Just want to say that I'm absolutely loving your newsletter!! I've been wearing barefoot shoes exclusively for the last 5+ years because it has eradicated my foot pain/issues, but I have always struggled with the "ugliness" factor and have spent countless hours researching the least ugly ones I can find and even messaging (lol more like begging) normal shoe brands to make zero drop/wide toe box versions. I'm very into fashion otherwise and since day one of discovering barefoot shoes have always wondered wtf is up with 98% of the designs.
Like - why do they look like cardboard cut outs, why do the soles look so casual and inappropriate, why are there always the most offensively designed logos splashed on somewhere, why is the stitching always visible even in more "dressy" scenarios etc etc? You have illustrated exactly why they look so frumpy and dorky! I'm also trying to find more cushion after starting to get pain when wearing 5mm soles in the city, so I love that you are also finding shoes with some cushioning! Anyway just glad to have found a likeminded person in the minimalist shoe world :)
Thank you so much for your comment! I appreciate it! I'm glad I could help shed some light on the subject. 😊
You bring up a good point about the stitching. That's definitely something that's often just a little off with barefoot shoes. Either the thread is the wrong color or too thick for the style of shoe, etc. It's crazy how so many little details can make such a big difference in the end result of the shoe!
Luckily there are options starting to pop up that look way better than what we've had before. One of my next articles will be a roundup of the best-looking wide toe box shoes I've found so far, so stay tuned!
Just want to say that I'm absolutely loving your newsletter!! I've been wearing barefoot shoes exclusively for the last 5+ years because it has eradicated my foot pain/issues, but I have always struggled with the "ugliness" factor and have spent countless hours researching the least ugly ones I can find and even messaging (lol more like begging) normal shoe brands to make zero drop/wide toe box versions. I'm very into fashion otherwise and since day one of discovering barefoot shoes have always wondered wtf is up with 98% of the designs.
Like - why do they look like cardboard cut outs, why do the soles look so casual and inappropriate, why are there always the most offensively designed logos splashed on somewhere, why is the stitching always visible even in more "dressy" scenarios etc etc? You have illustrated exactly why they look so frumpy and dorky! I'm also trying to find more cushion after starting to get pain when wearing 5mm soles in the city, so I love that you are also finding shoes with some cushioning! Anyway just glad to have found a likeminded person in the minimalist shoe world :)
Thank you so much for your comment! I appreciate it! I'm glad I could help shed some light on the subject. 😊
You bring up a good point about the stitching. That's definitely something that's often just a little off with barefoot shoes. Either the thread is the wrong color or too thick for the style of shoe, etc. It's crazy how so many little details can make such a big difference in the end result of the shoe!
Luckily there are options starting to pop up that look way better than what we've had before. One of my next articles will be a roundup of the best-looking wide toe box shoes I've found so far, so stay tuned!