Jimmy's review is really
Jimmy's review is really great and I read it before I bought mine. I had been hesitating, though, because of the design - the high and low versions that Jimmy describes seemed too hot and too much like Protons to make them interesting for warm weather running. I am really looking for a replacement for water shoes that's more durable. Last time I looked at the Zem site, I noticed they had added a "rounded" version of the shoe to their product line which they call "Zem Comfort"
http://www.zemgear.com/Traveler.html. These shoes do not have a collar that encloses the ankle - rather they fit more like casual shoes. In the black ones I got, the logo is also black so they look very sleek. I can wear them to work. I figured if they didn't work for running I could wear them around. They fit true to size and the toe box is huge compared to any other shoe I know of.
I took them for a spin last night - one mile barefoot, then I slipped them on for repeats around the "track" (actually a city square that I use for track work). The concrete is pretty rough there, and after a few miles of fast running and slow recovery jogs there, and then another 1/2 mile later on at the tail end of my workout when my feet got too sensitive, there is no scuffing whatsoever. I cannot tell at all that the shoes have been worn at all which is pretty amazing since the fabric actually touches the ground because of the wraparound (I am not a scuffler, though, and have clean form, but still...).
I did have similar problems to Jimmy's with the seams - essentially they irritated the nerves around the edges of the feet a bit for me. I see in Jimmy's review that this problem disappeared with wear. I hope that is the case, because it was enough of a problem to cause me some concern. As far as the upper is concerned, it is warmer than water shoes due to the lack of mesh but much cooler than Protons because of the rounded collar leaving much more of the foot to breathe. The fit on the upper is, by far, the best fit on any minimalist shoe I have ever had. It should address concerns of those who cannot stand water shoes due to their feet sliding around. I don't have this problem even in oversized water shoes, but I did appreciate the glovelike fit.
I will happily run more in these and probably also spend alot of time wearing them as casual shoes. They are so good looking I even am considering wearing them with a dress to my high school reunion so I can run home. I really look forward to seeing the product of collaboration for a running shoe. I hope it includes the rounded collar which is very important to me in terms of fit and breathability.