Barefoot sandals

[rydra_wong]

Please excuse the terrible quality of the photograph and the apocalyptic mess of a desk on which my feet are propped, and focus on the sandals:



I made these from a kit from InvisibleShoe.com, who will sell you a sheet of 4mm Vibram Cherry rubber and a pair of nylon laces, and provide the instructions on their website.

I modified said instructions slightly: I decided that rubber against bare skin was going to be unpleasant in the heat and used Shoe Goo to attach a layer of denim from my rag bag, leaving it rough around the edges (because I like the look and because I'm lazy), and I pulled a loop of lace through the toe hole rather than a single strand so I could modify the tying system and make them simpler to take on and off.

I'm really pleased with how they've turned out. It's taken a few days of wear for the lump of the knot under the sole to flatten out, and for me to learn how to wear them (mysteriously, it's easier to walk with them laced more loosely), but they're now very comfy and I expect them to be my standard wear when it's too hot for shoes.

If you're in a climate which is sandal-friendly at any point in the year, this could be a good cheap way of trying out barefoot shoes and seeing how they work for you.

Comments

[axelrod]

I'm about to get a pair of Merrells, actually, based on your recommendation of barefoot shoes - I'm very hopeful that they'll seriously diminish some of the chronic physical pain that I've traced directly to basically every shoe I've ever worn so far. I'm esp excited about maybe getting back to running.

And I was just thinking that the Merrells I'm getting look pretty breathable but it's getting hot and my feet overheat like whoa and I hate that and I need sandals that don't hurt. And lo and behold, you deliver with another awesome post :)

Here's hoping I can find, and afford, something comfortable and barefoot-esque by winter. Speaking of which, I may have found something - tabi-style shoes and boots. Which someone linked to in the comments on your previous post on barefoot shoes. So yeah. Yay internet people :) Anyway, I talk about some of the apparent pros and cons of the tabi-style boots here.

[feanna]

I bought these:
http://www.barfuss-leguano.com/barfuss-leguano-PREMIUM/barfuss-leguano-PREMIUM-18.html?XTCsid=993dd27f4c178561b9934a4937cffbfe
recently. (They were on sale at a sports and bikes exibition.)

So far I'm fine with them. They ARE meant for running and not for general wear, and I have to second some comments that while running they feel a bit like they're slipping forward in the beginning (not contiuusly, justmove forward a bit and then stay that way), but that they actually work pretty well.
I've worn them around as well, and I have to say that they do move more on your feet than normal shoes, but they're not slippery of anything.

[rydra_wong]

Ooh, interesting. A design like that might be fairly easy to make using the InvisibleShoe kit (or a sheet of Vibram Cherry rubber from anywhere, but it's hard to buy individual sheets) -- knit the upper, sew it to a flat cloth sole, then glue it to the rubber sole with Shoe Goo.

Not that I knit, but I know knitters ...

[feanna]

You'd want to make sure that the sock you're using is very firmly fitting (not unflexible but not slipping on the foot, so elastic but strong) though. I do know that this is the second iteration of the sock they're using and that it's made by a hight quality (brand name) sock manufacturer. Of course when you're knitting yourself (or a friend) you can experiment with what you like. It's worth noting though, that the adherence of the sole to the ground and the weight of the sole itself, means more of a tendency for the sock to slip (or at least move around a bit) than if you're simply walking in socks (or you're at least much more aware of it).

I do like them so far though. Obviously they're not water proof at all, which is no problem if you're actually running, but not so good for rainy weather ordinary wear. They are (machine)washable though.

I was mostly happy to get barefoot shoes at a relatively low price and without toe seperation (I can do tabi, but even 5toe-socks drive me mad).

They're also really nice for taking to the fitness studio, or otherwise carrying them around, because they take up almost no space in a bag. (They roll up too)

[juliet]

Interesting! (what was the UK shipping, ooi?)

Do you find any problems with the laces rubbing between your toes? I remember flip-flops in my youth tending to be a bit ouchy there.

[rydra_wong]

Can't remember what the shipping was -- I ordered the kit a while back and only got around to making them when it suddenly got hot in London and I realized I had no sandals.

Logically, it seems like it should be easier and cheaper to buy a sheet of rubber from the manufacturers, but it turns out to be really hard to find anywhere that'll sell you a single sheet for a reasonable price.

So far, no problem with the laces rubbing. Though I haven't done any seriously long walks in them yet.

[juliet]

I got myself some! And made them at the weekend.

The thing I'm mostly noticing is how incredibly & irritatingly (to me) *flappy* they are. I prefer my shoes to be a bit more firmly attached to my feet. (I know how I walk barefoot, and I can't really do that properly b/c all the *flapping*.) I am going to try punching some holes each side of the toes and constructing a more traditionally-sandally sort of tie, I think. Was this something you noticed at all?

[rydra_wong]

I found them really flappy at the beginning, and tried fastening them more tightly, but found that actually made it harder to walk. Then I loosened them again, and it got much easier -- I think I adjusted somehow, though I'm not sure I can pinpoint what was different.

I'm thinking it might help to add another hole at the back to stop the heel-flapping, though.

[juliet]

Hm. The heel on mine feels fine; it's the toe that bothers me (there's only the one piece of string there, and I need it looseish so as not to hurt). Possibly I just need to learn not to mind the flapping :)