New to “barefoot shoes”? Trying to decide between the minimalist shoe options?
I know the feeling. Back in 2009, when I knew I wanted the benefits of being barefoot, but with a bit of protection (and something that would let me get into restaurants), I tried everything.
I LOVE our new minimalist shoes… they’re built off of our sandal base so they’re as close to barefoot as any shoe I’ve ever tried.
That said, if you want a “more barefoot” experience, you’ll want to try a sandal at some time. Here’s why.
- Better Bare Foot Feel — You want to feel the ground as much as possible, without having to worry about what you’re stepping on. With our FeelTrue® outsoles, you get the closest thing to a barefoot feel, but with the protection you want. BTW, don’t be fooled by some shoe companies that claim to have a 4mm or 6mm outsole. If the sole is stiffer, it’ll reduce the ground-feel. And if they add any padding on the inside of the shoe, that contributes to the thickness.
- Natural Movement— You want to let your feet move and your toes flex and wiggle without anything getting in the way. With the dual-direction chevron treads and the flexibility of our FeelTrue® rubber, our outsoles let you grip the ground. And with nothing restricting the top of your foot, your toes can lift and splay as much as you want.
- Anti-bacterial/Anti-Odor — The air circulates around your foot, instead of having your feet wrapped up.
- Easier Fit — Our sandals will fit your foot, no matter what shape it is — curved, straight, narrow, wide. And you can trim some of them with a pair of kitchen scissors for a perfect fit.
- Lightweight — At 3.4 ounces for a men’s size 9 (the 4mm DIY kit), you’ll have a hard time finding anything that feels like, well, you’re almost barefoot. We’ve had customers forget they were wearing their Xero Shoes and go to bed with them still on!
- Multi-purpose — People all around the world use Xero Shoes for everything from walking, to hiking, to camping, to yoga, to stand-up paddleboarding, to sea kayaking, to sky-diving, to running, to tackling 100-mile ultra-marathons!
- Convenient — Xeros roll or fold and fit in small spaces. Stick ’em in your pocket so you have them handy for a hike or to get through the airport faster.
- Personal Style — With 5 different sole colors, dozens of lacing styles, and even more decorative add-ons, you can have sandals that are high-performance, ultra-minimalist or fashion-forward and ready for a night on the town. In fact, those could be the same pair!
- Inexpensive — I don’t get how minimalist shoes and sandals can be $150-$200! Ours are under $80. Xero Shoes’ sandals are a fraction of that price. You could get 5 pairs (one in each color! 😉 of our DIY kits for the price of some minimal running shoes.
- Long-Lasting — People often ask how long Xero Shoes will last. True to our tire-sandal heritage, Xero Shoes come with a 5,000 mile sole warranty. Compare that to running shoes that you’re supposed to replace every 300-500 miles!
