schedule these workouts in between our hectic schedule.  Why not opt for a minimalist dress shoes therefore, which you can wear for most of your activities during the day, including that of reporting to the office, wearing the footwear that would provide you the most benefits in the long run?  If we had been used to wearing well-padded, cushioned shoes, only making some little time to wear minimalist running footwear would make it difficult for us to transition to the minimalist concept in shoe wear. It would be better if we can wear a minimalist shoe that we can wear throughout the day, without looking incongruous. We know that some of the extreme minimalist footwear would simply be out of place with your formal suit or dress. Hence, the need to find a minimalist dress shoe that would give you the much needed benefits as well as still look good with your attire.

The benefits of minimalist shoes

Transitioning to the minimalist concept when you had been used to the traditional footwear would take some time and effort, if you want to reap the benefits of the concept. It is a slow process that you need to adhere to if you do not want to hurt yourself instead. Yes, getting on to the minimalist footwear without much preparation can probably harm your feet.  You would be able to reap its maximum benefits if you take it slow but surely. If you cannot make a full time effort to do this because you are busy with other endeavors, it would be better to wear minimalist dress shoes which you can wear to just about any other semi-formal to formal gatherings and functions.

Where to find minimalist dress shoe?

The truth is, only a few manufacturers have ventured to produce formal yet chic minimalist dress shoes, that provides the comfort and benefits you can usually reap from wearing your minimalist running shoes. The minimalist concept has not been easily accepted by people, considering the thousands of years of believing that a well-padded shoes will protect the feet more than a thin-soled shoe can. However, it is just a matter of finding the right fit for your particular needs. Manufacturers like Terra Plana, Vivo barefoot and Zenger ninja low have produced minimalist dress shoes which offer the benefits of minimalist running shoes while still looking dressy enough for more formal activities. Here are some top picks for the best minimalist dress shoes nowadays in the market.

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  Terra Plana Men's Dharma Black Shoes

  1. Terra Plana Men’s Dharma Black shoes –its chrome leather upper which is made from vegan eco material, its ultra thin sole, flexible structure, neutral black color and easily slip on features makes it a very good choice for office wear and other semi-formal affairs. You can even use it for walking and running when the day is done. This is the perfect choice for that casual yet chic look while enjoying the benefits of the minimalist concept in footwear. Wearing this minimalist dress shoes assure you of germ-free feet since its upper is made of antibacterial material. Even though it has an ultra thin sole, it can protect your feet from punctures since it is made of puncture resistant material.
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  Vivobarefoot Men's Ra Lace-up Shoe

  2. Vivobarefoot Men’s Ra Lace-up shoe is made of leather upper with manmade sole that measures 3mm. It utilizes dry-lex lining hence your feet is protected from the usual smell caused by bacteria. This lace-up shoe is highly recommended for your casual activities as well as for office get-up. You can enjoy the benefits of the best minimalist dress shoes even while engaging in light and formal activities such as in your work area and some night out fun.
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  Merrell Men's Edge Glove Barefoot Sneakers

  3. Merrell Men’s Edge Glove Barefoot sneakers are very comfortable leather with cow suede upper minimalist dress shoes which you can wear to almost any occasion you have in mind. It affords you the benefits of the barefoot experience while giving you the much needed protection. Experience the minimalist concept anywhere you go with these barefoot sneakers for that ultimate comfort and stability.

With the advent of barefoot running shoes in the market, more people are trading their contemporary shoes with minimalist running shoes. Barefoot running shoes review by competent agencies actually help in introducing the pros and cons of these new styles of shoes. These reviews help people get to know these various innovative footwear and what are the advantages of using them instead of the traditional shoes.

Adaptation phase

It cannot be denied that people are still skeptical about this rather odd-looking footwear, no matter the claims of medical experts, it being supportive to preventing foot injury and maintaining overall health in the long run. To prepare you for the ultimate barefoot shoes, you should not skip the levels of minimalist shoes. You cannot automatically wear a barefoot shoe and start racing without injuring yourself. You should first try to wear minimalist transition shoe to get use to the feel of minimalism before you can successfully wear the ultimate barefoot shoes. You need to adapt yourself to the feel of these minimalist shoes before you can start running barefoot or in barely there footwear.

Minimalist transition shoe

Barefoot running shoes review will tell you that these minimalist shoes are unlike the shoes we are used to wearing in walking and running. Whereas before we were made to believe that thick soles keep our feet safe and protected, barefoot running shoes review yields that the manufacturers of these shoes are advocating the opposite. These manufacturers claim that minimalist shoes actually helps the foot performs better and diminishes foot injury. There is also a minority group of runners, who claim that they have increased their running efficiency by running barefoot or with barefoot shoes. Nonetheless, there is still no sufficient concrete evidence to support this claim such as a comparison of statistics of runners who were injured while wearing barefoot running shoes as compared to those wearing contemporary footwear. Before you can adapt wearing barefoot running shoes, you need to ease into them slowly. You can wear transition minimalist shoes which is a cross between contemporary shoes with a little bit of minimalism attributes that lets you prepare for the absolutely next-to-nothing kind of shoes. You can choose to adapt minimalism by way of choosing Brooks Beast or the Mizuno Ronin as your first minimalist shoes. These shoes are a cross between the traditional and minimalist. It will help you ease yourself into wearing minimalist shoes without actually shocking your system or injuring yourself. You can also opt for the Nike Free Run shoes, which are highly recommended for your daily joggings. These shoes are pretty minimal yet without the feel of the extreme minimalist such as Vibram’s five fingers.

