Kickstart Earthbaked Plus/Minus 90 Minimalist Shoes

Wanted to give readers a heads up on a new minimalist shoe concept that might pique your interest. Steve Boynton, a designer based out of Provo, Utah, has designed a wool-based, biodegradable shoe design he’s calling the PlusMinus (or the Earthbaked +/- 90). It’s a neat concept. In the words of Steve, the shoes feature:

• Minimal barefoot loafer design with an upper made of 100% wool.
• Earth friendly materials: Wool is biodegradable, moisture wicking, antimicrobial, and breathable which makes it perform great against the skin.
• Freedom for your feet on rest days, at work, or at home.

Steve has launched a Kickstarter campaign to get these novel shoes off … or on the ground. I emailed a bit with Steve about his concept and learned that the shoes are meant to be worn barefoot, they feature a natural rubber sole with no midsole or sole. With the 3mm layer of wool wtitched to the inside of the sole and the 3mm of rubber outsole, they only have a 6mm stack height. So they’re pretty minimal. Steve estimates that a pair will last 3 to 6 months with everywhere, everyday wear. In my experience wearing hyper-minimalist, soft-soled shoes like those made by Soft Star Shoes, so long as you’re not a heavy walker (and have acclimating to a lighter step via wearing minmialist shoes for awhile), I could see these easily lasting that long with a 3mm rubber outsole. The design of the PlusMinus reminds me a bit of Soft Stars, actually. I’d be curious to try them out. Due to their natural components of the Earthbaked PlusMinus design, Steve suggests when you’re done with them you can just bury them in your backyard and let them biodegrade naturally. Cool concept, no? Here are a few more stock photos of the shoes: If you’re interested in seeing the PlusMinus come to market, head over to Steve’s Kickstarter campaign. You can hook up a single pair for $25 you can get a pair shipped to you when they’re manufactured. As of 5/9/2013 and about three days into the campaign, Steve has raised almost $6K towards his $40K goal. Care to kickstart a new shoe? You know what to do.