What shoes you wore before become trapped in barefoot /minimalist cult ?

[toesstoutdownyesfingers]

Mizuno Wave Precision for running.  Converse All Stars for everything else.

[Koala3]

Skate shoes and Original SWAT boots for many years for casual and work, then some Converse All Stars. The flat sole of the Converse solved lower back and leg/ ankle pain; then discovered VFFs and rode that train for a while. Got back to wearing regular shoes for work and it was miserable, now I've got a nearly destroyed pair of LEMings from working in them, but I'll be damned if my feet hurt anymore
KSO, Smartwool Classics, 2x LEMings, Invisibleshoes Huaraches, Merrell True Gloves, not a one regular shoe for these dogs anymore.

[jlauf]

I wore just about everything, I was a bit of what you would call a sneakerhead.  I have only met a few people who knew more about sneakers than I did.  I tried every type of cushioning and shoe and nothing helped my knees.  I picked up a pair of VFF cheap and tried them, a few months later I got my second pair.  The straw that broke the camel's back was when my hiking boots that were supposed to be everything you need in a boot hampered me on a peak ascent.  I returned those and now wear minimalist shoes 6-7 days a week with the exception of playing basketball.

[BlackFoxSees]

I had no real model or brand affiliation before Vibram. I would just go to a store and try on every pair they had in size 14.

My last pair were Asics Gel-Enduro 6's. I really liked them for the 6 months before I got my KSO's. The toe box is pretty roomy, and I did an 8 mile hike up a mountain on the second day I had them with no trouble, which impressed me a bit. They were pretty clunky, but it must mean something that I don't absolutely detest wearing them now (only hate it in a smoldering kind of way).

Clues: I went looking for technical specs on the shoe, but the first thing I found was a review complaining that the toe box is too wide, there's not enough arch support, and the heel padding is too thin. I'd hate to wear whatever that person is used to  . The G-E6 is very definitely a trail shoe in the non-minimalist sense of the word.

[shadowfax_c11]

No particular brand but always some type of work or hiking boot. I was replacing them every 3 months because once the soles wore out o balance it affected my knees.

Now I still wear boots when I a working with and around the horses but my Vibrams are the only7 thing I wear other than that. I do have a pair of Tansmith sneakers that I wear only when it is too cold to be outside for long without socks. Eventually I'll invest in some toe socks so I can wear the vibrams more in colder weather because I really hate "normal" shoes now. It's like putting my feet in a straight jacket. :p

[kissel]

Timberland Eurohikers for a long time.  Also used to wear Puma Speedcats (or other variations thereof) or Adidas Goodyear driving shoes.  They had pretty thin soles.  They were built so you could feel the car pedals through the shoe.

Now I either wear Alpinestars SMX-5 (on the Beemer), Danner Powerlines (at work), or my VFFs.

[gypsyleader]

I've worn Keens of varying styles for a number of years.  I'm not that tough on work shoes, so rotating between 3-4 pairs lasts me a good while.  I can't wear VFF's to the office, but anytime I'm not at work, that's what's on my feet.

[cincodeos]

Wide Bostonians and Clarks. 

[Belbe]

oooh... the very best cushioned really! LOL! I'm what you can call a sneaker geek.

I walked in Nike Terra Humara (had 3 pairs in several colors),


the Asics Gel Noosa Tri 7


the Nike Dunk High Premium Womens Rainbow


the Nike Air Morgan 6.0 Mid


and the Nike Court Force Pucci


I ran in Nike Air Pegasus 27 (the softest, most cushioned shoes out there, feel like clouds!)


and the Brooks Glycerin 8


And ran trails in the Mizuno Wave Ascend 5



The Brooks and the Mizunos have a very thick sole at the front, so the heel-drop is very small. This made me feel "strangely" comfortable and it's one of the reasons I decided to try minimalistic. Another reason was the fact that I did a 14km nonstop walking trail on the Nike Dunks, wich are flat and unpaded, and felt as good as new in the end! so that convinced me further. The waterdrop was my study of barefoot rehabilitation in horses.


I'm sad to say that my current shoes are all dull and don't match my clothes at all, but at least I got rid of all my pains and aches. I'm just hoping minimalistic goes popular enough for me to get a fun looking collection up again. LOL!

[canadiandude]

I usually wore whatever was cheapest and most available at the time. About two years ago I started thinking more about my feet and my general health after being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I then purchased a pair of Nike Lunarglides which I loved but I got too large a size and would develop blisters during my typical 10-30km walks. That's when I started researching on the net what I should actually be wearing and I eventually came across this site and the world of VFFs, Merrells etc...

[johnmjoy]

Just curious to know what was your life and what was your "evolution" before get trapped into barefoot / minimalist cult. I think also this will help people still hesitate to become minimalist fallower to have some references.

Steel-toe Red Wings.  All day (though not to bed, of course), every day, for twenty-five years.  (Exception: wrestling shoes at the gym.)

Since March 2010, almost exclusively VFF, VivoBarefoot or Merrell Tough Gloves (when I need to look a bit dressier).  Or nothing at all.

[SanjMerchant]

I wore cheap, bargain-basaement New Balances.  Oddly enough, they served me well, as I never developed any issues with feet or joints.  (Then again, I was still in my twenties when I made the switch, so who knows how badly my feet and legs would've been screwed up later on down the line.  Oddly enough, I bought my first VFFs because I wanted a shoe that was good for walking on the treadmill that also didn't throw me off balance when I tried to lift.  I just came love them so much that I practically throw a temper tantrum if I have to wear anything else.