Street shoes other than ripoff vivo or merrell?

kozz

Barefooters
Jan 6, 2011
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I'm still on a quest to replace my vans boat shoes, which replaced my $50 Fireflies, the only truly minimalist street shoes I've ever owned, and which are no longer sold and their German manufacturer has no recollection of ever having produced them.

I refuse to pay Vivo or Merrell a marked-up price for a shoe that's less expensive than normal to make.

What others are there? Excluding mocs, sandals and other things that wouldn't be called a street shoe by the average person on the street.

simple criteria:

no significant midsole
thin outsole (Lems is out)
flexible
looks like normal street shoe - preferably brown leather. No bright colors, snazzy designs or crazy logos.

If I have to settle for Vivo or Merrell, how do the sizes run?
 
My Merrells (trail glove) are size 13.
Regular shoes I used to be an 11 or sometimes a 12.
I picked them up on sale for $60 I think down from about $200 because they were last season's model. They're not the latest but are capable of way more than I am
 
If I have to settle for Vivo or Merrell, how do the sizes run?
My feet are 10.25 inches in length. My widest foot is 5.5 inches fully splayed. I wear the Vivobarefoot Dharma for work with thin dress socks. (The Dharma is an older model and may be difficult to find. It was the best fitting shoe for me from Vivo, due to my wide feet.) The 46 is okay, as I like my shoes a bit loose fitting (but would be far too loose without socks). The 45 is okay lengthwise, but a bit cramped in the forefoot, even without socks.

Good luck!
 
I refuse to pay Vivo or Merrell a marked-up price for a shoe that's less expensive than normal to make.

I have many pairs of minimalist sandals and shoes, actually my two pairs of Merrells are the cheapest of all of them. Got one pair right on amazon for about $60 and the other was on clearence at the local Marshals for around $45. But to be honest they are my least favorite - would have been better if I could have got a wider widths... they are very tight fitting shoes.

For a casual shoe I like my Soft Star Dash's the best. Very minimal, just a flat rubber sole (with a thin leather midsole though) and a very soft non-formed upper. Looks good enough to pass as business casual at work, and not too dressy that I don't want to wear it out and about. I even run in them in the winter. Its my favorite all around shoe. But they are costly, but not any more than Vivo and handmade here in the U.S. so I don't mind spending a little extra. You can even do them custom (additional cost), but I think the smooth chocolate or smooth black looks best and are standard ones. The only thing is they have a reflective stripe on them (can have them remove it if custom) but I've left it on and no one even at work has really questioned them. However the uppers are so soft and stretchy I have got one comment they look more like slippers, fyi, but I can live with just one strange comment.
 
For a casual shoe I like my Soft Star Dash's the best.
The Dash looks nice! Just wondering, since the sole is completely flat, does the front of the shoe tend to catch on the ground (as sometimes happens with huaraches)?
sole-comparison-side_6.jpg

I'm curious for my personal shoemaking purposes. Thanks!
 
Sid, I've never had that happen that I can recall. And fwiw my pair don't look nearly as 'angled' on each end as they do in that pic, I'll try to take a pic on my feet myself for a real life pose. My smooth chocolate ones that I almost always wear are getting pretty worn though, need to find some shoe polish I guess (I never have used that before).
 
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Teva Clifton creek loafer. Pull the insole, and you can remove the heel,ramp, giving a flat shoe. The footbed is a tad rough, but I just put the newly flat insole back in. A tad thick for minimalists' tastes, but flat, wide, comfy, and work appropriate.
 
Ok just shot a couple cell phone pics with my new Soft Star Dashes in smooth black with the trail soles here at work right now...

dash1.jpg

dash2.jpg

It was raining and muddy walking in so they have a bit of mud on them in spots.

Also, I really want to get a pair of their Rogue shoes, for the easy slip on and off. At work I always take shoes off at my desk, and its a pain to keep taking off and putting on. Really need to get the Rogues! Available in 3 colors but a bit pricey though. Here is a pic off their site. I've not heard anyone on here that has em yet, does anyone?Rogue.JPG
 
While softstars have thin outsole, they have also midsole that makes it bit thicker, something like 5 mm I would guess.. AFAIK, most merrells are thicker than lems btw.

I would suggest to have a look at sole runners, they have 2mm outsole and nothing more.
http://www.sole-runner-shop.com/en/sole-runner/sole-runner-casual/

They have some new models and international shipping now. Most shoes are not very wide though (probably wider than merrells though). Scouts are very narrow though, just google it for better view. I have pures and don't like them. ;)
 
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Softstars are basically moccasins, the Teva's are too thick on the outsole

Sole runners would be good but their only decently priced import has neon pink trim all over it. The same is true for Feelmax.

The Patagonias might be all right but that synthetic upper looks kind of flimsy.
 
I'm now waiting on Patagonia Advocate Lace. Hopefully they are the right size, and they're made of leather not vegetables like the Stitch, so the uppers should be able to handle some wear. The soles don't have a durable reputation but I expect I can protect them with Shoe Goo.
 
Wow, those Sole Runner Scouts look impressive. Alas, we will sooner win the lottery (which we don't play) than be able to afford those! :) It is a good thing that nothing I do right now prohibits me from being barefoot!
 
Then they say Bowerman lived a long time despite developing health problems due to his shoemaking habit.

That product is a dust mask, it doesn't claim to block phenyl vapors, which most good cements use as solvents.

I now have the Patagonia lace stitch. Size 10 fits my 11-inch feet (what US size 11 is supposed to be) with nearly 1cm of clearance. They are comfortable and flexible and the toe box is spacious. The outsole is flat on the bottom and will need to be reinforced on the sides once the wear pattern develops.