Some truths about barely-there shoes

Several medical experts concur that wearing thick-soled shoes actually weakens our ligaments, tendons and bones, which hinders them from performing well. This is brought about by orthotics, shoe inserts that are meant to support the feet and other extra padding, which actually increases the risk of foot and leg injuries. Barefoot running shoes review from competent agencies and sites will tell you that the right shoes can actually diminish the incidence of injury. The right shoe, as argued in these reviews are something that takes away the thick cushion that weakens the foot, minimize the drop from the nth to a zero if possible and increase the foot to ground feel.

Benefits of barefoot running shoes

Barefoot running shoes review often claims that these minimalist shoes, which are actually just a little bit more than running in your bare foot, will help strengthen your feet in the long run. Although, the claims of any medical advantage for the diverse foot ailments are yet to be scientifically proven, there are actually persuasive points for wearing the least amount of shoes, if possible. One of these reasons is that you may cultivate a natural gait and build up your tendons, muscles and foot ligaments, since you will have a more barefoot-ground feel. When you have a zero drop from heel to toe, you will help lengthens and strengthens your calf muscle as well as your tendons. It can also diminish injuries, which are usually caused by restricted and short tissues, brought on by the high drop of contemporary shoes. When you are wearing a zero drop shoe, you will have a more natural balance and coordination. It is as if you are walking in your bare feet, which makes you feel more grounded. Barefoot running shoes review will tell you that wearing barefoot shoes will make your feet more at ease with the ground connection.

New Balance has just recently undergone comprehensive redesigning to enhance it. The new balance minimus review yields that said product had definitely seen great improvement as compared to last year’s review of the product. Various reviews on the product say that it has now more lightweight compared to the previous design. It now also possesses a zero drop and has lesser cushion than the initial design. New Balance has indeed made an effort in producing a more minimalist shoe design. This came through after NB listened to consumer reviews about their product and initiated appropriate solutions to answer the call for a more minimalist design in mind. New Balance Minimus review by concerned consumer has indeed paves the way for a better NB Minimus shoe. Nonetheless, they have not yet changes the width of the shoe to accommodate those who have wider feet.

The redesigned sole and Flex

The original NB minimus has a thick sole for a minimalist shoe. NB designers made sure that they listen to the New Balance Minimus review results to produce a better product. Indeed, the Vibram outsole is uniform in height from front to back although it is still quite high when compared to extreme minimalist shoes. Nonetheless, the durability of the product is ensured through the double density outsole. However, due to this thickness the flexes of the outsole is only upward. It does not bend well easily to any other direction except upward. This is all right for a traditional shoe but not for a minimalist shoe. Nonetheless, the thickness of the sole serves well when the shoe is use on rough terrain where jagged rocks may hurt your feet if you will use a shoe with a thinner outsole.

Barefoot feel, weight and Insole

Minimalist shoes are known for its greater ground to sole feel. However, the barefoot feel of Minimus based on the New Balance Minimus review is very minimal due to the 1 cm thickness of the outsole. Minimus has no insole but the footbed is soft enough so as not to abrade your skin. For those whose feet are narrow, it would feel that your feel is fully supported since the midfoot will embrace your foot like second skin. The weight of the shoe is actually very minimalist since it is lightweight and does not feel heavy when you are wearing it.

Comfort zone and breathability

In the comfort zone, Minimus is truly superb since it has very few seams and its insides are made of soft material that you can even wear it sockless. The shoe’s inner environment is completely comfortable with no rough edges anywhere inside that may abrade your skin especially when running. The tongue is uniquely design with it being part of the upper and only opens on one side. It envelops your feet like a sock minus the abrasive feel usually accompanying traditional shoes’ style of tongue. New Balance Minimus review applauds the kind of synthetic material that is use for the upper of the shoes. Its light texture easily allows air to pass through, making your feet able to breathe, thus giving ultimate comfort under stressful conditions.

Ground grip

Considering it in the light of its being a minimalist shoe, Minimus has a more than average traction when use on dry grounds. Its outsole is the kind that sticks to dry ground, avoiding slides and injury. However, New Balance Minimus review yields that this shoe has a little problem with mildly wet roads, more so with muddy roads. NB Minimus is not good for trail running since it has traction issues for excessively wet roads.

NB Minimus Review in a nutshell

New Balance Minimus are available in a myriad of colors. It comes in Gray/gray, black/pink, orange/beige, black/periwinkle, black/teal, different beige/orange, blue/white and black/yellow/bright blue combinations. On the average, it weight is about 5.5 oz but could get heavier or lighter, depending on the shoe size. Considering that it is a minimalist shoe, its drop of 4mm from heel to toe is higher than most barefoot shoes. Its price is considerably lower at about $99.99 per pair. Reviews on the previous version has not been very positive although it has instigated a quick and appropriate action on the part of New Balance, motivating them to do a redesigning endeavor in answer to the clamor of consumer. From the present looks of it, it seems NB was able to act on the consumer request. The diverse New Balance Minimus review generated by the new product is raging about its minimalistic innovations.