Invisible Shoes Experience

[Agnesd]

I just wanted to say something about my experience with Invisible Shoes. I got my first pair last spring, and had a good couple of walks/short runs in them, but on the second or third day the string between the toes was absolutely painful. I walked maybe 2 blocks in them and had pain so bad I took them off a walked home barefoot. That was actually a great thing because it got me to actually try running barefoot - the beginning of the end of shoes for me. I did try the no toe tying method, but didn't really feel comfortable that way either, so my Invisible Shoes got put away.

After that, I ordered a pair of Unshoes Pah Tempes, then a pair of the Feathers. The Feathers worked out. I didn't have much issue with the strap between the toes and over time, they didn't bother me at all. The Feathers have been pretty much my only footwear all summer.

For some reason, I noticed my Invisible Shoes lying degected in my closet, and decided to give them another go. Lo and behold, the strap no longer bothers me, and I absolutely love them. Whether it was the Feathers that "broke me in" or my form improved, I don't know, and I don't care. I played around with the tying style, and currently have a pretty standard tying style except for one addition - a knot in the strap before running it through the side holes. When I come back to it, I just run the string through the knot, and am able to really fine tune the fit since there's no sliding around where the strings cross. I've now ordered some in brown (yay colors!) and can't wait till they get here.

So for those out there who have issues with the strings, fit, or tying, I personally found it worth it to give them another chance. I do still love my Feathers though.

 

[NickW]

I haven't given them a second chance not just because I didn't like the strings (still hate their laces) but also because their product was floppy unless I really cinched it up tight (which makes the laces problem even worse). I do really love my homemade floor mat huaraches (traditional tying method with soft boot laces) and my newest ones that I just made out of Lunas neoprene and bedrocks earthquake laces. I can't wear my newest ones for more than a couple hours though as it feels like the strap somehow gets tighter over time and starts to hurt. They are great for short little trips and runs and I may give Lunas leather laces a shot again on this neoprene sole.

 

[barefootbill]

I have been running in Invisible Shoes for years. Still run 80-100 miles a week in them. I have found that the lacing does not have to be real tight. To prevent the "floppiness" the lengths just need to be correct. I found the floppiness most commonly related to the length of strap coming from the toe hole to the outside ankle hole. If that is too long, it allows the sole to hang from the foot, creating the floppy feel. If you shorten that length a little it pulls the sole up to the bottom of the foot, and voila, no more flopping. Again, I want to stress that it's not about the lace being cinched down tighter, it's about having the correct length. When the lengths of lace are correct I find the sole floats very nicely under my foot.

 

[Agnesd]

I have been running in Invisible Shoes for years. Still run 80-100 miles a week in them. I have found that the lacing does not have to be real tight. To prevent the "floppiness" the lengths just need to be correct. I found the floppiness most commonly related to the length of strap coming from the toe hole to the outside ankle hole. If that is too long, it allows the sole to hang from the foot, creating the floppy feel. If you shorten that length a little it pulls the sole up to the bottom of the foot, and voila, no more flopping. Again, I want to stress that it's not about the lace being cinched down tighter, it's about having the correct length. When the lengths of lace are correct I find the sole floats very nicely under my foot.

I didn't know that's what caused the flopping, but I guess that's what I finally discovered. When I put that knot in the top lace I could keep the laces comfortable, not too tight, and the sole stays pretty close to my foot.

 

[NickW]

I have been running in Invisible Shoes for years. Still run 80-100 miles a week in them. I have found that the lacing does not have to be real tight. To prevent the "floppiness" the lengths just need to be correct. I found the floppiness most commonly related to the length of strap coming from the toe hole to the outside ankle hole. If that is too long, it allows the sole to hang from the foot, creating the floppy feel. If you shorten that length a little it pulls the sole up to the bottom of the foot, and voila, no more flopping. Again, I want to stress that it's not about the lace being cinched down tighter, it's about having the correct length. When the lengths of lace are correct I find the sole floats very nicely under my foot.

The floppiness for me is in the toe section, not because between the toe hole and the ankle hole is too loose. I do know what your talking about though. I have had that problem with my homemade sandals. The front with the 4mm IS, um, connect or what ever it's called, is just really floppy to me. I haven't tried their 6mm ones.

 

[Lomad]

the 6mm is a much better sandal in my experience. The 4mm was floppy no matter what, where the 6mm is pretty stable without having to really work on the laces

 

[Hobbit]

I bought both models, the 4 mm and the 6 mm and allowed myself a couple of weeks to find the ideal lacing. In the beginning the knot was a problem - by now it's quite flattened out and I don't feel it any more. Flopping of the 4 mm sandals is rarely a problem for me (my feet are rather medium size) but it does happen from time to time.
I wanted to like invisible shoes (with all the lore about huaraches and their simplicity, they really appealed to me)
But sadly, the fact is: I don't like running in them (for casual wear they are great though)
Here is why: When they get wet (from rain, dew, or crossing a brook) the foot is slipping in them and the sandal itself is slipping on wet surfaces like grass or cobblestones, which makes running really difficult.
But most importantly, even if I run only on dry asphalt with them, and it feels as if I had nothing on my feet, my running gait is altered in comparison to barefoot running: after the run, my feet begin to hurt all over and it is worse with the 6 mm (they are less flexible and heavier than the 4 mm). I don't have this problem after barefoot runs.
So I always carry a pair with me on my barefoot runs just in case for the difficult patches (or public toilets) but I don't run in them any more. At least they are easier to carry than vibrams or other shoes.

 

[AnneTanne]

I have the 4 mm, but haven't ran in them yet. I walk in them the first 500 m of my training runs, when I have to cross a very rough section.
The floppiness is a problem in my left shoe, where I made the hole between the toes not quite in the right place, it should have been just 1/8 inch closer to the rim of the shoe.

 

[rickwhitelaw]

I can't relate to the Invisible Shoes, I don't have any, but I had similar experiences with Unshoes. It just takes some time to get your adjustments correct. I found the best setting with the laces loose. Less pull on the toe strap. But, when I ran with the straps loose, the heel strap would fall down. I simply added a shoe lace to hold the heel strap up around my ankle. Now, if they would only work in the mud.