Men's Minimalist Trail Runner | Wide Toe Box | Barefoot Inspired

Edit: (I have not taken these shoes off in a week except to sleep) Read the reviews, thanks guys, was looking forward to trying these. I live in Florida, so you don't need much, but I also need protection because of peripheral neuropathy. I was wondering how good these shoes would be. Wow, so comfortable, kinda plush actually. Fit firmly to the feet with plenty of things to adjust the fit of the shoe. Holds the foot very well without a lot of pressure. Some shoes you have to tighten here or there to make them fit, but not these. You know they are there and on, but barely. I can't comment on water resistantance, I have cheap shoes for the ocean, just glad to know they can handle water. The insoles are ok, I see what other reviewers are referring to. They are comfortable, don't get me wrong, but a good pair of insoles when the factory ones wear out will be nice. If you're like me, I was hesitant to try the good minimalist water resistant shoes. I have some of the cheap ones, and I thought, how can someone run over terrain in these? I get it now, these are worth the extra dollars, way worth it. The fit, the comfort and they look kinda cool. I would get cheaper tennis shoes to kick around the house and work outside. I seem to sacrifice something with the cheap shoes, I am going to get another pair of these. You don't have to sacrifice anything with these shoes, they are great.

These are fantastic! I was leery when they arrived shrink-wrapped instead of in a box. Toes can splay out comfortably and naturally but the shoe is not am overall sloppy, wide fit. Lacing and Velcro fastener provide good adjustment. Feet have never felt better. Good for walking both street and trails. Summers get over 100º here and these are very breathable. I bought a half-size up to wear with socks. Have two pair. Have also gifted a pair. Well made. Super flexible sole. Zero drop. As close to barefoot as you can get. Price has gone up about $10 since I got mine - hopefully they drop back to around $30.

Love these shoes for the price point. I can always find someone to pick about with shoes, so don't let the minus 1 start fool you I picked up my 1st pair of Whitin's just over a year ago and I still wear them. Just before that I started with another even cheaper version from another manufacturer. For the price point, I didn't know if you can get better, but yes you can get better. Pros: • durable enough to wear daily for a year+ and not wear out • inexpensive • very comfortable • true to size • all the normal barefoot benefits Cons: • they come with a minimally raised heel insole, hence not true zero drop, but close. Regardless, I prefer thinner and zero drop, so I take them out and put in a cheap pair of cotton or other barefoot style insole. I really wish they would come up with a version with thinner zero drop insoles, as it would probably save them and me money. • I'd love to see a puncture proof sole. I've never puncture these yet, but I am confident they're not puncture proof. • I would love it if they improved the inner lining beneath the insole. I often would just like to have no insole at all, but the stitching and materials inside, while useable, are clearly not intended for this purpose, leaving room for improvement. All in all, I would and have recommended these to many. For this price, you should say least try out barefoot shoes, and the "beginner insoles" they come with might be a pro for you if you're new to this style. I've purchased 4 total now, when I find them on sale for even better price points, 1 for my wife 1 for keeping a clean pair, and for when I wear out my original pair. I will buy again, but I also may look for an upgrade to these if they don't have newer options when my next time for replacement comes.

These shoes are simply wonderful. I have an old pair of vibram five fingers that I love, but I started trail running and found they don't have enough padding for running on rough gravel or an acorn littered trail. Perhaps my feet would have eventually adjusted, but I'm running many miles and don't want to cause bone bruising or other damage to my feet. These WHITIN shoes are just what I needed. They have more padding, allowing me to run on sharp gravel comfortably, while still allowing my feet to move naturally, in a way that "traditional" shoes don't. They're also nice and wide in the forefoot and toe, which matches the natural shape of my feet. At least 99% of shoes are too narrow in the front and hurt my wide feet. If that sounds picky, I'm running 8-20 miles at a time, so any "small" problems with a shoe quickly magnify out to major problems. In short, these shoes are incredibly comfortable, provide the padding needed for trail running, and are surprisingly cheap compared to the competition. My only complaint is that I don't "feel the ground" as much as with my vibram five fingers. This downside can be somewhat alleviated though by simply using the shoes without the inserts. Note: If you're new to minimalist shoes, these will likely be perfect for you, since they have more padding than many others. Still, take time to let your body adjust. And know that, in the long run, you're actually less likely to injure yourself than with all the heavily padded conventional running shoes. Why? You can't just keep pounding the ground (causing stress injuries) because now that actually hurts. Your gait and foot strike will adjust, consciously or unconsciously, so that you land on the ground more lightly and distribute the force of impact more effectively. This will help not just your feet, but your ankles, knees, and hips too. I all but gave up running years ago because I kept suffering from injury and pain. Now, with minimalist shoes, I no longer worry about injury and can go for a 20 mile trail run without pain or swelling afterward!

Inexpensive experiment that turned out to be amazing. Super comfortable, even like slippers, but protects the bottom (only) of the feet. Makes a person feel like bouncing around, in a good way. Seems much more durable than I ever expected. Highly recommended.

