My journey into barefoot/minimalist shoes - Feel free to share yours

[BertDaKat]

Nicks are another option, that would come with either of the soles you’re looking for. I don’t have a pair but I do plan to try them. The JG is still cheaper even if I bought them to immediately resole.

On the side hills, without snow I had zero issue with the JG. The sole is enough to kick in, and bites. My issue was with snow, just having that rigid edge on a traditional mountain boot is enough to grab where my JG didn’t want to. I’d reccomend carrying micro spikes. I didn’t this year and was in a few dangerous spots where a fall would have been bad. Ended up using a trekking pole to keep my feet from sliding every step. I did use microspikes on the stock sole doing some mountaineering, they worked well and didn’t slip around. The stitch down construction really makes for a boot that holds spikes more like a traditional boot.

I’d also get a pair of waterproof socks and some thin liners for them.

The factory Jim green outsole is okay on dry terrain but I couldn’t stand it on any mud, snow or longer grass.

I've looked at getting my JK fire boots rebuilt by Nick's on the Thurman Zero Drop last, I'm just waiting to torch my current outsoles and I want to get measured at the factory. Can confirm those types of boots are expensive.

All good info to know on the JGs though, thanks! Sounds like I can get what I want out of them with the accessories you mentioned.

 

[Ranchhunter]

im surprised to see several people who have had plantar fasciitis get better with barefoot shoes. That has not been my experience. That being said I think I caused it by wearing riding boots with very high underslung heels for everything, all day for decades. Everyone I hung around with did. Now, as soon as the last calf is branded we all hobble to our trailers to put on our comfy shoes.
My wife got some barefoot shoes about the time Foms podcast about barefoot shoes came out. I was wearing a pair of Salomon’s when I wasn’t riding. I forget the name but very light mid hikers. I loved those because they were light and flexible. So when they wore out I got some Vivo forest escs. The front half of my foot loves them. But within a few months I could barely walk on my heels in the morning. I quit them and went to another hiker and my heels got better. Lately I’ve been wearing my Hoffman guides because they are insulated.
The winter has been so nice that I thought I would give the vivos another go. It’s been 2 days and my heels hurt again. I found this thread because I was looking to see if there were any vivos in the classifieds.
Any advice would be great. I would like them to work. That being said there are a lot of days, especially in the spring when I have to wear a heeled riding boot. And I have to get down and take my turn on the ground too and cannot go change my shoes. So several days a week I wear boots with a near 2 inch heel all day. The rest of the year is not as much. Maybe 1 day a week sometimes I might not wear them for 2 or 3 weeks. The fall I ride a lot again, trying to get cows off the mountain.
Sometimes I think the going back and forth is worse.
Anyway like I said if anyone has any suggestions I would like to hear them.

 

[River Reaper]

Recently tore my Achilles tendon playing basketball. I think it was due to months prior wearing nothing but stiff hiking boots with a heel while doing tons of hiking, then switching to flat, flexible shoes I hadn’t worn in a year with no build up. I plan to go to barefoot style boots moving forward. The brands and options are a little overwhelming, but threads like this are very helpful.

Any advice or other threads to read is welcomed and would be helpful.

 

[Lawnboi]

Recently tore my Achilles tendon playing basketball. I think it was due to months prior wearing nothing but stiff hiking boots with a heel while doing tons of hiking, then switching to flat, flexible shoes I hadn’t worn in a year with no build up. I plan to go to barefoot style boots moving forward. The brands and options are a little overwhelming, but threads like this are very helpful.

Any advice or other threads to read is welcomed and would be helpful.

Just start slow. Your going to feel sore in places you havnt from just walking around. To get to the point of being barefoot all the time it takes years in my opinion.

 

[Gripen]

Switched completely over to zero-drop shoes and boots a couple years ago - not necessarily minimalist footwear because mine are mostly Jim Greens. I can hike all day without foot pain now, no way I'll ever go back. Only issue is my feet are stupid wide (6E) and even my barefoot African Rangers aren't quite wide enough in the toebox, I preordered their new AnatomX version and if those work out I'll probably get a few pairs to replace my old ones. Probably too late to fix the bunions I developed over a lifetime of painfully narrow shoes, but at least my feet don't hurt any more.

I hear a lot of negative opinions about JG's barefoot soles, but so far I haven't had any traction issues in terrain like this:
View attachment 989183

My AnatomX boots arrived about a week ago - they're quite possibly the ugliest shoes I've ever owned, but the ultra-wide toebox is amazingly comfortable. Really hope Jim Green offers this new last on other models soon.