if so what do you think?

Looking for an alternative to flip flops for bike touring/packing?

Yep, I have got a couple of pairs.
They are really comfy, but they do take a bit of getting used to. The separation of your toes feels wierd for a while

Ive been contemplating a pair of these for a while. would be good to hear folks opinions.

I have several pairs and i love wearing them. Definitely a dry warm weather thing though. Walking in nature in them is lovely, feels like bare foot but no pain. I play squash in them now but took a while to build up to that. Best to walk in them for a while before running as you won’t be used to it.

I tried some on at the outdoors show and found them really uncomfortable.

But then I have six toes on each foot…

🙂

Not used them myself but think they’re on sale at sports pursuit at the moment .

I know a couple of people who use them for running, and general wear and now swear by them.

Have to admit I’m curious…!

Use them as summer shoes. As said take some getting used to, but are awesomely comfy once you do.

They are great, I use mine in mma training. But for casual out and about I prefer my Nike free’s

i’ve worn out 2 pair over the last couple of years and am currently waiting for my new ones to arrive. they are brilliant. i wear them a general shoes throughout the summer. i don’t run in them (i don’t run full stop). super comfy once you get your head around the toe separation but that only took a couple of wears. don’t be put off by the fact that the first time you put them on you have trouble getting your toes in. this becomes really easy once they are worn in. i found that wearing them for a short while was best to stop your feet from hurting. but i am frequently barefoot anyway. also, if you have the chance, find a retail store with them so that you can fine tune you’re fit. the size guides were wrong for me.
i dont notice it so much now but when i first got mine in 2009 everyone, and i mean everyone would stare at you. i have lost count of the times people have stopped me in the street to ask me about them. i would not be with out them in all honesty.

Yeah. I get the staring/questions thing too, but then mine are in a bright blue camo colourway.

I do 10k or so in some every day. they’re awesome so long as your running technique is ok. It sounds like a cliche but I had all sorts of joint issues running in trainers but havn’t had any bar the off sore calf incident with these. total revelation.

Im sure that mine cured my back problems too. used to get back ache when stood up for prolonged periods. it gradually got less and less when i started wearing fives and after a month or so it had gone. it was something that had troubled me for ages since falling off the flat bed of a transit van.

Here’s my thread from last summer …

I tried them but didn’t get on with them 100%. I wasn’t a fan of the material in between my toes and also that my toes weren’t all the same length as the little pockets for them. Also they felt rounded at the bottom of my feet rather than trainers that project out slightly with an edge to them. This meant they didn’t feel stable to me.

I now have a pair of New Balance Minimus MT10 and they are brilliant. More secure on the foot. The sole is a Vibram one but it’s a bit thicker so you don’t feel every stone, but retains the barefoot feel. They also have a 4mm drop from heel to foot which feels more comfortable to me.

All in all they are a VERY minimal trainer rather than a total barefoot effort and felt far better for it. You still need to forefoot strike, etc, and they are brilliant for weight lifting on top of that. They also don’t look weird/try hard.

They’re on offer at SportPursuit

Lose the “george” if you don’t want to reward me

http://www.sportpursuit.com/join/george

There are alternatives if you don’t want the “look at me, I’m just so crazy” thing going on.

Inov8 Bare-x 180’s, Merrell Pace Glove etc.

Another alternative to look at is the vivobarefoot range for something with no drop, feel the ground but still be protected, look normal.