Paired with toe socks, this lightweight hiking shoe provides wonderful stability and grip on trails with rocks, dust, roots, pebbles, mud, streams... At a third of the price of FiveFingers, these shoes are a stunning value. And very comfortable as well! While I had low expectations, I was blown away by how functional and comfortable these shoes are. The minimalist design is augmented by what appears to be a strange outline of your toes at the front end. Yet there is no conforming toe shape in the sole. So what gives? This unique design shines when you are hiking on a steep decline -- when you usually find your toes painfully jammed to the front wall of the toe box. Not with these! Your toes (if you are barefoot or wearing toe socks) find a comfortable spot in those little carveouts for your toesies! Genius! The soles provide both amazing grip on all manner of slippery terrain: dusty uphills, gravelly downhills, wet rocks in streams, muddy patches. As an avid hiker on a wide spectrum of trails for more than 50 years, I don't ever recall feeling so confident in my shoes/boots, or so comfortable. While these are very lightweight, the soles are tough. I could 'sense' roots and rocks and stones but had ZERO pain or discomfort traversing them. I have ordered more pairs and more versions of this shoe. I am eager to try more Whitin minimalist shoes with their wide toe boxes. There is a dizzying variety of Whitin shoes here. And the product descriptions are confusingly similar so differentiating them is a challenge. But! If you are a serious hiker, give these shoes a try! Expect your feet and body to thank you!

Trucker review Waited a few days to write this. First I got these because I wear crocks while I work. And it’s becoming increasingly unpopular to wear flip flops and crocks when your truck because it’s associated with the worst drivers out there. So I got this middle ground between my Nike air max and crocks. It’s really does fit in between. A little on the warm side they don’t breathe as well as I hoped. No stinky feet though when you take them off. Great driving shoe , good grip you can feel the pedals. Lots of tractions getting in and out of the truck. It’s dangerous and high. Walking. Is where I have a problem. On cement and asphalt fine. You feel the road beneath you the balls of my feet hurt a little even though I’m just walking 100 feet at a time. On rocks heck no. It hits like you’re barefoot. Watch your step. The insoles are already dirty I shower daily but chose to not wear socks because I was looking for something more slipper like. I’d say medium to medium high quality they slip On easy no need to tie laces the Velcro strap is the only weakness so far comes off as you walk. But you don’t really need it the shoe is like a sock the picture is what happened when you take your foot out. You need to fix them each time. Weeks later update The yellow insoles are filthy they seem to suck dirt in. I wonder if they sell them here. Feet jurt after a while. Imagine parking at a big Walmart go all the way across and back. My feet hurt. Driving small moves super comfortable.

As comfortable as my old Altra Lone Peaks, one-fourth the price, as well as hopefully an unchanging model for years to come. Replaced my old (depleted) stock of New Balance Minimus 10v1 — the shoes aren't directly comparable, but as someone with a strong preference for those now-discontinued runners, these sufficed. Ran a half-marathon on a forest trail with no training in months and no break-in time for the shoes. No blisters. Lack of cushioning means the rocks and roots are noticeable, but I prefer that (teaches mindfulness about where to land the foot). Have since also used for yard work, basketball, walks, and everyday wear. Not exceedingly stylish, but neither am I. Too soon to speak to durability, but the price point and performance have me unworried as long as I can get six months of heavy use on asphalt, concrete, dirt, and grass. The velcro is nice, especially for running. Easier to get a perfect fit without too much pressure on the top bones of my feet. Will probably stockpile half a dozen pairs once this pair proves to last six months at my activity level and environment. Update six months in: Have held up ~250 miles trail running; uncounted miles on asphalt and grass; heavy sprinting, jumping, cutting on concrete while playing basketball; and weightlifting. Never had any issues, even though the size is slightly bigger than I may need — no sliding inside, yet also very low pressure applied to top of foot. No odor, but I wear an athletic wool blend sock which I credit for that. Beginning to see wear on the sole under the heel, as I do with all my minimalist shoes. Overall I'd say this sole has exceeded my expectations for durability given my time and motions on concrete and asphalt. Will purchase more. Hope build quality is consistent. Update at 9 months: Ordering a second pair. Will update later as to whether build is similar between what should be identical items. If consistent, I'll probably buy a half-dozen because this shoe meets my expectations for a good shoe at an excellent price. Update at 16 months: Insoles of first pair degraded and left a yellow gunk that attached all-too-readily to my polyester-wool socks. Whitin sells replacement insoles but these are not the same type or feel as the originals. Have not found a good insole replacement to replicate exact feel. External sole on first pair is fine after much use. Second pair was approximately of the same build and quality of first pair. Lately have used second pair at 25% incline, 2-3mph on treadmill, or 15% incline up to 5mph. That's a new use case, just as serviceable. The top bones of my feet remain finicky with minimal pressure, so the velcro is still much appreciated to reduce pressure. If I can find a suitable insole replacement (many fine brands, styles exist; but I want the precise match), then I will buy a third pair or more.